WHY WE EXPLORE
I get asked this question more so than any other when talking about my passion for exploring the forgotten and the abandoned. It is a subject that is infinitely complex in its own right – each individual participating in their own way will have a vastly different experience; as such – a vastly different take on the reason why.
For myself, it’s the chance to be somewhere few people have been or never seen for themselves. There is a thrill to work against the grain of society; when a sign says, “do not go here”, the mind is put asunder – and curiosity drives the consciences. A close friend of mine had once stated: “Why should history be locked away? It should be accessible to anyone who wants to experience it firsthand.” I share these sentiments aloud. For most in this adventure, standing in lines to see force fed regurgitated facts – seems incredibly unappealing. We therefore create our own dynamic way of accessing these hidden places, these locked away time capsules, rooftops, sewers.
Prolific explorer and professor Bradley L. Garret writes in his book Explore Everything: “ In opposition to the commonly held idea that urban exploration is an act of destructive trespass, that explorers ‘break in’ and disrupt derelict spaces, urban explorers also protect and document fragile sites so that secret histories can continue to be revealed in whispers and though spontaneous discovery. The explorers act as keepers of extraordinary affects in a world rendered increasingly mundane.”
A fellow Canadian pioneer explorer of the early years Jeff Chapman aka. “Ninjalicious” wrote in his book/user guide – Access all Areas:
“Urban exploring is a thrilling, mind-expanding hobby that encourages our natural instincts to explore and play in our own environment. Urban exploration inspires people to create their own adventures, like when they were kids, instead of buying the pre-packaged adventures too many of us settle for. And it nurtures a sense of wonder in the everyday spaces we inhabit that few local history books could ever hope to recreate.”
I reached out to the community I am part of, and asked a couple simple questions to fellow explorers and photographers alike:
“Why should we explore, or more definably why is it important in your life?”
“For yourself, what determines your risk to reward ratio in your endeavors?”
The selected talented individuals would provide some incredibly insightful responses; as they all vary in how they choose to go about adventuring.
A sensational photographer from Alberta: Cptmorgan76 (Instagram handle) explains:
“To answer your questions you asked recently I have to say exploration is important to me for several reasons but probably the main reason is a chance to palpably experience someone’s life. My mom's childhood home was long gone before I was born and hearing stories of what it was like growing up always intrigued me. I feel like both our and our parents generation experienced the biggest changes throughout. To go from outhouses to indoor plumbing, to stories around the kitchen table to tv, from conversations taking place face to face to phones then cell phones. The changes go on and on.
Imaging how it was comes to life when I visit a place. The pieces that remain give me insight of how life at that time really was. It reminds me that the world wasn't as big for them in the way their homestead was their world. It's not like today where you can live in multiple homes throughout your life. For them the home ya built was where ya stayed for many util the end.
When I go to a place I love the silence of it. Like a treasure chest waiting to be opened and decoded. Why this style of house. How each square foot had purpose and function. Looking through the windows to see the same views folk took in for decades. It's hard to explain but it gives me a better understanding of a life long gone but still holds clues of it. Not sure if it makes sense what I just said but in short I just feel like the tactile experience of these places is what brings me joy.
As for risk to reward I don't explore a new found place in winter. I need to see where I'm walking merely for safety reasons. The only time I really didn't do an explore was at one place where I just got a creepy vibe. I don't know why but something just kept telling me not to go in the house. It was a shame because the house was filled with so much stuff but I just couldn't do it. Beyond that any place I've explored has always rewarded me in one way or another. I do find some of the biggest rewards is when wildlife has taken up residence except pigeons, damn things always go for the face”
A couple of summers ago an Ontario explorer we’ll call J - toured Alberta. We had the opportunity to meet up and explore together. He was a humble human being with a keen sense of his surroundings. Here are his thoughts on the subject:
“I think urban exploration (in particular the documentation aspect) is important for society because it is a way to preserve these buildings that will one day no longer exist. At best, if a building is “historically designated,” at least in this area, it only preserves the facade of the building while the interior is completely destroyed. Worst case scenario, the building is still demolished and a plaque is created to commemorate it, and both of those options just aren’t good enough.
For me Urbex is also important personally because it is an escape, these buildings are usually quiet places to be alone with your thoughts and maybe a camera, it can be a very relaxing experience. It has also been a great learning experience for me to figure out how buildings are designed and how they can fail. More specifically, what are the most important aspects to maintain in good working order to prevent damage.
As for risk vs reward, for me, I don't do active places. Our hobby is invasive enough as it is but to go into a building that someone still actively uses crosses a line, especially when it comes to houses. Also, if someone has been charged after visiting a location or threatened with being charged, that is a risk I am not willing to take.”
“A kindred spirit out here in Alberta that is a world traveler and in every sense of the word a "Magnificent” photographer - Relicphotographik (Instagram handle) offers a beautiful insight to his worldly adventures:
Well for me the adventure is what makes it. The researching, finding, planning and then doing my best to record it in the best way possible through photography. Many people don’t explore. They choose to just live a fairly normal life in going about their everyday thing. Climbing into abandoned buildings, driving for hours into very isolated areas and admiring what most people wouldn’t is why I find it so appealing. I’m also a first responder and I do a very stressful job and for me this is a huge outlet. It’s not a hobby that many people do so the isolation from others and the loneliness is very appealing to me. I love the history and the wondering what had occurred throughout the locations life. I find that fascinating. I come from a country where everything is old. The UK. Canada and the US have a more recent history. I like that.
In my opinion you need to take greater risks to find the more interesting and untouched places. Risk can be defined as driving for greater hours, entering an unsafe building and even financial for the time and effort (fuel) it will cost to complete the adventure. I always try and get permission and normally I do, and so the use of a drone assists when I can’t get permission.
I recently drove 6 hours into Saskatchewan to find a church that is untouched but was in the middle of nowhere, in the pouring rain in heavy tick season, and I had to walk through waist-high grass to reach it. The risk of sinking my truck was high and the nearest place was miles away. I weighed it up, got it done, and experienced an incredible place. For me it was worth the drive and risk.
To 99.9% of the population it was a rundown building in a forest. No way they would go there. Even if it was accessible from a city. But people were blown away by the photos.
This hobby is so interesting to many but done by the few. To record and capture the unusual and take risks to get the shots to amaze the people unaware these locations exist.
My reward is the journey, the experience and the photography.”
An explorer who is undefinable but has an incredible sense of finding sites and capturing their decay; with a dark flare for stunning portraits - Jamie aka: S0S1NC3R3 (Insta handle) is one hell of an urbexer. He offers some deep thoughts on his experiences:
“I’ve been asking myself a lot why I still do it. At this point I think its part of who I am, what makes me – me. People have things in their life that eventually define them as a person and for the past few years this has been one of those things.
Exploring is one of those items that affect my mood immensely. If I’m having a hard day, week, month, depressed; even with no ambition to explore – just driving around actively looking for bandos immediately make me feel better. I trust in the process, its never failed me.
With exploring there is a plethora of fascists to use in this hobby. If you get bored of homes, you can go to the roof tops, or the sewers; or change the subject and do portraits – its ever evolving and allows me to stay fresh.”
Uncompromising, Raw, Original, Un hinged elegance - All describe one hell of an explorer from Quebec. “EF Photography”(Instagram Handle) is one incredibly unique adventurer. Here is his take on Urbex:
“Why should we explore? I mean, I don't think everyone should. I feel like having too much random people could bring a lot of accidents and we could end with more regulations around that, so it could be pretty bad if we have to deal with the justice system.
For me, exploring is a multitude of things that I appreciate. At first, it's like building a puzzle. Seeing an image, hearing a story, and then starting to look for clues about what it is, where it is, what happened there and why it's abandoned now.
After that, there's the infiltration that sometimes can make you feel alive. It's like riding a bike full speed on the highway, you know it's stupid, but it feels so good at the same time.
Once inside, it depends. Sometimes it's more about discovering, seeking for information of the past, or just enjoying the calm after the humans left.
As a photographer, surely we see it differently. Looking for shapes, for colors, for lights, for contrasts, trying to find the beauty in the decay.
An other thing, it's seeing the decay over time. When you explore a place that is clean, like humans just disappeared, and then going back years later to see the paint peeling, there's something about it that is hard to explain.
And surely it's fun to see all the photos taken over time, it's like a journal of our journey. A bunch of good memories, awesome people we been able to meet, and just so much life experiences compared to saying at home watching Netflix. So many cities that we would've never seen, some unique nature spots that only exploring could bring you to, travels that I wouldn't have done otherwise... There's so much to say lol.
For the risk to reward, it depends. Surely, if it's really unsafe, it's a bit no. By that, I mean that death isn't an option.
But life is all about taking risk, so exploring can help to take risks “safely” over time. I think we learn a lot about us and our environment, and that's quite useful in life.
For tickets and justice, I mean, tickets are just the cost of the activity, like going to a restaurant ahahaha, and justice is something that we all want to avoid, but I feel like we accepted that it could end up in court at some point. But yea, stay ninja and hope for the best.”