SilentKnight

(warning: long read ahead)

I'm sure we've all had those sweat-inducing nightmares of finding yourself alone somewhere in the dark, being chased by some unseen, yet horrific entity with 3-inch fangs and claws that could rip you to shreds if it caught up with you.

No?

Okay, me neither then. But I hear some people do.

Looking back through a lot of my urban exploration photos - I can't help but think (from the comfortable safety of my office workstation) just how crazy some of these places I've visited actually were. Although I usually prefer photographing most places during the day - I've come to realize that I've actually visited quite a number of these places (solo) at night. And looking back at the photos, its easy to recall my general mindset during each of those nighttime explorations.

I've heard from a number of people about how they'd NEVER go in to places like this at night - especially alone. Danger lurks everywhere, not just from homeless vagrants and psycho crackheads - but also in the instability of the buildings themselves. People not familiar with the hobby of urban exploration think we're all rather insane going to these places - and I suppose if I were to think about it too hard, I'd probably agree. But for me...its all about getting some good photographs. I've never visited any of these abandoned places without a camera with me.

But that aside - exploring abandonments at night takes a certain amount of daring and testicular fortitude - especially if you're alone and forced to rely on your own wits, resources and common sense. Of course, there are several precautions I generally observe - I carry several flashlights...one of which is my trusty heavyduty 3D maglite that can double as a good club/weapon if needed). I also carry several extra sets of flashlight batteries. A cellphone is a must. I also carry a good sturdy pocketknife that could also serve as a weapon in case of emergency. I make sure I let people know where I'm going and roughly how long I'll be. And in most cases I prefer to scout out a location during the day before making a return visit at night - just so I know the general layout of a place and have a little better idea of what to expect in the dark.

That said, no matter how many precautions you take and how much common sense you exercise...there's often the unexpected. I've been fortunate over the years not to have run in to any major difficulties myself at night (I'm a well-built and sturdy kinda' guy and quite capable of handling myself in any circumstance). But I've heard stories from others over the years who haven't been quite as lucky.





The photo above doesn't do the scene justice - since I used the flashlight to lightpaint it for a 6-sec. camera exposure. In reality, you'd only see a narrow beam from the flashlight.

For those of you reading this who have never tried exploring an old abandoned place at night - try imagining yourself in the photo above. I shot this one night during a solo trip in a building called Lister Block, in Hamilton, Ont. Its a multi-storey old brick building built around the turn-of-the-century - originally designed as a commercial/retail mall. At night, the interior is as black as the ace of spades - and even a good strong flashlight doesn't seem to penetrate far inside the place. The building seems to absorb light like a sponge, especially the basement levels. Just imagine standing in this long dark hallway, with the peeling paint and debris everywhere. The stagnant smell of rot, mold and musty decay permeates your nostrils. The entire building is silent - except for the wind blowing and banging parts of the building on some of the floors (most of the windows are totally smashed on most floors - leaving the building wide open to the elements outside). On both sides of the hallway are many doors that lead off to old office rooms - all of them darkened and hiding who-knows-what in the shadows. Floors creak, perhaps somewhere a pigeon flies in to the building and makes sudden noises above you. Somewhere in the distance you hear a loud bang of a door...so you stop and listen silently, trying to orient where the sound came from in case anyone's approaching from the dark. Are those footsteps you hear? Has a homeless vagrant entered the place? Is he an ex-mental patient, prone to being violent? Does he consider this 'his home' and regard you as a trespasser? You convince yourself that you have the advantage of surprise if you remain silent and vigilant. After a few minutes of standing there motionless, you come to the conclusion it was still just the wind through an old building. You press on - telling yourself the next amazing photo opportunity is just around the corner.

Quite obviously, exploring abandoned old buildings at night is definitely not for the timid. It takes a combination of self-confidence and courage to face the darkness - difficult to describe to someone who's never tried it for themselves. And if it weren't for the photography aspect - I don't really know to this day whether I'd even have gotten in to the pastime. Its definitely helped me learn how to control the most basic of human emotions - fear of the unknown.