Someone tried it? If so how was it?
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Urban exploration sounds like walking around the city to me.
If you live in NYC, this would be called "life".Comment
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My entire life is urban exploration.
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mmmmm, urbex.
Just last night, I was getting chased by dogs and security..
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Great stuff I did a little of that when I was younger been a long time thoughComment
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This one is awesome. What lens/body did you use?Originally posted by quantum-xMy entire life is urban exploration.
I'm an armchair urban explorer. I don't have the balls to blatantly trespass, so I look at websites instead.
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Canon 1V-HS with a 15mm 2.8 FishEye on that one.Originally posted by rowanThis one is awesome. What lens/body did you use?
I'm an armchair urban explorer. I don't have the balls to blatantly trespass, so I look at websites instead.
Arm Chair exploring is great, but actually getting mud up to your.. oh wait.
Nah, it's definately a kick. You should moe to Scottland, they don't have trespass laws :DComment
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I LOVE your pictures quantum-x
where did you take them?Comment
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Ah, what film did you use?Originally posted by quantum-x
I had my gear stolen recently (including a 300D and 33V), so I'm tossing up whether to go "all digital" with a higher end model such as a 20D, or go with a 350D and 33V combo again.
Slide film is expensive and time consuming... but unless I get myself a 1Ds there's no way I'll be able to use the full potential of a wide angle lens. Nothing else in the Canon digital range does full frame. I already have a Sigma 12-24mm - or DID have before it was stolen - so I'm hooked on super wide angles.
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Hey. Sounds like you know your cameras.
Having that much gear stolen is heartbreaking, nothing short of it.
I know your pain of the 'all digital' or not- I can't live without my wideangle, but shelling out $6k for a body is hard to justify- not in camera terms, but it Other Things You Could Do With That Money terms.
I was shooting on Fuji Superia there. I like it. It has a good all round response. I like Reala, too. Velvia etc are lovely, but slide film just shit me completely.
12mm? That's insane
I want I have a 17-40 L, which I spend my life shooting on..
Are you a pro at ____, or is shooting a hobby?
Paparazzi- In order-
Copper Smelter, South of Sydney, Australia
Cranes, Brisbane, Australia
Cranes, Brisbane, Australia
Storey Bridge, Brisbane, Australia
Old Power Tunnels, Brisbane, Australia
Bunker, Jebel Ali, Dubai, UEA
Underground Cavern / Drain, Manchester, UK
Drain, Brisbane Australia
(ex) Rail Bridge, Manchester UK
Melbourne Power Station, Melbourne, AustraliaComment
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those are some nice pics man.. I'm a armchair explorer too. I don't do crazy stuff like that but I'll look around if I get the chanceOriginally posted by quantum-xMy entire life is urban exploration.
In November, you can vote for America's next president or its first dictator.Comment
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Yeah, exactly. I tend to think that Urbex is a lot about attitude, also.Originally posted by crockettthose are some nice pics man.. I'm a armchair explorer too. I don't do crazy stuff like that but I'll look around if I get the chance
It's about opening your eyes, knowing that you don't have to do what everyone else does.. maintaining that childhood curiosity of 'what's behind / under / over that'Comment
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YARGH! Awesome picky pics! If I be a photo I'd hit one of yours.Originally posted by quantum-x
Need to get a site indexed in a few days? Want thousands of targeted, quality hits to your site? Want to beta test something that will revolutionize the way companies, and individuals advertise online.? Click here to take a look at BliggoComment
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amazing and beautiful picsUnvaxxed, still alive.Comment
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Damn, reading this thread is making me itch! The insurance assessor is coming tomorrow and I'm already researching new lenses before I'm even sure that I'll get back the full replacement value of my nicked equipment.Originally posted by quantum-xHey. Sounds like you know your cameras.
Having that much gear stolen is heartbreaking, nothing short of it.
I know your pain of the 'all digital' or not- I can't live without my wideangle, but shelling out $6k for a body is hard to justify- not in camera terms, but it Other Things You Could Do With That Money terms.
I was shooting on Fuji Superia there. I like it. It has a good all round response. I like Reala, too. Velvia etc are lovely, but slide film just shit me completely.
12mm? That's insane I want I have a 17-40 L, which I spend my life shooting on..
Are you a pro at ____, or is shooting a hobby?
I was tossing up getting a 1Ds and/or a new car a few months ago, but then we found out that my wife is pregnant... so she's the one who gets the new car now, and I get my hand slapped if I spend too much on anything.
The Sigma 12-24mm is my favourite lens. It's a good daily use lens on the 300D (1.6X crop) but there's definitely a wow factor when you stick it on a full frame body. Just have to be careful not to overdo it with the perspective, check out this distortion when you angle the lens upwards to include some sky:
BTW, I'm not a pro, although I have been claiming some expenses for tax purposes as I do plan to sell prints in the future. It occurred to me that the insurance co may try to get out of paying by claiming I'm using the equipment for commercial purposes. My response? I haven't made one fucking cent from it.
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whoa, those cityscape shots are awesome.Comment
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mm.. lovely.
Wideangle is dope. Check out what PerfectGonzo do - they're shooting on fisheye for smut, and the surfers love it.
You're right tho - it's very easy to overuse wideangle..
a 1ds would be sweet.. a 1dsMII would be amazing.. lol
What part of oz are you in? Congrats on your wife, too, btw.Comment
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This is about as far as I've gone with urbex... they're building a freeway bypass nearby and nothing was signed, or fenced off.
I stuffed up the framing on that shot slightly, I returned a few times after that but there was never the perfect line up of construction vehicles again.Comment
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Great photos, I love city shots like that.Originally posted by quantum-xComment
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very cool siteOriginally posted by american pervComment
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Originally posted by Manowar
yup! its very cool..
in college we used to explore the tunnels under it, didn't know there was a term of it until a few years ago.
also, I hear in paris there are some incredible tunnelsI can resist everything except temptationComment
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Paris is an exception.Originally posted by american perv
Most (excluding about 5) arrondissements in Paris have cavities underneath them.
Back in the day when Paris was growing and expanding, people found hte perfect source of their limestone was beneath their feet, and heavily mined it.
Naturally, the obvious began to happen, and sections started to sink / cave in. It was so decreed that land owners had to make tunnels under their land, in an attempt to crisscross / swiss cheese the caverns, so the lattice effect would create a stronger reinforcement.
This was a sweeping success - and so the quarries were born.
In France, there's a massive difference between the Urban explorers and the 'cataphiles' - and in the past, their taste for exploration has ended up in battles, which is slightly amusing.
Anyhow - the point is, the Paris underground is vast. I've seen maps that cover an A3 page, with kilometers taking up just a few inches. A friend of mine spent 16 hours walking down there, and barely crossed any.
Because of the uniform nature of the tunnels, even with a map, it's super easy to get lost - people have died down there, and as such, the 'quarry police' - a special division of gerdame are assigned to stop people from entering. Despite the vastness of the quarries, there are only a handfull of accessible entry points.
Regardless, there a quite a few groups that enjoy being underground - it's not uncommon to walk through the quarries and come across various gatherings and parties - more often than not obvlivious of the other groups; During the war, the Allies and Nazis both had HQs in the quarries, and neither group was the wiser to their opponent's presence.
When I was over in Paris, a lot of shit went down about the quarries - if you read french-
Anyhow. Some of the quarries join into the osseries (or in english, the catacombs), but it's wrong to think that the entirity of the Paris underground is a catacomb.
End of lecture ;)Comment
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Sure did.Originally posted by rowanComment
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I don;t know french, but I think I know what that article is about. a movie theater they found there with a full bar too..I can resist everything except temptationComment
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Right.Originally posted by american perv
200m^3 theatre, the latest Bose sound equipment, quality data projecters, 2 open bars, 5 phone lines, running water, toilets, security, the works.
Despite the police's kneejerk reaction (TERRORISTS!) - it wasn't / isn't - it was just how my friend had decked the place out to throw nice parties :DComment
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Originally posted by quantum-x
that is the coolest shit everI can resist everything except temptationComment
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i'm flying to Paris at the end of August. how does one hook up into this sort of thing? sounds absolutely amazing.Originally posted by quantum-xwe'll miss you our friend. RIPComment
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This stuff is amazing. I never really knew this was a "thing".
Anyway, me and my friends did some of this stuff as teens. Went to "peabody's tomb" in glen ellyn, illinois & the "ovaltine factory" in villapark, illinois.
Both come up on google with little info, but they were pretty amazing places. Looking back I'm just surprised none of us fell through a rusted stairway or anything.
http://www.infiltration.org/ - Great site! I'm thinking of picking up a subscription!
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Quantum those pics are breath taking, the quality is amazing. Fantastic stuff
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quantum is my hero, i would love to learnI like turtles.Comment
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How did he manage to get all that connected secretly, and underground?Originally posted by quantum-x
Tapped into buildings above?
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Pretty much.Originally posted by rowanHow did he manage to get all that connected secretly, and underground? Tapped into buildings above?
Getting utilities connected really isn't as hard as you think.
Street lights provide lovely power for the evenings (pop the covers, splice the wires into the trip) - and traffic lights provide great 24/7 power (those squat green boxes on the side of the road)
In Australia - the cylindrical 'cans' on the sides of the road are actually mini exchanges. Pop the lock w/ a pair of scissors, use a shifter to undo the bolt, and then connect to a spare rail, and you've got a phone line.
(You can also use this to tap into people's phones)
There are other ways to get free phone lines too, but anyhow.
Water is even easier, it's harder to trace.
RE: Getting underground in Paris - I can't hook you up sadly, it took me about 12 months to get contacts. If you hook up with local exploration groups, they might have contacts for you
For more links, check out -
http://www.sub-urban.com/
Just as an aside -
http://www.sub-urban.com/ballroom.htm has to be one of THE best locations and reads I've ever come across. Just check it out. Amazing.Comment
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It's amazing how many times you do things, then later learn more and go.. oh.. fuck.
I slipped over in a drain in high tide, lost all my gear, torch and spare clothes under water, got sucked in the current. Some panicky moments there.
Absieling from a bridge, and having to drop 2m to start the abseil - hoping like fuck your ropes are secure.
If you're into abseiling-
50m across, lip to lip.
12m internal diameter
100m down
Very, Very big rush. It was great.
I did it at 3AM also, on a freezing winter night. What a place.
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Those are some awsome pics :DComment
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quantum-x is my new hero
I like turtles.Comment
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i think this is going to be my new hobby. just about the coolest stuff i've seen in a looong time.we'll miss you our friend. RIPComment
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here is a cool article, they actually found a cinema down there:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/internatio...299444,00.html
After entering the network through a drain next to the Trocadero, the officers came across a tarpaulin marked: Building site, No access.
Behind that, a tunnel held a desk and a closed-circuit TV camera set to automatically record images of anyone passing. The mechanism also triggered a tape of dogs barking, "clearly designed to frighten people off," the spokesman said.
Further along, the tunnel opened into a vast 400 sq metre cave some 18m underground, "like an underground amphitheatre, with terraces cut into the rock and chairs".
There the police found a full-sized cinema screen, projection equipment, and tapes of a wide variety of films, including 1950s film noir classics and more recent thrillers. None of the films were banned or even offensive, the spokesman said.Comment
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im gonna bump this old thread cos its been bugging me since i first read it. sounds like the coolest thing in a while. what are the legal issues around it/ like is trespassing a fine or can this shit land you in jail? seems like itd be a pretty cool weekend warrior hobby for a poser like me
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thanks for the bump lloyd
quantum-x:
What do you recommend to explore for beginners?Comment
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quantum-x - OUTSTANDING stuff...will deffy look more deep into this
Your posts made me want to buy a new better digital camera :DComment
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no kidding, the only cameras i have are tiny garbage for taking pictures of titties at bars etc, nothing proper.Originally posted by Ruiquantum-x - OUTSTANDING stuff...will deffy look more deep into this
Your posts made me want to buy a new better digital camera :D
anyways i'm hopefully off now to go give this shit a shot, hopefully i'll have some cool pictures, even if they are only 1280x1024 ;)Comment
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I'd imagine you could be in some serious legal trouble if you were caught more than a couple of times. I'd be more concerned about safety issues myself: things like rotting floors, asbestos, stored waste products etc.Originally posted by lloydim gonna bump this old thread cos its been bugging me since i first read it. sounds like the coolest thing in a while. what are the legal issues around it/ like is trespassing a fine or can this shit land you in jail? seems like itd be a pretty cool weekend warrior hobby for a poser like me
BTW quantum-x: I'm now seriously considering the leap to a 1DsII. And a better insurance policy, it's been 3 weeks and I still don't have a cheque!Comment
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quantum-x - how can i contact you m8?Comment
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