Why Should I Be Elected to Level Four: I should be elected to level four because, I love this hobby, hobby doesn't sound like the right word, something more than a hobby but less than all absorbing crippling obsession. Not really sure where it would fit.

Over the next four short paragraphs I believe I have outlined the why. These sections are all parts of why I should be elected to level four, combined they make up an Urbex Explorer standing outside an abandoned farmhouse, wondering how bad the mould is and hoping the floors are intact.

The Hunt, The Thrill:
Finding an abandoned farmhouse on google maps, without streetview or sometimes with streetview from ten years ago, having no information until you arrive at the site and can make some decisions. The freedom of asking yourself do I go or do I bail. Oh I almost left out the pile of books used for research, so many books, about failed lumber mills, mineral mines, towns abandoned, and military bases left to decay. So much of my pretrip prep time is spent in books before I even get on the road

The Photography: I started with a Nikon D3300 then a Nikon D7200 which I still use if I am not sure of a place, its condition, or if it is watched, dual SD cards have come in handy. From the digital I started expenting with a Pentax K1000, a manual film camera, then a Pentax SFxN, a more automatic film camera but from 1984. And now a Pentax 645 medium format camera which I’am super excited to use in the field.

The Personal Ethos: I always strive to follow the rules, but really how can there be any rules when what you're doing is at its very core an activity founded on breaking the rules or moving around the rules. I guess I strive to follow my own set of rules, lines in the sand that I will not cross, can't even think about crossing them because once you start, once I start, I have no idea where it would end, but what it leads to could be terrifying the risks outway the gains, also whenever I am in an abandoned house I will never touch anything other than a door, or obstacle, I can't seem to bring myself to move personal items, there not mine, were never mine and will never be mine. Take only pictures and leave only foot steps, I really enjoy the picture taking part of urbex.

Oh and my own personal set of rules, take absolutely nothing even it you know that house is going to be demolished next week or probably torched in the near future, I won't force or make an access point if I can't get in easily, I'll check back in a few months, things sometimes get opened own their own. If the property looks maintained, grass is mowed, no trespassing sign looks newish, if it looks like someone is trying to care for the building, I'll skip it, take it off my map and move on to the next pin.

What brought me here: One of the reasons I am here doing this is because urbex brings me to a place that has stopped, the only movement, is the slow inevitable march of decay and water damage. I work in the public school sector and it is so loud and never stops. The work day is a constituent bombardment of the senses, that does not stop, even when I think I am safe, they can still find me. But in an abandoned building with nothing but my cameras and mould, I can be just a bit free and just a bit out of touch with the outside world.