The popularity of the Internet has also given rise to a group of people who call themselves "urban explorers." They love to head out, cameras in tow, searching for the most desolate, abandoned places they can find, photograph them, and reap the rewards of seeing people online go crazy over their discoveries.
From abandoned houses to mental asylums and even an old German bunker that has long since been forgotten, urban exploration has given people online the chance to see things they may never have seen before, and the results are always mysterious and intriguing.
One such explorer, a man in Canada named Dave who runs the Freaktography.ca website is at the forefront of the Internet's obsession with abandoned places. We've shared some of his findings before, like this amazing abandoned house that contains treasures that kids of the 1970s and 1980s will remember.
For fans of these mysterious places, we have a special treat today: Dave is back with a brand new exploration and it's one you do not want to miss! As you'll see in the below gallery, he visits an abandoned house on the border of Michigan and Ontario, Canada that looks completely normal from the outside, but just wait until you see what he found on the inside!
I don't want to spoil anything for you, so make sure you check out the full gallery below, and click through to each page, to see more amazing exclusive photos from inside this abandoned time capsule home. You'll also get to hear from Dave at Freaktography himself as we provide excerpts from our exclusive interview with the photographer.
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(Main photo: Freaktography.ca)
The house looks like someone just got up and left everything in place.
What is it about photographing abandoned places that you find so interesting?
"First and foremost I love the excitement, which is why I do this. I love scouting out a location, searching for a weak spot or a way in and that moment when you realize you’ve made it. This feeling more so in a larger industrial location and medical institution."
Despite all the household items being covered in a layer of dust and grime, they are fairly orderly. If you were transported back in time, you could sit down for tea in mere minutes.
"On the other side, once I come home and put the work out for those who are interested in following what I do – I love to read and hear what the images make people feel. When it comes to roof topping – people are often terrified, when it comes to abandoned houses and hospitals people get sad and nostalgic and they are reminded of their childhood, or their grandparent’s house."
Even the hi-tech audio equipment was just left behind.
"Being inside an abandoned house can stir up so many different emotions, thoughts and feelings, something you don’t feel anywhere else. What I love about photographing abandoned structures is that they are all different and beautiful in their own way, and they are an excellent avenue to learn and practice photography techniques. The lighting (or the lack of), the decay and destruction and the many ways to compose a shot to capture the room. And then there’s the stuff inside, which is a whole other question."
I've always wondered how something like this happens. What makes someone just up and leave all their belongings behind?
I guess, in some case, we'll never know, but at least we have these amazing photos so we can see how the owners might have lived.
Make sure you click through to the rest of the pages. There are many more truly amazing photographs from inside this abandoned home.
What was the most interesting thing you discovered in this abandoned home?
"Without a doubt, the old gramophone – that was a pleasure to uncover and lift the lid. After that, I would say when I lifted the piano bench and found all those musical instruments."
Where would you rate this on your personal scale of the coolest abandoned places you've photographed?
"This house is definitely in my top 5, quite possibly top 3, a house of this calibre is extremely rare."
Do you ever worry about getting arrested for trespassing or is the thrill of getting the pictures greater than the fear of getting in trouble?
"In all honesty, my intentions are honest and harmless and I don’t think a whole lot about this part of it. It’s always there and present and if caught I will accept the consequences. I’ve been caught a handful of times and have always been pleasant and courteous with the person and once they understand my intentions the mood changes and turns into a conversation and I’m either asked to go on my way or (rarely) told to go on ahead but be careful."
"When I contacted the woman in the House of Treasures to return the money I was fully aware of the fact that she may call the police, and I admitted that I should not have been in that house – however, the gesture we were making meant enough to me that I was willing to accept the possible consequences."
What is one abandoned place that you would love to get the opportunity to photograph?
"A trip to Pripyat, the town left abandoned after the Chernobyl disaster would be my number one destination. I would also love to spend some time in Germany where there are countless incredible abandonments to be explored and photographed."
