Talk Urbex

Talk Urbex – Guest Interview: Lusker41, December 2009

December, the month for chilling out and enjoying beer, Xmas and holidays – we chilled out this year, a bit too much and as such, December’s awesome guest of the month has fallen into Jan

Decembers urbex interview is someone who is a full time comedian, has been urban exploring for an eternity and recently made a crazy arse video – the one and certainly the only, lusker41

So lets take a dive into the mind of one of our Talk Urbex brothers!

Lets get to know a bit about Lusker, can you tell us a bit about yourself and 1 interesting fact about you?

I’m 38 years old married got 2 kids, living in Copenhagen, i have been exploring since i was 12 years (1985) in 2007 i started taking serious pictures of my exploring.

Last 10 years I’ve been a full time comedian on Danish national Tv/Radio ( thats why i use the mask ) and producing music every thing from pop to Hiphop, but I’m working on career change starting up my own little creative advertising company.

I also give preventive lectures to the youth around Denmark about youth crime and all that comes along with that

Lots of people have memorable sites they have visited, can you tell us about your most memorable and why it is?

Some of my first explores with a friend back in 85, we use to drive around on our BMX bikes looking for spots, one of the spots i remember best was a plastic factory producing all kinds of toys and industrial parts.

I remember us getting in through a window on the back, stepping in to this untouched beauty filled with stuff. I also remember the smell from the boilers, and the shelves with little mermaids miniatures catching sunlight from the windows above on this hot summer day.

Another one is from last summer I had looked at this big old house in the centre of CPH for some time, one day i just stopped and went in to ring the bell, to see what going down to my surprise the front door was kicked in, so i walked in to look around, i walked up to the first floor to look around, the whole apartment is filled with boxes and some stashed furnitures, all boxes was filled with all personal belongings to a girls named Charlotte holiday pictures, love letters, college papers and so on.

Nature was slowly taking over this house, after taking some pictures i decided to check out the upstairs, I walked up the stairs carefully and could not believe my eyes as i was standing inside a abandoned Dentist clinic, with everything and i mean everything tools,machines,files,drugs every thing. The furnitures was 70 style and from the magazines in the waiting room I could see it had been abandoned for around 3 years. So weird the once kicking the door in didn’t take anything as far as I could see.

I did some research on Charlotte and nothing popped up only on the dentist he was 67 years old no address or anything

Photography – what photography kit do you use and what is your typical set-up?

Well I haven’t upscaled since i started taking pictures of my exploring 2 years ago when i bought my first “real” camera in LA in 07 Canon Rebel xti and a standard 10-55. A year later i bought my Tokina fisheye i allways wanted a fisheye and thats my setup kit for now.

Next stop is Canon EOS 5D Mark II and some new lenses.

Some people have a plan when they go into urbex sites – whats your plan?

Depends on the mission….

If its day time spots on the country side with curious neighbours i just go knock there door and talk to them, the location scout trick works on curious old farts.

If the place is guarded there is nothing like a good planed mouse n cat. But as I said depends on the mission

Sometimes explores go wrong, do you have any worst moments when exploring?

Not really maybe when I drive around looking for new spots the whole day finding nothing, even though I realize that’s a part of finding new spots that haven’t been explored before.

What is your favourite type of abandoned site?

I’m really in to houses with personal stuff that tells a story about the person that use to live there, I’ve really found touching, weird and interesting stories through the years.

Over the years I got more selective on where I take pictures you I’ve seen many types of spots, but my rule number 1 is always check it out no matter how trashed it is or how newly abandoned it is,you never know what’s in the basement or the loft.

What are your recommendations to people that have not explored before?

Think before you enter a location, always have a story ready when trespassing you get a long way with camera on a tripod and a true intend for the location. if you get chased by cops during infiltration or high risk stuff, don’t just run 500 meters an hide run 3 kilometres the trace will get cold for the K9.

And never enter the lazy way, never walk around the spot to many times before entering.
If you start posting pictures from a spot see what other people calls the spot, I personal never use names that can help others finder the spots. respect that other explores don’t give you info on spot when you are an rookie, you got to work your way up, find some spots no one explored before.

And even though its a cliche take only pictures leave arh you know.

Final question of the year – if you could explore any site across the globe, what would it be and why?

Ouha thats a tough one i got 213 spots on my spot world map to name a few…

But the AMARC plane graveyard in Arizona, because it the biggest!
Mike Tysons old mansion in Ohio because its so crazy ugly kitch inside and last but not least the ship wrecks in the aral sea is real high on my wish list.

Lusker41

Thanks to Lusker for the interview – you can check out more about him here, I totally enjoyed it and its a great insight! Thanks my friend!

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