Daniel Miccio: Urbex Photographer

I was one of those people that resisted Instagram for a long time.  I had my reasons.  I finally gave in and while there are a lot of things I don't like about Instagram I can't deny there are some great things too.  The biggest one, just like on Flickr, is getting turned onto new folks doing great things.  That is how I bumped into Daniel Miccio.  Not only is he getting into some really amazing locations and taking great photos, he is doing so with a lot less gear than most I know who do similar photography.  I sent him a few questions and he shot them back to me with several of his favorite photos.  If you are on Instagram follow him:  dattmaniel.

Bridge Burner:  How did you first get into urban exploration?
Daniel Miccio:  One of my good friends got me into it a few years back. I was hooked after the first time we explored an abandoned mental hospital at night. I think it's the combination of the creepiness, the adrenaline rush of having to sneak into a place you're obviously not meant to get into, and the excitement of never knowing what you're going to find that really draws me to it. I hope some of those things come through when people look at my pictures.  
BB:  What kind of camera do you use?
DM:  I actually only use my phone right now, but I'm looking into getting a decent camera soon. Only using my phone can make it hard to get certain shots, especially in the more dimly lit areas of buildings.
BB:  What has been your favorite spot to explore and photograph?
DM:  I'm not sure if I have one particular favorite because each location is always so much different from the next. But I'm sure most people that do this would agree that the best places to explore are buildings that have basically been untouched for years, with very little vandalism and lots of "artifacts", like antique medical equipment, patient files, etc.

BB:  What is your "holy grail" urbex spot?
DM:  Definitely Chernobyl. I don't know when I'll get the chance but I need to get over there someday.
BB:  Do you think that graffiti makes an abandoned building more interesting or detracts from it?
DM:  It really depends. A few weeks ago my girlfriend, her sister, and I went to this beautiful abandoned castle in the woods in upstate NY. It looks like something straight out of a fairytale. But when we got inside, we found that some kids had recently gotten in and spray painted racial slurs and poorly drawn dicks all over the walls. Why anyone would think that's cool or funny to do in such a beautiful place is beyond me, but that's the kind of stuff you see almost everywhere you go. Occasionally you will see some really awesome graffiti done by an actual artist, and it can really add to the over all mood and feeling of the room or building you're in.

BB:  Have you ever had any sketchy run ins with people or the law while exploring? If so, care to talk about it?
DM:  So far I have been extremely lucky with being able to avoid cops and security. I've been to a few places with definite signs that homeless people and squatters are living there though, and that always makes me nervous. I'm more afraid of running into some crazy homeless dude then being caught by the police. The sketchiest thing that has ever happened to us was in the basement of an abandoned hospital a few months ago. Right before we were about to leave we noticed we missed a few rooms near the back. We wandered down a hall into a back room, which turned out to be a dead end. As we were about to turn around we heard this loud blood curdling screech followed by a deep growl coming from a pitch black room in the dark hallway we had to go back through to get out. We stood there frozen, trying to figure out what we were going to do and waiting for something to charge us. When nothing came out of the room, I grabbed a pipe that was lying on the floor next to me, and we made a mad dash through the hall and exited the building as fast as we could.

BB:  What do you typically carry with you when you go explore?
DM:  I usually carry a backpack with our respirators, a first aide kit, flashlights, a few water bottles and whatever camera equipment my girlfriend uses (her name on instagram is stegosaurlyss. She has some really amazing shots in her feed that are definitely worth checking out). I also started carrying mace after that incident in the basement.

BB:  What are your top 3 albums of all time?
DM:  Oh man, that is a really tough question. I don't know if this is really my top 3 but they're definitely somewhere up there. The first albums that come to mind are: Hot Damn by Every Time I Die, Buster by Admiral Angry, The God and Devil are Raging Inside Me by Brand New.
BB:  Because Bridge Burner cares, are you up to date on your tetanus shot?
DM:  Yes, I actually just got one a month or 2 ago because I cut my head open on a rusty gate sneaking into an abandoned hospital. Just saying that out loud makes you realize why some people would consider urbex a stupid hobby... but I really don't see myself giving it up anytime soon.