What to Expect from Wraiths' Photos and Exploration Write-Ups
Wraiths (wraiths.ca) documents urban exploration across British Columbia, and the site is upfront about one thing: don't come for polished photography. Most photos are old, low-resolution, and shot on weak cameras in dark places while avoiding security. Some exploration write-ups are live, others are still coming, and pictures are being added to them over time. If you want gritty first-hand records of abandoned places rather than high-res art, this is what you'll find.
The photos: old, low-res, and honest about it
The site itself warns visitors that most of its photos are "pretty old," taken back when the team was using digital cameras that were 1 megapixel at best. That's a fraction of what even a basic phone camera produces today.
The reasons the quality is rough are practical, not accidental:
- Weak cameras in dark places — abandoned buildings, tunnels, and mines rarely have good lighting.
- Avoiding security — shooting quickly and quietly doesn't leave room for careful composition or long exposures.
- No artistic ambition — as the site puts it, "taking pictures in dark places with weak ass cameras while avoiding security isn't the recipe for artistic masterpieces."
So expect grainy, dim, sometimes blurry images. They work as documentation of what a place looked like, not as a photo gallery.
The write-ups: partly live, partly in progress
Wraiths is explicit that the site is being rebuilt "as time permits." That means:
- Some exploration write-ups are already live and readable now.
- Others are still coming and will be published later.
- Photos will be added to all of them over time, so a write-up you read today may gain images later.
If you're browsing for a specific location, it's worth checking back rather than assuming a missing entry doesn't exist.
What kinds of places are covered
The scope is broad, which is part of why the archive takes time to fill in. Documented or planned explorations include:
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Institutions | Shut-down asylums and hospitals |
| Corrections | Closed prisons |
| Infrastructure | Secret tunnels, derelict ferries |
| Industry | Abandoned mines, breweries, factories |
| Oddities | The McBarge |
How to set your expectations
- Come for the story, not the pixels. The value is in the record of places most people never see.
- Treat older entries as historical documents. A 1MP photo from years ago still shows you what was behind the door.
- Check back for updates. Write-ups and photos are being added progressively.
- Don't expect a finished, polished archive. The site says plainly it's a work in progress.
Wraiths has been documenting forgotten places for over a decade, and this is the fifth distinct version of the site since it first went live two decades ago. The rough edges are part of that history.