Kuala Lumpur, like other cities around the world, is going through modernisation with the birth of gigantic tall buildings and skyscrapers that our great-grandmothers could never understand. Urban exploration has made our city centre into a playground for the boys behind ‘Urban Explore’ where they capture images with a unique approach that accentuates the properties of these man-made world we live in. I had the chance to get in touch with Asyraaf of Urban Explore for a short interview to get a little insight on the project.
First and foremost, who are you? – give us a little background
First and foremost, I’m Asyraaf. 20 Years old and I live in Shah Alam. A graphic Design student who also loves the photo-taking art form.
Tell us about the idea behind Urban Explore; when did your interest in photography fully bloomed?
The idea of urban explore? Haha it’s hard to explain. We actually first started back when me and my fellow friends were influenced by international photographers such as Trashhand, Jayscale, Takubeats & etc.. They explore their cities by going onto rooftops, bridges, tunnels and many more but of course they’re all outside of Malaysia. They even have a big community where all the photographers meet up on the streets and share their visuals together. So me and my friends started going to a few places such as rooftops, tunnels and etc. in KL and we wanted to make a Malaysian version of the idea. We go out to shoot day to day and improve our photography skills for ourselves. So yeah, it fully bloomed when I gathered a few talented friends who actually have a passion in this kind of photography.
Does Urban Explore accept submissions? And if it’s a yes, are you guys picky with which photos are displayed? Be honest!
Yes, we accept submissions. You can go search our hashtag for submissions under #UEMY & #UEMYTAKEOVER. Tbh, yes we are picky with each photo displayed. This is because what we want is the quality of the photo. Not the quantity.
What are some of your favourite hotspots in KL to snap pictures, gather inspiration or simply lepak?
Our favourite spot to hang out & take photos? Haha! We hang around many places but mostly rooftops. Our favourite rooftop is one of the buildings near to Bank Rakyat Twin Towers. Find it yourself!
Name us three things you would never step out of the house without.
My backpack, my Casio watch and my favourite 6 panel cap.
Follow Urban Explore for updates and more information on their Tumblr and Flickr.
