Photographer climbs to harrowing heights above Times Square
Eddie, an adrenaline-seeking photographer based in New York City, scales skyscrapers in search of the perfect shot.
Thrill seekers for years have been scaling the world's tallest skyscrapers in search of the perfect selfie.
Now a New York native has joined the ranks of the globe's most daring shutterbugs with his recent stomach-churning shot 60 stories above New York's Times Square.
A photographer who goes by the name of Eddie (he declined to give us his last name) is seen, with legs dangling over a un-named building's roof--with neon street lights far below.
The Brooklyn native, who currently works as a freelance videographer and photographer, scales some of Manhattan’s tallest buildings in search of the perfect shot—and the adrenaline rush that goes along with it.
Eddie says that he doesn't get permission from building management to shoot from these buildings, and even though that could land him in trouble with the law, he says the risks are worth it.
He shoots and edits all of his photography and video himself and posts them online. His Instragram account, @WantedVisual, has almost 15,000 followers. Shockingly, Eddie says he started climbing skyscrapers in part to overcome a personal fear.
“This may come as a surprise, but I was always afraid of heights, which gave me even more reason to overcome the fear,” Eddie told FoxNews.com. “Sitting on tall buildings isn't so bad, but you do realize just how small and fragile you are, while sitting on top of a sky scraper and watching your feet dangle.”
Though he knows such an extreme hobby isn’t for everyone (we don't recommend it, either), he hopes his pictures will inspire people to at least challenge themselves to try something different. He also says he's "trying to show not only New Yorkers the beauty of this city, also the world" through his stunning snaps.
FoxNews.com: How do you get up to the top of these buildings?
Eddie: If you watch the videos, you see that we usually sneak in and take the stairs, as well as dodge security to find access points to the roof. I do not take an elevator, and sometimes I have to climb as many as 70+ flights of stairs. It is definitely not easy on the lungs nor the legs, especially when carrying heavy camera gear.
FoxNews.com: Aside from falling, what are some of the risks of you take when you climb up these buildings?
Eddie: Roof-topping is highly dangerous, and is illegal. If you don't get caught, there is a good chance you can get seriously hurt or even killed if you don't know what you are doing, or if you’re not careful. If you don't get hurt or killed, there are plenty of other risks as far as getting arrested, or detained.
One night, I got caught on a rooftop with my friend. It was a rooftop close to Times Square in Manhattan, and I think we just stayed on the roof too long. I was sitting on the ledge of the roof taking look down-shots, and the next thing I heard was an angry voice yelling at me to "put my fucking hands up in the air." As I turned around, I saw about 10 New York Police Department cops that I could make out through their silhouette, shining their flashlights and guns drawn on us. I remember yelling "I'm just taking pictures officer! Don't shoot!"
Turns out they were there because some other group of guys were throwing bottles at them from another roof, and they saw us sitting on the ledges taking photos. They came up on the roof and we got busted. They ended up letting us go after drawing guns on us, and detaining and scolding us for a solid half hour afterwards... Let’s just say it wasn't fun.
FoxNews.com: How do you get such amazing shots?
Eddie: My gear if choice is my trusty Canon 5D Mark III and Canon EF 11-24mm F4L USM lens for those super wide look-down shots and landscapes. I usually go alone and sometimes with a few others, but not too many.
FoxNews.com: What are the scariest places you’ve climbed?
Eddie: I would say that most of the rooftops I visited in NYC were pretty frightening, but I think getting on top of Waldorf Hotel and The Four Seasons hotel was by far the hardest to get to. In one of the photos you can see me standing on a very tiny glass roof with a bunch of other guys, and nothing but really tall buildings and the streets below. I'd say standing on that small structure was the sketchiest thing I did during my stint of roof-topping escapades.
FoxNews.com: Do you worry about falling?
Eddie: The thought of falling off is always there in the back of my mind, because if it wasn't, then I really shouldn't be doing this! Just knowing that falling off is a very real possibility, it makes me be that much more cautious in what I do. I have limits and boundaries of things I will not attempt, but the more I do this, inevitably, the bigger risks I take.
FoxNews.com: What are you thinking when you reach the top of a building and look to street below?
Eddie: Honestly, I just want to take really cool pictures. To me, it’s definitely an adrenaline rush getting to these places, and it makes it that much sweeter when you succeed and walk away with really one of a kind photos. Also, I know that not everyone can do this; whether it’s because they are scared of heights, maybe they are not as physically fit, or may be scared of getting caught. To me that means that I get the opportunity to show people my city in an interesting and unique way. There are plenty of other photographers who try to do the same thing, but everyone has their own unique style.
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