Rooftopping

This month I am going to talk about how location can have a big impact. To do so, I am going to introduce a form of urban exploration that is a niche of the photography world: rooftopping.

What is rooftopping?

This form of photography requires one to reach the top of a tall apartment building to take cityscape photos from a high vantage point. The problem is getting onto a rooftop. Building security officers and managers may be willing to let you, but in the words of  Grace Hopper, “It is often easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.”

How do you get onto a roof?

1 – Carry a generic-looking bag and do not show that you have camera gear with you.

2 – Enter the building. If there is no pass code for the door, head straight for the elevator, then use the fire escape to access the roof. If you are lucky, there will be no padlock on the rooftop door. If there is one, try the next building.

3 – If the entrance door is locked with a passcode, it is still possible to enter. Wait for someone to enter or leave, then enter while the door is open. You can also try the parking area under the apartment; sometimes garage doors have no passcodes.

4 – If you are lucky enough to get on the roof, then behave well and leave no rubbish behind. You need to remember other photographers might want to use the roof as well. Bad behavior on the roof will result in the rooftop getting locked.

Why shoot from the roof?

Shooting at a downward angle often gets great landscape results. The majority of cityscapes used for publications are taken this way. The Busan government, for a myriad of purposes, is now using a photo taken using the above strategies.

Will any roof do?

The short answer is no. If there are buildings that come into your frame in the wrong place, resulting in bad composition, then you are on the wrong building. You usually want to choose a building that does not have other buildings right in front of it, giving you a clear view of your subject, which might be a road junction, bridge or a financial district with many skyscrapers.

Simon Bond is a professional photographer living in Suncheon, Jeollanamdo. He has travelled throughout Asia and has been published in many publications. This and other articles are available online by visiting Simon’s website:

www.simonbondphotography.com

Seoul – Rooftops can give great vantages over any city

Gangnam – A fish-eye lens here shows the long way down, so be careful not to drop any equipment

 

Busan – Haeundae is a very busy beach during summertime