Urbex Photogs - Be Careful

bmattock

bmattock

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http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york...eath-climbing-seasons-hotel-article-1.2481559

A 24-year-old daredevil photographer fell to his death as he tried to take a snapshot atop Midtown’s swanky Four Seasons Hotel, officials said Thursday.

Connor Cummings, of Rockaway, N.J., and 18-year-old pal Dimitri Olivares managed to get onto an upper floor of the landmark hotel overlooking Central Park Wednesday night, despite not being guests there, police said.

They then climbed scaffolding in an interior shaft leading to the roof of the 52-story luxury E. 57th St. hotel, police sources said.
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Please be careful when you're taking photographs. Be aware of your surroundings, and remember that you're not indestructible.
 
Urbex Photogs - Be Careful

Fully agree, although not quite with your title. The recent deaths tend to be related to "roof-topping". Urbex can be dangerous due to unknown unknowns, like walking on rotting floors or unwittingly exposing yourself to toxins, related to exploring ruined buildings. The risks associated with roof-topping are more of the known, vertigo, direct nature in my view.


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Back in the early '80s I photographed the abandoned but still relatively safe (former) Chicago & Alton rail yards in Bloomington, IL. I sought and obtained permission for the project. I used mostly 4x5 and it is arguably the best project I ever did.

Fifteen or so years later a young photographer set out on the same project; whether he knew of my work and it was in my footsteps, I don't know. In any event, one day when he was on a second floor, he stepped on rotten wood floor boards and fell to the floor below. Obviously there had been a lot of deterioration in the interim.

His lung was pierced by an iron or steel bar and he died. I am not saying he was not careful - don't know; things happen. But when I learned of this from a good friend, it was understandably sobering. Notwithstanding I'm so much older now and physically not able to attempt such a project, I take it as a good lesson.
 
Well, this got discussed quite a bit on the Popular Photography forums. As I said there, take somebody with you, take a cellphone, wear steel toed work boots with steel shanks and tell somebody where you're going. And if you suspect toxics in the air, take a breathing mask.
 
Don't touch shìt. My nephew was electrocuted when he touched a chain to aid him standing up. He survived. But it was a doozey
 
Frankly speaking, there's infinite gap between someone who documents events important to mankind and someone who instagrams picture of his sneakers in skies over city.

I want to be positive but sometimes I just can't.
 
Urged... Abandoned girls' school. Took a friend, wore boots and gloves, and was very careful…

b2-Girls-school.jpg
 
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