Stunning Skyscraper Images of a Frozen Toronto


If you've recently checked out our Facebook page, you'll recognize the shot above. (It's presently our cover photo.) Photographer Ronnie Yip took the spectacular cityscape image of Toronto simply stating, “Everything was frozen.”

Like Tom Ryaboi, Yip is one of those daredevil photographers who isn't afraid to teeter over the edge of a skyscraper in order to capture awe-inspiring shots. (If you need a little more convincing, check out this photo.) Today, Yip shared with us more photos and the story behind his recent climb, giving us a rare, inside look at the life of a rooftopper.

“The problem didn't lie in getting into the high rise construction site, but with how one properly dresses for a rigorous climb (all 60 flights of stairs) and be prepared to shoot atop the skyscraper at -20 degrees C with windy conditions,” he says. “Of course, we ended up overdressing for the occasion. The climb was tough – I thought I almost suffered a heat stroke, having to carry all that camera gear, and wearing a heavy parka, two layers of sweaters, and very tight long johns.

“In the end, the incredible towering views were well worth the effort. Everything on the top 3 or 4 floors was exposed to the elements. And, due to the ice storm our city suffered through several day ago, it seemed like every object on these floors was covered with a thick layer of ice. We had to abandon our initial plan of climbing the scaffolding at the rooftop, which was too dangerously slippery. That hardly mattered, the views we experienced from inside the top floors were enough to make any grown man weep. The frigid air started pounding my body after several hours of shooting, and soon after, I recall telling myself that I really should have been more warmly dressed for this ungodly climate.”





Ronnie Yip's website

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