High angle photography has always interested me. You get a different perspective with a bird’s eye view of the world. High angle shots have been used as a technique in cinema to create drama and make the subject seem weak or vulnerable. Or, as a wide shot to establish the scene.
In my younger days living in Toronto, I used to climb fire escapes to get a different view of the streets and architecture. These days, I take fewer risks, but I still look for high angle locations. The photo above was taken from the reading room at the Halifax Central Library. It’s a fifth floor cantilever that juts out over the entrance and provides and great view of the nearby intersection.
It brings to mind the song Gift Shop by the Tragically Hip where Gord Downie sings “we get to feel small from high up above.”
I love this shot, Avard! And I have to share one of the quotes I like along the same train of thought:
To him that watches, everything is revealed.
Italian Proverb
Thank you, Kim. I keep my eyes wide open all the time. – Johnny Cash
Fire escapes, clever! I always wondered how you got access to roofs and windows along Yonge Street for those high shots.
It was worth the risk of getting caught, I think. Got some interesting shots.