Seen here is the sprawling metropolis of Tokyo. One of the 47 prefectures of Japan, Tokyo is the country’s capital and the Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world; home to nearly 37 million people.
The photo was taken by reddit user Panic_Switch who took a series of aerial photos of Tokyo from a helicopter. He has graciously shared his entire album of photos from that day on Flickr, Google Drive and Picsurge.
Vadim Makhorov and Vitaliy Raskalov are two of the preeminent ‘rooftoppers’ in the world. Together they are On The Roofs; the duo gained notoriety earlier this year when their GoPro video of them scaling world’s second tallest building (Shanghai Tower) went viral.
The Sifter has previously featured their amazing exploits (see here, here and here), and what distinguishes these two from many others is the quality of their photography. They have a great eye for composition and they truly capture unique views never seen before.
Below is a brief overview from their most recent trip to New York City. You can see the complete gallery on their website here.
[via On The Roofs: New York City]
Travel photographer Andrei Duman has visited over 70 countries around the world (only 126 left!) and he’s doesn’t plan on stopping any time soon. The self-taught artist has been working as an Investment Banker to afford himself the financial means to pursue his passion for travel and photography.
The Sifter caught up with Andrei after his most recent trip to Namibia to chat about what inspires him and where he wants to go next. Check out some of Andrei’s incredible photos below along with a brief Q&A with the photographer.
For more, check out Andrei’s Website and recently launched Facebook page. If you’re interested in prints of any of his photos, please contact Andrei through his website or click here.
The main reason why I have been in investment banking all these years was to have the financial means to travel and not stop traveling. The more bizarre the better. The further away from civilization the better. I want to see how people live, what they are going through, what they eat. On nearly every trip I have taken, I will rent a car and just drive… in any direction I see fit. This way you get away from the tourist traps where you don’t get to experience the heartbeat of a place, country or its people. I think we all should be exploring more, wanting to find out what is over that hill or in that canyon. I find it baffling when someone tells me that they do not have a passport. I have learned more life lessons from my travels and meeting new people than any other traditional way. This world that we live in really is an amazing place, full of amazing things to explore and absorb and I think we all need to get packing.
As a favorite country it has to be Iceland. I have been fortunate enough to have been to over 70 countries and Iceland is the one that I would drop everything for and go straight to the airport (with gear in tow that is). I don’t think there really is a country like it in the world really, especially when you consider the variety of things to photograph. The waterfalls are simply spectacular, the beaches are so varied in topography, the glaciers are staggering and the unpredictable weather means that you can always get a dramatic shot. It is also a small country and all you really need is a car to explore it as most of the famous landmarks are on the main ring road. The food is true to nordic roots apart from the nation dish which is pretty much hot dogs (simply the best that I have ever had).
As far as a favorite place… that is a hard one. Don’t think that I really have one, but when my mind does wonder it tends to be drawn to Delicate Arch in Utah, Racetrack Playa in Death Valley, Moai of Easter Island, the old market in Damascus, Crystal Cave in Iceland, Angel’s Landing, Zion and the beautiful calm of Lake Titikaka. As for places to visit next: Indonesia, Bhutan, Papua New Guinea, Madagascar, Galapagos
I very much do. I think any photographer has that feeling. I must admit that I do see a lot of these places through the camera’s eye, but I do believe that it is also important to look up and take it all in. The human eye is a great deal more advanced than any camera or lens and it would be a shame to miss out on an events or a place because you are shooting non-stop. I do need to get better at that. The only time where I really had to stop shooting and admire was in Iceland the first time I saw the Northern Lights. Having seen them a few times since, only now can I truly appreciate that the first time was really a special one. The ferocity of the color changes and shape movement was something that I found too challenging to photograph the whole time. In a lot of ways i did not want to photograph. I wanted to keep that memory to myself in some ways.
I have found that with travel photography the gear that you carry causes a great deal of problems especially when you have to use small planes to get to obscure places. I do have a lot of gear and my bag is around 46lbs without the tripod. I have my camera body along with 6 lenses including the 500mm which really is seen as a weapon. A lot of carriers don’t like that and try to force you to check them in. I have never checked in my bag and was nearly arrested in Vietnam when I was forced to check in my tripod which I was not too happy about. Also each location poses its own challenges such as the dryness and sands of Namibia, the dark shooting environments of the ice caves in Iceland and the high altitude and cold of the Andes. Knowing your equipment and its limits as well as doing research ahead of time for that particular location is crucial in not only staying safe but getting the right shots.
This is a tough one because the only good advice is to go out and photograph whatever and whenever you can. Understand and never stop wanting to learn what your equipment is capable of doing and experiment with scenes and settings. I am self-taught and for me it makes it that much more rewarding when I am on location and get a great shot that I had to think on my feet and adjust to make work. Believe in your abilities, listen to others and their experiences and don’t be afraid to fail.
Iceland, whatever time of year. Each season brings its own opportunities and challenges and that’s another thing that draws me to it. You really have to be on your toes more than ever. You have to really know the in and outs of your equipment to really get the great shots and you have to think fast on your feet due to the quick weather changes. I would say that I daydream about Iceland at least 4 times a week. If I’m caught staring into space… I’m in Iceland.
Photographer and urban explorer Ivan Kuznetsov shows us the world from a vantage point many of us will never experience first hand. Based in Moscow, the Russian photographer is a well-known ‘rooftopper’, which means he scales tall buildings and structures (often illegally) to take dizzying aerial photos of the world below.
While ‘extreme’ rooftopping has garnered plenty of notoriety for a growing group of young Eastern European photographers (mostly from Russia and Ukraine), the quality of the actual photos taken should be admired, as they manage to take some truly fantastic shots. While Kuznetsov takes many photos of the surrounding landscape without himself or his friends in the frame, I’ve focused on the images that convey how high and perilous the locations of their photos are. To see more, be sure to check out Ivan at the links below:
New York City – Photograph by DIGITALFREAKART
Following up from the Sifter’s first skyline post, here are 25 more stunning skylines around the world. These are by no means the ‘best’ skylines, just a collection of incredible photographs taken by some amazing photographers around the world. Almost all photographs are from the wonderful community over at deviantART. If you haven’t been, I recommend you check out their site, many of the artists sell their artwork and prints as well.
I tried not to duplicate too many of the cities covered in the first skyline post, so places like Chicago, Hong Kong and Shanghai were omitted. If you any suggestions for cities in the next series of skylines, please share in the comments below!
Photograph by XREBELXDIAMONDSX
Photograph by LAURENTIS
Photograph by PRESPECT
Photograph by AL MILLER
Photograph by JONATHAN THOMAS
Photograph by SHUPOV EVGENIY
Photograph by BRENT SMITH
Photograph by RAUN
Photograph by CAZZARITCH
Photograph by DEOROLLER
Photograph by VXSIDE
Photograph by JUAN CHAVES
Photograph by MISSPAUL
Photograph by LUX69ATERNA
Photograph by PDAMAI
Photograph by JONHYBLAZE
Photograph by TALK3TALK4
Photograph by MELMARC
Photograph by MARCIN STAWIARZ
Photograph by KAXSP
Photograph by EREZ MAROM
Photograph by INEXISTENTIA
Photograph by POLVODESTRELLAS
Photograph by XXCHANGE
IF YOU ENJOYED THIS ARTICLE, THE SIFTER HIGHLY RECOMMENDS:
15 SPECTACULAR SKYLINES AROUND THE WORLD
CAPE TOWN STADIUM, SOUTH AFRICA – Photograph by Bruce Sutherland
Between these walls, dreams come true. Legends are born, rivalries are made and the agony of defeat always lingers. They bring people together for the love of sport and competition. For us, it’s the thrill of the game and the chance to witness something remarkable. Below you will find 25 incredible aerial photographs of stadiums around the world. Enjoy!
Photograph by Travis Payne
Photograph by Penn State
Photograph by Miguel Schincariol
Photograph by Jim Gumm
Photograph by Newsday
Photograph by Duke University Archives
Photograph by Bill Cobb
Photograph by University of Nevada
Photograph by Michael Layefsky
Photograph by Art01852
Photograph by Phillage
Photograph by Jim Gumm
Photograph by Funkbreaks
Photograph by Matt Owens
Photograph by Sille @ Panoramio
Photograph by DMWright1
Photograph by Jim Gumm
Photograph by Kevin Baird
Photograph by arkley68
Photograph by FloridaPhoto.com
Photograph by Jim Gumm
Photograph by Dan
Photograph by Curlygirl13
Photograph by Tom Last
If you enjoyed this article, the Sifter highly recommends: 15 Spectacular Skylines Around the World
