Over the past couple of months I have been working with some great friends from Aero graphics on a tour book for the Empire State Building. This is obviously not a assignment you want if your afraid of heights. From crawling out windows on the 72nd floor ledge to scissor lifts in the lobby to top of the rock (Rockefeller Bldg. - NBC) shooting the Empire State Building (ESB) has been a fun challenging experience.
There is always a sense of awe and amazement at such a classic icon. It truly stands majestic. As one NY city cab driver said " The ESB is the icon for America, we love that building". Its elegance and history have been an amazing adventure for all of us involved in this project. But one image created above all other stands to be the highlight. As I said you can not be afraid of heights. First let me describe the 103rd floor.
Traveling by 2 sets of elevators to get to the 86 floor and then switch to the last elevator, which is still the original 1933 elevator. You arrive on the 102 observation deck. From there you take two small flight of stairs(more like a ladders that stretch up to a small mechanical room), and find your self in a small cramped space. To access the 2ft ledge with a 2 ft knee wall and yes the 2ft knee wall is all that is between you and a quarter mile drop, you must step out a small window.
Lets just say once out there you don’t make any sudden movements. While on the 103rd floor shooting Lisa and I looked back at Jim frozen, white as a sheet, sitting inside the small mechanical room. Jim said " my feet they wont move, I dont like this much I think I will stay in here untill you are finished". But Jim also knew this was a once in a lifetime opportunity stood up and put one foot out on the ledge. I was able to capture Jim's momentous accomplishment, with few other images. Jim's foot was the only part that can say " I stood a quater mile above NY city".
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