Rooftopper Jackson Park takes photography to new heights
A view from a rooftop in Seoul / Courtesy of Jackson Park
By Howard H. Hernandez
Cities are easiest to observe from up high. Low-rise neighborhoods and skyscrapers stand in contrast on an urban fabric stretching into the distance and blending with mountain peaks. Looking down, one can see every single store, every car, every person bustling around, while insulated from the melodramas of their individual lives.
“When I'm up here, my mind is just clear from any thoughts. Everything that's down there has nothing to do with me. This is my own little world and it feels amazing,” says a 21-year-old photographer who goes by
.
What he does is simple. He finds a building that appeals to him, finds a way in, and takes the elevator, climbs the stairs, and bests any other obstacle in his way in order to get to the rooftop and take in the sights ― and to snap some pictures while he's at it.
Jackson is a part of a secretive international network of “rooftoppers” who visit the invisible highest points in the city to take pictures, hang out with friends or just enjoy a pizza while taking in the view.
The view is very much worth it. One can see lights in apartments turn on and off, pedestrians rushing to and fro on unknown errands and endless columns of traffic inching their way forward. Only after seeing it for oneself, it's easy to see what draws people into this hobby, despite the high risks.
“When I was in high school, I was bored with my part-time job and studying,” Jackson says. “The cycle seemed endless and I felt life had nothing going on. So I tried to search for some new things online, and I found this rooftopping team who climbed a building in Shanghai. I thought I should try it once, too. I found this random building on the street, climbed it and that was that.”
Jackson has his share of rooftopping experiences in Korea, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore and around the U.S. But for anyone thinking rooftopping looks like fun and wanting to try, it isn't as easy as it looks. Even experienced climbers such as Jackson have had their share of run-ins with security guards, police and hidden safety threats that could easily send an unsuspecting rooftopper to their end.
“Once when I was in Hong Kong, it was raining and I was up around 45 stories. I tried to come back down from a ledge and so I just jumped and lost my balance. I almost fell backwards,” Jackson recalls while sitting on the ledge of a different 20-story building in Seoul.
A scene from a rooftop in Busan / Courtesy of Jackson Park
There's no shortage of sensationalist stories about rooftoppers falling to their deaths. There was the high-profile 2017 death of a Chinese internet celebrity who fell off a 62-story building while attempting to do pull-ups over the edge of the roof, all to claim a $15,000 prize. The livestream video of his death went viral, serving as a frightening reminder of what can happen when rooftoppers aren't careful.
While rooftopping may seem exciting and adventurous, not everyone takes the idea with such enthusiasm.
“What's the point of what they're doing? It's crazy. These kids have no regard for their own lives anymore. Why can't they act like normal youth? Endangering their lives for no reason. All that just for a picture? I just can't understand it,” says a 64-year-old Seoulite who wished to be identified only by his surname Lee.
But Jackson sees it differently. “We just climb rooftops. We aren't bothering anyone and we know the risks while we climb and are as safe as we can be. I don't think other people should tell us it's right or wrong.”
And through the dangers and criticism, Jackson has no plans of stopping or slowing down.
While on the roof, Jackson takes a call. “Sure, tomorrow at 4. Fifty bucks should be fine,” he says smiling.
He's just gotten another opportunity to bring someone up to a roof and take pictures of them at the edge. Jackson's pictures have gained international recognition, and his social media continues to grow with more and more people interested in his rooftopping photography.
By now the sun has fully set, and Jackson takes in the view. The little squares representing homes in the buildings light up one by one. A slightly cool breeze is felt, even in the middle of summer. It is from here that the city's life and vibrancy can be seen and felt. There's a calming silence, almost meditative in its tranquility. No one says a word, and it's all the better for it.
Howard H. Hernandez is a videographer based in Korea. Visit
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