New York From Above - Living On The Edge

Feeling queasy? Photographer Navid Baraty shuns safety and simply leans over some of New York City's tallest skyscrapers to achieve these amazing snaps. Click to enlarge.

Living on the edge: Photographer leans over side of New York City skyscrapers to capture vertigo-inducing pictures: ‘Don’t look down’ is the common cry when teetering on the edge of any petrifying precipice. But these vertigo-inducing photographs of New York City force you to do just that. In a series of incredible pictures, photographer Navid Baraty threw caution to the wind to capture the hustle and bustle of the city from above. Speculating on how exactly he takes the aerial photos, people guess he is a helicopter pilot or a window cleaner with a penchant for photography. A few have jokily suggested he is Spider-man. The truth is somewhat scarier  - perched on the top of some of the city’s highest skyscrapers, Baraty simply leans as far as he can from the edge to get the images. Click the images to magnify.

Vertigo-inducing: The 31-year-old photographer confesses that his photos have made people's stomach churn in the past. Click to enlarge.

Inversion: While New Yorkers always look up at the city's impressive skyscrapers, Baraty wants to give people the opposite viewpoint. Click to enlarge.

With no harness, the only safety precaution the 31-year-old takes is to wrap his camera strap round his wrist to ensure he doesn't drop it. Often 30 to 40 stories in the air, thankfully Baraty doesn’t suffer from vertigo although confessed to the MailOnline that people have felt queasy just from looking at his photos. Inspired to take the photos when he moved to the city in 2010, Baraty has inverted the view people pounding the pavements typically get. ‘Everyone walks around Manhattan looking up at the giant skyscrapers, but very few get the chance to look down from so many different vantage points,’ he said. From such heights, the city’s ubiquitous yellow cabs are transformed into toy cars and New Yorkers resemble ants scurrying about their daily lives. ‘When you watch NYC from above, you're really able to feel the energy and flow of the city–the constant stream of yellow taxis lining the avenues, the waves of pedestrians hurriedly crossing at the change of traffic signals, little figures disappearing into the subway stations, the chorus of honking horns and sirens. It’s all so rhythmic,’ Baraty said of his bird’s eye view. 

Toy-town: New York's ubiquitous yellow cabs become toy cars. Click to enlarge.

Spider-man? Wondering how he takes the amazing images, people have speculated that Baraty is a helicopter pilot, a window cleaner and....Spider-man himself. Click to enlarge.

Mirror image: Baraty says he was particularly happy with this image after he managed to capture the street below in the glass reflection. Click to enlarge.

Bird's eye view: Baraty says that the sounds and pace of the city is clearly felt from 40 stories up; 'It's all so rhythmic' he said. Click to enlarge.

Safety first? Baraty wears no safety harness when taking his pictures, he simply wraps his camera strap round his wrist so it doesn't plummet down the 40 storey height as he leans over to get his picture. Click to enlarge.

Inspired: Baraty first took shots from above in Tokyo and was inspired to do a similar project when he moved to NYC in 2010. Click to enlarge.