Shooting with the stars

Updated: 2015-08-24 07:51

By Janice Kee(HK Edition)

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 Shooting with the stars

Daniel Lau looks relaxed enough to check his phone, atop the spire of one of Hong Kong's tallest buildings.

Shooting with the stars

Shooting with the stars

 Shooting with the stars

The idea of stepping out of one's comfort zone is taken to a new level as Lau walks the ramp above K11 art mall in Tsim Sha Tsui.

 Shooting with the stars

The world at the ground level seems to slow down when viewed from more than 300 meters above the ground.

Taking photos from the rooftops of HK's buildings gave three young men a different perspective on the city and their own lives. Janice Kee met the trio.

Alove of spontaneity and novelty with a little social media mixed in became the inspiration for Exthetics - a small group of people in search of rooftop adventures, popularly known as rooftopping. It's a pastime that involves a bit of dare-devilry and is, potentially, quite dangerous.

The night back in 2014 when the thing got started, Lawrence Tsui saw a photograph on Instagram, presenting a bird's-eye view from a building rooftop. He and two buddies, Daniel Lau and Dex Ng, got together to form Exthetics. The idea was to explore old buildings on Temple Street. When Daniel Lau first heard the idea, his immediate response was "what so interesting?" Later he became the keenest adherent of rooftopping.

Exthetics was a word the friends coined by punching extremity with aesthetics. The name started out as a hashtag for images capturing their adventures. Exthetics, the young men explain, is not restricted to rooftopping, rather might include other activities in which people engage in most passionately.

Tsui, Lau and Ng have been friends since primary school. They shared a common interest, taking pictures of unusual places and creating uncommon themes, giving rare perspectives. They visit construction sites, abandoned buildings and ruins - activities collectively known as urban exploration, or urbex in short. Their mission, they say, is to surprise viewers by showing them Hong Kong photographed from unusual angles.

The team does not wear protective gear, even when taking photographs from a few hundred meters above the ground. They balance themselves well on ledges and pose with a selfie stick for breath-taking pictures. They make it a point to keep themselves in top physical condition to pull off such a feat and stay within their personal limits. The other winning factor is of course self-confidence which they seem to have in abundance.

Being up there on the roof, Lau says, is liberating. "It is very peaceful and relaxing being on the rooftops. The city, which is moving so fast at ground level, immediately goes into slow motion. It's a new perspective on what is happening but I never feel disconnected."

The trio describes their most unforgettable adventure, at Shenzhen Ping An Finance Center last January. The building, 600 meters high, is going to be China's second tallest and fourth most-tall in the world in 2016 after completion. The team spent a night shivering in the void surrounding the construction site. The magnificent view of the city below made up for all that. They had climbed up on the tower crane at sunset. It was a difficult ascent as the crane's surface was slippery from rain and oil. The amazing view was their reward for braving the treacherous climb.

Go-with-the-flow spontaneity

They usually take a kit bag, weighing up to 15 kg, on each expedition. It contains cameras, a selfie stick, lenses, tripods, flash, extra batteries and memory cards. It's a heavy load to carry, but lugging the equipment is to make sure that no opportunity to record the over-the-top adventure is lost.

They like to be spontaneous, never making plans when they are shooting in Hong Kong. "Go with the flow" is their motto. When they travel overseas, they usually have specific targets. Once there, they try to scope out additional prospects for adventure. They usually go for the tallest building in the city, abandoned buildings and any building with a great view they find irresistible.

They've also made friends with rooftoppers around the world and often play host to groups of fellow adventurers who come to Hong Kong from afar. They get the same hospitality when they go abroad.

The team believes that rooftopping has been a positive experience. Tsui said he has learned to slow down and think twice when making decisions. He feels acting on impulse is more likely to yield undesirable consequences. Lau adds, "I always hear people say Hong Kong is boring. In fact, it depends on whether you are willing to discover the city. I am very happy to receive comments asking about the places shown in the pictures I've taken. I can bring brand-new aspects and discoveries to the community." He also says he has learned to step back and take a broader view of things before making a move.

The team says they are concerned about safety and they watch out for each other. It comes with the passion for and dedication to their craft.

Lau wishes more people would take a leaf out of their book and discover the positive spirit of rooftopping. He would love it if people got out of their comfort zones and explored more in person. It's also important for each person to know his personal limits. Plenty of people are prejudiced about rooftopping. They think it's dangerous, or just a way of showing off.

Exthetics is having its first photo exhibition in the Beijing 798 Art District, Sept 4-6. The trio hopes that watching their show will help more people to understand the true spirit of rooftopping.

(HK Edition 08/24/2015 page9)