Construction cranes have pretty much been a constant feature of the Toronto skyline for as long as I can remember. These pictures, taken from them, apparently illegally, are quite awesome. I wish they had higher res versions.

Edward Brown:

As it is on the high seas, perched on a tower crane, wind is a constant. The entire crane actually sways to and fro. Winter or summer, the air is always chilled. Replacing the scent of salted sea air is the smell of the industrial lubricants used to maintain the crane's slewing unit.

At night, the crow's-nest view from the operator's cab is a treasure trove of glinting city lights. The daytime view is concrete, glass, sunlight, and blue horizons as far as the eye can see.

Considering the heights, the sky pirate carries as little as possible. Two cameras (one digital, the other a 35mm), a change of lens, a tripod, and not much else. Spending a maximum of thirty minutes atop a crane, he will periodically bring along a safety harness.

Decius:

I wish they had higher res versions.

LMGTFY :) The photographer is HI-LITE. You'll find additional photos by HI-LITE here. For example, this photo appeared here approximately a month ago, a few days after it appeared in the Flickr stream of Squirrel Brand, as part of the Cranes set. All of these are available in high resolution -- many of them at 15MP.

See also, from Annalee Newitz:

This video contains no special effects, and no fancy stunts. But it will scare the crap out of you. That's because you're watching from a head-mounted camera as an engineer scales an antenna tower over 1,700 feet high.

Created for The Online Engineer site, what this video captures isn't just a thrill ride -- though frankly it is that -- you also get to see the different parts of the giant antenna. And learn a little bit about OSHA rules, which apparently say that it's OK for people to free climb a tiny pole hundreds of feet in the air with a thunderstorm brewing in the distance. Seriously, when I realized the guy wasn't attached to this pole with anything other than his hands and feet, I almost had a heart attack.

According to OSHA:

Fall protection equipment is not required to be used by a qualified employee climbing or changing location on poles, towers, or similar structures, unless conditions, such as, but not limited to, ice, high winds, the design of the structure (for example, no provision for holding on with hands), or the presence of contaminants on the structure, could cause the employee to lose his or her grip or footing.

Construction cranes have pretty much been a constant feature of the Toronto skyline for as long as I can remember. These pictures, taken from them, apparently illegally, are quite awesome. I wish they had higher res versions.

Beautiful Pics!