rooftopper toronto

Instagram daredevil takes photos of Toronto from up high

Photographer Bryson Gibbons isn't afraid of heights. That's probably beneficial considering he's one of the most prominent rooftoppers in Toronto.

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Gibbons, who goes by @brxson on Instagram, has nearly 75,000 followers who turn to his feed for surreal-looking cityscapes and skyline shots.

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At the end of 2014, Gibbons scaled his first crane. Toronto's Jayscale inspired him. “I thought that it was super intriguing, like the whole idea of going on a roof to take photos,” says Gibbons.

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It took him months to finally figure out how to get onto a roof, but he's been hooked ever since. “When I got to the top, I had absolutely no fear and just pure joy. It was a euphoric kind of feeling looking over the whole city, and it was so peaceful up there," he recalls.

It hasn't, however, always been smooth sailing on his adventures.

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Back in the summer of 2015, he was arrested. But like in similar cases, the charges against him were later dropped. Toronto police, citing safety concerns, have asked rooftoppers to stop climbing buildings, but that hasn't slowed some photographers down.

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After spending a semester studying photography at Fanshawe College, Gibbons dropped out to pursue his career full time. He's currently looking for an agent to represent him.

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He lives in Stouffville right now, but regularly travels downtown to climb buildings and shoot. He also travels, and frequently visits New York, where he's enamoured with the city's density and the sheer scale of its skyscrapers.

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At home, he's often drawn to the L Tower and Ice Condos building, but was most proud of getting to the top of Scotia Plaza. He regularly works with @roof_topper and has been surprised about how many connections and friendships he's made through Instagram.

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Gibbons says his parents have mostly been supportive of his career.“Sometimes," he says, "If I show my mom an extreme enough photo, then her stomach starts to turn."

It's easy to see why when scrolling through his feed.

But what a view it is.

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Lead photo by

Bryson Gibbons


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