Budapest has its very own Spider-Man: photographer Tamás Rizsavi, who climbs tall buildings citywide to capture amazing images from precarious perches. We met with Tamás to discuss his unusual hobby, which is now his second profession – scaling the highest points possible for a good shot, he loves extreme locations; interestingly, a lot of his photos also feature public-transportation vehicles. Our interview reveals where his passion originates from, along with featuring plenty of his pictures – and we’ll be gladly sharing some more of his vertigo-inducing photos in the near future...
We Love Budapest: When and how did you start to take photos?
Tamás Rizsavi: I started taking photos of vehicles about seven or eight years ago, but only for myself as a documentation project, with a small compact camera, while paying to attention to the rules, since I knew next to nothing about photography. My only goal was to record all trains, trams, buses, and trolleys of the country – which I did. Afterwards, I became more and more interested in this world, I got a more serious camera, and I started to photograph vehicles on the move, also starting to watch the tracks from higher points, as well.
WLB: You have a special relationship with trains and trams.
Tamás Rizsavi: My parents told me that I have been nuts about public transportation ever since I was a kid. Later, I realized that instead of a shepherd herding wild animals, I definitely want to become a railman. I was 19 when my dream came true. Today, my main job is being a train operator; I have to work 15 days a month, in 12-hour shifts. I love everything about it. It was really hard to get here, but it was worth it. Now, I think that I need something in addition to my main job and photography – I want to work as a steeplejack, as well. I grew to like climbing after doing it so much, so why not? I already have a permit for up to 200 meters, so I can work up to such heights.
WLB: When do you go to take photos? We know that you have many pictures of sunrises and sunsets.
Tamás Rizsavi: I have to map out my time carefully. I also watch the radar to see what the weather will be like, and what kind of clouds I should expect. Sometimes, I can take good photos only on two out of ten occasions.
WLB: What did you first climb for the sake of photography?
Tamás Rizsavi: A 60-meter-tall lighting column in Komárom. The sun was blinding, but we made a pretty good gallery of Komárom. In the beginning, I climbed things illegally with one of my friends. This was back in 2008, when things were a bit different – babies were not born with DSLR cameras around their necks.
WLB: You said “illegally”. Do you have permission to climb everywhere now?
Tamás Rizsavi: More or less… I usually prearrange when I will go to places, and how high I will climb, but I do cheat sometimes. I often go to certain places outside of opening hours, and I often climb higher even when there are people monitoring me, since I do not have a good sense of danger. Obviously, I needed a bit of luck with getting up to some places that urban photographers often cannot reach.
WLB: How is that possible?
Tamás Rizsavi: Let’s say that I have my connections. For example, I am already good friends with the bridge masters; sometimes we even go drink together.
WLB: Have you climbed every bridge of Budapest?
Rizsavi Tamás: All of them that can be climbed, yes.
WLB: What was your most dangerous experience?
Tamás Rizsavi: I cannot really judge what counts as dangerous. But there was this one time when I climbed up a crane illegally, which was pretty rough, although I cannot go into details. Recently, we climbed up a TV tower, and when the wind became stronger, the tower was moving, and on top of all that, there was a lightning storm. You are there at one of the highest points of the city, with lightning zigzagging around you, with a minimum of 15 minutes to climb down to the ground. I smoked a cigarette and thought about how I might not be able to get down.
WLB: What is your favorite theme in Budapest?
Tamás Rizsavi: The Erzsébet Bridge and the Megyeri. There is a transmission tower that everyone knows on Hármashatár Hill, but there is also a simple metal-framed one, which is even higher. I love it – it is a great feeling to climb, and the view is unrivaled.
WLB: While many of your photos are still of railway stations, Budapest as a whole plays the main role.
Tamás Rizsavi: I love this city – unlike many others, I do not want to leave, but rather I want to show Budapest from a different point of view. It seems that the audience is fond of this, as I gained 58,000 followers in three years, without any advertising. So I try to show my Budapest with even more pictures, more professional tools, and from even higher up.
WLB: Are you always working with professional cameras, or do you occasionally shoot some pictures with your phone, when you do not have your equipment?
Tamás Rizsavi: Up until recently I did not try to take photos with a phone, but now I will give it a try by request of We Love Budapest and Huawei, with the Huawei P8. I eagerly look forward to the results!
Soon, Tamás will show us the city from a completely new perspective on We Love Budapest, with the help of the latest model of Huawei, the P8. Keep watching your screen for more of the photographer’s death-defying Budapest pictures…
