Unbelievable Pictures From The 11 Best 'Outlaw Instagrammers' In New York City

outlaw instagrammers
It's all in a day's work for an Outlaw Instagrammer. @bradleycrump/Instagram

New York is a magical city, full of interesting people and mysterious places. You can live in New York City your entire life and never see 99% of it, especially the parts you're not allowed to.

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A group of urban explorers, dubbed "Outlaw Instagrammers" in a recent New York Magazine article, are seeking to see more of the city than anyone else.

These young daredevils, equipped with cameras and light clothes, scale to the top of New York's highest buildings and bridges in order to photograph what they see. Most of their photos end up on Instagram, their preferred method of dissemination. Their work has garnered a lot of attention and for some, tens of thousands of followers.

Getting to those high spots is very dangerous and often illegal, which makes looking at these photos that much more exhilarating. 

We compiled a list of our favorite feeds of "Outlaw Instagrammers." We don't suggest you try these stunts on your own, but we hope looking at the pictures makes your day a little more exciting.

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We kick it off with @humzadeas, arguably the most well-known of the Instagrammers. His escapades were recently profiled in a New York Magazine article.

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He's only 17 years old, but he seems to be climbing the buildings and bridges of New York City almost every night and posting his adventures.

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@Demidism is second on the list. Just like Deas, he's only 17, yet he seems to have more guts then anyone we know.

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How they keep such steady balance and manage to look so calm on the edge of such high spots, we have no idea.

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@heavy_minds is another one in the crew. His adventures have gained him more than 53,000 followers.

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The Instagrammers usually shoot at night, when they can enter off-limits areas with a lower risk of being discovered.

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But they can get some amazing shots during the day, too, like this one from @wrongrob.

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You know you're in New York City when you look down and all you see are taxi cabs.

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The "outlaws" don't just climb buildings, they also love to explore the summits of the cities largest bridges. @Jamesslanning is seen here on top of Hell Gate Bridge, which runs between Queens and Manhattan.

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He actually works as a team with his partner-in-crime (quite literally), @linda_401, who takes most of his pictures. No bridge or building seems off-limits to these explorers.

 

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Not all of the Instagrammers are young or amateur. @Bradleycrump is a professional technician on high towers, so he has experience. On his days off, he climbs really high stuff for fun, too.

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He posts great Vines, as well, which let you gain the full experience. @Bradleycrump doesn't actually live in NYC, but shoots often there.

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In true "outlaw" fashion, these Instagrammers also explore other restricted areas, like this abandoned theater, shot by @7expresstrain.

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Of course, @7expresstrain gets to the top of some really high buildings and bridges, too.

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Instagrammers like @night.shift find it best to scale the bridges late at night, after the lights have been shut off.

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There doesn't seem to be anything more beautiful than a New York sunset on the roof of one of its tallest buildings.

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At just 15 years old, @shot_by_ian is the youngest on our list, but his eye and skill with a camera are mature.

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The Instagrammers especially like to include their shoes in the shot, which give the viewer context and show how close to the edge they are. They get to show off their cool shoes, too.

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Not all of the "Outlaws" are male. Here's a shot of @dmcarroll by @lastsuspect.

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@lastsuspect has over 62,000 followers on Instagram, where he posts his work daily. Photographers with more than 10,000 Instagram followers are known as "K's" within the community.

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These photographers, or "Rooftoppers" as some like to be called, have been gaining more notoriety recently, due to the white flags mysteriously placed on the top of the Manhattan Bridge in June. Shooters like @kostennn may be trying to keep a lower profile now.

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But that won't stop them from exploring and risking their lives for the shot.

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Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments.

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Photos Instagram
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