Lee Thompson’s photograph places a familiar face in an astonishing position: emerging from the top of Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue, with the city spreading out behind him.

The image became widely shared in 2014. Its appeal comes from an unusual viewpoint and a recognisable landmark, but the access behind it was exceptional. It is not a model for an ordinary visit to the monument.

Lee Thompson emerging from the top of Christ the Redeemer in his specially authorised 2014 photograph
Lee Thompson emerging from the top of Christ the Redeemer in his specially authorised 2014 photograph. Historical photograph from an authorised specialist shoot; access was exceptional. Gallery attribution: Lee Thompson / The Flash Pack.

The 2014 photograph and its context

TIME’s contemporary report identifies Thompson as a photographer who obtained special permission while in Rio covering the World Cup. He and a colleague also documented the ascent.

The photograph followed specially granted access for a particular shoot. Thompson’s involvement in a travel company does not make that access part of an ordinary booking, and the resulting selfie should not be treated as a visitor route. The distinction gives the image a more interesting history: an unusual position was arranged and documented, rather than discovered as a shortcut available to anyone carrying a camera.

The image belongs to a particular shoot, with circumstances beyond those shown in the finished frame.

Why the photograph feels so high

The camera places Thompson close to the viewer while the landscape falls away behind him. That difference in scale helps create the sensation of height.

Wide-angle presentation can also bend lines and exaggerate the space between foreground and background. The curved appearance of the distant view should not be treated as a demonstration of Earth’s curvature from the statue.

Look at how much of the scene is carried by the foreground. Without it, the image would be a broad view of Rio; with it, the photograph becomes a personal moment in a recognisable setting.

Plan the ordinary visitor experience

Christ the Redeemer is a monument and a religious site visited through authorised arrangements. Plan for the public visitor areas, rather than access inside the statue or onto its upper structure.

Lee Thompson at the top of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro
Visitors approaching Christ the Redeemer from the normal public viewing area
Visitors approaching Christ the Redeemer from the normal public viewing area during Thompson's 2014 photographic visit. Gallery attribution: Lee Thompson / The Flash Pack.

Our Rio de Janeiro guide helps place Corcovado in a wider itinerary. Allow for the journey, the weather and the time you would like to spend at the viewpoint.

Do not turn the visit into a competition to reproduce an exceptional photograph. There is plenty to appreciate from the places designed for visitors.

Make a portrait that tells your own story

Choose a position where you can stand comfortably without blocking circulation. Ask a companion to include both you and enough of the surrounding scene to explain where you are.

Try a second photograph looking away from the landmark towards the city. Together, the two images can tell a fuller story than a single crowded close-up.

If the conditions obscure the view, look for details, changing light or the people sharing the visit. Weather is part of travel, and a picture does not need a perfect panorama to hold a memory.

Keep permission attached to extraordinary images

When sharing photographs made from unusual locations, context helps people understand what they are seeing. A caption noting special access prevents a striking image from becoming misleading travel advice.

For another way to make personal travel photographs, explore Lens Between Us, which uses opposing viewpoints to show both companions’ perspectives. A memorable picture can come from a thoughtful idea just as easily as an extraordinary position.

Lee Thompson beside the raised arm of Christ the Redeemer during the authorised 2014 shoot
A small figure beside the outstretched arm of Christ the Redeemer in the historical shoot
Lee Thompson raising his arms above the head of Christ the Redeemer during his authorised shoot
Photo: The Flash Pack

The ascent photographs add context to the final portrait

The supporting photographs make the journey towards the final frame part of the story. They give the celebrated portrait a beginning, while the familiar silhouette of Christ the Redeemer helps viewers understand how unusual the position is. Seen as a sequence, the work becomes a record of a specific authorised shoot. For an ordinary visit, a different sequence can be just as personal: the approach, the public viewpoint, a companion and the city spread out below.

A familiar landmark changes the scale

Knowing the statue’s usual appearance gives the viewer a reference for the unusual position. The nearby person and faraway city create the picture’s impact together. That compositional relationship is enough to explain its appeal without calling it a world record or treating lens distortion as a measurement of Earth’s curve.