On the Roof

Old-school pigeon flyer Frank spends every day up on a roof in Brooklyn where he finds company, but also faces a changing city that seems to care less and less for a long-standing tradition.

n 2017, I came across a lady in Williamsburg who told me about her husbands hobby, which happened to be pigeon flying. I immediately became curious as I had never heard of such a thing. I then discovered the long-standing, global history of pigeon flying - and the fragility of its current status. After visiting Mikes pigeon shop in Bushwick, I wrote an article on the subject for a class. During the reporting, I was touched by the stories the pigeon flyers told me, and by the passion in their voices when describing what the birds mean to them. I felt the urge to tell their stories in order to challenge peoples (and my own) perception of pigeons a general opinion that is the primary reason for the hobby's slow extinction. The more I learned, the more I understood that this story could best be told visually.