From my last shot we ascended another spiral staircase to access the rooftop of the Cathedral. This cityscape was taken during a brief respite from the inclement weather, and shows the eastern end of the building and the city beyond. Notre-Dame de Paris was among the first buildings in the world to use the flying buttress (arched exterior supports). The cathedral was not originally designed to include the flying buttresses around the choir and nave but after the construction began, the thinner walls (popularized in the Gothic style) grew ever higher and stress fractures began to occur as the massive roof pushed the walls outward. In response, the cathedral's architects built supports around the outside walls, and later additions continued the pattern. Many small individually crafted statues were placed around the outside to serve as column supports and water spouts. Among these are the famous gargoyles, designed for water run-off, and chimeras. The statues were originally coloured as was most of the exterior. The paint has worn off, but the grey stone was once covered with vivid colours. The cathedral was essentially complete by 1345. The spiral staircase has a narrow climb of 387 steps to the top; along the climb it is possible to view its most famous bell and its gargoyles at close quarters, as well as delivering this spectacular view across Paris when reaching the top. 7 exposure handheld hdr -3 - +3. Nikon D700 with 8fps battery pack and 16 - 35 f4 vr @ 16mm. ISO 800, exposure 1/1000 - 1/20 sec at f14. Post processing via photomatix, & photoshop with topaz clarity and de noise plugins. via 500px http://j.mp/1odmt7S
