Driving into my street recently, I noticed a beehive of activity on my neighbor’s roof.

Ten guys were on a mission, it turns out… to rip off the old top of a house built in the 1930s down to the framing, install new plywood, and finish it with asphalt shingles – all within a single weekend. I know, because I watched them; completely fascinated, my inner architect was rapt.

By the time I had a chance to grab my camera after I drove home that first day, I had missed the demolition and early stages, and the guys were already installing the sheathing.

They hauled up 4’x 8’ sheets of radiant barrier plywood with reflective siding and installed it (correctly) with the foil facing into the attic space. 

The guys moved extremely fast. First, they applied felt over the roof decking with staple guns, and then – Pop! Pop! Pop! – they attached the shingles with nail guns.

With their ropes, harnesses, tools, and assorted gear, the well-choreographed assault on the summit of the roof struck me as akin to a mountain-climbing expedition.

I started to think of myself as the documentary photographer assigned to the mission; though, in truth, I was told by one of the roofers that my presence was a distraction and was making his guys uncomfortable. Perhaps they thought I was from OSHA… or worse. So, even though I thought I was being inconspicuous (shooting with a Canon 24-70 mm zoom lens), I didn’t want to be the cause of any accidents and I left. Luckily, by the time I was scolded, I had captured enough of the action on the second and final day of this expedition to be able to share with you this adventure story.

P.S. Shooting into the sun allowed me to capture some dramatic silhouettes.