Video posted to Twitter shows a shirtless daredevil climbing several stories toward the spiked, needle-like top of the Four Seasons Hotel in New Orleans.
Once at the top, the man stood up, taking in the view of the city.
The building was once the former International Trade Mart building at the end of Canal Street.
Related
The daredevil wore a black mask and Vans tennis shoes while carrying a camera.
The video, posted by @DrifterShoots, Isaac Wright, on August 9, reached more than 22,000 followers.
Accompanying a photo taken from one of his unforeseen posts, a tweet from the 25-year-old Army veteran explained his motivation: "I capture cities from unseen perspectives such as rooftops and bridges in hopes of displaying the limitless potential of human beings in an ever-expanding universe."
Critics say the photographer has gone beyond mere trespassing.
"He's using types of prybars and lock pick(ing) mechanism sets," said police detective Jeff Ruberg said. "He's disabling security cameras, motion sensors. He's physically damaging the buildings he's entering."
New Orleans police said they had no arrest records for Wright's alleged climb, despite being detained.
"It's possible he was wanted in another jurisdiction within Louisiana," a police spokesperson said.
It turns out, authorities in St. Bernard Parish charged him with trespassing when entering an abandoned home.
"Mr. Wright is eager to work constructively with authorities to resolve these matters," the man's attorney wrote in a statement.