Behind Natsumi Hayashi's 'Levitating Girl' Photos - How does she fly?

The secret to the mysterious flying photos may be just as you imagine.

Today's Levitation was first posted on Natsumi Hayashi's website on September 16, 2010. It was probably one of random photos that came to her as the inspiration for the future masterpieces.

Then one day, pretty soon after the first levitation, Hayashi decided to take her own photos, of herself flying and floating.

In her blog Yowa Yowa Camera Woman Diary daily update, the frequency of Today's Levitation increased gradually, until January 1, 2011 when it became her every day routine to take flying photos.

Dubbed 'Tokyo's Levitating Girl,' Hayashi has taken countless photos of herself in the mid air all over the Japanese capital - on city pavements, in restaurants and deserted fields.

The attraction of her floating photos is her natural expression and pose. She makes floating seem like her natural state. The photos are frozen moments in time.

I wanted to express myself in the picture as someone free from Earth's gravitational pull, Ms. Hayashi said in an interview in February, 2011. In being free of gravity in the pictures, I am also not bound to societal conventions. I feel as though I am not tied to many things and able to be my true self.

How is it achieved?

Hayashi's freedom from the gravity is made possible partially through her persistence.

Appearing around Tokyo area, she would set a self timer with her Canon EOS 5D Mark II , and take her own photos.

When she gets a spark of this is the spot! she would literally jump there.

Surprisingly or not, the illusion of her jumping photos is managed by ... jumping. Repeatedly.

Sometimes I need to jump more than 300 times to get the perfect shot, said Hayashi.

Nothing magical, and surprisingly simple. However, it takes persistence.

One side story here:

When asked about the reaction of bystanders and passersby, Hayashi said,

One day, when I was jumping at a tourists' site in the western part of Tokyo, cashiers at the nearby souvenior store started to freak out. I heard them whispering, 'Has she gone mad?' and 'Should we call the Police?' So I stopped jumping, and told them, 'I am taking jumping photos to make a slide show for my wedding party.' Then they blushed and told me, 'Oh sorry!' 'Congratulations!' 'Good luck jumping!'

Hayashi's photographs have become so popular in Japan, that she hopes they might launch a high-flying career as a photographer.

The uploading of photos stopped on April 27, 2011. The levitating girl may be secretly planning another surprise.

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