Photographing New York City

New York City is as colorful as it is loud and fast moving. That color and spectacle can be the basis for many memorable photos! If you like to walk then you will find photographing this complex city a delight. You really need to walk the neighborhoods of New York to get a real sense of what they have to offer. They are never exactly the same from day to day. Each day brings new details and discoveries worthy of capture.

New York City Diner. ⇑

I like hour of the day that surrounds sunset the best. Usually after work, I will often spend that hour walking and looking for something interesting to photograph. I will use a VR (Vibration Reduction) enabled lens at times in the Times Square area. The lighting in Times Square in the evenings  is so strong that you can generally get sharp images using a handheld camera with a lens equipped with VR (or Shake Reduction on some cameras) even at low ISO speeds. However, to get the sharpest possible images even on the darker side streets, I will usually carry a tripod.

I own a large Manfrotto tripod and head. However, I find it to be awkward to use in a city full of pedestrians. I have a second lightweight tripod that is sturdy enough for my basic camera and short zoom lens. It is compact and light enough to be carried without stress. And, most importantly, I can set it up in seconds, capture the shot, and move on. Often I am timing a shot in between crowds of pedestrians waiting for a traffic light, or other fast moving obstructions. I will carry the fully extended tripod, close to my body, with the camera mounted and ready to shoot as I walk. All that is required is spreading the legs, composing the shot, and you’re done. Timing and speed makes the difference in most of the shots I capture in New York City. Shooting rapidly in this way also eliminates the likelihood of being asked to move for obstructing traffic or causing a safety hazard with tripod legs on a busy street. Many of the shots seen in my New York City Photo Gallery were captured using this method!

The vivid red New York City diner awning seen in the photo above was captured by quickly setting up my tripod between two parked vehicles for the capture. It is located on 45th Street in the Times Square area of New York City.

Check out the article in Camera Worthy on Photographing South Street Seaport, New York City.