NEW YORK NEW YOUR – Good light in Manhattan comes at odd times. Out there in the non-urban landscape good light predictably arrives around sunrise and sunset – the so-called “Golden Hour”, but it really doesn’t last an hour. Manhattan is fine at a distance at the Golden Hour but at street level that early or that late everything is bathed in deep shadows. Magical light in Manhattan is more often caused by sunlight reflecting off of a large building and acting as a fill light at street level. The first of the images for today is an example – taken at about 2:30 in the afternoon, a generally poor time for landscape anywhere else. The second image is just a reflection of Citicorp Center ending up in an odd place. Both taken with my Sony Nex-7 and 50 mm Summilux lens.
Third AvenueThird Avenue
On this day last year: Big yellow teddy bear lamp (no kidding). So last year there was this big yellow teddy bear in the plaza between the Seagrams Building and the Racquet and Tennis Club . . .
NEW YORK NEW YORK – Spring. Really. It kind of infects the images. Not that I mind it but the tulips are pretty much everywhere, and . . .well . . you’ve seen a tulip before. Taken with my Sony Nex-7 and a Leica 24mm Summilux.
Spring
NEW YORK NEW YORK – After an afternoon of committee meetings the James Beard Foundation board had dinner at the Four Seasons Restaurant. In the past I’ve posted a number of images from this iconic Mies van der Rohe institution. Mies designed the interior, including the furniture and the beaded curtains. Taken with my Sony Nex-7 and a Leica 24mm Summilux lens.
Dinner at the Four Seasons
NEW YORK NEW YORK – I spent the morning in Central Park and midtown Manhattan with my Alpa TC, Phase One Back and Rodenstock 32mm lens. Spring is here. Really. The city is in bloom for a few precious weeks. I hate doing anything other than photograph this time of year, but of course pictures of spring flowers is probably not my strongest body of work.
FlagMottled light
NEW YORK NEW YORK – My iPhone’s capabilities as a camera continue to impress me. This little guy is always available and produces surprisingly capable results. Somewhere along the line it developed a little camera icon on the lock screen which permits you to take a picture without entering your password – a major plus for the spur of the moment shots. I spent part of the morning pressing the iPhone felt against store windows. I caught nice light in a conference room in the afternoon.
SalePictures
NEW YORK NEW YORK – I’m using the big camera (the Alpa with the Phase One back) for snapshots. It actually works pretty well – I zone focus, the light is pretty consistent outdoors so one or two exposure setting suffice and I keep it cocked and ready to shoot.
On the High Line
The big files permit extensive computer manipulation, in this case an aggressive perspective correction:
NEW YORK NEW YORK – We stayed in town tonight (rare for us on a Friday) to take some Swedish friends to the Red Rooster, a restaurant owned by celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson. “Celebrity chef” is used without irony here. Marcus is a sensation and his success is well-deserved. Think of the dinner as an “event” in very poor light. I shot the following with my Sony Nex-7 waring a 50mm Leica Summilux lens.
Owner of the Red Rooster`Dinner at the Red RoosterWine list at the Red RoosterDiscussion at the Red Rooster
