Today I paid my first visit to the newly opened World Trade Center Transportation Hub in lower Manhattan. The building was designed by famed Spanish architect, Santiago Calatrava.
NY
20 Best Photos of 2015
in Photography
In June, my wife and I had a daughter. Which means that 95% of the photos I took in 2015 were baby photos. Here are the best of the rest.
Click on any photo to view it in lightbox mode
"The snowstorm and the smokehouse" January 2015. New York City
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/20, ISO 6400
In January, winter storm Juno was forecast to bring a major blizzard to New York City. The storm missed New York (sorry Boston!), but gave us enough snow for some magical twilight photos on Stone Street in the Financial District. I love the way the warm glow from the lights plays against the blue evening sky in the distance.
"Sunset snapshot" April, 2015 Islamorada, Florida Keys
Fujifilm XPro1, 14mm, f/4.0, 4.3, ISO 200
One of the most annoying things that can happen as a photographer is to frame up a beautiful shot of the last fleeting moments of the sunset only to have a bunch of thirteen year olds walk into said sunset shot and start posing for several hundred iPhone photos. After briefly cursing them and wishing that they would fall off the end of the pier, I realized I could use them to make a more interesting photo. I used a slow shutter speed to capture the flash from their iPhone, which cast a spotlight onto the girls while leaving the boys in silhouette.
"Bahia Honda State Park" April, 2015 Florida Keys
Fujifilm XPro1, 14mm, f/11, 210s, ISO 200
Bahia Honda State Park in the Florida Keys is at the foot of an old abandoned railroad bridge. To get the smooth water effect and movement in the clouds, I used a three minute long exposure. Here's a shot from the other side of the bridge.
"!" April, 2015, Islamorada Florida
Fujifilm XPro1, 14mm, f/8, 340s, ISO 200
Here's another long exposure shot from the Florida Keys. This photo was taken at the Amara Cay Resort in Islamorada. This exposure was nearly six minutes long. It's also cool in Black and White
"Daybreak in Jamestown" November, 2015 Jamestown, Rhode Island
Fujifilm XPro1, 56mm, f/16, 1/125, ISO 200
I guess I had a thing for water and pylons this year. This shot is taken at sunrise in Jamestown, Rhode Island. I love the ethereal mood created by the fog rolling across the harbor.
"Washington, DC sunrise" November, 2015, Washington, DC
Fujifilm XPro1, 56mm, f/8, 1/25, ISO 200
This was taken just before sunrise at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. To get the reflection in the marble, I sat on the floor and set the camera on the ground.
"Here comes the sun" November, 2015, Washington, DC
Fujifilm XPro1, 14mm, f/22, 1/125, ISO 1600
It wasn't easy to get this shot from inside the Lincoln Memorial. There was a boot camp class with about three hundred people running laps up and down the stairs and weaving in and out of the pillars. Fortunately, I got enough of a break between runners to make it seem like a much quieter morning than it actually was. The lone runner created just enough mystery to the shot with the shadow on the wall.
"The Bird Feeder" December 25, 2015, Coney Island, NY
iPhone 6
Coney Island is magical in the fog. Especially on Christmas Morning. Something about this photo feels like it could have been taken 75 years ago.
"Head in the clouds" March 2015, New York, NY
iPhone 6
I took this photo of the clouds draped over downtown Brooklyn from my office window in Lower Manhattan.
"Across the bridge" August, 2015 New York, NY
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/16, 1/80, ISO 6400
The new transportation hub at the World Trade Center is controversial because of its four billion dollar price tag. But it does make for some really great photo ops.
"Scenes from a Taxi" August 2015, New York, NY
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/4, 1/9, ISO 6400
I took this photo of the World Trade Center from the back seat of a taxi somewhere in TriBeCa. The red glow is from another car's brake lights hitting the plexiglass divider in the cab.
"31st Street Sunset" August 2015, New York, NY
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/8, 1/90, ISO 6400
I'd just gotten off a train from Washington, DC and turned the corner in front of Amtrak's Penn Station just in time to catch this incredible sunset. I love the way the neon lights along the side of Madison Square Garden blend with the purple glow in the sky and reflect on the buildings across the street.
"Never sleeps" November, 2015 New York, NY
Fujifilm XPro1, 35mm, f/8, 8, ISO 200
In November, we edited a film project at a studio called Work in TriBeCa. This is the view from their office. Not bad.
"Castle Hill Lighthouse" November 2015, Newport, Rhode Island
Fujifilm XPro1, 14mm, f/11, 1/125, ISO 500
Hard to go wrong with lighthouse shots. This one was from a trip to Newport, Rhode Island in November. I like the way the cracks in the rocky cliffs draw your eye down to the lighthouse. Classic leading lines stuff.
"Lincoln Memorial Reflections" November 2015, Washington, DC
Fujifilm XPro1, 14mm, f/3.2, 1/140, ISO 2500
The trouble with shooting famous landmarks like the Lincoln Memorial is that it's photographed thousands of times every single day. And often by photographers with much fancier equipment. To avoid taking the same postcard picture everyone else took, I came out at sunrise to try to find a unique perspective. I found it in a tiny puddle of water on top of a metal wayfinding sign.
"Not Forgotten" September 2015, Jersey City, NJ
Fujifilm XPro1, 56mm, f/2, 1/30, ISO 6400
The September 11th Tribute in Light as seen from the waterfront in Jersey City, New Jersey.
"Statue of Liberty at Sunset" December, 2015 Brooklyn, New York
Fujifilm XPro1, 200mm, f/4.8, 1/25, ISO 800
This was shot from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade with my telephoto lens at 200mm, using the fence as a makeshift tripod.
"Synchronized selfies" December 2015, Brooklyn Bridge, NY
Fujifilm X100s, 23mm, f/2, 1/20, ISO 3200
Millenials.
"But I hadn't run out of things to say to you" July 2015, Brooklyn, NY
iPhone 6
I saw this scene while walking the dog. I have so many questions.
"Tough crowd" April, 2015, Central Park, NY
Fujifilm X100s, f/8, 1/240, ISO 400
New Yorkers are a hard bunch to impress.
Thanks for reading! And if you want to see more, you can check out last year's Year in Review. Or follow me on Flickr or Instagram.
Brooklyn Family Portraits - Igor and Lana
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of taking family portraits for my college friend and his family. We met in Dumbo, Brooklyn for a photo session just before sunset in early December. The light was MAGIC. Here are a few favorites from the session. Thanks Igor and Lana!
The Historic Uber Apocalyptic Megastorm Blizzard That Wasn't
Last week, New York was supposed to get clobbered by a snowstorm of epic proportions. After everyone freaked out and cleared the supermarkets of all things edible, we got about 4 inches. While it wasn't exactly a winter wonderland, it did make for some snow-globe-like photos. Here are a few favorites from around the Financial District.
Stone Street
Stone Street
Stone Street Selfie
The Charging Bull Statue at Bowling Green
Delmonico's Steakhouse
Broad Street
Broadway at Cedar Street
The Charging Bull Statue at Bowling Green
Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade 2014, East Village, New York
in Events, Photography, New York
On Saturday, Tompkins Square Park in New York's East Village hosted the 24th annual dog halloween costume parade. According to CNN, it's the largest dog costume parade in the world. It's also arguably the most adorable. Here are some of my favorites from the day. Pity Dog Halloween only comes once a year.
Check out the iPhone case
September 11th, a Tribute in Light
in New York, Photography
Tonight, New York will remember the lives lost on September 11th with the annual Tribute in Light memorial. The Tribute is a breathtaking art installation made of 88 xenon light cannons which shine from the shadow of the World Trade Center into infinity. The lights can be seen from 60 miles away. I've spent the last two September 11ths capturing images of the display. Here are some of the better images from the Brooklyn waterfront (2012) and Lower Manhattan (2013).
Brooklyn Bridge Park, 2012
West Side Highway, 2013
Lower Manhattan, 2013
DUMBO, Brooklyn 2012
Brooklyn Bridge Park, 2012
Zuccotti Park, Manhattan, 2013
West Side Highway, 2013
Vesey Street, Manhattan 2013
This is Robinson. He told me that his cousin passed away in the towers. He moved to the US from the Dominican Republic. On 9/11 he was 10 years old.
DUMBO Brooklyn, 2012
DUMBO, Brooklyn 2012
From the roof where they hold the light canons. Lower Manhattan, 2013
From the roof where they hold the light canons. Lower Manhattan, 2013
Event: Pooja and Chris's Wedding Rehearsal Dinner
in Events, Families, New York, Portraits, Photography
Last Friday night I had the pleasure of capturing the memories from Pooja and Chris's wedding rehearsal dinner aboard the Atlantis cruise yacht in New York. After a few portraits by the waterfront in Jersey City, we set sail along the Manhattan shoreline, with a trip up the Hudson and the East Rivers and a grand finale at the State of Liberty. Perfect weather, an amazing party and a very, very happy couple. Congratulations to Pooja and Chris!
Event: Debbie and Dan's Surprise 35th Anniversary Party
in Events, Families, Photography
Last Saturday I had the pleasure of photographing Debbie and Dan's surprise 35th wedding anniversary party at F&G Pine Restaurant in the Bronx. It was a fantastic party. Their wonderful family came in from around New York, Connecticut and even Florida for the event. And Debbie and Dan were definitely surprised! Congratulations!
Wall Street, New York
Ta-da!
in New York, Photography
Barkbox's Barkfest 2014
This Saturday I had the pleasure to hang out a few hundred furry friends while photographing the Barkbox Barkfest in Madison Square Park for SeeMe. The event featured celebrity dogs of Instagram, dog movies and lots and lots of treats. A huge thanks to SeeMe for the opportunity to capture this amazing night in the city. Here are a few of my favorite shots from the evening.
This dog's name is Marnie. She has 55,000 followers in Instagram. Because, the Internet.
BarkBox's Dog "Beer."