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My photo posts
"Ghost shiver..." (my reasons why I love plus listed below in the content of this post)
I think back to days spent wrapped in the cold silence of freshly fallen snow in Central Park.
The labyrinth-like path leading from Shakespeare Garden lined by a wooden fence twists and turns in the snow winding its way under trees whose branches reach out to each other like eager arms awaiting the warmth of an embrace.
It’s on days like this when the sun rests longer than usual and winter’s essence seeps through every crack and crevice that the earth quivers a ghost shiver that rests in summer’s memory.
—-
The rustic wooden fence rests on a four acre section of Central Park known as the Shakespeare Garden which is located in the west part of the park near 79th Street. On the 300th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death in 1916, this area was dedicated to Shakespeare and named. The plants and flowers that are found in this area are all mentioned in the works of the playwright and are also plants and flowers that are found in his garden in Starford-upon-Avon. There is even a white mulberry tree on this four acre plot of land that is said to have grown from a graft of a tree planted by Shakespeare himself in the 1600s.
While the paths that winds through Central Park’s Shakespeare Garden is gorgeous in the warmer months of the year, it’s absolutely stunning when snow has freshly fallen.
This photo was taken during one of the last major snowstorms (a blizzard) in New York City back in 2011. We haven’t seen snow like this, in this magnitude, since then. I have been going through my photos from the two blizzards we experienced that winter season wondering if we will ever see snow like this again. Who knows?
#whyiloveplus - This is why: When I post my photos and writing here, I know without a doubt that I will have some of the best interaction that can be found in the comments which inspires me so much creatively. And I can then go and be inspired by other people's incredible posts and be positive that I can interact in their comment threads and have great conversation and even possibly meet some wonderful people along the way. You don't get these sorts of quality interactions elsewhere online. And that's why I love posting here and I love G+.
You can view this post with all relevant links over at my photography blog if you wish here:
http://nythroughthelens.com/post/41866096055/central-park-winter-path-shakespeare-garden-in
Tags: #photography #newyorkcity #newyorkcityphotography #centralpark #centralparkwinter #centralparkphotography #winter #winterwednesday #winterlandscape #snow #centralparksnow #newyorkwinter #nycwinter #nycsnow #newyorksnow #winterpath #trees #writing #prose
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"Central Park in the winter..."
I love heavy snowfall and I found myself braving the super high wind gusts to wander around a mostly empty Central park during one particularly rambunctious blizzard. I don’t really recommend it and thinking back, it was a bit risky considering that the wind gusts were around 55 mph and higher. Wind gusts and trees don’t make for the safest of combinations. However, I have never seen Central Park in such a serene state.
The only people who were in the park that day were small amounts of people who lived in the surrounding neighborhoods, brave tourists and intrepid photographers with giddy expressions on their faces. I could probably count on both hands the number of people I encountered and I ended up covering most of the park on foot that day (I was never so happy to get home and drink hot chocolate that evening).
This part of Central Park is known as The Poet’s Walk or Literary Walk. The reason why this part of the park is known as Poet’s Walk and/or Literary Walk is because at the very end of this section, several statues of famous writers line the path. It’s at the southern end of a section called The Mall.
The Mall is only straight line in Central Park and the trees that line it are its crowning and most distinctive feature. They are American elm trees and are the largest and last remaining stands in all of North America. Over the years, other large grouping of American Elm trees have been destroyed by Dutch Elm disease but Central Park’s conservancy has saved a majority of the remaining trees in the park despite losing around 40 trees in the last few years to this contagious fungus. The recent Hurricane (Superstorm Sandy) also directly impacted the amount of elm trees in Central Park in a negative way.
The Poet’s Walk is one of my favorite spots in the autumn and winter because the trees look their most graceful and beautiful during these seasons. The leaves turn a beautiful golden yellow in the autumn and the elegant branches seem to reach out to each other when covered by freshly fallen snow in the winter.
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New York Photography: Central Park's Poet's Walk in the snow.
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You can view this post along with information on where to purchase prints of this image at my site here:
http://nythroughthelens.com/post/37483683764/central-park-winter-poets-walk-in-the-snow-new
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Tags: #photography #newyorkcity #newyorkcityphotography #nyc #centralpark #centralparkwinter #newyorkwinter #winter #nycwinter #centralparksnow #snow #snowyphotography #nycsnow #newyorksnow #centralparkmall #centralparkliterarywalk #poetswalkcentralpark #elmtrees #landscape #landscapephotography #winterlandscape #manhattanwinter #manhattansnow
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"Blush response..."
As the steel exoskeletons that wind along city buildings bask in the glow of springtime, fresh-faced blossoms blush in the warmth of the sun tilting their heads skyward hoping for a kiss.
And the earth swoons.
—-
Spring definitely ‘sprung’ in New York City this past weekend. Trees are already blooming nearly a month ahead of schedule which is unusual but also beautiful to witness after enduring what seemed like a long and rather dreary winter.
These are some of my favorite spring blooms. They are Magnolia Liliiflora also known as the Japanese Magnolia. The tree is actually native to China, but was also cultivated for centuries in Japan. It was introduced to English-speaking countries from Japan and so the name of Japanese Magnolia has stuck even though the tree is not technically native to Japan.
I love how lush the blossoms are when they first open. They are quite delicate though and don’t last for very long so it’s a special and rare treat to catch them when they first bloom.
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New York Photography: Japanese magnolia blossoms. Stuyvesant Square.
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You can view this post along with information about prints of this image if you wish at my site here:
http://nythroughthelens.com/post/19573450227/japanese-magnolia-blossoms-spring-stuyvesant
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Tags: #spring #springtime #flowers #japanesemagnoliablossoms #springblossoms #nyc #newyorkcity #pink #writing #prose #manhattan #springnyc
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"There is a hole in the sky where light shines through..."
(This is dedicated to my friend +Lee Daniels . #happythoughtsforleedaniels )
Clouds, which once covered the sky like a thick, dark purple blanket open slowly to reveal the blue hues that breathe life into the day.
And as the sun’s flame dips closer to the horizon, its scintillating luster reaches up to the clouds.
For, you see, the sun only disappears temporarily to make way for the moon and stars that blush white-hot in thoughts of its splendor.
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New York Photography: The New York City skyline at sunset.
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You can view this post over at my site if you wish here:
http://nythroughthelens.com/post/23362880099/the-new-york-city-skyline-at-sunset-in-silhouette
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Tags: #photography #nyc #newyorkcity #newyorkcityphotography #writing #prose #happythoughts #positiveenergy #skyline #silhouette #landscape #cityscape #light #sunset #manhattan
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"All that glitters..."
My recent foray into experimenting with long exposures has been blossoming into a zen journey. I am a solitary shooter by preference. While I thrive on being around people, when I am shooting it’s an almost spiritual experience that I enjoy only when I am alone. The world tends to melt away and my thoughts evaporate into whatever it is I am shooting. I am not sure if it is because my mind runs at around 1000 miles per hour normally and resembles a rushing waterfall of activity that I seek out these types of experiences where I can calm the mental flow into a gentle stream of thoughts but I am finding long exposures to be an absolutely blissful experience.
This is the result of a 20 second exposure taken late last week from Roosevelt Island with the Sony A99. I have been shooting skylines for the past month for a secret project that I can’t talk about until later this month and it’s been interesting viewing the skyline from different vantage points throughout the boroughs. Roosevelt Island is a tiny island that sits in the East River overlooking the Upper East Side and midtown Manhattan. The Chrysler Building is a beacon of white, sparkling lights in a sea of skyscrapers lit by the yellow glow of the lights on the FDR Drive. It’s a rather calm place to visit at this time of year since it’s not quite warm enough for people to take full advantage of the promenade that runs parallel to this amazing view.
The night tends to fall quietly over the lights of Manhattan when viewing the skyline from this vantage point. The only sounds that are prominent are the sound of waves lapping up against the sides of the promenade as the rare boat speeds by. I find it endlessly fascinating how a long exposure can calm even those sounds down visually - smoothing out the water’s surface until the lights seem to melt into the water like liquid stars in a watery universe.
View this post over on my photography blog if you wish here:
http://nythroughthelens.com/post/45230993585/new-york-city-skyline-and-chrysler-building-view
Tags: #photography #newyorkcity #nyc #newyorkphoto #nycphoto #newyorkcityphotography #nycphotography #skyline #cityscape #nycskyline #newyorkcityskyline #chryslerbuilding #skyscrapers #architecture #longexposure #longexposurephotography #sony #sonyphotographers #sonya99 #a99
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"Suspended..."
Summer’s memories sit suspended like words caught in the throat of winter: stifled, muffled utterances barely able to escape in the form of speech.
But in the wide open expanse of dreams, words take flight.
Summer’s memories break through shards upon shards of branches making their way past the ice-kissed lips of winter conjuring up the outline of buildings and cityscapes on the condensation of winter’s frozen breath.
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New York Photography: Central Park in the winter.
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You can view this post along with information about prints of this image if you wish at my site here:
http://nythroughthelens.com/post/19066099231/summers-memories-sit-suspended-like-words-caught
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Tags: #photography #prose #poetry #writing #snow #winter #newyorkcity #nyc #centralpark #centralparkwinter #landscape #beautiful
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"Into the evening..."
On hazy summer afternoons when dusk pulls its soft purple veil over the city, the skyline softens momentarily in the dreamy-eyed gaze of the clouds.
And as light slides from the sky making its way over steel, wood and concrete towards the disintegrating horizon, bridges and skyscrapers melt with the sun into the evening.
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New York Photography: Brooklyn Bridge and New York City skyline at dusk.
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You can view this post along with information about where to purchase prints of this image if you wish at my site here:
http://nythroughthelens.com/post/31457458580/the-brooklyn-bridge-and-new-york-city-skyline
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Tags: #photography #nyc #newyorkcity #newyorkcityphotography #manhattan #brooklyn #brooklynbridge #architecture #bridge #writing #poetry #prose #dusk
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"The tones of nostalgia..."
There are certain colors that dominate memory mixed on the palette of the mind’s eye with the hues from dreams and tones of nostalgia.
But it’s the tones of nostalgia that stand out the most: the penetrating longing for places and moments we have or have not experienced that creates a void in our beings so deep that its echo is felt in every moment and heard in every thought.
There are words for this type of nostalgia: sensucht and saudade. Sensucht is a German word that describes the emotional state of longing and yearning and saudade is a Galician- Portuguese word that describes a similar intense state of longing for something or someone. They can both be experienced as a longing for a place that is unidentifiable but somehow familiar and indicative of what we would most closely identify as home. Sometimes the yearning is so intense that only the emotional state is what we are aware of and it’s not always easy to tell that there is a deep yearning for something or someone at that moment.
New York City fills me with constant yearning with its colors and the way that light casts its glow on streets, brick, and the structures that fill in the image of New York City in my own mind. In the reds of the bricks I feel a longing for other cities I have not yet experienced and in the light that falls onto the street early in the evening I see the same light casting its glow on the spaces I wish to walk thousands of miles away.
—-
New York Photography: Corner restaurant. Tribeca.
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You can view this post along with information about where to purchase prints of this image if you wish at my site here:
http://nythroughthelens.com/post/19953482830/corner-restaurant-on-a-sunlit-evening-tribeca
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Tags: #photography #nyc #newyorkcity #newyorkcityphotography #tribeca #manhattan #cafe #restaurant #writing #prose #nostalgia #saudade
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"Catching the sunlight..."
There is nothing quite like spring on Park Avenue in upper Manhattan. The gorgeous, ornate architecture is adorned by beautiful spring blossoms.
Park Avenue is one of the wider avenues on the Upper East Side and has a center divider that showcase trees and flowers. In the spring, rows and rows of yellow tulips bloom at once catching the sunlight with their effervescent petals while the trees on either side of the avenue and in the center area feature pink, yellow, white and light green blossoms.
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New York Photography: Spring - Park Avenue - Upper East Side.
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You can view this post along with information about purchasing prints of this image if you wish at my site here:
http://nythroughthelens.com/post/21214775800/spring-tulips-and-blossoms-on-park-avenue-upper
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Tags: #photography #newyorkcity #nyc #parkavenue #uppereastside #spring #springtime #tulips #trees #architecture #springnyc
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"Courteous hosts..."
The afternoon yawns with its mouth full of sunlight before it slips into the shadows of evening.
Fire escapes catch the sun’s gleam: staircases for dreamers propelling dreams skyward.
And the trees bow graciously in the lingering glow of sweet sunlight: courteous hosts beckoning wanderers to bask in the shared glow and warmth of the city.
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New York Photography: Greenwich Village street.
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You can view this post along with information about purchasing prints of this image if you wish at my site here:
http://nythroughthelens.com/post/22128318840/afternoon-sunlight-on-fire-escapes-greenwich
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Tags: #photography #poetry #prose #nyc #newyorkcity #greenwichvillage #city #manhattan #street #sunlight #trees
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The New York City Skyline and Central Park from above during sunset
Summer evenings are when the city smolders
as the sun paints the clouds
and the night sky waits just another hour longer
to dance with the last remnants of the day.
—-
This is a view of the skyscrapers of midtown Manhattan and Central Park from above looking north towards upper Manhattan. I took this at the end of August on a gorgeous, sweltering evening. I made it up to the top deck of Top of the Rock (30 Rock) just as this spectacular sunset was making its way across the sky.
It’s hard not to feel overcome with emotion when the summer sky puts on one of its late summer sunset shows. When it happens, the city is bathed in an other-worldly glow as the lights in the buildings twinkle on like stars and the sky and the impossible all seem to melt away into an infinite horizon full of endless possibility.
You can view this post along with all relevant links over at my photography blog if you wish here:
http://nythroughthelens.com/post/44328134558/the-new-york-city-skyline-and-central-park-from
Tags: #photography #newyorkcity #nyc #nycphotography #newyorkcityphotography #newyorkphoto #centralparkphoto #architecture #landscape #cityscape #newyorkcityskyline #nycskyline #manhattanskyline #city #skyscrapers #nycfromabove #saturdayinspiration
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"Infinity..."
Being above the skyscrapers of midtown Manhattan makes the mind and heart pause.
It’s hard to take in the immensity of the view especially after sunset when all of the city’s lights flicker like stars in a sky suspended upside down over an ocean full of clouds.
But, after a few moments, something else happens.
The mind reels, tipsy after taking its first, lingering sip of the cityscape.
And, with giddy eagerness, the eyes wander over every roof and into every window, past the fast moving traffic that zips across the city streets like shooting stars.
How many dreams are bursting forth, ready to propel themselves from the minds of urban dreamers: out from inside the walls, offices, apartments, and houses that contain them?
How many hopes are being uttered at the same time?
How many love songs are being sung?
How many hearts are being broken as other hearts are connecting?
And as the sun dips below the horizon letting the urban stars hang brightly in their own universe, the city speeds on at its own pace as someone else begins pondering variations on the same series of thoughts…
——
This is a view of the Empire State Building and the New York City skyline as seen from Top of the Rock. It’s a 30 second long exposure taken with the Sony A99 and the view is looking south towards lower Manhattan. One World Trade Center (or 1 WTC - also known as the Freedom Tower) can be seen in the distance to the right of the Empire State Building.
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You can view this post along with all relevant links over at my photography blog here:
http://nythroughthelens.com/post/49554368816/the-new-york-city-skyline-and-the-empire-state
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Tags: #photography #newyorkcity #nyc #manhattan #empirestatebuilding #newyorkcityskyline #longexposure #longexposurephotography #skyline
#cityscape #prose #nycskyline #manhattanskyline #sony #sonya99 #sonyphotographers #blackandwhitephotography #blackandwhite
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"Brownstone envy..."
I had severe brownstone envy when I was younger. Growing up in Queens (another borough of New York City), I visited Brooklyn frequently and the brownstones found in Brooklyn tugged at my heart. Their ornate doorways were flanked by enormous and extravagant stairways and every window seemed to be a frame encapsulating an enticing painting.
There wasn’t anything that came close to these beautiful works of architecture where I grew up in Queens. Watching the Cosby Show fueled my envy of course. I had no idea at the time that the exterior shots of the Cosby’s brownstone were shot in Greenwich Village and not in Brooklyn Heights where the Cosby’s fictional residence was located (why they did this is beyond me since Brooklyn Heights has some of the most beautiful brownstones).
All I knew was that these masterpieces of architecture just seemed more ‘New York City’ than any of the buildings I grew up surrounded by.
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New York Photography - Cobble Hill, Brooklyn.
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You can view this post along with information about purchasing prints of this image if you wish at my site here:
http://nythroughthelens.com/post/21852804104/cobble-hill-brownstones-on-a-cloudy-day-brooklyn
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Tags: #photography #nyc #brooklyn #cobblehill #newyorkcity #newyorkcityphotography #architecture #brownstone #writing
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"Stars in an earthly sky..."
The sun burned bright like a fiery orb as the churning storm clouds in the sky sought to extinguish it: their tufts of purple and grey gathering round in consensus before a final engulfing embrace.
As the sky determined its own fate, the sun’s fire burned a fiery trail through the delicate spring blossoms and leaves.
And in the sun’s wake, each blossom twinkled: luminescent stars in an earthly sky.
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New York Photography: Cherry blossoms - Brooklyn.
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You can view this post along with information about purchasing prints of this image if you wish at my site here:
http://nythroughthelens.com/post/21272212455/cherry-blossoms-against-a-dramatic-sky-brooklyn
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Tags: #photography #nyc #newyorkcity #poetry #prose #writing #sun #spring #springtime #trees #nature
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Snow - New York City
Hot on the heels of Hurricane Sandy, the Nor’Easter called Athena is dumping a nice amount of snow on New York City right now. I took a little walk around my neighborhood earlier. View the rest of the photos of a snowy Lower East Side here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vivnsect/sets/72157631958049970/
It’s quite beautiful even if it is super cold and the wind gusts are strong. My heart goes out to those in parts of New York and New Jersey who are still without power. I posted a few helpful links on the end of my last post about Hurricane Sandy in case people are looking for info on where to donate, help and/or volunteer to help (http://nythroughthelens.com/post/35082434947/superstorm-sandy-and-after-sandy-in-lower ):.
View this post on my website here as well:
http://nythroughthelens.com/post/35251666033/new-york-city-snow-lower-east-side-hot-on-the
(photo is taken with my phone via Camera+ and edited with Camera+ as well)
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Tags: #photography #snow #newyorkcity #newyorkcityphotography #nyc #manhattan #lowereastside #athena #noreaster #noreastercane #athenanyc #snownyc #snownewyorkcity #novembersnow #iphonography #iphoneography #mobilephotography #streetphotography #newyorkcitynight #nycnight
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The New York City skyline and the Empire State Building
When the night pulls its cobalt blanket over the city
the lights flicker like stars
in a magnificent universe.
And the world pauses
for a minute or two
enthralled in a reciprocal gaze
of epic proportion.
—-
The hour right after the sun dips below the horizon is one of the most enchanting hours of the day. It’s not quite day and not quite night but it’s a blended mixture of the two. There is no better place to witness this transformation in New York City than 70 stories up in the air on the observation deck of Rockefeller Center (known colloquially as Top of the Rock). After feeling the elation that comes with watching the sun set over the city, all of the city’s lights come into view twinkling little by little until they all seem to build up to the most intense crescendo of illuminated splendor.
This view is looking south towards lower Manhattan past the Empire State Building. I took this photo last night bundled up in layers of winter gear since the temperatures have been rather arctic here in New York City as of late. I wanted to take the Sony a99 up to capture this time of day specifically. This is the result of a 30 second exposure completed by placing my camera on one of the ledges (while tethered to a very, very still me with gloved hands in pockets barely breathing for fear of moving the camera/camera strap). The Top of the Rock and Empire State Building are rather strict about their no tripod policy. Sometimes you can catch a kind security guard who doesn’t mind a gorilla pod but for the most part, you have to get creative if you want to take super long exposures. In this case, since it was so ridiculously cold, there weren’t many people on the deck and I staked out my ledge during the pre-sunset time period (the sunset was stunning!) taking photos while waiting for this particular moment.
There is a special clarity that comes with this time of year. While this spot is a popular vantage point in the summer, there is also a lot less visibility due to the thick summer haze that hangs over the city in the warmer months. In the dead of winter though, it’s crystal clear if you catch a clear day (another rarity!).
Locations of interest in this shot include: The Empire State Building, One World Trade Center (also known as the Freedom Tower or 1 WTC, the Statue of Liberty, Manhattan Bridge, the New York Life building (one of the buildings with a gold top), Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower.
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You can view this post along with all relevant links over at my photography blog if you wish here:
http://nythroughthelens.com/post/41700266420/the-new-york-city-skyline-and-the-empire-state
Tags: #photography #newyorkcity #newyorkcityphotography #nyc #nycphotography #newyorkcityskyline #cityscape #cityphotography #urbanphotography #urbanlandscape #sunset #nycsunset #a99 #sony #sonyalpha #sonya99 #longexposure #empirestatebuilding #dusk
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"Winter's dream..."
Under a canopy of elm trees, nothing is quite as beautiful as the warmth that emanates from fallen autumn leaves.
Scattered like fiery embers, they are strewn about only suspended in motion for a short time before the wind stirs them from their molten slumber.
If winter had but one dream, it would be of this.
—- —-
A few people commented elsewhere that they missed both parts of the documentary series that I posted earlier this week. It was part of a docu-series filmed this past summer about my photography. So, if you missed it and are curious about my early influences and thoughts about New York City, here are both segments:
Art Seen: Vivienne Gucwa, Part 1: http://vimeo.com/51341705
Art Seen: Vivienne Gucwa, Part 2: http://vimeo.com/51675178
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New York Photography: Central Park autumn leaves
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You can view this post along with information about where to purchase prints of this image if you wish at my site here:
http://nythroughthelens.com/post/33955841290/autumn-leaves-under-elm-trees-central-park-new
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Tags: #photography #nyc #newyorkcity #newyorkcityphotography #autumn #landscape #fallcolors #autumnfoliage #nature #trees #writing #centralpark #manhattan #elmtrees
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"All summer in a moment..."
One of my favorite short stories by Rad Bradbury when I was really little was one of the first I ever read by him: All Summer in a Day. It’s a story that revolves around a small group of children who live on Venus where it rains constantly and where the sun only comes out for a few hours every seven years.
I remember being struck in such a profound way with how one of the only children who remembers the sun describes the sun to the other children who have never experienced sunlight before since they are too young to have lived through their first sighting of the sun. It’s something that has stuck with me for years.
I won’t give away the ending or the rest of the plot but I was reminded of Bradbury’s story when I took this photo with my phone the other day (in a rather tongue-in-cheek way). For the last month or so the weather in New York City has been extremely temperamental. While the sun hasn’t disappeared entirely (yet), it seems to make a grand entrance for a few moments or an hour or two before retreating behind storm clouds every day.
This photo was taken during one of the brief yet spectacular moments that the sun came out the other day. I just happened to be in front of one of my favorite facades on St. Marks Place in the East Village and as the sun broke through the shadows of the trees decked out their finest summer foliage, my breath was taken away.
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New York Photography: St. Marks Place, East Village, New York City.
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#mobilemonday (is this curated by anyone?) and also..
...for #mymobilemonday curated by +Sinead Sam McKeown
This is my weekly mobile photography post. I am @newyorklens on Instagram (view my feed here: http://goo.gl/8hbcE ). You can check out some of my Instagram photos on Flickr here: http://goo.gl/BxNpG . Additionally, you can view my phone photography for sale here: http://1-vivienne-gucwa.instaprints.com/
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Tags: #mobilephotography #iphone #iphoneography #iphonography #photography #newyorkcity #newyorkcityphotography #nyc #manhattan #eastvillage #brownstone #writing #summer
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"The sun's glow..."
When the sun sets in the winter, its light pours over the city like the glow from a distant bonfire with scattered light illuminating the grey, steel edges like embers strewn about in the wind.
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I took this image yesterday with the Sony a99 while walking over the Williamsburg Bridge. The Williamsburg Bridge is a favorite of mine in lower Manhattan. It tends to be overshadowed by the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge when it comes to popularity. This is probably because its pedestrian walkway is completely enclosed by a metal gate and because it isn't in super close proximity to the other two bridges (although one could argue that the pedestrian entrances to all three bridges are in walking distance to each other).
However, it definitely lives up to its National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark status. Its architecture is incredible and the views of the New York City skyline and Brooklyn that can be glimpsed from either walkway are stunning.
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You can view this post along with all relevant links over at my photography blog if you wish here:
http://nythroughthelens.com/post/40924327279/the-williamsburg-bridge-at-sunset-new-york
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Tags: #photography #nyc #newyorkcity #newyorkcityphotography #nycphotography #williamsburgbridge #bridge #bridgesaroundtheworld #architecture #architecturephotography #streetphotography #graffiti #manhattan #sunset #sunsetsaturday
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"Snow-icing..."
Soho is so beautiful in the snow especially right after snow has freshly fallen and still sits like icing on the fire escapes and street signs.
This part of Soho is part of the Soho Cast Iron District which consists of 500 buildings that feature distinct cast-iron architecture spanning over a 26 block radius. Many of the buildings date back to the 1870s when the area was primarily residential. However, most of the residences during the later part of the 20th century were converted for commercial use which allowed Soho to play an integral role in the commercial development of New York City.
This is a view looking north up Mercer Street in Soho towards midtown. The Chrysler Building can be seen in the distance. The snow-covered sign on the left belongs to Fanelli’s Cafe which has stood in this spot since the 1850s.
—-
This was taken during one of the last huge snowstorms we had in New York City back during the winter season of 2010-2011 with my Panasonic FZ-35 (loved that camera!). I have been pining away wishing for snow like this since we really haven’t gotten snow in a major way here in NYC since that winter season. Photos like this one will just have to suffice, I guess :)
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You can view this post along with all relevant links over at my photography blog if you wish here:
http://nythroughthelens.com/post/41276110875/new-york-city-winter-snow-in-soho-on-mercer
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Tags: #photography #newyorkcity #newyorkcityphotography #nyc #nycphotography #winter #winterwednesday #snow #newyorkwinter #nycwinter #cityphotography #urbanphotography #manhattanwinter #newyorksnow #nycsnow #soho #fireescapes #streetphotography
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Charity Print Sales for Lee Daniels via SmugMug and the Google Plus Community (Details Below) #lovinglee
"Wonderland..."
This photo inhabits a special place in my heart. When I heard about the charity print sale for +Lee Daniels it was the only photo I could even imagine offering due to the significance it holds. The reason it is special is because it marked a change in my own approach to my photography. +Lee Daniels was one of the few people who recognized this change and we had a truly memorable private conversation about it that which I will cherish forever.
Photography is such an incredible medium for me because I feel like I can finally unleash my own view of my surroundings colored by my emotions and the narratives that I carry with me wherever I go. So, it's heart-warming to know that somehow others connect and see where I went with a particular mood and image. Lee's comment to me in that thread (here if you are interested: http://goo.gl/wIAmy ) completely blew me away me because it was as if she could see right into my heart. Here are her words about this image:
" I am Alice to your Wonderland here as I walk your gilded path, skipping now and then in giddy joy as I let this emergence claim me. Was there ivy so shaped that it talked back to me as it molded itself to tree? If I sat on a bench, I know it would take me for a ride under leaves that danced downward. Do I see a Cheshire Cat on that branch?
This is pure fantasy. A moment vouchsafed to you from other times, other dimensions. You vouchsafe it to us and I let go and am tumbled into a a world of deeply rich tone, of impossible light, of a hold-your-breath world of such exquisite beauty, of such aching clarity and amazing enchantment that I never want to leave and wonder if the trees will absorb me if I climb them.
In a body of uncommon and remarkable work, this stands a little I front for me today. In a body of unique vision, this one claims just a bit more of my constant wonder today. I am enthralled. "---- Lee.
I wanted to share this to try to convey how remarkable +Lee Daniels is and what a valuable part of the photography community she is as well as what an impact she has had on me. She is one of the first people I really and truly connected with here on Google Plus last year.
She is a writer and photographer. She is a teacher and mentor. She is my friend.
Life often throws the most absurd hurdles at us when we least expect it. Lee was recently thrown one of the most challenging hurdles that anyone could be confronted with. She was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer. With no health insurance, she does not have the financial means to cover the expenses necessary to help her leap over this hurdle.
The good thing is that Lee is a fighter and has the fortitude to leap with great exuberance over such a potentially large hurdle.
So, let's help her win this fight and take that leap!
+SmugMug is allowing us, the photographers of Google+ a weeks time to upload one picture each that will be up for sale over the course of one month. All of the proceeds from the sale of prints in the gallery below will be donated to Lee Daniels to help her with the medical costs of cancer treatments. The prints will be sold and fulfilled through +SmugMug and Bay Photo Lab.
How You Can Donate A Print:
Here is the link that will take you to the form you need to fill out to submit to the gallery if you wish to donate a photo: http://goo.gl/zsNAD
Where To Find My Work For Sale To Help Lee:
Here is the link to my photo (talked about in this post) in the Photographer's For Good gallery: http://goo.gl/Ly5hg
View The Photographer's For Good Gallery:
Here is the link to view the entire gallery of prints for sale. As mentioned above, all of the proceeds of each print sale will go to Lee to help her out with her medical expenses: http://goo.gl/6ZfRW
Lee Daniels has made a difference in my life.
Together, let's make a difference in her life.
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Use the hashtag #lovinglee for your posts about this charity print sale for +Lee Daniels .
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Tags: #photography #leedaniels #cancer #charityprintsale #nyc #newyorkcity #newyorkcityphotography #manhattan
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"River of colors..."
Looking through the bleary-eyed clouds that fill the sky above, the cracks of the city’s streets and sidewalks stretch across its body like wrinkles on well-worn skin while street signs and buildings melt into each other pouring themselves into a river of colors.
And in the twilight of the afternoon’s memories, the sky’s tears fall.
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New York Photography: Rainy street. Chinatown.
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You can view this post along with information about where to purchase prints of this image if you wish at my site here:
http://nythroughthelens.com/post/30328633691/afternoon-rain-pell-street-chinatown-new-york
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Tags: #photography #nyc #newyorkcity #newyorkcityphotography #manhattan #chinatown #rain #prose #writing #street #city #urban
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The New York City Skyline - Skyscrapers of the Financial District
In the winter, there is a clarity and edge that is carried on the frigid fingers of icy air and crystallized exhales.
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I have been really getting into long exposures. There is something incredibly zen about the experience of setting up, and taking long exposures. The waiting is interesting. It forces a pause in the process. You start to be hyper-aware of the movement of clouds and light transitions. In the winter especially, it’s a commitment. The minute or so of waiting seems to encompass an eternity of thought(s).
—-
This is a 30 second exposure of the lower Manhattan skyline featuring the skyscrapers of the Financial District and Pier 17 taken with the Sony a99. The Freedom Tower (also known as 1 WTC or One World Trade Center), New York by Gehry, the Woolworth Building and the spire of the Municipal Building can all be seen here.
You can view this post along with all relevant links at my photography blog if you wish here:
http://nythroughthelens.com/post/43698597924/the-new-york-city-skyline-with-financial-district
Tags: #photography #nyc #newyorkcity #manhattan #nycphotography #newyorkcityphotography #blackandwhitephotography #blackandwhitenyc #longexposure #longexposurethursday #sony #sonyphotographers #sonya99 #nycskyline #newyorkcityskyline #skyscrapers
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"Flowers and the city..."
There is a beautiful tension in the juxtaposition between the flowers that grow along the High Line and the distinctly urban views that exist beyond the High Line. The High Line is an elevated park that runs along 10th Avenue all the way from midtown down to the heart of the meatpacking district. In the 1930s, freight trains ran along these re-purposed tracks delivering supplies and service to the buildings lining the High Line. In some of the newer sections of the High Line, the closeness to the buildings that line the tracks is made all the more extreme by the wildflowers that have sprouted up along what remains of the train tracks. Flowers and plant life now breathe life into this space that was once dominated by industry.
Perhaps that is why it sometimes has a vaguely post-apocalyptic feel. The scenery calls to mind I am Legend’s fictional world where urban settings which were once thriving hubs of industry are now dominated by the plant life that had been suppressed for years under the weight of urban life.
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New York Photography: High Line flowers, Chelsea.
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You can view this post along with information about purchasing prints of this image if you wish at my site here:
http://nythroughthelens.com/post/25715849141/high-line-flowers-and-red-fire-escapes-chelsea
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Tags: #photography #newyorkcity #nyc #newyorkcityphotography #highline #highlinepark #highlineflowers #urban #city #manhattan #chelsea #flowers #flora #flowerphotography #fireescapes
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"Soft ferocity..."
The sun streams across the city in the evening touching every layer of the city with its warmth.
And the streets, buildings and bridges cling to its light with soft ferocity hoping to keep it from leaving the sky.
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New York Photography: Chinatown rooftop graffiti.
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You can view this post along with information about where to purchase prints of this image if you wish at my site here:
http://nythroughthelens.com/post/28205264293/chinatown-rooftop-graffiti-and-the-brooklyn
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"Slick with promise..."
Rain is the sky’s love song to the city.
The sky opens up revealing an other-worldly light that cloaks the city in effervescent splendor.
Sidewalks and streets, slick with promise, mirror the movement of urban explorers navigating the sleek concrete as taxi lights shine their refracted, blurred lights into the vast expanse of the rain-soaked landscape.
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New York Photography: Rainy day - Washington Square, Greenwich Village
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You can view this post along with information about prints of this image if you wish at my site here:
http://nythroughthelens.com/post/19399290314/rain-washington-square-greenwich-village-new
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Tags: #photography #nyc #newyorkcity #writing #poetry #prose #rain #manhattan #blackandwhite #blackandwhitenewyorkcityphotography #umbrella #moody
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"Wrapped up in their own special moment..."
I have always been partial to late summer skyline views here in New York City.
The haze that hangs over the horizon like a misty veil seems to lend a special sort of immediacy to the skyscrapers that assert themselves in the foreground.
The Chrysler Building, New York City’s art-deco masterpiece of architecture, always looks so regal positioned in front of the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge (also known as the 59th Street Bridge). Four smokestacks playfully draw the eye towards the rest of Queens that sprawls out in the distance towards the fading horizon.
It’s as if the sky is locked in an embrace with the rest of the city while the skyscrapers that make up the midtown Manhattan skyline are enraptured and wrapped up in their own special moment with the Chrysler Building.
New York Photography: The Chrysler Building and the New York City skyline.
You can view this post along with information on where to purchase prints of this image if you wish at my site here:
http://nythroughthelens.com/post/32874275171/the-new-york-city-skyline-featuring-the-chrysler
Tags: #photography #nyc #newyorkcity #newyorkcityphotography #chryslerbuilding #architecture #newyorkcityskyline #nycskyline #manhattanskyline #skyscrapers #queens #landscape #urban #city #cityscape
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"From darkness into light..."
I had a recurring dream when I was younger that puzzled me for years. It involved boarding a hovering bubble shaped vehicle and ascending over the skyscrapers until I was soaring under the bridges and through the cavern-like spaces of the city. It was euphoric but also terrifying at the same time. When I was older, I finally relayed the dream to someone and they laughed and asked if I had ever taken the Roosevelt Island tram when I was very young. I had no recollection of it. It prompted me to ask my mother if we had ever done such a thing and she said it was possible but she couldn't remember a specific time that we would have done it (my mother, like me, is absolutely terrified of heights). It’s possible that my family took the tram to Roosevelt Island at some point and the experience embedded itself deep into my imagination where it mixed with other flights of fancy (pun intended) of flying through a Gotham-like city like Batman.
So, when I found myself photographing the underbelly of the 59th Street Bridge (also known as the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge or just the Queensboro Bridge) with the Sony A99 late last week, it was hard not to recall those earlier dreams and feelings they invoked while I stood there waiting for the long exposure to capture 30 seconds of what had haunted me for years.
The bridge is one of my favorite ones in the city. Its architecture is distinctive when viewed from the side but I absolutely love how slick and dripping-with-sci-fi-overtones it appears when viewed from below. The bridge travels from darkness into the light of a gleaming New York City as the water below it only stirs with the occasional disruption of a boat. You can also make out the cables that the Roosevelt Island tram travels on to the right of the bridge.
You can view this post with all relevant links over at my photography blog here:
http://nythroughthelens.com/post/45351777750/under-the-ed-koch-queensboro-bridge-midtown-new
Tags: #photography #newyorkcity #newyorkcityphotography #nycphotography #newyorkphoto #nycphoto #longexposurethursday #longexposure #longexposurephotography #59thstreetbridge #queensborobridge #architecture #blackandwhite #cityscape #skyline #nycskyline #newyorkcityskyline #a99 #sony #sonyphotographers
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"Slick with promise..."
Rain is the sky’s love song to the city.
The sky opens up revealing an other-worldly light that cloaks the city in effervescent splendor.
Sidewalks and streets, slick with promise, mirror the movement of urban explorers navigating the sleek concrete as taxi lights shine their refracted, blurred lights into the vast expanse of the rain-soaked landscape.
—-
Sharing this photo today since I talked about it (briefly) and a few other photos of mine on +Trey Ratcliff 's Stuck in Customs Show last night. Trey was traveling and I was asked last minute if I would be on the show with a few other street photographers to discuss some of our work. It was a great time! The other photographers on the show were +Eric Kim and +Rinzi Ruiz and it was hosted by +Karen Hutton and +Dave Veffer . I am already a huge fan of Eric’s street photography but I wasn’t familiar with Rinzi’s work and it completely blew me away.
While the majority of my work tends to focus on New York City’s landscapes and architecture and is devoid of people, it was nice to discuss a few of my photos that do have people in them and talk a little bit about my philosophy on shooting people in the city and the narratives I tend to gravitate towards when dealing with people shots.
It’s always interesting to see how certain themes emerge with any art form and I seem to have a fondness for street photography in the rain. I blame New York City for that fondness. It’s just so incredibly moody and beautiful when it rains here :).
You can view the show from last night here:
Trey's Variety Hour #53: Street Photography
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View this post with all relevant links and information about where to purchase prints of this image if you wish at my site here:
http://nythroughthelens.com/post/32262855753/rain-greenwich-village-new-york-city-rain-is
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Tags: #photography #nyc #newyorkcity #newyorkcityphotography #greenwichvillage #rain #streetphotography #blackandwhitephotography #city #writing #prose
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