I recently visited the Big Apple, New York City, with my fiancée and had a chance to practice a little photography while I was there. It wasn’t a “photography trip” so it was not my priority and therefore I had to be selective about when, what, and where I shot (though I still ended up with 364 shots on my SD card). One of the challenges I set for myself was to capture a photograph that signified the “New York Minute” and that’s the shot you see here.
The city moves so quickly and it’s not hard to get overwhelmed as you’re walking down streets littered with a literal wave of pedestrians… and litter. For this shot I had to use a tripod to slow the shutter slow enough to slightly blur the taxi as it zipped past but keep everything else as sharp as a tack. The best time to use a tripod in the Big Apple is just as the sun is coming up, you’ll be surprised how few people are out and about that early in the morning (or maybe you won’t because I just ruined it… my bad).
If you try to use the tripod in the middle of the afternoon or during rush hour you’ll risk getting bumped into and pissing someone off… If that’s your only option try to find a place right next to a trash can or in front of a parked car where the other people walking past you won’t want to trample you like a herd of elephants.
A New York Minute – ISO 1600, 16mm, f/20, 1/20 sec.
This shot was taken in the Times Square area, not exactly sure how large Times Square is… If you ask me, it looked more like Times Triangle. New York City is a street photographers dream, I could have spent months on a single block in the city. I’ll be headed back in December so if you are a resident of the city and would like to hit the streets with me then contact me here.
