May 2022- Empire State of Mind
If you have your Picture This Photography NYC calendar this is your May 2022 image "Empire State of Mind"
New York is surely a state of mind: one big, fast-paced, expensive, unforgiving concrete jungle where dreams are made. There is an overload of inspiration, stimulation & culture available everywhere: museums, art galleries, event spaces, music venues, cafes, bars, restaurants, rooftops & unique experiences not to mention parks, streets, bridges, water views and neighbourhoods representing every country, speaking every language, cooking traditional food dishes from around the world on eclectic streets surrounded by iconic buildings & 24/7 transportation in a city that truly never sleeps. Whew!!
Having lived in New York for 14 years I feel like I have seen everything and it takes alot for me to be suitably impressed however the offer to be part of a select, small group to visit The Empire State Building for sunrise was too good an option to pass up.
4:50am wake up call and out the door by 5:20am for a 5:45am entry and 6:10am sunrise, it was like a military operation that had the potential to all come tumbling down when I could not find a single cab in SoHo & had to jump on the F train (if you live in NYC you know the trepidation of taking the train before sunrise, expect anything & be prepared for everything!)
The sunrise did not disappoint and was well worth getting up early for. Once the sun had risen the other people left for coffee (it is cold 86 floors up at 6:30am) I stayed around for that perfect moment when the sun has risen and the sky is crisp, clear & blue but the day has not yet started so the streets & skies are quiet & empty. The light was perfect and the view spectacular.
The 360' viewing platform on The 86th floor is intimate and each direction gives an amazing view. This view looks South from Midtown to Lower Manhattan directly to One World Trade and even The Statue of Liberty in the distance! I was so busy taking photos in all directions in the ever-changing light that it took me a while to realise I was the only person left up there, how amazing to have the Observation Deck of The Empire State Building all to yourself, wow!!
📷 When photographing landscape with detail in the foreground and distance it is important to use a wide aperture. As this is shot from up high where the horizon is so far in the distance and there is foreground interest I decided to focus on the view finder and capture whatever I could for the distance with the narrowest aperture available for the light.
This was a fabulous start to the day and well worth getting up early for to put me in an "Empire State of Mind"