NY Through the Lens - New York City Photography

Manhattan Bridge. Night. New York City.

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The world stops spinning on its axis

as the city’s lights search through the night

for hearts that flutter to the

syncopation of its pulsating lights.

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This was taken on a stormy night in Brooklyn with the Sony A99 as the waves in the East River pounded the piers and the wind whipped against the faces of the few brave souls who were still standing at the edge of Brooklyn Bridge Park hoping to catch a first glimpse of the city’s lights as they flickered into view.

I am always amazed at the power of long exposure photography to calm the chaos in a landscape, especially in a cityscape.

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View “Manhattan Bridge - Night - New York City” in my photography portfolio here, email me, or ask for help.

Under the Manhattan Bridge. Two Bridges - Chinatown. New York City.

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When winter shifts into spring, the light shifts too.

Stark, short afternoons that end too abruptly morph into vivid, warm afternoons that linger until the sky relents.

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This was taken on a stark, short afternoon that was only mildly flirting with spring a week or so ago before the city erupted into full-on springtime mode. This is one of my favorite parts of Chinatown: under the Manhattan Bridge.

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View “Chinatown- Under the Manhattan Bridge - New York City Street” in my photography portfolio here, email me, or ask for help.

The New York City skyline at sunset.

Late summer sunsets over New York City are the most intoxicating.

The bubbles from the wake of boats in the river go right to the head.

And the sun’s trail of gold kisses on the water

lead straight to the heart of the city.

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It’s this time of year when I start to miss late summer sunsets like this in New York City. This was taken near the end of this past September with the Sony a77 and Zeiss DT Vario-Sonnar 16-80mm lens (that lens, that lens! is pure love).

When I need to clear my mind, I head to the water. Sometimes I go to the beach to listen to the waves and sometimes I go to the river to gain perspective on everything going on in my life. I don’t know what I would do if I lived in a land-locked area.

On the day that I took this photo, I rode the East River Ferry for 4 hours straight (the day-pass is incredible) watching the light stretch across the sky and cityscape changing subtly every hour until the sun burst over the city like a supernova. The waves were perfect that day.

The East River Ferry stops in both Manhattan and Brooklyn going from 34th Street in midtown, down to Wall Street’s Pier 11, passing under each of lower Manhattan’s bridges and then across to stops in Brooklyn and Queens connecting at piers in DUMBO, Greenpoint, Williamsburg and Long Island City.

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Buy “The New York City Skyline at Sunset” Posters and Prints here, email me, or ask for help.

The New York City skyline at sunset.

At the end of this past summer, I rode the East River Ferry alone one day for four hours. I find it really relaxing to be near or on the water.The ferry has an all-day pass and at times it was only me on the deck watching the bridges and skyline fade in and out of view as the sun danced across the sky.

There is a moment at the beginning of sunset when the sun begins to drop from the sky when it almost appears as if it is trying to catch its reflection in the water mirror below. I wish I could have bottled this moment up to have forever because it was as if the entire city was wrapped up in an intensely intimate embrace with the sun.

Isn’t that what is so great about photography?

Moments can last a lifetime.

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Seen in this photo: The Manhattan Bridge is in the foreground and the Brooklyn Bridge is directly behind it. The skyscrapers of the Lower Manhattan skyline are off to the right including the Woolworth Building, New York by Gehry and One World Trade Center (formally known as the Freedom Tower). To the left sits the borough of Brooklyn and the neighborhood of Dumbo.

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Vivienne Gucwa photography exhibited on a large screen in midtown, New York City

Here is a pretty huge bit of news that I have been jumping up and down for joy about the whole day!

For the rest of the summer, around 70 of my photos of New York City can be viewed on an absolutely gigantic screen in midtown Manhattan. They are in a random rotation at Big Screen Plaza located between 29th and 30th street off of 6th Avenue (also known as the Eventi Open Air Plaza). To say that I am excited would be a huge understatement.

The screen is a 30 x 16 ft. HD-format LED screen and is in a 10,000-square foot outdoor multimedia venue that hosts major events and screenings of an eclectic mix, ranging from cinema to sports, from the arts to fashion.

I don’t know if I will be able to wipe this huge smile off my face!

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Buy the photo on display in this image: “The Manhattan Bridge and the New York City Skyline at Sunset” here, email me, or ask for help.

lensblr-network:

Photography found me a few years ago and I found, in turn, that photography and writing are two of my biggest passions in this world. Nothing makes me happier than the process of sharing that beauty and diversity with the rest of the world.

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The New York City skyline and the Manhattan Bridge illuminated by the sun. Viewed from the Brooklyn Bridge.

I have stated many times in conversation and online that photography found me a few years ago and I found, in turn, that photography and writing are two of my biggest passions in this world. This image inhabits a very special place in my heart and it’s why I chose it to accompany a post a few months back which was all about how and when I started taking photos.

It was taken near the tail-end of a storm back in May of 2011. It had rained only an hour before I made my way across the Brooklyn Bridge and as the sun started to set over New York City, the storm clouds parted just enough to allow the most magnificent amount of sunlight wash over the Manhattan Bridge. As the rest of the New York City skyline faded into the languid haze in behind the gorgeously lit bridge, I knew right then and there that photography was something that made me feel more alive and at one with myself than anything else in the world.

I am submitting this photo to the Best of 2011 - G+ Photography Book project which is a photography book created by the Google Plus community for charity. I can’t think of a more perfect image to submit.

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Buy “The Manhattan Bridge and the New York City Skyline at Sunset” Posters and Prints here, View my store, email me, or ask for help.

The New York City skyline featuring the Manhattan Bridge as seen from the Brooklyn Bridge. New York City.

I am in an exceptionally great mood today. Tonight, I am attending the first ever gallery showing of my photography. It’s a group show with three other photographers and a private event where 8 of my photos will be on display. I will post all about it over the next few days (with photos of course). I also just got back from the orthopedic specialist who gave me the go ahead to abandon my crutches (from my bike accident a week ago). While I am still dealing with a ligament tear, I am thrilled that I can just wear my knee brace to the event tonight!

In honor of today, I am re-posting this post from a few months back. It’s about my photography origins and it makes me well up with tears when I read it because it feels like I have come so very far in a relatively short amount of time. It’s been a bumpy road full of challenges and road-blocks but it’s also been one hell of an adventure.

It seems fitting to post today somehow. I am so thankful for everyone here and all the wonderful people who I met and friended on this wild journey. I can only hope that the years to come will be just as challenging, inspiring and full of brilliant moments like the ones I have had the pleasure to experience. Enjoy :)

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I started taking photos a year ago in a rather stream of consciousness manner. I don’t drive since I live in New York City and without much in the way of material things or financial prosperity walking became a way to deal with stress. It also became the main way to experience New York City in a way I hadn’t experienced the city before. I would choose a direction and walk as far as my feet would take me (I still do this). I started noticing lines, forms and structures I had previously ignored. Scenery unfolded before me as if it was just rendered before my eyes.

To embrace my new-found sense of wonder, I decided to take the only camera I had at the time with me on these walking adventures. It was a simple point and shoot which was less than $100. It was all I could afford at the time and I just wanted to be able to record the moments and experiences that made my heart swell. After doing this for several months, I decided to start posting my photos online to keep a record of some of my walking adventure photos. It didn’t occur to me that there would be an audience for my photography. I had no formal training in photography and no real knowledge of the rules or major concepts that defined the field.

The website I started posting on a year ago is now where my main site points to which is my Tumblr. It’s been quite a journey since I posted those first few photos online. Along the way I ended up on the receiving end of a variety of experiences that have changed my world in a truly dramatic manner. I am so appreciative of the many opportunities I have had come my way. With around 60,000 followers currently on Tumblr, I am extremely appreciative of all of the private messages and notes as well as the bevy of talented people I have come to know.

I have also been floored by the recognition and interaction on Google Plus. One of my greatest joys in this world is to share the beauty I find in this city I call home. It fills my heart with happiness that I can not only share these moments with the world but that there is a platform to meaningfully interact with other inspiring photographers, thinkers and people who are invested in making the platform a welcoming and encouraging place to share.

A wonderful person on Google Plus shared a quote by Henri Matisse that really resonated with me: “a large part of the beauty of a picture arises from the struggle which an artist wages with his limited medium.” I think that there is a tremendous amount of truth in the sentiment that when you are limited you are forced to work extremely hard to get the results you desire.

The photo in this post was taken on one of my walks across the Brooklyn Bridge. One of my favorite things to do is walk over any of the bridges in lower Manhattan. Each offers a completely different view of New York City and each time I cross any one of them, I still feel butterflies in my stomach as the views of the city’s skylines come into sight.

I hope I never lose that feeling of pure and unadulterated wonder.

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View this photo larger and on black on my Google Plus page

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Buy “The Manhattan Bridge and the New York City Skyline at Sunset” Posters and Prints here, View my store, email me, or ask for help.

The Manhattan Bridge and the New York City Skyline.

In an earlier post, I mentioned how freeing it was for me to finally discard the jadedness that permeated my early years growing up here in New York City. It was then when I started to realize how utterly phenomenal and fascinating all the things I went out of my way to avoid truly are.

I started taking photos a few years back in a rather stream of consciousness manner. I don’t drive since I live in New York City and without much in the way of material things or financial prosperity walking became a way to deal with stress. It also became the main way to experience New York City in a way I hadn’t experienced the city before. I would choose a direction and walk as far as my feet would take me (I still do this). I started noticing lines, forms and structures I had previously ignored. Scenery unfolded before me as if it was just rendered before my eyes.

To embrace my new-found sense of wonder, I decided to take the only camera I had at the time with me on these walking adventures. It was a simple point and shoot which was less than $100. It was all I could afford at the time and I just wanted to be able to record the moments and experiences that made my heart swell. After doing this for several years, I decided to start posting my photos online to keep a record of some of my walking adventure photos. It didn’t occur to me that there would be an audience for my photography. I had no formal training in photography and no real knowledge of the rules or major concepts that defined the field.

The website I started posting on a year ago is now where my main site points to (this Tumblr). It’s been quite a journey since I posted those first few photos online. Somehow, along the way I ended up on the receiving end of a variety of experiences that have changed my world in a truly dramatic manner. While I am still trying to figure out ways to make photography financially viable, I am so appreciative of the many opportunities I have had come my way. With around 20,000 followers currently on Tumblr, I am extremely appreciative of all of the private messages and notes as well as the bevy of talented people I have met along the way.

A wonderful person on Google Plus shared a quote recently by Henri Matisse that really resonated with me: “a large part of the beauty of a picture arises from the struggle which an artist wages with his limited medium.” I think that there is a tremendous amount of truth in the sentiment that when you are limited you are forced to work extremely hard to get the results you desire.

The photo in this post was taken on one of my walks across the Brooklyn Bridge. One of my favorite things to do is walk over any of the bridges in lower Manhattan. Each offers a completely different view of New York City and each time I cross any one of them, I still feel butterflies in my stomach as the views of the city’s skylines come into sight.

I hope I never lose that feeling of pure and unadulterated wonder.

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View this photo larger and on black on my Google Plus page

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Buy “The Manhattan Bridge at Sunset” Posters and Prints here, Other versions of this print with writing and various borders can be viewed here (any of them can be customized to have whatever background you desire): “The Manhattan Bridge at Sunset” with Black Border, “The Manhattan Bridge at Sunset” with White Border, “The Manhattan Bridge at Sunset” with Grey Border, View my store, email me, or ask for help.

The New York City skyline viewed from above looking out over the roof tops of midtown Manhattan.

I love this view of New York City’s roof tops. This particular view is from the vantage point of midtown facing south. You can just make out the Manhattan Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge in the distance. For an island, Manhattan is packed to the brim in some spots with buildings. When people imagine Manhattan, I suspect this is what they have in mind; a dense island with nothing but man-made structures filling the landscape. Of course, there is so much more to Manhattan and the range of diverse natural environments that can be found nestled in amongst the buildings is also impressive. Still, it’s interesting to view the dense cityscape portions of New York City.

I like this little quip about midtown: “As New York’s largest central business district, Midtown Manhattan is indisputably the busiest single commercial district in the United States, and among the most intensely and diversely used pieces of real estate in the world. The great majority of New York City’s skyscrapers, including its tallest hotels and apartment towers, lie within Midtown. More than 700,000 commuters work in its offices, hotels, and retail establishments; the area also hosts many tourists, visiting residents, and students. Some areas, especially Times Square and Fifth Avenue, have massive clusters of retail establishments. Sixth Avenue in Midtown holds the headquarters of three of the four major television networks, and is one of a few global centers of news and entertainment. It is also a growing center of finance, second in importance within the United States only to Downtown Manhattan’s Financial District. Times Square is also the epicenter of American theater.” Source

View this photo larger and on black on my Google Plus page

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Buy “New York City Roof Tops” Posters and Prints here, Other versions of this print with writing and various borders can be viewed here (any of them can be customized to have whatever background you desire): “New York City Skyline From Above” with Black Border, “New York City Skyline From Above” with White Border, “New York City Skyline From Above” with Grey Border, View my store, email me, or ask for help.

The Manhattan Bridge and the New York City skyline in black and white. New York City.

Buy “Manhattan Bridge” Posters and Prints here, View my store, email me, or ask for help.

“…To him, no matter what the season was, this was still a town that existed in black and white and pulsated to the great tunes of George Gershwin. ” - *

* From one of the greatest opening scenes/montages in cinema history. I still get a lump in my throat when I watch the beginning of this film every time without fail. It’s pure magic and awe for almost 4 minutes:

Opening sequence for Manhattan

The Manhattan Bridge on a beautiful afternoon at Brooklyn Bridge Park in Dumbo. Brooklyn, New York City.

The weather is drop dead gorgeous in New York City currently. It feels like summer and I am absolutely excited about all of the photo adventures I have lined up for the next few months. New York City in the summer is intoxicating.

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The Manhattan Bridge, A Park View Posters and Prints are available for purchase by clicking here

The Brooklyn Bridge and the New York City skyline as seen from the walkway of the Manhattan Bridge.

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The Brooklyn Bridge and NYC Skyline poster is available for purchase by clicking here

The Dumbo, Brooklyn skyline with the Manhattan Bridge in the background.

I have always loved the Dumbo Brooklyn skyline which is visible when crossing the Manhattan Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge. The variation in building sizes and colors is always interesting visually.

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The Dumbo Brooklyn Skyline poster is available for purchase by clicking here

The Manhattan Bridge framed by a gorgeous sunset and the New York City skyline.

“There is no place like it, no place with an atom of its glory, pride, and exultancy. It lays its hand upon a man’s bowels; he grows drunk with ecstasy; he grows young and full of glory, he feels that he can never die.” - Walt Whitman

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The Manhattan Bridge at Sunset poster is available for purchase by clicking here