NY Through the Lens - New York City Photography

Flatiron Building sunset. Autumn. Madison Square Park. New York City.

Late autumn in New York City has its own brisk beauty. Cold air sharply punctuates the end of every wind gust and the sun retreats earlier and earlier every day. Autumn clings to December in the brief moments before the trees drop their leaves to the ground for good and every afternoon sunset reaches through the sharp cold with its lighted fingers in one last dramatic attempt to bring warmth to the city.

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This particular view is of the Flatiron Building, one of New York City’s unique and classic skyscrapers, as seen from inside Madison Square Park during autumn.

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The Chrysler Building and New York City skyline.

This is a favorite view of the Chrysler Building. In truth, the Chrysler Building is my favorite skyscraper in New York City. I have always loved the art-deco architecture of it’s spire and how its needle pokes out above the other skyscrapers that populate the New York City skyline in midtown Manhattan.

This particular view is looking west towards Manhattan and sitting in the foreground are the skyscrapers of Tudor City: neo-gothic historic buildings that lay their claim to fame for being part of the first residential skyscraper complex in the entire world.

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The Flatiron Building and Fifth Avenue Building Clock. Midtown.

I have always loved the ornate clocks that line 5th Avenue, especially the Fifth Avenue Building Block that has a prime destination near the Flatiron Building. At 19 feet high, the cast-iron clock was installed in 1909 and was crafted by a Brooklyn Iron Works company. It’s a type of clock that was introduced in the 1860s. They were popular with business owners who wanted to attract extra attention and also served a functional purpose as time-telling pieces in a busy area of Manhattan.

The juxtaposition between the Flatiron Building, one of New York City’s iconic skyscrapers and this cast-iron clock has always put a smile on my face. The Flatiron Building, which was completed in 1902 is also a landmark in Manhattan. Its name is in reference to its resemblance to a cast-iron clothes iron.

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Manhattanhenge overlooking 42nd Street and Tudor City Overpass. New York City.

This was taken during last year’s Manhattanhenge sunset.The experience was rather intense. Even though I got to the overpass an hour and a half before sunset, I was told that many photographers had set up their equipment as early as 3 pm. When the sun started its very dramatic descent all that could be heard was the sound of cameras clicking away. It’s definitely a phenomenon I don’t plan to ever skip now that I have experienced it.

While the sun’s dramatic dip only lasts for a few minutes, it’s enough to take one’s breath away for the entire duration. The city is bathed in the light from the sun and the most beautiful red glow is cast through the streets.

Manhattanhenge is a semiannual occurrence in which the setting sun aligns with the east–west streets of the main street grid in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The term is derived from Stonehenge, at which the sun aligns with the stones on the solstices. It was coined in 2002 by Neil deGrasse Tyson, an astrophysicist who is the director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History.

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The Chrysler Building. Midtown, New York City.

If you are fortunate enough to look up at exactly the right time, you can catch the sun dancing along the top of the Chrysler Building.

As the sun glides across the iconic spire, it leaves glimmering trails: shimmering footsteps connecting the sky to the city.

The Chrysler Building is a classic example of Art Deco architecture. Designed by architect William Van Alen for a project of Walter P. Chrysler, it was the headquarters of the Chrysler Corporation from 1930 until the mid 1950’s. Even though the building was built and designed specifically for the car manufacturer, the corporation did not pay for the construction of it and never owned it, as Walter P. Chrysler decided to pay for it himself, so that his children could inherit it.

Upon its completion on May 20, 1930, the added height of the spire allowed the Chrysler Building to surpass 40 Wall Street as the tallest building in the world and the Eiffel Tower as the tallest structure. It was the first man-made structure to stand taller than 1,000 feet.

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Glass skyscraper, blue sky and clouds. Tribeca, New York City.

When the wind is still, the sky seduces the city with a reverie of itself poured onto the glass of skyscrapers like a liquid dream emulsion.

The fine feathered touch of the clouds brush lightly against the the cool skin of structures reaching towards the distant comfort of loftier aspirations and shadows cast on the world below muffle the quickened heartbeats and soft sighs of this not-so-clandestine meeting.

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Despite all my protestations about glass buildings rising in the place of other more ornate and classic works of architecture, I will say that if you find yourself looking up at the newer glass buildings on a beautiful day, the views are beautiful.

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If you didn’t see my initial contest entry post for the current Artists Wanted photography contest, you can still help me out by going to my contest entry page and clicking COLLECT ME

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New York by Gehry and the New York City skyline under storm clouds.

In very, very exciting news my photography was discussed on a live on-the-air show called “Great Google + Photographer Discoveries” on Monday night. To my surprise (and many other people’s surprise too), Sergey Brin stopped by during the recording (yes, this Sergey Brin). I think my jaw literally dropped when he ‘popped in’. I was super honored to be one of the photographers discussed but I can’t even describe how it felt to hear/see my photography discussed while Sergey Brin watched. It’s one of those moments I know I will cherish forever.

You can view the broadcast here. I highly recommend it if you are looking for some insanely awesome visual inspiration because the other photographers highlighted are truly phenomenal and gorgeous examples of their work are also displayed and discussed (all photographers are also linked in the link below in case you want to browse their work:

And if that wasn’t enough excitement to last for ages, I sat in as a panelist last night for a live on-the-air discussion with the one and only Thomas Hawk and the inimitable Lotus Carroll for their weekly video broadcast called Photo Talk Plus. If you have ever wanted to hear me talk or see me try to not completely die of stage-fright on another great show highlighting photography (the theme last night was New York!), feel free to watch here:

Photo Talk Plus Episode 8

What a week, right? I have no clue how anything could top it :).

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Glass skyscraper reflecting a beautiful blue sky and clouds. Tribeca,New York City.

For all my complaints about glass buildings rising in the place of other more ornate and classic works of architecture, I will say that if you find yourself looking up at the newer glass buildings on a beautiful day, the views are beautiful. Blue skies and clouds pour onto the glass like a liquid dream emulsion.

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Slivers of light at night. Midtown, New York City

At night, light illuminates edges of buildings in distinct slivers that stand out in the darkness like shards of glass on the floor of a moonlit room.

The night sky hangs over the city blanketing it in silence and the sound of solitary breaths eclipses the faint concrete-dampened sound of weary walkers making their way to the embrace of their waiting beds.

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New York by Gehry framed by dramatic storm clouds. 8 Spruce Street. Financial District, New York City.

New York by Gehry, formerly known as the Beekman Tower, is a new skyscraper designed by architect Frank Gehry that is situated at 8 Spruce Street. As one of my favorite new additions to the New York City skyline, I think it looks especially impressive lately against the other buildings that make up the iconic lower Manhattan skyline. It’s especially fascinating in juxtaposition with the Woolworth Building which sits beside it since the Woolworth Building is one of New York City’s oldest skyscrapers. In this particular photo, the Woolworth Building is the skyscraper with the green roof to the left of the New York by Gehry.

It is now the tallest building featuring residential space in the entire Western Hemisphere only beaten by the Trump Tower in Chicago. At 76 stories it’s striking due to the rippling panels that run down the surface of the building.

The structure of the tower, which is organized roughly as a T in plan, is entirely reinforced concrete. Rippling stainless steel panels clad the building and provide the Gehry “stamp,” though he originally specified titanium. Unfortunately, this material wouldn’t withstand abrasive window washing equipment. New York by Gehry’s undulating surfaces have inspired analogies; some have said that it looks like ice melting or rippling waves, while others have deemed it “muscular.” Gehry likens the effect to folds of fabric and has commented that he specifically aspired to “Bernini folds.” The ripples extend deeper than the surface, however. They shape the interior space by creating bay windows within the apartments. The vertical undulation of the facade prevents the striped look typical of many apartment buildings with this coveted feature. *

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* Source: Initially taken from an excerpt on a website called Buildipedia which no longer exists

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The Flatiron Building illuminated by late afternoon sunlight. Flatiron District. Midtown, New York City.

The sky was absolutely stunning earlier this evening. I had a few things I needed to take care of in this particular area of the city and decided to stop to admire the iconic Flatiron Building as the sun dramatically played a game of hide and seek behind and through some rather persistent storm clouds.

“The Flatiron Building, or Fuller Building, as it was originally called, is located at 175 Fifth Avenue in the borough of Manhattan, New York City and is considered to be a groundbreaking skyscraper. Upon completion in 1902 it was one of the tallest buildings in the city and the only skyscraper north of 14th Street. The building sits on a triangular island block formed by Fifth Avenue, Broadway and East 22nd Street, with 23rd Street grazing the triangle’s northern (uptown) peak.

The Flatiron Building was designed by Chicago’s Daniel Burnham as a vertical Renaissance palazzo with Beaux-Arts styling. Unlike New York’s early skyscrapers, which took the form of towers arising from a lower, blockier mass, such as the contemporary Singer Building (1902–1908), the Flatiron Building epitomizes the Chicago school conception: like a classical Greek column, its facade – limestone at the bottom changing to glazed terra-cotta from the Atlantic Terra Cotta Company in Tottenville, Staten Island as the floors rise – is divided into a base, shaft and capital.” - Source

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Manhattanhenge 2011. July 12th. View of the Manhattanhenge sunset against the Chrysler Building looking down 42nd Street from the Tudor City Place Overpass. Midtown, New York City.

I loved Manhattanhenge so must last time (view my previous Manhattanhenge photos here) that I decided to brave the extreme heat and view it again from the same spot at Tudor City Place Overpass which overlooks 42nd Street. While the heat was fairly oppressive, I had a great time! I chatted with a few other local photographers while we waited for the sun to set and good times were had by all. I have now dubbed the entire affair “Photographer-palooza” :)

“Manhattanhenge (sometimes referred to as the Manhattan Solstice) is a semiannual occurrence in which the setting sun aligns with the east–west streets of the main street grid in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The term is derived from Stonehenge, at which the sun aligns with the stones on the solstices. It was coined in 2002 by Neil deGrasse Tyson, an astrophysicist at the American Museum of Natural History.” Source

View my other photos of this at my Manhattanhenge 2011 photo set.

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The Empire State Building rising above the birds. Midtown, New York City.

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The height of the buildings get lost sometimes in photos but the birds in this photo really help to illustrate the magnitude of the skyscrapers in this particular area of midtown near the Empire State Building.

‘New York by Gehry’ at 8 Spruce Street and the new Financial District New York City skyline. View from Chinatown, New York City.

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The skyscraper formerly known as the Beekman Tower by Frank Gehry which graces this skyline shot taken from Chinatown overlooking the Financial District is one of my favorite newer skyscrapers. It is the tallest residential skyscraper in the Western hemisphere and it recently went through a name change.

It is now known as New York by Gehry incorporating the name of the architect. I have seen it referred to as New York by Gehry at 8 Spruce Street as well. Either way, it’s an intriguing addition to the skyline and a nice new companion for it’s neighboring buildings :).

Sunlight on 1 International Plaza. Midtown, New York City.

The ringed Sumerian-style cap of 1 International Plaza on Lexington Avenue is the work of architect Helmut Jahn. It catches light in a dramatic way especially when viewed from the shadows of the street below.

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