How did it begin part 8?
This part of the blog is not talking about a year in my photography journey, it is talking about one specific trip I took in 2022 which has been my dream to visit. In 2020 I was suppose to visit the city of New York for my 21st but our friend Mr Covid came and ruined it all. While I was self isolating in August of 2021, I booked my first ever solo trip away. I booked myself to go to New York in May. It has always been a massive dream of mine to visit the city the never sleeps and now I was planning on going!
When it was getting closer and closer to the travel day I was doing a lot of research and planning on where I wanted to visit. I just knew that I was going to take so many photos while I was there (turns out it wasn’t as many as I thought). I got to live my dream for 5 days in New York and I will spoil this now that it is the best place I have ever visited.
Roll on to Monday May 16th (travel day) the excitement levels were through the roof. My grandparents kindly took me to the airport and waved goodbye at security and off I went through. I said to my best friend that I would take the character Piglet with me on the trip and have its own adventure (which you will see).
Day one-The Journey
Date 16th May 2022
Date 16th May 2022
You cannot beat a wing view.
Date 16th May 2022
The beautiful supersonic aircraft Concorde sitting comfortably at the end of London Heathrow runway
Date 16th May 2022
Beautiful departure out of London Heathrow flying over the top of Windsor.
Date 16th May 2022
Date 16th May 2022
Hitting American land and slowly making our decent into New York JFK airport.
Date 16th May 2022
Having now landed into JFK airport we taxied our way to the stand so I could get off the aircraft to start my adventure in the city.
Date 16th May 2022
Date 16th May 2022
Once I checked into my hotel this was the first picture I took off my camera. I was using my new Canon 6D Mark ll with the all purpose 24--105mm ƒ4.
Date 16th May 2022
Date 16th May 2022
Date 16th May 2022
I like taking a lot of signage anywhere I go and this one is an example of focusing on the signage as the foreground while having a small bokeh effect in the background.
Date 16th May 2022
You tend to find these bicycles in London (they're uber expensive to take) and I caught this side on photo of the bicycle with the luminating Time Square boards in the background.
Date 16th May 2022
Yes of course ‘hint of colour’ is back. This time I was using the iconic yellow taxi (which kinda looks orange in this edit) I knew that I wanted to make this a ‘hint of colour’ photo.
Date 16th May 2022
One of my favourite nighttime shots and one of my favourite from the trip. I caught this wider angle shot of Times Square in all its beautiful glory. What I love is it captures not just the luminating boards but the busyness part of the city. To me I always like to think that this is from a film.
Date 16th May 2022
I very much like this photo as I couldn’t have timed this better and the composition for the photo. I captured this older lady waiting paticently to cross the road. I love how the lady and the signage are both strongly in focus and the background of the image.
Date 16th May 2022
In the middle of Times Square there is a police department. It is only very small but you can use it to report anything to officers.
Date 16th May 2022
Date 16th May 2022
Date 16th May 2022
This is in my top 10 favourite photos of all time. I think I re-edited this photo so that I cropped it to not have the back of car in the photo. What I love about this photo is the different colours you have in it. The mixture of warm colours at street level and then cooler colours was you work up. This trip was going to be a strong step for my nighttime photography.
Date 16th May 2022
The next day was going to be an adventure for sure, I was going on a journey around the city. Started with a journey down to the bottom of Manhattan where you will find the peaceful and beautiful memorial for 9/11 with the One World Trade Centre towering above. I was treated by my parents for my birthday to a helicopter tour over the city which I was very much looking forward to as I was going to capture the city from above.
The next part of the journey would take me on the Staten Island Ferry and capturing the lower half of the city from the ship. When I did the round trip on the Staten Island Ferry I decided to go for a long walk back to the hotel located near Times Square. On the journey I would come across some iconic landmarks which you will be seeing in the photos.
Day Two-The Exploration
Started with an early morning stroll in the heart of the city. The busy commuter traffic both above ground and below ground. Finally seeing the city in the daylight was a dream come true (I still coudln’t believe I was here)
Date- 17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
Making my way down to the metro heading downtown towards The World Trade Centre, I wanted to capture this this split photo of the rail tracks on one side and the station platform on the other.
Date-17th May 2022
This being one of my favourite photos of the trip but also little known fact this is also in my top 5 favourite photos of all time I have ever taken. When I walked out of the Metro station the first thing I was greeted by was the towering tower of One World Trade Centre. I loved the edit of this photo with the nice blue background and the variety of other colours in the photo.
Date-17th May 2022
Whenever I saw pictures of New York before I came here I always saw black and white photos of the city, I always fell in love with black and white photos of New York and I knew that I would be editing a few that would be in that style.
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
This being one of the most photographed buildings on my trip, the sight of this tower took your breath away and held a lot of emotions because of what significant event took place in this part of the city.
Date-17th May 2022
While walking around the corner I came across this fire station with two fire staff just chilling and waiting for a call to head out to an emergency. This is the fire station right next to the World Trade Centre.
Date-17th May 2022
Broadway Street runs a long way off the city, it travels from downtown Manhattan up to Times Square. If you walked the whole street you would find yourself in the heart of the city.
Date-17th May 2022
I headed into the famous Wall Street, I was living my best life because as being a huge Batman fan plus a huge fan of The Dark Knight Trilogy directed by Christopher Nolan. One scene was filmed at Wall Street and I got to see the famous plaza that you see in films and in real life.
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
The famous New York Stock Exchange which is in the heart of the plaza. This is where stocks are traded around the world and where money is made.
Date-17th May 2022
Hint of Colour is going to appear a little in this feature. I will be honest straight off the bat by saying I did miss the bottom left corner out as that is still in colour. My main aim was to make the stop sign the only one in colour.
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
Located down the side street I came across this this taxi with its number on the roof. I wanted ro capture it quickly before I moved off. I was debating on making this a black and white photo but stuck with the coloured version.
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
As I made my way down to the bottom of downtown Manhattan I came across this very beautiful ship. I think this was a museum that you could visit and go on board. I really liked how the ship’s shape dominated the beautiful blue backdrop. I can’t lie it was a such a beautiful day and was sunny all day.
Date-17th May 2022
Located across the river you will find Brooklyn. One of the districts that you’ll find in the city of New York. I was lucky to visit four of the districts while I was there, ok yes one of them was where the airport was located.
Date-17th May 2022
I came across this gentlemen just meditating and being at peace. I couldn’t think of a better place to just breathe and take a break from the world.
Date-17th May 2022
The famous Brooklyn Bridge is a beautiful sight to see and is tied with Tower Bridge as being one of my favourite bridges I like taking pictures of.
Date-17th May 2022
There was a few landscape photos I took throughout the trip, this one was one of my favourite future shots of Brooklyn Bridge.
Date-17th May 2022
While I was walking around the city I always captured couples in the moment with each other, like this one above just admiring the views. I thought a black and white photo was better choice.
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
This was where I was heading, I was taking a trip on a helicopter over the city. I was very excited to capture the city from above.
Date-17th May 2022
The famous Statue of Liberty that is the symbol that you have hit American soil.
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
This was another of my favourite photos from the trip and also in my top 20 photos. This captured the vast area of Manhattan area with the Staten Island Ferry heading back into the downtown dock.
Date-17th May 2022
Capturing Liberty Island from above and shows the size of how small that island really is. I loved the edit I did for this photo and have this darker blue watery look while also having this orange autumnal look.
Date-17th May 2022
You can see the high rise building at the downtown area and also located at the topper part you can see closely the Empire State Building. The middle part of the city is very flat and doesn’t have that many high rise buildings.
Date-17th May 2022
Used to be the tallest building in the world but the Empire State Building is one of the most iconic skyscrapers in the world. With it’s iconic shape you can easily recognise this building anywhere in the world.
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
Straight down the middle I was able to capture the Empire State building, I set my camera on burst mode so I was able to capture this shot. I came away very happy with this photo.
Date-17th May 2022
Towering above the other skyscrapers located downtown Manhattan, the One World Trade centre is just a magnificent sight to see even from the air.
Date-17th May 2022
This was a cropped photo as I captured the full length but I decided to crop it to just show the top of the tower with a small little by-plane flying by the tower.
Date-17th May 2022
This was a fun photo to take as this captured a helicopter flying on by next to the tower. This helicopter was a lot higher than it looks in this photo.
Date-17th May 2022
Before we touched back down on the helipad I captured this photo of a lower angle of Downtown Manhattan. The One World Trade Centre towers above all the other buildings but fits in very nicely with the other skyscrapers.
Date-17th May 2022
The iconic yellow school bus is the equivalent to our London red buses. You see them all around the country and they are recognisable for there colour and shape.
Date-17th May 2022
After I made my way off the helicopter I made my way along the walkway to the Staten Island Ferry terminal where I would catch the free ferry service that takes you to the island of Staten. Once I made my way onto the ferry I found a good spot (Well at the moment) with a window view of the city which I was able to capture on the journey over there.
Date-17th May 2022
Well never mind I found a better spot located on the ferry. I found that if you stand at the back of the ferry you are able to see the whole city without anyone in the way of photos. First sitting at the front of the helicopter and now being able to capture the city with no obstructions in the way.
We sailed away and I was cable to capture this view of Downtown Manhattan. The beautiful blue backdrop of the sky with the city just made this photo come to life.
Date-17th May 2022
Using my new full frame camera (Canon 6d mark ll) I was able to capture more in photos on my trip. This photo will always stand out to me because I really liked the black and white version and also capturing the wider angle of it all. You can see the full scale of the downtown area.
Date-17th May 2022
I just didn’t want to take a front on picture of the city again in this photo, I wanted to be able to have some composition to the photo such as the railings at the edge of the ferry.
Date-17th May 2022
The fire department always patrol the waterways around New York and especially when the ferries are going between the two islands (just to make sure that nothing happens to the ferries). I wanted to make this a hint of colour by just making the boat in the red colour.
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
I really liked this photo came out, with the water trails from the ferry leaving the city and getting further away to capture the vast area of Downtown Manhattan.
Date-17th May 2022
We sailed by The Statue of Liberty, this was the closest I was going to get to the statue as I wasn’t going to visit the island on my trip (maybe next time).
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
I loved capturing the landscape shot of the Statue of Liberty and you can see the vast size of the statue compared to the people below.
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
This photo shows the vast size of the Statue of liberty and Downtown Manhattan. The Statue of Liberty is very small compared to the towering skyscrapers you find in the city.
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
I made myself way off the ferry and looked across the waterway towards the city. I was able to capture the One World Trade Centre in the centre of the photo.
Date-17th May 2022
Making my way back to the main island, I headed back to the front of the ferry so I could capture the city as we headed back.
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
Making our way back towards the city I captured the other ferry which was heading back to Staten Island. I wanted to make this a ‘hint of colour’, the ferry as the stand out part of the photo with its iconic orange.
Date-17th May 2022
I wanted to use the door of the ferry to take this photo. My centre subject was going to be the trade centre and create this split down the middle with the buildings on one side and the door on the other.
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
I made my way off the ferry terminal and decided to take a walk from the bottom of Downtown Manhattan back to my hotel (close to Times Square). I came across these flags.
The one of the left is the Ukraine flag which is shown in support of what is going on in the east between Ukraine and Russia. The other other flag is one of the original United States flag which has 13 stars to represent the 13 colonies that created to America.
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
One of my favourite ‘hint of colour’ photos is this one here, located outside the trade centre I came across this fire engine. I wanted to find the right angle to be able to capture the trade centre in full and also the full fire engine.
Date-17th May 2022
This was located next to the trade centre, this is Westfield shopping centre. The structure of the building looked very beautiful and was perfectly built. Interesting fact: there is a specific day and if the sun is shinning, it will go directly down the middle of the building.
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
You will find these weird car park places where they park there cars and it is on a conveyer belt which moves the cars around.
Date-17th May 2022
I like to call this the Jenga building as it looks like a game of Jenga. This building is actually a set of apartments. I wanted to make this building bold against the beautiful blue backdrop.
Date-17th May 2022
While I was walking down the streets I looked back and saw the towering trade centre. I lined my camera up against the side of the building and focused on the building
Date-17th May 2022
As a big fan of cars as a child, I watched a lot of Top Gear and The Grand Tour so when I saw this car I wanted to capture it as quickly as possible. I always have may camera in my hand and was ready to capture anything that caught my eye.
Date-17th May 2022
This felt like a proper urban scene with the environment that the beautiful car was in. I was standing under some scaffolding so I wanted to use some of equipment as composition in the photo.
Date-17th May 2022
Who you going to call??
While on my walk I wanted to find the Ghostbuster fire-station (it was something I wanted to see while on my trip)
Date-17th May 2022
I was suppose to visit New York in 2020 for my 21st birthday but sadly mr CV-19 decided to take over. This was the hotel that I was going to be staying in while I was there in 2020.
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
I enjoyed the walk at this point, the sun was out, it was a beautiful temperature, before you know it I started to see the shape of the iconic Empire State Building.
Date-17th May 2022
Peaking above the trees the top of the tower. This used to be the tallest building back in the day but it is still one of the most iconic skyscraper in the world.
Date-17th May 2022
Sadly one of the buildings I really wanted to see had scaffolding around it. The Flat Iron building is one of the unique buildings in New York. I still was able to capture part of it (looks like I may have to go back again, what a shame)
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
This is one of my favourite black and white photos that I have taken and then edited. It comes all together with the American flag and also the Empire State Building in the background. This is like a symbol of what America is. The patriotism and the landmarks around the country.
Date-17th May 2022
The beautiful blue backdrop was gorgeous for this photo. I really loved the way that the building sticks out and makes it appearance in full glory. It doesn’t seem real when you get closer to it but it is huge and has too many windows (I wonder who cleans them?)
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
I closer look at the detail around the building. The design and architecture was really ahead of it’s time.
Date-17th May 2022
The famous 5th Avenue which the Empire State Building is found on. This street is the equivalent of London’s Oxford Circus/Bond Street.
Date-17th May 2022
I never went into of Macy’s but next time I do visit I will spend sometime inside (I know I will get lost inside). I wanted to make this a ‘hint of colour’ focusing on the red store logo.
Date-17th May 2022
Later that evening I went for a beautiful evening walk around where I was staying. I walked down to one side of the river which was the famous Hudson River which the famous ‘landing on the Hudson’ happened. It was a beautiful evening when I went for the walk and seeing the lights around the city come alive.
I should say that I took three lenses with me on this trip, they were
-16-35mm ƒ4.0
-24-105mm ƒ4.0
-50mm ƒ1.8
I did end up using all three over the trip but I used the 24-105mm the most as it was an all purpose lens. On this trip I got to try out my new upgraded camera, I moved away from my much used and much loved Canon 80D and now I am using a Canon 6D Mark ii which is now full frame. That means I can capture more in a photo and can make it good for cropping an image as well. I will point out in some of these photos which lenses I used.
While I look back on these photos I realised that I took a lot of photos in landscape mode and the reason I did that was to capture more of the city, especially from the air and the sea too. There are many more photos that are taken in landscape to capture more of the city.
Day two- Sun Setting Real Low
Date-17th May 2022
You will find that the city houses a mount unit for the police. You will see them wandering around the city streets, mainly the side quiet streets so that the horses don’t get to spooked.
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
The sunset was perfect in the evening and made it a perfect opportunity to take some beautiful photos. A line of skyscrapers all line up against the blue backdrop. The beautiful blueness of the sky with the mix of the glass from the buildings all came together very nicely in this photo. I only added a bit more saturation in the blue sky and a bit more orange as well.
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
Of course if a flag is involved I would make a ‘hint of colour’. Only focusing on the colour of the Stars and Stripes at the back end of the aircraft carrier.
Date-17th May 2022
This here is the USS Entrepid. I don’t know anything about the history of the aircraft carrier but what I do know is that it has been turned into a museum (which I didn’t visit). I wanted to capture the full length of the ship because even though it does look smaller but trust me it was huge.
Date-17th May 2022
I love finding where the streets go four ways and find a corner building. This is a prime example of what a typical New York apartment looks like. I really loved the orange brickwork and wanted to add a bit more saturation to that.
Date-17th May 2022
You will find these on many apartment around the city (you don’t tend to find them in London as much). I decided to shoot upwards to capture all the stairs that were coming down.
Date-17th May 2022
This was my first time seeing Times Square in the day time, it definitely has a different vibe compared to at night. Yes the place is still busy but you don’t tend to get that feeling when you see it at night. It does have a very good Mcdonald’s with a very good view.
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
A wider angle photo of Times Square.
Date-17th May 2022
You won’t be able to miss the Stars and Stripes when you walk around the city. They are very patriotic with their flags.
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
Yep that’s correct… that is a lot of flags across one building. Currently walking down 5th I came across this building to the right of me with probably 15 American flags across the front.
Date-17th May 2022
The famous Rockefeller Centre (which I would go up near the end of my trip). The sunset was getting lower and brought out this beautiful orange glow to the left side of the building.
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
Yes I also did walk on by the former president’s tower.
Date-17th May 2022
One of the places i’ve dreamed as a child is this Apple Store which is located on 5th. It is unique for a couple of reasons…
1)It is the only Apple Store to be open for 24 Hours
2)It is actually underground as well, you walk in the glass box and make your way down the steps and you find a new world of Apple down there.
Date-17th May 2022
This is another one of my favourites from my trip (I do have another version without the watermark). I found the right angle to capture both the apple logo and also the whole building behind. It took me a couple of attempts but I got there in the end, I decided to make this black and white (which I found was better) but I do also have a colour version. I always thought about sending this to Apple see if they could ever use it for marketing (obviously won’t ever happen)
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
Date-17th May 2022
I love seeing the fire department roaming about in there fire trucks. They are much better than London fire trucks (also louder too).
Date-17th May 2022
I remember setting this as my background on my phone and had it for a while. The colours that came from this photo was just beautiful. The orange tint off the blue glass just worked perfectly and into the mix the blue sky as well.
Date-17th May 2022
The famous yellow taxi (you don’t see as many of this version anymore). Most of the yellow taxi’s are now electric which is a good thing (to keep the planet safe). I was very lucky to capture the older version of the taxi which you see in a lot of films and tv shows.
This was a perfect opportunity to make this edit into a ‘hint of colour’, just focusing on the yellow (it does look a bit orange in this edit).
Date-17th May 2022
Before I made my way back into the hotel I caught a glimpse of the sunset between the buildings. It was a beautiful sight to see and this edit looks like the world has seen a massive explosion or something.
Date-17th May 2022
Taken from my hotel room I had a lovely view of a group of skyscrapers with the beautiful sunset setting in the back. I love the layers of colours you have in this photo from the orange down the bottom, to the blueness of the skyscrapers. It was a perfect photo to finish the second day in the city.
Date-17th May 2022
Day Three-In Memory and Districts
The next morning came around and today was going to be a very active walking day again. I thought I was going to visit the 9/11 museum and the silent pools to reflect on the tragic day. Turns out that I completely forgot that my booking got changed to the next day to visit the museum as it doesn't open on a Tuesday and Wednesday.
I made my way back on the E line back down to the World Trade Centre. It was such a beautiful day and some amazing photos were going to be taken while walking around the city. Today I would be crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, walking around Brooklyn, made my way to the famous Grand Central Station. I would also be taking a trip to the Disney Store to start my shopping (mainly for myself), I would then go for a night walk around the city (trying to improve my nighttime photography).
Let's see what photos I was able to capture throughout the day, these are just a selection of few which I really liked.
During the period of today I would use a couple of lenses, the main one being the 24-105mm ƒ4 for the daytime photos around the city. I also used my 16-35mm ƒ4 for some of the wider angle shots of the World Trade Centre. In the evening walk I used my nifty fifty, the 50mm ƒ1.8 was going to be great to use while in low light (such as nighttime photography).
Once again I came back to the Westfield shopping centre (which the metro line stops at) I wanted to capture the beautiful structure of the area with this wider angle photo.
Date-18th May 2022
You can see how beautiful the design of this building is. You can see the blue sky peaking through the glass. If you are visiting any city always look up as you can always find something very cool or unique.
Date-18th May 2022
I found better composition for photos over this trip, taking time over the position of certain subjects. I firstly knew when I saw this photo that I would make this as a black and white photo.
Date-18th May 2022
I cracked out the wide angle lens (16-35mm ƒ4), I was able to capture the full length of the tower with the trees located down below. The photo makes it look like it gets smaller at the top. It is a very beautifully designed building.
Date-18th May 2022
Date-18th May 2022
Date-18th May 2022
Getting a low down shot with the rose they place on somoene’s name everyday. It changes everyday, I don’t know the reason behind it, someone said its placed one someone birthday but I think everyday they place it on someones name as a remembrance.
Date-18th May 2022
I love the black and white version with this photos. The rose is white (yes the photo above looked white with a bit of reddish). I took a few photos of the rose and later on in the blog I have one of my favourite photos from the trip.
Date-18th May 2022
I caught this angle through the trees towards the tower. I thought this lined up perfectly to make the World Trade Centre as the centre subject. I wanted to add a bit more blue saturation to the photos, both the sky and the building.
Date-18th May 2022
Date-18th May 2022
Date-18th May 2022
I was going to make my way to Brooklyn Bridge and cross the bridge into Brooklyn. This was a must do for me so I could walk over this famous bridge and capture some photos from all different angles.
Date-18th May 2022
Date-18th May 2022
The big arch’s of the bridge are recognisable, also the brickwork that went into making this part of the bridge just blew me away. As this was in the middle of the day it wasn’t hectic but there a steady flow of people, people running and cycling across the bridge while cars drove below us crossing the bridge.
Date-18th May 2022
The high rise buildings at the lower half of Manhattan. Everywhere I looked I would see the amazing buildings and architecture around. This city was just perfect for me and my camera.
Date-18th May 2022
The intricate detail of the frame work that holds the bridge together. This is duplicated on the other side as well. I wanted to capture the steepness of the frame work leading up to the top where the American flag is located.
Date-18th May 2022
Once again capturing people walking around the city. A couple just admiring the city and the beautiful views you would get from the Brooklyn Bridge.
Date-18th May 2022
Date-18th May 2022
Captured this at the right time. I put my camera up against the wall on the bridge and capturing this woman looking up at the bridges design. Wherever you are located in the world always look up because you never know what you may find.
Date-18th May 2022
This is one of my photos taken in landscape mode. Being able to see the middle of Manhattan with both the Empire State Building and also the Chrysler building just shows how vastly different in size they are.
Date-18th May 2022
Looking back and seeing the Freedom tower towering above I always think that this city is always united as one after the tragic events of September 11th 2001.
Date-18th May 2022
Located next to the Brooklyn Bridge you will find the Manhattan Bridge which transports both vehicles and the metro services across from Brooklyn to Manhattan.
Date-18th May 2022
Like I have said before in previous blog posts and throughout this post is that there are times when you take a picture and you instantly know that a photo will become ‘hint of colour’. This one was a key example, when a flag is involved I only just want to highlight that part of the photo. Having the freedom tower in the background with the American flag highlighted in colour makes this image quite poniente.
Date-18th May 2022
I finished walking across the bridge (I wasn’t going to walk back across), I was walking down towards a place I have always wanted to visit. I came across this gap where you could see the Brooklyn Bridge and also the Freedom tower standing tall. For me this signifies your crossing into a place that holds so much exciting stuff ready for you to explore.
Date-18th May 2022
Date-18th May 2022
Date-18th May 2022
I have always dreamed of visiting this place, I have seen so many photos online and I just wanted to go and capture it for myself. In a village called Dumbo you can stand in the middle of the street and capture the beautiful frame work of the Manhattan Bridge. I took a few photos while I was there because I didn't want to miss any shots.
I came back very happy because this photo is now one of my favourite photos of all time. Just below you can see the Empire State Building in the middle which I didn't notice until I finished editing all my photos.
Date-18th May 2022
Whenever I do think of New York I always think black and white photos. I just feel like this is a city that wherever you go and what you capture it does always look good in black and white.
I always look at this photo and think it looks like it’s been put on a canvas with the very white background. This is actually one of my favourite black and white photos i’ve taken.
Date-18th May 2022
Date-18th May 2022
Date-18th May 2022
Date-18th May 2022
Date-18th May 2022
Spotted this little gem. Coca Cola being the biggest brand of fizzy drinks in the world I came across this van which I was really happy to see. I wanted to make this the subject of my photo and my edit so made it a ‘hint of colour’.
Date-18th May 2022
My all time favourite ‘hint of colour photo’. I was waiting to cross the street in Brooklyn and saw this girl carrying a massive set of balloons so I had to be quick to capture her in between the other people crossing the road. When I came to the edit I only highlighted the yellow and purple from the photo which made a pop of colour.
Date-18th May 2022
I knew there would be an Apple Store located in Brooklyn and I would find and visit it. I really liked the design of this Apple store. The modern design fits really well with the surrounding buildings in Brooklyn.
Date-18th May 2022
“Number one, start singing I Want It That Way- by the Back Street Boys” Located close the Barclays Centre you will find the building that was used for the comedy detective show Brooklyn Nine-Nine. I wanted to visit famous places that were used in tv shows and films.
Date-18th May 2022
Date-18th May 2022
“Grand Central Station, it’s grand and its central”- One of the top places to visit when you New York. It was an absolutely beautiful station. All I could think while I was in that station was two films, Madagascar and also Avengers Assemble when Hulk and Thor crash through the main station.
Date-18th May 2022
The famous ticket booth with the clock. Still in the middle of the a modern city there is still some beautiful old bits in the city.
Date-18th May 2022
When I walked out of Grand Central I had no idea where I was but I looked up and I was questioning if it was what I thought it was?? I was right, this was the Chrysler building.
Date-18th May 2022
What used to be one of the tallest buildings in the world. The Chrysler building is such a beautiful piece of architecture.
Date-18th May 2022
Date-18th May 2022
Date-18th May 2022
“I’ll be there for you”- Located on the wester side of the Manhattan you can go and view the building which they used in the critically acclaimed show Friends.
Date-18th May 2022
Date-18th May 2022
Located in the centre of Times Square there is a building where people can sign up to join the US armed forces which I found really interesting. I took this photo more for my brother.
Date-18th May 2022
Day Three- Nighttime Stroll
I made my way back to the hotel and chilled for a bit as I have done for the last couple of days. I spent sometime having a quick look through my photos I took throughout the morning and afternoon. I decided to head back out for the evening and go for a stroll. I had no idea where I would be going but just ended up walking around the city when it was getting darker. During the walk I changed lens to use the 50mm ƒ1.8 because it would be good in lower light situations.
Date-18th May 2022
Date-18th May 2022
Date-18th May 2022
While walking next down the street I just looked to the left of me and I could see above the wall. I was able to capture this photo with top of the Empire State Building, the famous New Yorker hotel and a building showing there support for Ukraine.
Date-18th May 2022
You will find many pizza shops on corners around the city, they did some really amazing pizzas (I know people would probably say different). Nighttime photography is something at this point which I didn’t want to screw up especially in a place i’ve always wanted to visit. The 50mm lens does an amazing job at capturing in low light while also having the lights around the city which helps.
Date-18th May 2022
Date-18th May 2022
Between the two buildings and in the centre the beautiful Empire State Building. Doesn't matter if you see it in the day time or nighttime, it still takes your breath away.
Date-18th May 2022
Any photographers would probably agree that neon lighting is always a good photo opportunity, located along a street I came across this take away shop. I saw the neon lightning and when I came to editing it I wanted to make it darker but brining out the highlights in the neon words.
Date-18th May 2022
Date-18th May 2022
The beautiful 50mm lens creates the bokeh effect in the background which makes the subject of the photo sharp. In this sense with the parking meter.
Date-18th May 2022
I came across the Rockefeller Centre which was lit up in this pinky purple colour which looked really nice and stood out between the darker buildings.
Date-18th May 2022
Date-18th May 2022
Radio city is like a big venue where musical events happen. I walked past it and there was a group of people waiting outside of it (not sure what they was waiting for). What I really like about this photo is i’ve focused it at street level and not taken it looking up. I was able to capture the name ‘Radio City’ and two pedestrians walking underneath.
Date-18th May 2022
Day Four-From Above
The second to last day came along, it started off a bit wet (which was something I was excited about). Today I would be heading to the 9/11 museum, do some shopping for myself and my family and heading up the Edge Observatory to view the city from above at sunset. I got the metro back down the World Trade Center metro station and made my way to visit what I think is the best museum I have ever been to. It was very emotional and very sombre.
Date-19th May 2022
I do this while in London, I like taking pictures of the different street names. Liberty Street is one that stands very important as it leads towards the 9/11 memorial and Freedom Tower.
Date-19th May 2022
The benefit of the wet weather is that the ground helps with reflections. I heard the roar of the V8 engine Ford Mustang. It may not look it but this was a ‘hint of colour photo’ I just wanted to make the Ford Mustang as the one in colour. I wanted to add more texture and clarity to make that rain more pop out on the car.
Date-19th May 2022
This is another one of my favourite ‘hint of colour’ photos because I looked back and saw someone walking across the road with a purple umbrella. Instantly I knew that this would be the subject of the photo.
Date-19th May 2022
Date-19th May 2022
It was very cloud in the morning and was covering the top of the Freedom Tower. I really liked this shot as it felt very eery. I wanted to make it more of a darker photo and highlight the Freedom Tower as the centre subject.
Date-19th May 2022
Date-19th May 2022
When I got closer back to the museum I saw that the cloud was overing the top of the tower. I came across the ‘Liberty’ street sign so I wanted to include that in the photo. The black and white edit makes it look more eery which was the aim I wanted to do.
Date-19th May 2022
Located around a tree was these railings that had different stars for support for Ukraine. At the bottom were some sunflowers which I really loved seeing. ‘Hint of colour’ was going to be a definate when it came to editing this photo.
Date-19th May 2022
This being my favourite black and white photo of all time. The single white rose which can be found on a couple of other names throughout the memorial. I found one and focused on it, the rain drops around the rose made it more powerful.
Date-19th May 2022
Date-19th May 2022
Date-19th May 2022
I made my way up the Edge observatory and I was really blown away by seeing this city from above. I know I saw it from a helicopter but this felt different as I was more inside the city than above it. I was given a time to go up but could spend as long as I wanted up there which was really nice. I stayed until the lights started to turn on.
Date-19th May 2022
I can’t lie there was quite a few photos taken while I was up there so I had to pick some of my favourites from the evening. The building overlooked so many iconic landmarks and one being the New Yorker hotel which always came up in quite a few photos. I wanted to make the sign the subject of this photo by making there surrounding buildings black and white.
Date-19th May 2022
Looking down south towards the bottom of Manhattan you could see the financial disrtict and the Freedom Tower. The sun was to the left of me and you can see the orange glow across the city from the beautiful sunset.
Date-19th May 2022
Date-19th May 2022
Looking down and you can see the busy streets as rush hour begins (I mean it's always rush hour in New York).
Date-19th May 2022
I loved how the three buildings all lined up one behind each other. I didn’t think much of it first when I came to edit it but now I really like the angle of how this photo came out.
Date-19th May 2022
Date-19th May 2022
Capturing the full scale of what I could see from where I was sitting. I think I did swap to my 16-35mm lens which gave me a wider angle. The orange glow really showed how beautiful the evening was. It did get a little cooler as I was up higher but it was such a pleasant temperature.
Date-19th May 2022
This being one of my favourites from the trip and its also in my top 20 favourite photos of all time I really liked how I was able to capture this woman looking down over the city with the New Yorker being the focus point of the image. I was able to make everything around her a bit more highlighted so they would stand out a bit more. It would have been a different story if the woman was the one in focus and everything else was blurry.
Date-19th May 2022
Capturing love above the city.
Date-19th May 2022
You can pay a bit extra to do something crazy which is basically hanging yourself off the edge of the building (which I would do). I looked up and saw this guy doing the superman pose which I really approved of.
Date-19th May 2022
Standing on the glass floor looking down.
Date-19th May 2022
The sunlight was going down which meant only one thing.. the lights around the city would be coming to life. Located in this photo the reddish building is my hotel. Couldn’t tell which one my hotel room was but it was on this side of the photo.
Date-19th May 2022
Date-19th May 2022
Date-19th May 2022
While I was just watching people and watching the city around me I saw a helicopter flying over (I think it was tour around the city), I set my camera to a burst mode which I was able to capture at the right time the helicopter right above the spire of the Empire State Building.
Date-19th May 2022
Date-19th May 2022
Date-19th May 2022
Date-19th May 2022
The last night photo of New York before my journey home the next day. Capturing the full city at nighttime with all the lights on was a beautiful spectacle. It really made the city come to life and if I could stay there all night I would have done (but I also had a bed to sleep in too). It was the perfect way to end my last full day in New York.
Date-19th May 2022
Day Five- End of An Adventure
Sadly it was my last day but I reflected on what an amazing 5 days it has been being in the city that never sleeps. I was very excited to explore on the final day but also looking forward to coming home. It is weird being on your own for the first time in a different country but I really enjoyed myself and doing the things I really wanted to do and see. My journey would take me to go up the Rockefeller Center and see Central Park to finish my trip off.
Woke up early morning so I could get myself up and ready for the day, I knew it was going to be a long day because my flight wasn’t until 21:00 and I was up already at 6:00am. The sunrise was just beginning an coming through the building and highlighting the bricks.
Date-20th May 2022
As I was walking towards Rockefeller Center I took this photo looking down a busy Friday morning street. Commuters heading off to work and the tall buildings both on the left and right side.
Date-20th May 2022
Date-20th May 2022
I came across this worker doing some construction and what I like about is that it looks like a silhouette or it looks like its s statue of a worker.
Date-20th May 2022
Date-20th May 2022
As I mentioned about black and white photos and how they work in New York. This one in particular looks like it’s from 20th century from the 50s or 60s but with a modern twist with the different buildings such as the Freedom Tower in the background. In my honest opinion if you are going to Visit New York I would recommend that you go up the Rockefeller centre because you can capture the Empire State Building.
Date-20th May 2022
There was this haze that was out in the morning, I knew it was going to get warmer but there was this weird haze which made the photos look like this above.
Date-20th May 2022
Located around the outdoor area was these viewing spy googles which was really cool to look through to look around below. I wanted to make this the focus image with a building in the background.
Date-20th May 2022
Focusing on the top of the Empire State building as the centre subject but looking down toward downtown Manhattan, I look at this as old vs new building.
Date-20th May 2022
While I was sitting on a bench I saw this blue heart and I was sitting in a prime position to capture the Empire State Building through the heart. I had two edits of this where it would all be in colour and the other is ‘hint of colour’.
Date-20th May 2022
Date-20th May 2022
I made my way into Central Park which I am going to say now that I did get lost because it is such a vast area. For those who haven’t been it’s absolutely huge I mean it really is! There was this very lovely arch bridge with the lake being very calm which made it good for reflection shots.
Date-20th May 2022
Date-20th May 2022
Talking of reflection shots this is a key example of that, the water was so calm that there was nice reflection going along to the bridge. Luckily there wasn’t many people on the bridge which made this shot a bit more peaceful.
Date-20th May 2022
“Whistle while you work”-When I always look back on this photo I think of fairytale house, something from Snow White. I didn’t have a look what was inside but judging on what I saw from a far is that it was a help point.
Date-20th May 2022
Walking on the wetly side of Central park and looked through some trees and saw this beautiful wooden shack. It was in a perfect position for this shot. I couldn’t find the path that lead to this area but I thought it was a very beautiful secluded area.
Date-20th May 2022
Date-20th May 2022
I ended up somehow following this couple on there rowing boat around the lake. I was squatted on a rock while taking this photo and trying not to fall in (what you do to get a good shot). I call this admiring the view from the lake.
Date-20th May 2022
Once the couple sailed away I captured the buildings that line the south side of Central Park. I find that there is a few skinny buildings which to me doesn’t seem that appealing. Tall and thin is what they decide to build but cost a fortune to rent.
Date-20th May 2022
Located more in the middle of Central Park was this fort which I had no idea was here. I just stumbled upon it. I had no set path while walking around the park, I would see where it would lead me. In a very busy city you would think this is the last thing you would see. I was very impressed but the design of it. I don't know what the history of it is but I thought it was really cool.
Date-20th May 2022
I ended up walking so many blocks and I didn’t realise how far I walked. I ended up walking like 50 blocks an came out by the Solomon Guggenheim Museum (Which I didn’t think I would see on my trip). After this point I was ready to go and collect my bag from the hotel and head to the airport but before that I treated myself to a cheeky McDonald's in Times Square.
Date-20th May 2022
Journey home, I was heading across the Atlantic Ocean. We was now in a new day and was getting closer to the coast of the UK.
Date-21th May 2022
Date-21th May 2022
Piglet was also enjoying his flight back and he also had an amazing trip with me exploring the city.
Date-21th May 2022
Date-21th May 2022
Located below is the sea port of Portsmouth. This is why a window seat is great because you can capture photos like this from above. This was taken on my iPhone (I was not going to get my camera out😂)
Date-21th May 2022
Dunsfold Aerodrome where two of the retired British Airways Boeing 747-400s are kept which is really sad not seeing them fly.
Date-21th May 2022
I was very lucky that I got to fly over my house which you don’t do that often so I had to take a picture and zoom in and highlight it.
Date-21th May 2022
Now making out final way into London Heathrow I got to see the city which I love walking around. Seeing London from above is just so beautiful to see. Was able to capture the London Eye which isn’t that hard to spot sometimes.
Date-21th May 2022
This photo means a lot to me because below you will see a stadium which is Fulham Football Club which is my favourite football team and I have supported them since I was a child.
Date-21th May 2022
Touchdown-landed back at London Heathrow safety around 9:15am. This were the interesting part would come in as I would have to wait for my bag and go through security which turned out to be really quick which was quite surprising.
Date-21th May 2022
The trip of a lifetime has sadly come to an end and what can I say about this trip… It was my favourite thing I have ever done! best trip I have ever done. From the moment I got the London Heathrow to start my journey I knew it was going to be truly amazing. I am proud to have done this alone and being away from friends and family for a small period.
This journey meant a lot to me with my photography story because it was a huge step up in capturing better photos in a setting i’ve always wanted to be in. New York was truly incredible, I would highly recommend anyone to go and visit that beautiful city. There are so many parts where its not so hectic.
Would I go back??- In a heartbeat I would go back and see more stuff that I didn’t see.
Thank you for joining me on this part, this has been a huge part to write but also has been a bit a timely one because sadly work has been taken up a bit more of my time but doens’t mean I am going to stop. I wanted to make sure I could get this one out as this one was a huge one for me personally. This trip meant the world and I am so glad I could share it with you, share my photos and memories.
The next part is being written and its very magical (I will say that at least)
Thank you for all the support and kind words over the last year. We are nearly hitting the year mark since of this website which is absolutely crazy. In that time I have written quite a few parts from when I first started to the end of 2022. It has been amazing to show my photos and how I have progressed over time from a simple iPod Touch to a Canon camera.
Thank you everyone!!
