NY Trip september any good locations?

[markyb555]

Hi folks,

very possiblely going to be making my first visit state side to new york city and the surrounding places for a week and abit * we think*.. im obviously bringing my 40D and all the bits.. Is there any tips on certain locations in and around the city/outer parts good to shoot??

Im also looking into the street photography aspect too.. Any help would be great.. makes it just that bit more easier.. Like shooting seascapes/sunsets/sunrises and that sorta thing. but im open to any great locations around.. Obviously not knowing the area.. At all!!

:)

[canonnoob]

B&H... Adorama.... lol times square...

[jahseriah]

Central Park

[markyb555]

they was the easy ones :lol:

guess i'll have to find out having a look around and go from there

[canonnoob]

trinity church ( near south side sea port and wall street) is pretty cool... so is st. patricks (Near rockefeller)

The sea port is pretty neat.. Go down to the village.. its also cool. I just retured from there about a month ago

[markyb555]

cheers for the heads up ;) just hope the weather is better then here at the moment!!

[Treat me like a tourist]

Rockerfella plaza definitely a must-beautiful art deco architecture if you explore it you will find all the art works commissioned during the build which are just stunning. Also do the top of the Rock for a skyline shot of Manhattan with the Empire state building in shot. Also do the Empire state building, you get a better view of the Chrysler building from that building.
Check out the Met art museum there is an impressive Egyptian display in there, also the natural History Museum and New York City Library- go inside and look at the gallery ceiling its truly immense.
Just wander the streets really, time square is a must but its always packed, try the financial district, and streets around the Empire state building much quieter.
I highly recommend the bus tours, you get to see most of Manhattan that way in one go, be quick with your shots though and make sure your exposures are spot on :)
One last recommendation which was a real shock to me, is the St John the Divine cathedral in Harlem, its quite something, i recommend this to everyone going to NYC.
Things i missed out on were the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statten Island Ferry view of Manhattan and Statue of Liberty as you sale away- these i am going back for :)

Oh yeah and have fun dont stay glued to your viewfinder the whole time- i didnt once feel uncomfortable with my camera equipment wandering the streets of NYC, but dont take a lowepro bag, take a tatty rucksack and pad it out for your kit- watch you luggage weight too, and dont check any gear at the airport.

Think thats everything :)
Have fun!

[markyb555]

thats pretty amazing mate. thanks for that..

The friend im going to see lives on Statten Island so im sure thats something we will see. I was planning on taking a new lowepro as at the moment i have a canon 10EG which isnt really what i need in and around on the move. Good tip for that.. Guessing the reasons for that.. but checking the gear at the airport?

i think im well under estimating how many folk are going to be around and so on. which has made me think twice about the gear to take and where best to store it like you mentioned

[Treat me like a tourist]

Yeah not too mention that a backpack always feels lighter in the morning than when you return to your hotel at night :)
Your carry on allowance is 5kg they didnt weigh mine when i flew but you never know. In that allowance i had a 17-40 on a 5d and a 70-200 on a 400d. I initially wanted to take more but this combo worked well, pretty much everything is wide angle in NYC and i never thought i wish id brought an extra lens. You should never check camera equipment, i dont know if you have ever flown to the states before but when you do you cannot lock your checked luggage, it has to be available to check at US customs i.e. no lock. So save yourself potential hassle and carry all gear on to the flight.
I felt safe in NYC, well as safe as you can in a major city, certainly i felt safer than on the streets of London, but if you carry a well known brand camera bag its asking for trouble, if you walk with a camera in hand or around your neck its just a camera not a bag of goodies. The old ruck sack was a tip i picked up on here actually. One last thing take big memory cards and a fully charged spare battery out with you everyday.

Oh and i forgot on my last post, you have to pay a visit to Grand Central.

[CosmoKid]

thats pretty amazing mate. thanks for that..

The friend im going to see lives on Statten Island so im sure thats something we will see. I was planning on taking a new lowepro as at the moment i have a canon 10EG which isnt really what i need in and around on the move. Good tip for that.. Guessing the reasons for that.. but checking the gear at the airport?

i think im well under estimating how many folk are going to be around and so on. which has made me think twice about the gear to take and where best to store it like you mentioned


poor chap. You are flying to the best city in the world and have to stay on Staten Island? I spent 26 years on Staten Island. It's a sh!t hole. :)

The SI Ferry is cool to ride...once or twice. There used to be a bar on the actual ferry boat, but I haven't been on it in a while, so I am sure in this tip-toe world we live in now, it is no longer serving alcohol.

If you are on Staten Island and want to photograph without going into the city, head down to Snug Harbor. The cultural center is beautiful. I don't know when you are coming but the SI Yankees play in that same area and the view of NYC is amazing. All of these things are down around the Ferry terminal. In the same area of the Ferry/Snug Harbor are a lot of old homes that make for some cool photography opportunities.

Snug Harbor is one of those areas that isn't photographed enough because everyone goes into NYC to shoot, but makes for some great pictures. There is a cultural center and botanical garden.

Snug Harbor (http://www.snug-harbor.org/)

If you like shooting beautiful abandon buildings (which is illegal), there is a great opportunity up near Wagner College. Directly across the street, behind a chain link fence (that has openings cut out to walk through) is "The Monestary". It is a BEAUTIFUL building that has been abandoned for quite some time.

http://www.lostdestinations.com/mnastry3.htm

I am sure your friend knows of this. If not, tell him to take Clove road, make a right turn up the hill toward Wagner and then the first right before the college. It's a quarter mile down on the right side. You could also PM me when you get to the states.

On Todt Hill, there is a beautiful Seminary that the priests will let you photograph if you approach them. In that same area, you will find some of the nicest houses in NYC. CEOs, sports players and mafia all reside in that area. You can see houses owned by members of the Gambino crime family. I would be stealthy about photographing them though.

These are all recommendations if you decide to spend one day shooting Staten Island. Obviously you will spend most of your time in NYC but make a day out of shooting some thigns on Staten Island. For as much of a boring hodgepodge of nothing it is, it wasn't always that way and has some good photo opportunities.

[markyb555]

Cosmokid:

Thanks so much for the recommendations and taking the time to write that huge post!! :)

No im not staying on Staten island but no doubt i'll end up going to his house etc havent heard from him so i'll see what happens when we get there.. I never knew shooting abandoned buildings was illiegal over there? something to watch out for.. Problem is im going with a friend that has very little interest in photography so me wanting to go to all these places to get the oppotunities and him just wanting to sitesee its going to be tough comprising :lol: well especially for me anyway! Im thinking of taking my laptop with me anyway, not 100% sure as i do have 10gigs worth of memory with me.

I guess people in that area take it for granted and obviously me in my area.. although there is very little around of that calibre i can assure you here :lol:

main reason why i wanna stay abit longer is to take a step back from the city and go to places that are just a good but not "IN" the city if you get me... sorta a new approach. should be interesting never the less!

[Chestnutty]

Taking the train to Coney Island in Brooklyn is a look back in time. If you take the Q train, a good part of the trip in Brooklyn is above ground and you can see many of the different neighborhoods. The people on the train are very diverse and might lend themselves to great shots. Once in Coney Island, walk on the boardwalk from Coney Island to Brighton Beach. You'll see the working and the abandoned rides of a time long ago, lots of street characters, lots of elderly Jews, Russian immigrants, lost souls, and kids playing in the sand and surf. Stop at the famous Nathans outdoor stand for a hot dog and french fries. Walk along Surf Avenue under the train tracks and you see great shops and characters. All great images for street shooting.