Between Trees and Towers
Central Park Interrupting Manhattan
An introduction to the place, its atmosphere, and the mindset needed to photograph it.
This video sets the tone before any image is made.
Aproaching . 7 min
Those Who Looked First
Learning with those who mastered it before us.
New York City, 2001
New York City, 2001
Pre Production
First things first
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Weather
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Clear sunset days: Best balance between sky and artificial light
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Cold nights: Steam + breath vapor + stronger glow
Location
High concentration areas:
Midtown Manhattan ​
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6th Ave (42nd–57th St)
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Around Rockefeller Center
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Bryant Park
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Times Square perimeter
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Subway Access
B / D / F / M / 1 / 2 / 3 / 7 / N / Q / R / W
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Financial District
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Wall Street
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Broadway near Trinity Church
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Water St corridor
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Subway Access
2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / J / Z
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Upper Side (Museum Zone)
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Upper West Side (AMNH)
Subway: B / C (81 St – Museum of Natural History) | 1 (79 St) -
Upper East Side (Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Subway: 4 / 5 / 6 (86 St) + 10–15 min walk west to 5th Ave
Best time to shoot
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30 min before sunset: balanced sky
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Blue hour: symmetry, graphic dominance
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Night: LED + bulb texture
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Late afternoon rush: interaction with customers
Suggested Equipment
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24–35mm: environmental frontal compositions
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50mm: for portraits of vendors
Production
Shoot first, edit maybe
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What to look for
SHOOTING LIST
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Skyline framed by foliage
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Sunburst through branches (use small aperture)
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Musicians in warm backlight
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Couples / weddings inside stone architecture
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Elevated overview of public choreography
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Symmetry in bridges and arches
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Reflections in water
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Long tree corridors creating depth
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Solitary figures in open green space
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Light beams cutting through architectural shadows
Lets get to the image . 8 min
We’ll break down a selection of photographs from this assignment — how they were made, the decisions behind each frame, and why certain choices mattered more than others.
Post Production
That really matters
Editing
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Editing as direction . 6 min
This video explores how different editing choices can shift meaning, narrative, and authorship.
Color Grading
From Capture to Final . 12 min
A practical walkthrough of turning raw files into finished images.
COLOR PRESETS
Publishing
Show time. If the work stays on a hard drive, it’s not finished.
Photo Instalation
For this assignment, consider presenting the series as a set of large framed prints installed in a domestic interior — like a contemporary kitchen or dining room.
After Hours
Enjoy the ride
Bars and Restaurants
Lincoln
