New York City is one of the most visited cities in the world which makes it one of the most photographed places. Here is something we can learn from davidbjorgen about the techniques and story behind this awarded photo capturing the essence of the city in a successful and gorgeous way:
1. Where did you take this photo?
This photo was taken from Top of the Rock, the observation deck at the top of Rockefeller Center in New York City, which provides excellent views of Manhattan.
2. What time of day?
This photo was taken at just after sunset in January, so it was about 5:15 in the evening. I was rushing to get to the top of Rockefeller Center before sunset. The queue for the elevator took ages and I arrived just after sunset, but was treated with a gorgeous display of color nonetheless. It was very cold at the top (around 10º F / -12º C) so I could only stay outside for a few minutes before my fingers started aching.
3. Anything worth sharing about lighting?
Everything in the photo was natural light. I started shooting frames around 4:50 but the sky was too bright and the city lights had yet to come one completely. By around 5:10 the setting sun had painted the sky with an array of colors and the city lights were bright enough to be engaging.
4. What equipment did you use?
I shot this with a Sony A7r and a Zeiss 24-70 f/4 lens. It was shot at 1/60 of a second at f/4.0 with an ISO of 1000. Even though the shutter speed was fast enough to take the shot hand held, I used a Pedco UltraPod II table top tripod for stability.
5. What inspired you to take this photo?
New York City is a magical place, especially at night. Rockefeller Center is the best place to shoot lower Manhattan because you can capture both the iconic Empire State Building and the World Trade Center from the top.
6. Did you do any post-processing? If yes, tell us about it!
I didn't have to do much to make this photo look good. I brightened the exposure a bit in Lightroom, boosting the shadows, lowering the brights, and adding some clarity for pop. I added a slight vignette but that's about it.
7. What equipment do you normally have in your bag?
I travel a lot. I've spent years lugging heavy gear around the world and have finally gotten to the point where having a lighter kit is important to me. I recently switched from Canon to a Sony A7r, which offers great quality in a lightweight mirrorless body. My walk-around lens is the Zeiss FE 24-70 f/4, which is sufficient for most of my photography. It's a sharp lens and while not the fastest, the high ISO range of the A7r makes up for it. I sometimes carry the Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 for wide angle and astrophotography, as well as a trusty Minolta MD 50mm f/1.2 for portraits. Everything gets packed into lightweight Think Tank Citywalker 20 shoulder bag, along with extra batteries, memory cards, a host of filters, a LensPen, a rocket blower, and a table top tripod.
8. Any advice for others trying to capture something similar?
If you want to capture the sunset from the top of Rockefeller Center, be sure to purchase your tickets online in advance and allow for enough time to get through the security checks and the elevator queue.
The observation deck has two levels. The lower level is surround by glass panels that contain slits for photography, but the best pictures are taken from the upper level, which has unobstructed views. The upper level can be accessed via an escalator from the lower level. Tripods are not allowed on the observation deck; security will ask you to take them down since they are a tripping hazard. However, the wall around the upper level has flat areas where you can easily rest a table top tripod without violating any rules.
Here is another shot by davidbjorgen titled 'Sunset Over Zambia', connect with davidbjorgen and give your feedback!
