Manhattan
Oe of my favorite view of New York City and midtown Manhattan taken from Rockefeller Center at blue hour as the sun came down on a cold winter evening. At the c...
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Oe of my favorite view of New York City and midtown Manhattan taken from Rockefeller Center at blue hour as the sun came down on a cold winter evening. At the center is the Empire State Building to its right is the newly constructed One World Trade Center -tallest in the western semi-sphere -1792 ft and the islands on right in the Hudson river is the Statue of Liberty.
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Mar, 2017Views
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Awards
Action Award
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Legendary Award
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken on a cold winter evening just as the sun was setting from Top of the Rock, Rockefeller Center in New York City. I had the shot I wanted clearly in my mind as I approached the top floor of the Rockefeller Center. The view was more stunning than I had imagined and became more dramatic as the sun set.Time
The view of NYC was awesome from the Top of the Rock and it became more amazing as the sun went down and the city lights came on. I remember the time to get this shot was short about 10-15 minutes before the sunset totally vanished. It was taken in January 21st 2015 around 5:09 pm EST. I remember it was very cold with the winds and became freezing as the sun set, so take woolens and good jacket if you plan to shoot during the winter time.Lighting
The light just before sunset provides great opportunities to capture stunning city architecture shots. The warm soft light and dramatic skies during this time provide the time window to capture some great shots without sacrificing the details. I took some more shots after the sunset but due to the lack of details the sky were not as appealing. If you have an interest in City Architecture photography try shooting the last 30 minutes before sunset and you will be amazed at the results.Equipment
This shot was taken with Canon EOS 5D Mark III with Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens. I used my Manfrotto tripod and added weight to it so it doesn't shake in the wind. I didn't want any reflections from the glass, so had to find the small gaps between the wind glasses on Top of the Rock viewing areas to get a clear shot. The gap is very small and it was a bit challenge to get an unobstructed view especially with the 77mm diameter. I had a backup camera as well a Sony NEX-5T with 18mm lens and it did fit better through the gap but Canon 5D Mark III did a better job under low light.Inspiration
I had seen some great shots of the iconic Empire state building and wanted to capture some of my own. I had clear vision of the composition going for capturing this shot and happy the way it came out.Editing
Yes, I typically use Lightroom for quick adjustment and fine-tune using Photoshop. For this picture I used both Lightroom and Photoshop. I made the initial adjustment in Lightroom - contrast, highlights, shadows. I used another exposure for the sky and hand merged it in Photoshop using masks.In my camera bag
It depends on what I am shooting. For Landscapes and City Architecture I typically use my Canon EOS 5D Mark III with either the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM or Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II IS USM lens. If I am shooting portraits, I use the Canon EOS 5D Mark III with the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens or the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens. For close up beauty shots, I use the Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG APO OS HSM. For wildlife and birds, I typically use my Canon 7D with Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM, and sometimes, I will use the Canon Extender EF 1.4X to extend the range. For macros, I use the Cannon EOS 5D Mark III with the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens.Feedback
I would suggest getting there early, at least an hour before sunset. Top of the Rock is pretty crowded during the summer months, so try the wintertime when the rush is lower. They don't allow tripods on the top but I was lucky able to get the permission that day due to less number of people. If you go in the wintertime, take warm clothes as it gets freezing on the top and the wind can be chilly. You could get aroud the tripod rule using Manfrotto 244 Variable Friction Magic Arm with Camera Bracket and Manfrotto 035 Super Clamp without Stud. The combination is a nice substitute for a tripod but you will have to find spots to clamp, as typically there are glass panels on the lower floor. You can try the next viewing floor using the stairs and may find it less crowded.
