Get the picture?
“There are 8 million stories in the naked city”. Will you capture any as your souvenirs from your visit to NY?
Before arriving, do some planning and you’ll be good to go! “Planning” being the operative word when it comes to tripods. Sweet-talking cops just doesn’t work post 9-11, and I was a pro at it. Tripods aren’t allowed many places. Dust off your old Student I.D. if you’d like to wing it: “I’m taking a film class at school” wink, wink. Or, click the link to the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting: http://www.nyc.gov/html/film/html/permits/permit_download.shtml
The people at the Mayor’s office are very nice and issue free permits for still photography, a few days in advance. Who knew? On their website you will find there are permit forms for shooting on the street as well as for in the parks. Plus, they have cool set photos from productions that are shooting all over town. Check it out: Duran Duran in Times Square for Good Morning America or stunts for The Late Show with David Letterman. Additionally on the site are links to events, organizations and resources that are relevant to production and theatre in New York City.
So, if you want to get some great images of Patience and Fortitude, the famous Lions, at the NY Public Library, fax your permit request while creating your itinerary. Jillie Tip: Why don’t you try a time exposure using a very slow shutter speed with your camera on a tripod? Try a one or two second exposure. The longer the exposure, the more the activity on the stairs will be blurred out and your picture will look as if no one is present, unless a person is not moving, sitting still on the stairs. FYI: The Library faces east and you can get a nice view with a wide-angle lens from across 5th Avenue. Jillie Tip: Go on a Thursday!!! Once you get your morning photos, head to the back of the Library at 12:30 pm for Broadway in Bryant Park. Here, you can experience the lights of Broadway’s big hits free, up close and personal. Throw on your telephoto lens and show off to all your friends at home how you were schmoozing with the stars of all the shows. Check out the show schedule:
http://www.bryantpark.org/calendar/broadway.php
Luggage way too heavy to schlep your telephoto lens along? No worries! You can easily rent photo equipment at Alkit, (18th & Park) http://www.alkit.com/, or Calumet, 16 West 19th Street, http://www.calumetphoto.com. Run out of memory on your card? Rent another gig. Or, head to B&H Cameras (9th Ave between 33rd & 34th St., for the lowest prices in town. You can even sell them your old equipment and buy new. Going there is a cool operation to witness and you can fill your pockets with yummy candy. Jillie tip: Ship your high-ticket purchases, avoiding the desperately high taxes us New Yorkers have to pay. Ouch!
Where to find memorable snapshots while stepping away from the “Tourist Traps”? Why not imbibe on temptations and libations at some of the hottest rooftop views in town? Rise up just before the after-work crowds get to work on their happy hours and secure a Kodak moment. Catch the stars under the stars living the high life at High Bar with a killer view of the Chrysler Bldg. “Plunge” into the view of SoHo House’s pool from the Hotel Gansevoort’s rooftop penthouse, located in what I coined the “Upper Meat Side”. And, don’t have too many Blood Orange Cosmopolitans at “Rare View”… unless you plan on using Auto-Focus for your sunset shot of the Empire State Building! Jillie Tip: Tip your servers and say hi to JB for me at Rare View! Talk about a view. Phew!
Once you are actually looking through the lens, here are some quick tips on composing great shots while tooling around town. Jillie Tip: Fill flash!!!! Did I mention FILL FLASH??? You don’t have to take every picture with the sun behind you. If the sun is facing towards you, block it from shining directly into your lens with your hand, and turn on your flash. It will capture the sunset or landmark while exposing your companions properly.
Jillie Tip: Speaking of landmarks…If photographing friends or family in front of say, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, have them stand close to you and off to the side to capture both in your image. A wide-angle lens works best in this situation. No one says you have to take a photo of his or her whole body. The further they are from the camera, the smaller they become.
Jillie Tip: Go out and shoot when things don’t look so great outside. When everyone else was still in their jammys drinking hot chocolate, I bundled up and braved a blizzard! My doorman said I was the only crazy person in my building to go out in that weather. But, there were no cars on the street, a sprinkle of buses, and just me with a few rolls of black and white, joy! The city looks amazing blanketed in clean snow, which doesn’t last long and it is uncommon to hear the city silent. I trudged in 3 feet of snow to some areas I love then made it to Central Park. Talk about a workout! As I got closer, I heard laughter, lots of it. Brave souls brought their sleds, toboggans, cross-country skis and garbage can covers to ride down the hills. I felt as though I were in a movie from the early 20th Century. Everyone was having a blast as I was blasting through my film. Jillie Tip: Metering in the bright snow will result in underexposed photos. Once metered, open up about one F-Stop to fool the meter and make your whites white.
Jillie Tip: Put a plastic bag over the camera with a hole for the lens to stick out in inclement weather. Do not blow on your lens to remove snowflakes; the condensation from your breath will freeze on the lens, better to brush it off. Keep extra batteries toasty in your pocket and your camera under your coat when not shooting to prevent camera malfunctions. Once you bring your camera in to a warm place, put a sealed plastic bag around the equipment so condensation forms on the bag, not your Nikon-sicle.
Speaking of getting soaked (and I don’t mean at Plunge), don’t be afraid of a little rain. Again, with a plastic bag. What is more beautiful than NYC at night during a rainstorm? All the beautiful colors reflected in the slick streets? This is another perfect time for your tripod and a slow shutter speed—bad time for your hair though.
Keep your eyes wide open and you are sure to seize some great photos no matter what side of town you are on. See you at Plunge!
Get the picture with Jill L! Give her a buzz to document your trip, shoot your headshots, family or business portraits. Jill creates editorial portraits of the glitz and glamour of Hollywood superstars. She has covered advertising and editorial assignments for M.A.C Cosmetics, Lord & Taylor and Prudential Financial. Her versatile portfolio shows her ability to expertly handle disparate subjects, from shooting the NY Giants, to photographing the ultimate Supermodel, “Barbie”. View more of her killer photos at www.jillphotography.com
