Want to help with an aerial edit?
ALRIGHT FOLKS, THE TALLIES ARE IN. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO KEEP LEAVING COMMENTS, BUT I’VE STARTED COUNTING THE VOTES AS OF 5PM PST.
________
Last week I flew for an entire day over my favorite skyline in the world: New York City. I shot 5,952 frames from sunrise to sunset on assignment for a client. You can read a very nice piece about it written by Matt Buchanan on Gizmodo.
BUT – here’s where this gets a little different – I’d like to give you a chance to help me edit the best images down from my top 55 – down to the top 3…
I’ve been editing images (and working with editors) for more than 20 years.
What always amazes me is how my preference for images changes with time – and that an edit that I do a few years from now will very likely be completely different than the one I do today. That’s why I never delete a SINGLE image that I shoot.
Therefore, I’m curious to see what other people think – in this case what YOU THINK (and see.)
Editing 5,900+ images down to the top 1% is relatively easy – editing the top 55 down to the top 3 is extremely difficult.
I find is that the final editing process can be EXTREMELY subjective. One’s top 3 will change from hour to hour – one day to the next – all depending on your mood.
So here’s where you come in… go to thru the gallery below and leave comments on your favorite three images in the comments section of this blog (use the filename as reference.)
NYC_Sunrise_to_Sunset – Images by Vincent Laforet
The key is: you have to leave a comment with your top 3 of fewer images… I’d love to see if opinions are all over the place or consistent…
You WILL notice that some of the images are EXTREMELY similar – if not close to being identical. Each is slightly different – either the focus point in on a different area, or the framing is slightly different. Making the decision between two similar images can be the hardest thing to do… Once you’ve made that decision – you rarely – if ever – go back as a photographer. That tends to add a lot of pressure to the whole process – sometimes you just need to “feel” the best image… sometimes I find myself squinting my eyes to see what seems to “fill the frame” the best if you will… weird but true. I know that once I’ve decided on one of two or three images – I’ll almost never go back and see the “rejects” ever again.
You’ll also notice that I’ve put the files up in chronological order for the most part.
Flying over NYC – especially since I haven’t done it in close to one year (I now live in Los Angeles) – is unlike anything else. I had a blast and it was great to see the city with a relatively fresh pair of eyes. Matt seems to have had a great time as well, andbthe best part about reading his article for me was to see him stretch his writing wings and have fun sharing the experience with his readers and writing about everything BUT technology. Matt all too often has to write about the latest gadget for Gizmodo – and it’s always fun for me to see any great writer dive into a piece as Matt did with this one. This profile is one of my favorite profiles that anyone’s written about me because Matt did a great job of communicating how HE experienced the flight.
The images were shot over 3 flights over the city – one at sunrise, another in the late afternoon, and the last one at night. One important note: The vast majority of the flight time was dedicated to shooting an assignment for a client that had little to do with the NYC skyline. I spend maybe 10-15% of the time making these images – often to take a break from the assignment and allow the light to shift a little – especially when the clouds pulled in or out. So in truth – I likely shot less than 1,500 images of the city – the other 4,400 were shot for the client.
One of the big issues with flying over a heavily populated area is to make sure you don’t hover in place for one hour in he same spot. It’s simply unfair to the people below. Therefore I tend to break up the flight into 5-10 minute chunks over and area – and go fly elsewhere for a few minutes and come back. That’s where these images came in – and hopefully helped reduce the pain on people’s ears below…
You’ll notice that the images were shot with a variety of lenses – including tilt-shift lenses that give a somewhat surreal look and feel to some of the images. So if you have the time, take a look through the images – choose your favorites (5 max) and leave a comment on the comment section of this blog below. I look forward to hearing your thoughts – and what YOU find interesting.
Tags: Canon, Gizmodo, Helicopter, Matt Buchanan, Mike Isler, Photography, Vincent Laforet, Zeiss
I love 4, 17 and 43.
Tough call Vince. I am partial to BYC grew ukp on 75th and Amsterdam 10,17 and 2. Love the lighting. Thanks for asking for input. Cool idea.
Jared
Jared abrams Reply:
July 8th, 2010 at 1:23 am
@Jared abrams, Sorry about still getting used to iPad NYC. Not BYC.
50, 42, 15 (minus the dust spots). TS is cool, but with a city with so much detail, it seems a shame to blur so much of it for no apparent reason other than the fact that you can…
Alway love your work and enjoy the blog, thanks!
25, 43, 53 I really like the tilt shift ones giving the skyline a miniature feel to it. would love to cover your experience of your next job in nyc if its available
okay it really is hard. from my top seven (10, 15, 25, 27, 38, 42, 49) I’d pick: 10, 25, 49. oh this is hard
10, 38, 42, 43 and 13 are my faves. Good luck!
15, 27, 45, 50
4,19, and 45. Composure and lighting… 19 is evocative of the twin towers with the two shafts of light on the water.
Nice article written in your!
At my first browse through the pictures,
NYC_15 stayed in my mind all the way to the end, I had to come back and find it. I can see where blurring, or out of focus shots can be powerful, but there, having it all in focus, to me speaks louder. The way that one section seems to be glowing out of rest of the city is great, but also seeing that reflection allllll the way across the water.
NYC_48 is my next favorite for 2 reasons. I love the color that just pops out of the black city streets around it, and then I love how this picture compared to the others of Times Square, is taken at a different angle, more horizontal than vertical (well halfway inbetween) but to me it grabs more attention at this angle, the other straight down angle seems more like “meh, seen it before”
NYC_07 would be my next one as it is a little funny to me as the buildings are just peeking over into the light. Some have sunlight, others do not, depending on their height, so it creates a fun uneven effect that don’t realize until you look at it a bit longer. Also, the background almost looks painted with those muted colors.
NYC_28 I love because of the separation. You see the staunch city on one side and then the park on the other with the defining line inbetween. I have always been a fan of hard lines in photography, so it stuck out.
Always enjoyed your work! Keep it up and looking forward to what you have in the future!
27, 31, 36 and 48.
27: I really like the graphical aspect, would have preferred a slightly larger focused area.
31: I think there is still some work to do on colors and distortion but it has a lot of potential.
36: I simply love TS.
48: I like the light refection on the building, the picture makes me think of a “light blood vessel”.
I´ll have to choose 15 because of the lines made by the skyline, the river, the reflection of the 3 buildings at the right in the water. The texture thats made up in the water.
45 is one of the most beautiful building in NYC and capture just in place to have the perfect angle of the building. pointing to the sky and showing a great sense of rythm at the top part of the building. Lit perfectly like a piece of art.
50 love the x made by the lights and the pedestrians vs transit, great composition. Love the lights
also love your work! from photo to vid hddslr!!
30, 42 and 38 (although I am not sure if it’s slightly out of focus). Good luck
I really enjoyed reading the GIZMODO article.
My personal favorites are #25, #41 and #42.
Hope that helps.
7, 16, 43, 46 – all beautiful descriptive views of the city and just amazing shots with great composition…and have to add 27 because of its stunning abstract design. Good luck – spent over 30 minutes trying to decide 🙂
It was really a hard choice:
My favorites: 4, 46, 48 (though all variations from the last motif are great)
10, 15, 42, 47 and 50 based on my gut reactions to each, and my personal aesthetics. Of the 5, I’d probably say 42 and 50 were my favourites; 42 for the wonderfully steely palette and the angle, and 50 for the composition that almost abstracts away the subject matter.
16,30,42 Compositions, deep, interesting subject and interesting way to show it.
S.
Could you Vincent tell us where the photos will be used?
This is something that’s becoming more and more important for me in my editing process, and depending on where the photos end up the final selection might be radically different for me.
Rene Reply:
July 8th, 2010 at 8:59 am
@Max, that’s a good point, I was thinking the same thing. Where will they be used; to convey which message… but then for this exercise, I guess it can be omitted.
I don’t think it was implied, but I’ve chosen three images that aren’t in the same series:
NYC_07.jpg, _13 and _19
–
As a side note: maybe the count would be easier if the images themselves would’ve had something like a „vote up” button; you can substitute that with a „Like” from FaceBook.
That way there’d be less digging to a spammy stream of comments, and some of them are a bit light on editor-type remarks. Mine included 🙂
My choices are based on my gut. As background, I lived in NYC till 2000 (I moved to Rotterdam), so it was great to see the city with ‘fresh’ eyes.
38 – for the serenity of the city because of that one sailboat sailing peacefully.
42 – it’s a different angle of the Chrysler Building – a less obvious one – and is one that make me look twice.
50 – this shot really made me sit up. It’s clear where the shot was taken but shows an inner beauty. I used to live nearby and never knew how beautiful it was from above with all those lights.
Well, that wasn’t as hard as I thought it would.
Of course, if you’re gonna go to the trouble of riding in an helicopter, you’d better come back with something that is really hard to do any other way. Also, cityscapes (especially of NY) have been seen so many times before, it’s just not enough. It’s also got to be representative of that city (#36 is cute, but too generic). And then it has to be somehow consistent with the Laforet look…
So here goes:
#30: Graphically, I enjoy the compression of the long lens, symmetry, balance (#31 is too wide, has too much going on)… It’s a typical NYC urban tableau, but with a POV reminiscent of Burtynsky’s chinese workers—only this time, it’s the cabs that are all dressed in yellow.
#42: Oh yeah, you really feel the height in this one. The limited palette is very nice, with colours all subtle variants along the purple/blue/gray. Futuristic, structured. The landmark brings to the image, but I like that it’s not just about the Chysler building (which is the case in the following images). (Unfortunately the tip is almost lost because it is pretty much aligned with the side of the building behind it…)
#50: It’s good to see a shot of Times Square from a different spot (and without a naked cowboy in the frame)—a fresh look at that location. I look at that crowded X there and I think of Shibuya crossing (which is quite a feat).
None. Not sure why the pictures are blurred or for the most part out of focus. Unless we knew why they are then we cannot chose the right ones.
25, 38, 50
For me it’s between 15, 27, 42, and 48
46 stands out to me, and also 43.
20, 37, 50
15, 47 and 48
29
21
46
10 – It’s not your traditional shot of the Empire State Building. Refreshing.
30 – Highlights the hustle and bustle of the city street.
42 – The perspective is great and showcases the whole building.
50 – Captures the excitment of Times Square. Your eye travels throughout the picture.
Just don’t leave any of your bags with camera prototypes around the Gizmodo guys.
I’d say 7, 35, and 42
I’d vote for 7, 13, 22, 36 and 42. I think the tilt-shift adds an interesting dimension to the photos, particularly where it draws your attention to specific areas of the shot. My overall favourite of the set is number 42 – I love the tones and the vertigo inducing nature of the photo.
15 – I think that water is what sets this one apart with that great beam of light reaching out across the bay as the city wakes up.
30 – I’m loving the symmetry of the parrallel streets on this one which gives a little bit of order to a chaotic city. However at the same time I feel like I want more. Like it would benefit from being a bigger panorama (and that really makes it easy to cut through one niggling problem. I’m going to stick with it :D)
42 – This one was tough because there really isn’t any NYC building as beautiful as the Chrysler building and all those night shots are terrific in showing it off. But I picked this one because the perspective shows it from a bit of a different light.
I’m finding that tilt shift is becoming a bit too overused now. I’m not saying its necessarily a bad thing but I’ve seen so many skyling tilt shift photos that they tend to not wow me as much whereas something like photo 27 is using the tilt shift for something a bit different. The bird is perfectly placed.
30 45 55 this is how i imagine NYC!I have seen the skyline and the skyscraper too many times!
Hi Vincent,
My edit is as follows:
#15 – I love the sleepy new-day-in-a-big-city-starting feel of this shot.
#30 – Absolutely love, love, love this street scene; it totally captures NYC.
#36 – This tilt-shift captures what looks like Greenwich Village beautifully; the leafy trees among the apartment buildings makes this shot complement the other ‘busy Manhattan’ feelings from the other pieces.
Furthermore; I reluctantly omitted #s 44 and 45 from the edit. They’re both decent shots of the beautiful Chrysler building, but in 44 I feel the angle isn’t quite perfect, and in 45 the angle is great but I’m distracted constantly by the cooling fans on top of the adjacent building.
None the less, I prefer my other edits as I feel they encapsulate NYC without focusing on the heavily show-cased sights.
Cheers,
David
17, 42, 43
4, 29 and 42.
Great shots. 15, 27, and 42 are my picks.
10, 30, 48 are the three finalists in my opinion and number 1 in fourth place
13, 15, 44
Need a video edit ?!
Cheers
Nice way to use your viewers, I like 45, 47 and 48, I’m not fond of the tilt shift effect…
25, 15, 47. These from somewhat of a series of the city from morning till night, from East River vantage point, from a downtown-ish to an uptown-ish view.
If these are the BEST ones what quality the worst ones have?
#4 – The rising sunlight hitting the tips of the buildings leads your eye all the way through the image.
#28 – The imbalance between Central Park and the buildings surrounding it along with uniformity of the buildings along Park Ave create pleasing lines.
#45 – I love the tones of the Chrysler Building and how the spire lines up with the edge of the building behind it.
NYC_42
NYC_41
NYC_50
NYC_15
NYC_01
Vincent,
Great idea for a post. I think editing is a fascinating and under-discussed topic among photogs. I have heard it said that photographers can be their own worst enemies as editors but it is a very subjective process as you mentioned. I have edited for other photogs on tight deadlines and really enjoy it. It can be as demanding as doing the actual shooting. So many factors have to be acknowledged – Will there be second line of editing? How will the images be used? How many/how big will they run? Am I competing against the wires or others (is it a ‘pool’ photo for that matter)? What kind of story do you need to tell/want to tell/are able to tell? and so on and so on…
My picks are 38, 43, 52
#38 has a great sky and clouds — nice even exposure — and the T/S effect is a little less pronounced which I prefer.
#43 is my favorite overall because it captures a great time of day and has all the elements of a nice aerial shot. You could not have improved it.
#50 I like this one because of the angle and the peaceful feeling you seem to have captured for a busy part of town. I prefer this one over the other similar pics because it is a tighter crop. [looking at the previous comments, #50 was a popular pic]
#7 would come in 4th by the way
I wanted to include #32 or 33 — and they are great photos — but they were just too disorienting for me. Ask me tomorrow and I might say the opposite!
Thanks for sharing this.
Andrew Reply:
July 8th, 2010 at 8:43 am
I mean ‘My picks are 38, 43, 50’
Hi Vincent,
Ever since I first saw your short film/video “Reverie” I’ve been hooked, I just your website.
My Favs are 4,43 and 45
25, 27, 42: To my eye, they’re the strongest images that are also decidedly in your style–which I think is defined by pulling back from the principle subject while still keeping the focus on it.
42 is incredible. Being able to see the base of the Chrysler Building and get a full sense of its relation to the space around it, makes it the strongest of that series of shots.
25 is a really solid shot compositionally, and the selective focus gives the content its poignancy–it’s more than an unusual way of seeing the scene.
27 is just a nice catch… Maybe it says more about your eye than it does the project itself. Maybe it doesn’t fit with the others. But… I like it!
#10 – Striking image with the unmistakable silhouette of the ESB.
#27 – Unusual viewpoint. Love the ‘puzzle’ feel and the lone bird in flight.
#42 – Really strong pull into the picture with the overhead view of the Chrysler.
15, 29, 42. Next time it will be great if you will post the setting used…
48 – jumps from the thumbnail – shape and colour bring it alive without dependence on knowledge that content is a city
31 – that big, clean L and little smudge of light on the fire lane; also a reminder that I like my town of 5000
28 – inviting/rewarding; slow down, let your eyes wander – would survive slicing off just above the horizon to kill those perfect-any-other-day clouds
Some truly wonderful images. Flying over NYC must be the experience of a life-time.
There are so many great images here, I think making a decision should be based purely on composition and colour. My choices are:
4 – This image is extremely powerful because it takes the largest city in the United States and turns it into a model-like scene via the tilt-shift. The rising sun puts extra emphasis on the primary building in focus, giving the viewer a place to start in the image. The view covers a vast portion of the city, and for that reason, this image is easily one the best.
15 – Another outstanding image, I’ve chosen this image because of the composition, lighting, and colour. The city “strip” through the middle of the image with the sky above and water below creates a calm 3-piece visual. The reflection on the water’s surface sets the starting point for view and I love the exposure. With blue (water) and orange (sun reflection) being complementary colours, this image has all the right qualities going for it. Absolutely fantastic. Large format print worthy, in fact.
29 – I’ve chosen this image as my third favorite because of the depiction of the NYC lifestyle. The park, a large green portion of the image, surrounded by urban expansion. It not only showcases New York City, but also a small direction of human life. The sun-lit portion on the left makes the image appear to be about that specific portion of the city. With the arch of the horizon and the strip of the streets up the middle, the composition again begins to display just how vast New York City really is. Love the greens and blues as well.
42 – Lastly, I’ve added this image because of the sheer power of it. Its such a wonderfully viewable image. Great composition, exposure, and colour. Almost abstract in a way, and because the view is from a location few will ever see in reality, it sets the stage of surrealism. The more I look at this image, the more I like it.
Just my two cents. Hope that helps.
15, 29, 41
From my point of view, 15, 44, and 50 are the best shots. 44 is perhapps a bit too classic (depending on what you client asked). In this case, I would suggest 31 as a replacement in the top3.
Plenty of nice shots, but maybe too much TS shots. I personally love TS shots, but something is these shots was that I was not that pleased.
Anyhow these are my pics
NYC_07.jpg
NYC_08.jpg
NYC_17.jpg
NYC_42.jpg
8, 25, 29
My picks would be 10, 15, 30. Nice work (as always)!
I think my top three are image #’s 4, 28, 36
4- As a resident of the UWS, I feel that the early morning is the best time to appreciate the city- Its quiet and you only have to share it with a fraction of the cyclist, joggers, delivery guys, doormen and deli owners, etc- This image I feel captures these tranquil moments
28- Love the juxtaposition of the delicate natural landscape of Central Park against the gritty urban grid. Plus the sunlight cutting across the city adds to the drama of the image
42- just gorgeous. a remarkable building captured in a way that hardly anyone gets to see.
I also like image #36 but not sure if this particular block has any meaning to you that would make it unique.
David Reply:
July 8th, 2010 at 10:32 am
@David,
Made a Mistake- Top three are 4, 28 and 42 36 is a backup
I’m loving:
7 – I’m a sucker for some wide angle especially on something that in reality are so straight and boring
24 – this a good medium for TS and by theory I should love 23 but I seem to focus on the blur more than on the focal point so I went with 24, fits my eye better
42 – seeing alot of people liking this, i think the thing that stands out here is the consistent almost white lights that cuts up the dark interior of the shot, and some slight wide angle love!
14,25,36
I like the theme of taking a great and powerful city and changing the perspective making it look almost a model set.
I’m interested in how you’re going to sort out the comments. Do you plan on doing it manually?
(25,42,48)
25-I had a hard time between this one and 26. I’m not a huge fan of the T-S effect but obviously you do it very well. 25 I think just showcases the city better. It’s undoctored and unbiased. It’s pretty and clean, but jagged and rusty.
42-Looking almost straight down, this photo seems to stand out beyond all the rest. Its metal like blue mimics and reproduces the feeling of the buildings out of frame. It’s industrial.
48-Simply for the colors. I love the angle as it almost looks like a gash in the city (and some new yorkers would describe it that way). It looks like a cut in the city oozing with color and light as it infects the surrounding area. If that’s a good or bad thing is up to you.
**Not knowing what the client is looking for specifically makes this more of a difficult task but I think these three showcase three different aspects of the city independently.
16, 43, 48
Thanks for sharing this, great idea!
I’ll go with 10, 29, and 50
Fantastic images. I can see why it was difficult. Here are my top 5, ranked in order.
#10 – This image wowed me. I had to come back and look a second time.
#42 – Another image that gave me a verbal response. It illustrates the magnitude of the city.
#41 – Tough call between this and #42. I ultimately ranked #42 higher because of the fact I had not seen this view before.
#15 – Gorgeous!
#25 – Another image that screams NYC.
42.
I personally am not a fan of the tilt shift look, although would like to see some shots with the plane tilted to extend the DoF.
42 is my fav
49 & 30 also great
7, 47 and 50 were my favorites.
I’m a big fan of 4, 17, 22. I like how you created isolation in each of them even though the scene has a wide girth.
Wow Vinnie, you were right. The the selections are all over the place. Here’s mine. 42,47,49.
Thank you Vincent for including us in this process, it’s a lot of fun and I’m very happy you’re doing more photography projects. Here are my favourite photographs.
NYC_04
NYC_10
NYC_31
NYC_41
NYC_43
I tried to pick the images of NY that I haven’t already seen done before. There were 8 that I liked. I’m not a huge fan of the TS shots, I feel that it’s too trendy and a little over-done right now. So the ones that I picked either had no TS or had it done in a way where it looked ‘natural’.
I picked:
NYC_15
NYC_25
NYC_48 (LOVE this one)
.drew.
I found myself looking at 3, 7, 13, 15, 25, 38, 48, 50 and 55.
I have narrowed this list to 15, 38 and 50.
#15 made me stop the first time through. The reflection and texture on the water are what stopped me.
#38 has so many things happening. The shape of the clouds is just interesting. The boats put some white of the clouds into the water.
#50 the X of Times Square is iconic. The bustle of NYC can be seen and felt without having the streaks of tail lights.
I choose #15, angle,sharp, composition #44 the contrast in architecture and I love this great building, #48 composition, Times Square, the center of it all.
4, 46, Times Square X shape.
4- the triangle of the three buildings.
46, the silver tower stands out.
Times Square X – unique. Never seen it that way before.
out of all the pictures I would have to choose
3 16 29
it was a hard choice between 3 and 4 but I went with three because 4 would need to be cropped imo to reduce the seemingly overwhelming amount of tiltshift focus on the bottom. 3 had just the right amount, was framed perfectly, and was balanced nicely by the stronger inclusion of the sky.
15 is an amazing shoreline shot of the city, but I went with 16 because of the tiltshift, the photo made me smile thinking about the city as if it was just a childs toy-set. The photo is also well balanced. You might ask if I liked 15, why not go with the tiltshifted version on 17. It really came down to that little bit of land on the lower left that 16 has, and the light reflections just made the tiltshift in 16 work all the better. 17 had fewer glints like that.
29 is simple to explain. I love vast photos, and the idea of taking them. 29 shows it all and makes me feel like I could actually fall into the photo.
29 is my top pick of the set as well.
Nice work as always. I personally liked NYC_38 and NYC_47 as my two clear favorites. I also liked 41 and 43, but in 43 the out of focus building with the lights in the middle foreground draws the eye a bit too much.
I can’t find 4 good ones here, try again 😛
J/K, 10, 15, 44 and 50 really pop for me.
Great set of images. Here’s my top 3:
15, 38, 42
15, 23, 45
I would pick number 32 if I was able to add a fourth, but I don’t think it was an image that identifies with New York specifically. The others would not be confused with different cities.
Top 3:
30, 45, 53
Seven more made it when I looked at the images closer but the ones that stood out even as thumbnails where my top 3.
31, 42 and 53.
I also started a thread on this at sportsshooter.com. You may find some votes over there, too. This was fun. Thanks!
15 like the whole overview, you get the city , the water , great light but not overpowering . Love 27,not sure what it is, doesn’t say NYC to me but great shot. and 47, like the line of the water curving around the city, the city nightlife just coming through with the lights and my favorite time of night. Others I like 7 for the perspective, 55 is just a good clean night shot and 28 shows the contrast of the overbuilt city and the greenspace.
NYC_10
NYC_15
NYC_42
Great pictures!!
3, 36, 42
The variation in scale is what attracts me to these 3 pictures. All of them are quintessentially New York but from such different angles and displaying different composures.
My favorites are 25, 27, 36, and 45. They bring something fresh to photography of NYC.
15, 38, and 47.
Thanks for giving us this opportunity.
Love the symmetry and composition of this one. The lighting is perfect.
Many, many iconic images of the city.
48 is probably my favorite of the whole bunch. I like the way the buildings cut into the lights on the street creating a zig-zag edge to the image.
30 is another unique look. You have two of the traffic. I like the chaos of this one.
10 a rather formulaic image but there is a reason these formulas work so well. Very impactful and who doesn’t like yellow?
Other’s that made my top few are: 30, 38, 42, and 47. 47 almost made my top 3.
I’ll admit I not a fan of the tilt-shift look on many of them.
16 – I like the perspectivve and use of tilt shift.
29 – I like the contrast of the two sides of the frame.
45 – Love the symmetry and composition of this one. The lighting is perfect.
15, 29, 50
4, 28, 46, 50
16, 42, 50
28
15
45-Because MJ came back to N.Y. in #45 (j/k)
‘J-dog
7, 30, 53.
Hi Vincent,
my favourites are 15 (actually I like 19 more but I don’t like the TS focus) and 38 (if you have a version without TS) and 42.
And some of the pictures from the colored boulevard (Broadway?) could take effect if one can see a greater resolution. At this resolution they look confusing to me.
I remember that I have seen some stunning TS shots from you before, but in this collection I don’t like any of the TS focussed pictures. To me it seems misplaced by this subjects. Sorry if the words are to hard, I am not a native english speaker.
But after reading the gizmodo article I found the link to your nytimes TS collection. There the TS shots are all really great. I like them so much that I am fond of trying it myself (unfortunatly the lenses are to expensive for me just for trying)
Hope to see some more of your stills work in the future
Ralph
16.
It’s the only skyline one with anything at scale I can relate to (and the blur on the foreground makes it read naturally); the others are cool but there are hundreds or thousands of shots just like them floating around.
There are some great images here – and maybe I’m going against the grain a bit – but I really like the lines / context provided in 31, 38, 47.
Image 4: Amazing how the mind interpret these shots as small scale models! Preferred over 3, less sky more city.
Image 45: What an amazing shot angle. Preferred over 46, like the way the antenna of the Chrysler building line up with the corner of the building in the back. More light also on that building.
Image 47: More classic. Like the dark blue of the water. Love the S of the road that leads the eye from left to right, top to bottom. How do you take these low light shots in a vibrating helicopter?
30 and 42.
15, 29, and 42 are my favs.
28 and 49 by far
15, 31, 36
Based on pure gut instint and emotional responce to the images.
#30- Is by far the strongest composition of the two car/street shots. #30 feels the most intimate and I feel more like I’m there, apart of the city.
#36 Is your strongest tilt shift shot out of all of them. The lighting is fantastic and just has an awesome feel to you. This one just pops out to me were as the others just didn’t really have much impact.
#46 Your strongest of the empire shots. I actually clicked on 45 first but after looking at the rest I felt this one was the strongest compositionally.(It doesn’t tangent with the background build like 45 did) To be honest this was the first photo I clicked on and probably my fav of the whole series. Awesome lighting and angle! So sweet!
Those are my top three.
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side note would be #50- If you were to pick one from the times square shots, this is your strongest of those in my oppion!
Hope this helps! Thanks for sharing!
28,31,48 three more numbers and you win the lottery. Cheers Vince
Prisch
17, 46, 51, with 48 as fourth. Love when Times Square light has blocks of darkness around it. Like the T/S with light on the river in 17
15, 42, 47, and 48
here from Greenland: I like 15, 45, 47 and 55
Comments based on feelings and your amazing technical skills.
NYC_07 Love the way the eye travel through the image – Large DOF help a lot.
NYC_29 I feel the density of NY without being oppressed
NYC_38 Surrealistic, at first sight you don’t realize it’s NY, Wow!
NYC_50 Love it because you’re so lucky to have access to this kind of shooting ! Perfect composition !
Thanks for sharing your work !
7, 10 and 45
15: Like the sharpness and colors of the sunset and river that the light provides. Its just a beautiful capture.
44: Having the Chrysler Bldg as the focal point with the window patterns in the buildings surrounding it makes a nice architectural contrast, and having the street in the right side of the frame makes it even more complete
55: As a non-NY’er, I appreciate seeing the entire skyline in sharp detail with nice soft lighting but what really makes this shot standout from the previous shot is the river reflection. Without it, it would just be another one of the 55 shots.
Hate the tilt-shift stuff. I can see using it to emphasize certain elements a the frame and blur potentially distracting elements, but why would you want to do that with a skyline like NYC’s?? Or maybe I am just not creative enough…but I still don’t like it.
8, 41, 50
Hello Vincent,
Hard to believe but I just came across your website and work for the first time this evening. You are amazing!
Enjoying the opportunity to comment on your NY shoot.
Honestly I think it’s pretty easy to narrow down to just three. Overall it doesn’t hold a candle to what I have seen on your site and maybe all of this is just raw that your showing.
Here are my pics.
45 Like the boldness of the way the Empire State building is centered.
15 Of this series of the shots, this is your best, the others make the city look to dreamy and toylike.
55 This is the best overall of the NY, simply looking at all those lights in the buildings and knowing there is at least one person in each room blows me away.
Thanks for the privilege to comment, look forward to following your career.
All the best,
Bill Mangum
10, 38, 42
Loved 25 and 50 as well.
4, 9, 10, 50, 41, 31!
#15:TSE Lens at their best
#38: Rich colors, little sail boat detail on an eyepopping background
#42: A rare birds eye view of the Chrysler
Vince:
55-brings back the memory of the first time I flew to NYC in 1975. In NH out tallest building is 10 stories or less. Like 15 also. Thanks, Ed
4, 15, and 50 work the best for me. The beam of sun spanning the frame on 4 hits the buildings perfectly. The light reflection from the trio of buildings across the water in 15 is stunning. The X shape of Times Square in a rainbow of light in 50 is a unique look at the equally unique landmark.
29, 38, 42.
You really love that tilt-shift lens, huh?
10: I love the silhouette!
15: The reflection from the sun works well here.
50: The tighter crop and angle makes this my favorite of the Times Square ones.
These are the photos that somehow resonated with me:
NYC_07.jpg
NYC_15.jpg
NYC_42.jpg
I think the “miniature effect” probably could have worked better had you had more light to work with 🙂
Tried to think about showing variety for an article, etc, not just which I liked…
Anyway, 10, 31, 49 and maybe 43
Cheers!
15, 21, 35 and 42 would be my choise.
I meant ‘choice’ …
20, 33, 42 A nice mix of city life and the sheer magnitude of the city helped my decide on this mix
27,42,45
4 nice overall shot
15 beautiful reflection
27 nice moment
31 nice structure not so balanced like 30 but for me feels better
45 the lines are coming together nicely
I respect your work very much and i am honored to comment your shots
27 most people don’t think about the docks of the city any more as a defining feature. these highlight them in an attractive pattern. love that seagull.
32 i recall seeing a picture of yours in the past of bryant park similar to this one. i liked that one a lot and thought this to give it an interesting literal twist of perspective.
38 the sky (whose extra rich contrast and darker tones i assume you achieved with a polarizer?), buildings, and sailboat come well together.
15, 42, and 50
The reason I chose those numbers is because I love the compositions and the lighting of those incredible pictures. I recently went to NYC and I took several pictures from the top of the empire state but I can see that aerial shots delivers more than what I’ve seen from just a top of a building. Your wide angle shots are just outstanding.
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4,19, and 45. Composure and lighting… 19 is evocative of the twin towers with the two shafts of light on the water.