Friday, August 6, 2010

A Few Images That Speak of Place

One theme that I stress when talking to folks about photography and travel is the "Icon" photograph.  This is a photo that immediately conjures up a place or event or memory; it can stand alone without text, and is a photo that you are proud of.  They're the photos that you print and possibly even frame and put on the wall.  In Japan, I took three icon photos - Cherry Blossoms in Tokyo, the Miyajima Island Floating Torii Gate and a Geisha in Kyoto. 

Even though I've been to New York numerous times (and lived there for almost 2 years), I'm always called back to Times Square at least once during each trip.  And to a ride on the Staten Island ferry.  This remained a calling during my trip to the TBEX conference in late June.  Of 193 photos I took during the long weekend (most of the time spent at the conference), I narrowed it down to 5 - four of Times Square and one of Lower Manhattan from the ferry - that speak of NYC. 


Taxis and Broadway Plays - what says NY more than that?
 

Plus crowds of people waiting until I said cross!


Speaking of taxis - one of my favorite subjects in NYC - here I tried to get to the essence - no need to show the entire cab - just enough to know what it is and then show motion. 


And then the layers - car, taxi, bicycle.


And finally, the Lower Manhattan skyline from the Staten Island Ferry with another ferry just about to dock.  Given that this photo was taken around 11 a.m. on  a warm, humid day, I was actually amazed that I could get a terrific shot without much in the way of post-processing adjustments.

Not sure whether any of these will make their way to my wall - but am pleased with all of them and getting 5 pretty darn good photos out of 193 is pretty darn good.

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