Skyline

New York: Long Island City, Queens

Inspiration: Located in the borough of Queens, Long Island City is a large area with about ten different neighborhoods, tons of great restaurants and art galleries and a fantastic view of Manhattan. I drove to the park from where I took this photograph, but one can easily get there from Manhattan by water taxi. As for the photo, I decided to make the sky the focus while de-emphasizing the skyline a bit. As majestic as the New York cityscape is, sometimes nature puts on a better show.  In order to do this, I used my 24mm F1.4 lens, which is the widest prime lens I own. I rarely use it because I prefer, as far as wide angled lenses go and for the type of photography that I do, the 35mm F1.4.  The very wide angle of the 24mm makes the buildings on the edge of the photo resemble the leaning tower of Pisa. In order to correct this, I probably need a tilt & shift lens. But I kind of like the effect. 

Comments

[Antonio Barros]

Amazing view! At my last trip to NY I stayed at very high building at the 42nd street, close to the pier. The view from the rooftop was amazing too! I did one picture with the Lomo and I took it to print last week here in Sao Paulo... NYC looks so pretty in my print!
I agree with you, I like the effect of the 24mm.

[Biana]

I love the effect too! What a great photo. The focus on the sky works really great here. The composition amazing :)

[Jacqueline]

Gorgeous. And may I ask -- you shoot with Canon right? What is this 35/1.2 lens -- is it Canon? I thought they only had 35/2 and 35/1.4 L. I'm so very intrigued by this 1.2 aspect. :)

[annawithlove]

Great shot! Love it.
www.annawithlove.com

[The Photodiarist]

Antonio: Glad to see you back. It's been a while. Hopefully you will post a copy of the print for us to see.

Biana: Thanks. Isn't the sky stunning?

Jacqueline: My mistake. I also shoot with an 85mm 1.2 and so I mix them up sometimes. My 35mm has a 1.4F stop.

Anna: Thank you.

[charles]

WOW!

thank you.

[Ninjagaiden78]

This is a great picture, as usual.

windowshopz.com

[Alex York]

I love this picture, it amazing :)

[the nyanzi report]

a couple of months ago, you shot the brooklyn bridge from the front window of your car and then shot a couple of skyscrappers through a water patch. those two pictures really stand out in my mind and i wouldn't mind paying a substantial amount to have them on my wall.

now you come up with this! that makes it three.
i'm serious about creating a space to hang the collection at my house.

incredible!

[Lisa]

wow so cool!

[Carole]

cool lenses you own! i love this photo, especially the sky. and i love when you talk technique.

[Alice Olive]

WOW. This is so dramatic! I love your composition - the sky is indeed amazing!

[Nicholas Leong]

Love the shot. And I always loved distortion on buildings created by wide angle lenses :P

[Marilynka]

this is a beautiful photo of the skylines, I love the way you captured the sky also ^^

[nathalia]

awww .. everytime I look at you pictures it makes me think of how wonderful NYC is... thanks for sharing your work! I love the sky, it looks like a painting!
Viaggio della Farfalla
The Key Item

[Arild]

Very nice!

[Em!]

oh,thanks!
love your work, great photos everywhere

[jill]

Love this shot, and the bridge (more about that later): we were talking lenses yesterday (Shini, Kit, Jen): I don't even know my lens's 'name'! I tend to stick with one and ignore the other, which is a wide angled/zoom, for the same reason: I don't like the distortion inwards - generally - but in this case it's what makes it a good shot.

I've got used to stepping back to get shots (compared to my film Pentax) but the whole purpose of the lens I use (and I think it's only 1.8, I don't have the short depth of field you get) is to get as close to the feel of my Pentax as possible.

Anyway - yes - to answer your question, why were we laughing: I was taking a shot of someone, Shini maybe, and Jen said she figured out why I was in such (alleged) good shape. Apparently I squat when I shoot people. I never noticed that but later, when the light turned so misty and it was so lovely to shoot.. it was like my jump photos, I asked them to squat and hey, presto, they did. I can't explain but it was hilarious at the time.

WISH YOU WERE THERE PD!! x

[davidikus]

That is very nice! Very good to see you diversifying.

http://davidikus.blogspot.com/

[davidikus]

PS. The tilt & shift lens would not be of much help in that case. A photoshop plug-in would.

[The Photodiarist]

@ Davidikus: Thanks. Maybe you might want to diversify too:-) and take some photos of more people (LOL).

P.S. Unfortunately, I don't use photoshop, so a plug-in doesn't help either.

[Ann M.]

Absolutely gorgeous!

[nora]

wow... i haven't been keeping up w/ your blog lately but once i'm in... i can't stop saying wow! i love your new experimentations! esp. this one... the angle of the shot and how you compose the buildings w/ the sky... so minimal and so dramatic at same time... love this shot a lot! :)

[Li]

i like the slightly distort sky image as well. when did you take this? sunday sunset was so gorgeous, i took a bunch of pics of the sky as well ... the sky shades can be a wonderful source as color palette ...xx

[Journey Photographic]

What a wonderful skyline, and a wonderful sky. Great shot.

[Enrique]

This is so inviting. The open or white space leaves a feeling of calm. If I could afford it, I would have this blown up for my future den. Better than a corner office, really. Is this a subtle invitation extended to me to visit you in NYC?

[Charm]

the clouds are seemingly serene as well as mysterious. and i rather enjoy the tilted effect of the buildings. it makes the sky more panoramic. or maybe i'm just mumbling. either way, this is another photograph i would frame. simply beautiful.

[Alexandra]

I step away from your blog for a few days and I've missed a lot!

This is different from your norm, but stunning. I love it.