We are in New York City, the greatest city in the world. On the schedule is fine dining, see a Broadway show, and engage in our favorite pastime.

Dumbo

We started by photographing Dumbo. It’s not the elephant but a neighborhood of Brooklyn, just over the Brooklyn Bridge. The specific location of choice is quite popular with instagrammers and has been used over and over again in movies. Because it is so popular we needed to get there early, aiming for just after sunrise. Luckily for us the weather turned drizzly. Why would this be lucky? Less people, of course. An added benefit is the roads would be damp, providing for cleaner looking roads and potential reflections.

We took the “F” subway to the “Jay Street” stop, now in the heart of Dumbo. Not too long ago this area was quite sketchy. But now it is part of the urban renewal of Brooklyn. We felt safe and walked casually down Washington Street on our way to its intersection with Water Street, the prime photographic location. About a block away, we stopped for a shot. There were no cars, virtually no people, and the road was a little damp. Perfect conditions for a good shoot.

If you look carefully, you can see the Empire State Building through the bottom portion of the bridge. How cool is that?

With the shot taken, it was now time to walk down the street to the prime location. As we arrived, we noticed a model (and her consort photographer and team) doing a photo shoot – right where we were going to set up. Since there were more of them than us, it looked like we had to share the spot with them. Instead of complaining about this, like most photographers would, I decided to crouch down next to the consort. I fired away as she sashayed back and forth. We lucked out big-time.

A good photograph is often being the right place at the right time.

When I saw the car parking with its headlights on, I got annoyed. But, in retrospect, I think I like the reflection of the lights on the damp road.

She certainly enhances the shot, don’t you think?

Pier 1

The far end of Pier 1 was our next stop, searching for the famous pilings shot, which looks back toward the city skyline. On the way we spotted one of the Brooklyn Bridge’s granite towers framed by a brick building and some trees.  It was now raining so the roads were wet.  I waited for a subject to walk by to complete the shot.

Unbeknownst to this woman, she was a perfect model for my shot.

We continued our trek to Pier 1 but got distracted again.  This time by some colorful chairs and the Manhattan skyline. It was still early and quite damp, leaving the chairs unoccupied. Click and onto the pilings shot. 

Even on a dreary day, the city is alive with color.

Finally, we reached our destination.

A long exposure of 20 seconds smoothed the water. You can see shadows of moving ships just past the pilings.

We finished our photo shoot in Dumbo with a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, back to Manhattan, to the subway, and to breakfast. It was quite difficult to take photos on the bridge as there were many tourists, joggers, and bicyclists constantly in our way. We did the best we could under these trying circumstances.

Even though there were too many people and the lighting less than optimal, I kinda like this shot.

We will have to revisit the bridge at sunrise when most people will still be sleeping.

That’s it from Dumbo. By the way, do you know what DUMBO stands for? Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass. Typical city planning and naming – boring.

Thanks for following along. And, remember, It’s all about the light!