Photography trip to New York

Hi,

 

I'm not sure this is the right place to post my message, but maybe some

photo.net members can give me some advice. If the moderators think this is not

an appropiate question, please feel free to delete it.

 

I'm planning a trip to the US and would like to visit New York. Time of the

trip is still unclear, might be May or June. Duration of my stay will be

approximately 10 days. Can anyone give me any tips on places I shouldn't miss?

As this is my first trip to the US, I would like to portray NYC in all its

aspects. Not just the typical postcard views, but something that would

define 'New York City'. Also, are there any photography museums or photo

exhibitions that are worth visiting? I will be travelling with my wife, who is

a casual photographer, so I will need to combine photography with sight seeing.

 

Also, is there any limitation as to entering and leaving the US with camera

gear? I normally take 2 camera bodies and 2 to 3 lenses, plus a small flash.

Do you foresee any problems with customs? And if I decided to buy some gear in

NYC, would I need to declare it when leaving the country?

 

Thanks for any advise you can give me.

 

regards

 

Jan

I would advise renting a car and driving up through New York state, maybe up to Albany and then west to the finger lakes region. Kodak's founder George Eastman's mansion in Rochester has been turned into a very interesting photo museum. Or drive through Vermont or along the coast of New England to Rhode Island and Cape Cod. Or south to Washington DC and Virginia. Maybe a day in Greenwich Village section of NYC and one in Brooklyn.

Hello Jan...Do NOT miss either the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the Guggenheim Museum which are within a few blocks of each other on 5th Ave. near Central Park. Mike

Welcome to NYC!

 

There is no more photogenic city in the world.

 

There are great images everywhere.

 

Security is an issue, of course, you might consider contacting a photographer here and planning a photo trip together. Unfortunately, I'm not available.

 

An inconspicuous bag, masking tape around your camera, and someone to watch your back are helpful. Advanced street shooting techniques are in order. Shoot wide and get fairly close to people. Long telephotos are not always appreciated. Have another person with you to diffuse a situation, and be prepared to delete the images if someone objects. Watch for anyone following you.

 

Different neighborhoods yield different results. For faces try Chinatown and the subway. For people in the streets try Wall St. and Midtown. For real life, go Uptown.

 

The parks are great, again, be careful. There are parks around most of the city and under many bridges.

 

There are always good photo exhibition on, but check the price of admission.

 

For quintessental NYC shots, you've got Central Park, the ice skating rinks, Rockefeller Plaza, Grand Central Terminal, and of course, the South St. Seaport.

 

There are many neighborhoods and things to see. I like to plan my trips. You might start with a bus tour and then return to some of the places that looked good.

 

There's so much there. You can walk around with the camera in front of your face and just keep shooting. A lot of walking is key. But discreet cameras, a point and shoot, can work well too. I even have a right angle lens attachment that lets me shoot to the side, but I wouldn't use that in NYC, I used it in Italy.

 

I wonder if anyone has written a photographic guide to NYC? It's really quite broad and every photographer likes different stuff. I trust you'll find yours!

 

Have a good time, and good luck!

Jan -

 

I am jealous, I lived in Manhattan for a while and I miss it...

 

Here are my quick thoughts:

 

- Don't get on a tour bus, waste of money and time.

 

- You'll easily find the typical sights and shots (e.g. Central Park, Times Sq., Grand Central, etc), buy any NYC guide book.

 

- Be sure to go to some more remote, or less touristy areas (e.g. east village, tribeca, chinatown).

 

- Be sure to shoot some subway station shots (this was "outlawed") but I don't think it is remotely being enforced.

 

- Spend a lot of time below 14th street.

 

- Look into some walking tours (http://www.bigonion.com/)

 

- Go to Brooklyn.

 

Enjoy...

"Be prepared to delete the images if someone objects." I will be using film, so should I pack a pair of scissors and cut my film if someone objects? Just kidding. Keep the suggestions coming.

 

thanks

The reason I mentioned a bus trip is that tourists often overlook Harlem and uptown in general. Not suprising. But a lot of buses swing through Harlem, and that's where I've been hanging out lately.

 

For a life changing experiance, come on up to the South Bronx on Sunday and attend my friend's church, here:

 

http://www.thebiblechurchofchrist.org/

 

The place wails and you can really open your heart and let go!

No, not sissors, but you can flip open the back of your camera and loose a few shots. That will cool a person out. There are quite a few people who don't want to be photographed, but if you plead yourself as a European tourist and have a card with an email address on it where they can contact you for a free print, it helps. Note the roll and frame number on it.

 

I'm excited for you. I wish I had the time to walk and shoot. Right now, I live 50 mi from the City, so I can just run in and check out the museums. I'm determined to see every museum I've never noticed, and I'm doing pretty good. I have until June, when I'll move away forever. Breaks my heart.

 

Hve fun!

I try to spend a week photographing New York every couple of years. In many ways its the most interesting city in the world with a camera- better than Paris, certainly better than London in my view. Further you can integrate photography and sightseeing virtually seamlessly

 

I don't know what your preconceptions are, but having worked in colour and b&w I find the latter much more satisfying. NYC is a very textural place and its possible to get some really gritty photos there. An exception might be skyline views of which the best IMO -and I've tried a few- are from Exchange Place at sunset( access via PATH train from WTC station and from Brooklyn Heights Promenade at dawn.

 

I rarely carry a tripod in NYC- going equipped with a MF rangefinder and 400ISO film. Sure there's places it would help, but as in many cities it does risk creating hassle round certain private "Landmark" buildings and will inhibit your ability to photograph in places like the Chrysler lobby; Grand Central Terminal, in the museums, and may even be an issue in Central Park.

 

Security -wise I don't feel threatened in NYC in Manhattan and in most sreas in Brooklyn I've visited. It looks gritty, as do some of the people you'll see on the Metro, but in general just behave sensibly like you would anywhere else.

 

You don't have to worry about US customs -outside the long lines when you arrive anyway. If you buy in the US your own Customs people may well show an interest when you get home and could have the ability to access info on where an item was sold by serial number.

 

The list of places to photograph is virtually endless, but here's a "stream of consciousness" approach to it.

 

Walk across Brooklyn Bridge; Coney Island;Soho; Walking tours (look at Zerve as well as Big Onion") Brownstones round Chelsea and Bleeker Street. Lower East side. The park under the east end of Brooklyn Bridge. A view from the top ( either Rockerfeller Centre -smaller queues or Empire State-higher) but also from the bar on the 35th? floor of the Mandarin Oriental at Columbus Circle. Much of Central Park ( think the ice rinks might be a bit soggy in May/June).Liberty. Boat trip across Hudson to Jersey side and views back to Manhattan. What's left of the Meat Packing District; photographing inside the MOMA and Museum of Natural History; The promendaes round the waterside at the lower end of Manhattan; Chinatown early enough in the day to avoid it when its busy.

I've never had anyone object to being photographed in years of shooting in NYC. I've never been threatened or felt any need to disguise my cameras or camera bag, even at 2AM. I have been asked several times to delete photos, always in stores. Ride the subway out to Brooklyn and the PATH out to Hoboken and Jersey City, short rides and different urban environments than Manhattan. In Manhattan, try the Lower East Side, Clinton Street for example, for some of what little original character is left. The parks are always full, Harlem is interesting. The bus out to the Bronx Zoo is worth the ride.

 

Ride the subways - they are very safe and can get you around quickly.

 

For museums and galleries, there's quite a few. There's a gallery guide that you can find that has current shows.

i also suggets you go out of the city. i live 90 miles north in ulster county. you can get here by bus or train. there are beautiful mountains, streams, and lovely scenery if you get tired of the city.

 

i return from asia in late may. drop me an e mail if/when you are in town.

 

eddie

Charles Stobbs talks in his post about renting a car to see sights outside of NYC. I agree with his advice in general but want to make clear that I think you should save your money and not rent a car for travel within NYC. New Yorkers (and I'm one of them) walk and take public transportation. For what you want to do then I would advise against using a rental car within NYC because of the heavy traffic and major parking hassles (public garages are very expensive).

I am a New Yorker. Went to school here, live here, I go to work here and probably die here. (If I can find a good reason to move to Tuscany Italy before I die)

 

Since New York City is the most photography city in the world you cannot help getting postcard photos. I would say something that would define 'New York City' is it?s people, the diversity of the people that live here. So I would be prepared to do some street photography if you are looking for your define ?New York City? photos.

 

Everyone has given you good recommendation and mine is a recent find. It is Top of the Rock. Rockefeller Center?s observation roof. I think it has far better views than the top of the Empire State Building, which you will probably visit.

 

What makes the Top of the Rock a good place to photography from, is the top floor is open. No fence to block your view like the Empire State Building and you can get in you New York City skyline photographs of the Empire State Building in it. Another good thing is the ledges are wide enough to use a table tripod for night time photography. A word of warning it is expensive visit like $17 per person but you can stay also long as you like. If you do it make sure the weather is good.

 

Your wife and you enjoy yourself while in New York City, because it is a visually treat to photograph.

 

Bill

What I meant when I mentioned the church, was not photographic, it's that there's a lot to see in NYC, even beyond photography. In churches, you'll find that the services and the choirs are top top notch. There's also the ongoing lecture series at the 92nd St. YMCA which is quite eventful. And as far as legitimate theater goes, look beyond Broadway, to what's called off- and off-off Broadway. Have fun !!!

Be careful with your gear!

 

The neighborhoods change character very quickly, which makes it easy to find yourself in a rough area where it's unwise to flash a load of expensive camera equipment.

 

Never hang a camera bag (or purse) on the back of the chair in a restaurants. There are a lot of professional thieves that work crowded restaurants, and they'll be long gone before you notice that your bag is missing. (I worked for years in restaurant management, and this kind of loss was a real headache - it kind of ruins the dining experience.)

 

Nice time to be there, however. June may begin to get hot, but May can be glorious. The summer season begins at Memorial Day, the end of May; before that, every open space in the city - especially Central Park - will be packed with NYers itching to get out in the sunshine.

 

Might be fun to focus on transitional neighborhoods. Discover where young artists are living - this year...

David asked what my preconceptions are about New York. Well, I actually try not to have any preconceptions when I travel, I think it is important to have an open mind. Of course, there are images that come to mind, especially black and white pictures of skyscrapers, the famous yellow cabs, Central Park, Brooklyn, etc. anything I might have seen in photography books and in movies.

 

I know people who will research an area before they visit, carefully planning their time and trying to reproduce every view they've seen on the postcards. I try to take the opposite approach: I make a shortlist of things not to miss (for which all of you have given me plenty of options), but then wander off the typical tourist trails.

 

Thanks for the warnings about thieves. I have travelled around Europe and also in Northern Africa and have gotten into a habit of constantly watching my back. I've wandered off into rather conflictive neighbourhoods in Paris and London, but common sense is key. I will certainly take your advise and not take a big tripod or very expensive equipment.

 

As for the issue of driving in NYC, I wasn't planning on doing so. Anyway, I'd rather take a bus or cab and move around like the locals do. By the way, how about cab fares? Are they expensive?

 

Again, thanks a lot for every one who posted, your suggestions and recommendations far exceed what I was expecting.

 

regards

 

Jan

Ride the subways. Much more interesting than the bus rides. Cab fares tend to be high. And you sure don't want a car in the city.

 

I think the warnings about thieves are over-stated. Sure, people get robbed, but no more than any other big city, maybe even less. Just be aware of your surroundings. I've never been robbed, or even threatened with robbery in NYC, regardless of how much equipment I'm carrying, and I have been in plenty of "dodgy" areas.

The good things about cabs and busses is that they run above ground. See something interesting, get off.

If you purchase "gear" to take back, you and the airlines would have to figure out the "weight" factor. Each airline seems to be gaining ground on charging extra $$$$s for any pound or fraction thereof over the 'allowed' baggage weight on air travel. (It seems to have started over in the EU and is gaining ground in the States.)

 

 

 

As far as customs goes, you might want to check with the U.S. embassy in your country. There may be a listing form for you to complete that would make you the legal owner/user of any equipment "in hand" before entering the U.S.A.

 

 

 

 

Going through the E.U. tax authorities is something you would have to deal with upon arriving back home.

The good things about subways is that they are ripe for shooting. Cabs and buses tend to go up main avenues where there isn't anything that exciting to get off and see.

What can one shoot on a train that one cannot shoot on a bus? In addition, in the day one will have better and more natural light for color film. ;*)

Once you see how cheaply you can buy a weeks pass for unlimited Metro rides ($24 I think) and you see how long surface travel takes and how much the cab fares cost as a result, you'll resolve this debate easily. Mind, Stephen's point about photography on the buses is a good one- you've got so much more time to take your pictures whilst you're sitting in the traffic!

BTW, my GF and I rented a car for a week in July 2001 after I was in NJ for some meetings were done. There was only slight congestion (similar to Lincoln Park, Chicago where I have lived) or parking problems at meters, maybe because we didn't drive during rush hour (?). We drove everywhere, from Battery Park to the Cloisters. I've been to NYC many times, and the subway works extremely well, but I prefer the sights and smells above ground.

I have a couple of older sites with photos from NYC <a href="http://www.spirer.com/NY2004/">here</a> and <a href="http://www.spirer.com/newyork/">here.</a> Might be worth taking a look. As a former native, it's a little bit different when I'm there, but hopefully this will give you some ideas.

I might also add; NYC is great for grazing (eating) ethnic food, after Singapore, HK, and SE Asian hawkers, whose portions are smaller and much cheaper.