Category Archives: Photographs: New York City

The Lake, Autumn

The Lake, Autumn
Manhattan skyline reflected in the Lake on a hazy November day, Central Park.

The Lake, Autumn. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Manhattan skyline reflected in the Lake on a hazy November day, Central Park.

We went for a walk in Central Park on the first morning of our November visit to Manhattan. We planned to meet up with family later in the day, but we had free time and the park was only a couple of blocks away. Our New-York-resident (grown) “kids” have occasionally wondered why in the world we always visit the city in the dead of (freezing) winter or the (wilting heat and humidity of) summer — they have suggested a spring or fall visit. And they were right. The weather was pleasant and the fall colors were spectacular.

The body of water is “The Lake” — perhaps not the most creative name, but a lovely place just the same. It is surrounded by paths beneath hardwood trees, and those trees were in full autumn color. I made the photograph from a small bridge, placing a few of the towers of Manhattan between the trees so that they would reflect in the surface of the water.


G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Gatehouse, Reservoir, and Manhattan Skyline

Gatehouse, Reservoir, and Manhattan Skyline
Manhattan skyline, gatehouse building along the shore of the Jacquelyn Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, Central Park.

Gatehouse, Reservoir, and Manhattan Skyline. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Manhattan skyline, gatehouse building along the shore of the Jacquelyn Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, Central Park.

It was the final morning of our November visit to New York City, and we had a few hours to kill before checking out of the hotel and heading to the airport to catch our flight back to the West Coast. What to do? Given that Central Park was only a few blocks to the east, the answer seemed clear — take a (semi-random) walk! We headed to the park, where the fall colors were still on display, and gradually worked our way north(-ish) toward the reservoir. The photograph features one of the gatehouse buildings along the upper shoreline.

The bit of skyline visible on the right features a few of the super narrow buildings that are appearing in Manhattan. They are somewhat controversial, and there’s plenty to dislike about them. On the other hand, if you imagine this photograph without them and their reflections… you have to admit that in this case they are visually interesting.


G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Autumn Leaves, Brick Wall #2

Autumn Leaves, Brick Wall #2
A nearly bare tree with autumn leaves and a brick wall, High Line Park, Manhattan.

Autumn Leaves, Brick Wall #2. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A nearly bare tree with autumn leaves and a brick wall, High Line Park, Manhattan.

This photograph is another on the theme of end-of-autumn trees and brick walls — of course, in Manhattan. The previous photograph in this series featured a much starker contrast between the dark wall and three white tree trunks. This one is more subtle, with darker and thinner branches that don’t stand out as clearly. This tree has only a few remaining colorful leaves, and I suspect that they, too, were gone soon after I made the photograph.

We tend to think of Manhattan as a purely urban place — and that impression isn’t far off the mark in many ways. But there are bits of the natural world here and there, and sometimes I think that their scarcity and the contrast with the surrounding engineered world makes them more poignant. This photograph comes from our November walk along the High Line Park.


G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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Three Autumn Trees, Brick Wall

Three Autumn Trees, Brick Wall
Three white-trunk autumn trees in front of a brick wall at High Line Park, Manhattan.

Three Autumn Trees, Brick Wall. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Three white-trunk autumn trees in front of a brick wall at High Line Park, Manhattan.

On one of the days of our recent New York City trip we took a very long walk. We started at our hotel west of Central Park, roughly around the Natural History Museum, and headed south. Our first goal was the Hudson Yards complex, which we had not visited since it was under construction. Full of energy after a lunch stop there, we decided to keep going. We picked up the High Line Park walkway here and eventually ended up all the way down at the Whitney Museum.

The High Line Park is always fascinating. It is built on the right-of-way of the elevated railway that once ran along this side of Manhattan. I’m not aware of any park quite like it. In places it might be as narrow as a dozen feet wide, but its length makes up for what it lacks in width. Its elevated path takes you between buildings, across busy streets, underneath one hotel, and more. Along the walk there is plentiful vegetation – grasses, flowers, trees. The contrast between the regular form of the dark brick wall and the bright, fluid forms of these autumn tree trunks caught my eye.


G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | PostEmail

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.