Tag Archives: new york

Photographs: New York City, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Food Cart, Fifth Avenue

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Food Cart, Fifth Avenue
A food cart vendor on 5th Avenue, near Central Park, Manhattan.

Food Cart, Fifth Avenue. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

A food cart vendor on 5th Avenue, near Central Park, Manhattan.

This photograph comes from the second of our two recent visits to Manhattan, this one about a week into the month of October. The previous visit was in August. (I can just hear the New Yorkers: “What!! You went to New York City in August? Are you nuts?”) Let’s just say that the weather on the first trip was different than on the second. In October it was quite pleasant, and there was a hint of autumn. Things seemed to be slowing a bit, and the light was different. In fact, in the urban canyons of Manhattan, the later sunrise meant that many places were still in shadow later in the day, including this street corner along the east side of Central Park.

We were staying a few blocks west of Central Park, and on this morning we went out for a walk through the park. I came upon this food cart when we reached the far side of Fifth Avenue. Two things catch my attention about this cart. First, it sure isn’t very busy! Second, because of those shadows the cart’s lights almost make it look like evening. It also occurs to me that something about the colors of light and shadow and the empty streets creates a sort of autumnal feeling.

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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Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: New York City, Photographs: Urban/Street

Upper West Side

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Upper West Side
Steps leading to residences on the Upper West Side, Manhattan

Upper West Side. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Steps leading to residences on the Upper West Side, Manhattan

Recently I’ve been sharing a steady stream of landscape photographs, most of which came from trips to photograph fall color on the east and west coasts. We were in the East twice in recent months, and both times took us to somewhat more rural areas of New England — southern Vermont in August and New Hampshire (and a bit more Vermont) in October. But both times we include some time in New York City. That lengthy introduction is all by way of warning you that there’s some Manhattan urban and street photography coming up!

I start gently with this photograph, one that you might even think of as a sort of “urban landscape.” We often stay at a place on the Upper West Side, a bit west of the Natural History Museum, since it is outside of the busiest parts of Manhattan, provides good subway access, and is closer to some folks in Northern Manhattan and the Bronx. We walk a lot while we’re there, and I photographed these steps in the neighborhood on one of those walks. The line-up of the steps intrigues me, but I also like the unusual palette of colors.

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.

Photographs: New York City, Photographs: People, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Flag Vendor, Manhattan

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Flag Vendor, Manhattan
A flag vendor at the 2022 New York City “Columbus Day” Parade.

Flag Vendor, Manhattan. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

A flag vendor at the 2022 New York City “Columbus Day” Parade.

This photograph comes from a midday walk through part of the vast and vibrant cultural smorgasbord that is New York City. There was a time when I imagined that this place would not interest this landscape guy from California. But I was very, very wrong about that. I love New York City, in part because of the contrast with other places I know so well. But it is simply an exciting place with no end of things to see, places to eat, spots to hang out, cultures to experience.. On this October morning we went for a walk from our Upper West Side hotel, crossed Central Park to the Upper East Side, then wandered south until we encountered the Columbus Day Parade, where I photographed this sidewalk vendor.

I’m often surprised and discouraged when I encounter Americans who are fearful to the point or irrationality that they might encounter someone not quite like themselves, and that this might endanger or harm them. So often, it seems, the most fearful people have the least experience around these “others.” I’ve also visited some of the locations with high percentages of Americans who fear immigrants and people of color… and for the most part they are places where the likelihood of actually encountering those folks is low to nearly nonexistent. Why is it that the most fearful people are in those places, while in places where multicultural America is at its most diverse and vibrant this is largely not the case?

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 | Twitter | Flickr | Facebook | Email

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.

Photographs: New York City, Photographs: Urban/Street

Free Beans

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Free Beans
A very worn, largely illegible, and graffiti-covere sign on a Manhattan business.

Free Beans. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

A very worn, largely illegible, and graffiti-covered sign on a Manhattan business.

We don’t know if they are good beans, but at least they are free, or so we are led to believe. This window, made opaque, was under scaffolding that covered a sidewalk next to the building in Manhattan. Such scaffolding seems ubiquitous to me. I can’t vouch for this, but I was told by someone who should know about such things that the scaffolding contractors like to leave the stuff up since it is less expensive than moving it and warehousing it!

This kind of forgotten urban detritus fascinates me. At some point in the past, someone must have put some thought into the signage, determining which colors to use, what size fonts to use for different text, and aligning those yellow lines that divide it into sections. But neglect, weather, and graffiti have done their work, and today it is hard to even figure out what the sign is about.

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 | Twitter | Flickr | Facebook | Email

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.