Tag Archives: parade

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

Two Men, Fifth Avenue

Image Leave a comment
Two Men, Fifth Avenue
A pedestrian walks past a police officer standing in the sun.

Two Men, Fifth Avenue. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

A pedestrian walks past a police officer standing in the sun.

If you have been following along recently, you may recognize the return of a familiar character in this photograph, the police officer leaning against the sunny wall. This fellow was fascinating, though I don’t know quite what to make of what I observed. Most of the officers working this Manhattan parade were close to the crowd, moving about, and engaged. But this fellow did not move from this sunny spot while I was there. Several passers-by stopped and chatted him up, and it almost seemed like he knew them. But aside from that he mostly just leaned against the sun-warmed wall.

The other fellow was approaching from the right, and part of what originally caught my attention was the color of his jacket — which you’ll have to guess at, since it is now a monochrome photograph! Initially I thought that a photograph of just him would have been my preference, but I ended up liking the juxtaposition of his form with that of the cop. Beyond that you could probably read a whole range of stories and meanings into this one. Or not.

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.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question. (Click this post’s title first if you are viewing on the home page.)

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

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

Watching the Parade

Image Leave a comment
Watching the Parade
A figure in dark clothes waits behind baricades for the 2022 Manhattan “Columbus Day” parade to pass.

Watching the Parade. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

A figure in dark clothes waits behind baricades for the 2022 Manhattan “Columbus Day” parade to pass.

The light in urban areas is often special in different that what we find in the natural landscape. A feature in common among both types of landscape? The light matters. A feature that is different? The reflective surfaces in urban canyons reflect light in almost any direction to produce striking effects. Here we not only have some direct sunlight that backlights the main subject, but tons of reflected light creating fascinating patterns on the sidewalk and in the street.

A critique of this photograph could be, I suppose, that we cannot see the faces of the subjects. But in this case that is part of what makes it work. The central figure, dressed almost entirely in very dark colors, appears to be quite tall, an effect amplified by perspective and the smaller figures to the left. The person’s body language is fascinating, too, and I think I see a few parallels to that of the central figure in “The Scream” by Edvard Munch.

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.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question. (Click this post’s title first if you are viewing on the home page.)

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

I Choose Culture

Image Leave a comment
I Choose Culture
A man wearing a jacket with the “I Choose Culture” slogan watches that New York Columbus Day Parade pass by.

I Choose Culture. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

A man wearing a jacket with the “I Choose Culture” slogan watches the New York Columbus Day Parade.

After five days chasing New England autumn color, we spent a couple of nights in Manhattan. The photograph comes from a morning walk through midtown Manhattan before headed to the airport to fly back to the West Coast. This couple was up against the barricades, watching the “Columbus Day” parade up Fifth Avenue. In addition to the catchy phrase on the man’s jacket, the light was quite special, with reflections coming into the street from almost all directions.

Wandering along the parade route we got a look at a large cross section of the cultures on Manhattan. It is one of the most diverse places I’ve been, in almost every way — ethnically, locals and tourists, rich and poor, you name it. There’s even more political diversity than some would have you believe, with a fair number of rather conservative elements showing up and and in the parade. One surprise — Rudy Giuliani was standing at the front of one of the floats!

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.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question. (Click this post’s title first if you are viewing on the home page.)

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: Urban/Street

On The Beat

Image Leave a comment
On The Beat
A NYPD officer leans against a sunny wall during the 2022 “Columbus Day” parade.

On The Beat. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

NYPD officer leans against a sunny wall during the 2022 “Columbus Day” parade.

Back in early October, following our New England fall color expedition, we spent a couple of days in Manhattan. The main reason was to visit family — since we were already on the East Coast it seemed like we should do so. But it was also an excuse to spend a little more time in Manhattan, and during a more pleasant time of the year than our traditional August visits. The city felt more and more like it was coming back to life. There was a street fair outside our hotel when we arrived, and since the last day of our visit coincided with a national holiday there was a parade.

It was what New York apparently still calls the “Columbus Day” parade, though that problematic naming is sometimes combined with “Indigenous Peoples Day” and/ or “Italian Heritage Day.” New York politics are fascinating. I photographed this police officer during the parade, making several photographs as he hung out by this this sunny wall, alternately chatting up passers-by, watching the parade, and maybe just enjoying the warm sunlight.

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.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question. (Click this post’s title first if you are viewing on the home page.)

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