Tag Archives: state

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

Masked Women

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Masked Women
Two masked women in conversation during the December 2021 Omicron surge, Manhattan

Masked Women. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Two masked women in conversation during the December 2021 Omicron surge, Manhattan

Back in mid-December the pandemic surged again with the arrival of the omicron variant in the United States. Just when we (at least those of use who are triple-vaccinated) thought things were beginning to ease up, case numbers skyrocketed. We had made plans for a holiday visit to New York City, and as we watched the evolving news stories we wondered whether or not to go. In the end, while the “right” answer remained unclear, we decided to take extra precautions and continue with our plans… and embarked on a weeklong visit just before Christmas.

We love New York. We like the crowds and the energy, dropping into restaurants, visiting museums, walking through the parks, and all the rest of the Manhattan experience. It helps that two of our “kids” and their spouses live there. (They were our main reason for the trip.) Beginning with the carefully masked airline travel, much of this trip was unlike any New York visit we’ve made in the past. By the time we arrived, the city was in the grip of the omicron surge. The streets (at least by Manhattan standards) were nearly empty. The few restaurant meals we indulged in were at cold outdoor tables. Almost everyone was masked. These two women are perhaps emblematic of the experience — outdoors on a cold winter day, sitting masked in the open air on a bench for a few moments of conversation.

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

Woman in Crosswalk

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Woman in Crosswalk
A woman with a walker sets out to cross Broadway in Manhattan.

Woman in Crosswalk. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A woman with a walker sets out to cross Broadway in Manhattan.

After not going to New York City for two years during the pandemic, we had made plans to visit once again during the holidays. It seemed safe enough when we made the plans a few months ago, but as the departure date approached the Omicron virus took off and created a worrying spike in infections. We contemplated cancelling the trip, but in the end we decided to go and take exceptional precautions. This was not the sort of New York visit we would normally do. We like to travel around on the subway, cram into crowded restaurants, visit museums, go to concerts… none of which we did on this trip. We masked up consistently, tested daily, and limited ourselves to visits with our “kids” and their spouses.

All of this was not conducive to New York street photography, but I did manage to get out a couple of times with a camera. The city was strange, with everyone wearing masks, most dining done outdoors, and nearly deserted streets. I photographed this woman as she was about to head across Broadway on the Upper West Side.

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

Criminal Courts Building

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Criminal Courts Building
“Criminal Courts Building” — North Entrance, Criminal Courts Building, Manhattan.

This photograph comes from the same winter walk from Midtown to Lower Manhattan that I wrote about in another recent post. It was a somewhat unusual photographic walk, in that we had a specific appointment to make in Lower Manhattan just after sunset. With that in mind we were less able to follow our noses on this walk, and rather than pausing too much or taking little side journeys along the way, we progressed at a fairly regular rate to the south. This meant that I rarely had time to pause long to make photographs, aside from the occasional street light, so most of the photographs were made quickly, and I had only a short time to work any of the subjects. (In fact, we moved fast enough that I often did not have time to even take careful note of what I was photographing.)

As we passed this impressive Art Deco building in Lower Manhattan, the combination of angular stone faced, blue-toned evening light, and the contrasting warm yellow tones of interior light caught my attention. I was working quickly and using a fixed-focal length lens, so my compositional options were limited. I couldn’t photograph the entirety o the building, so I focused on this entrance area. It occurred to me later how profoundly the appearance of this scene is affected by light — a daytime photograph here would not be particularly dramatic, but there’s something a bit oppressive about the quality in this light.

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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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

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

Shadow and Wall

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Shadow and Wall
“Shadow and Wall” — The ephemeral shadow of a passing figure on a wall in Manhattan.

One evening in Manhattan, we were out for a walk along the high Line Park. As always, I was carrying a camera. (Yes, I think I drive my family crazy that way.) I’ve been there a number of times, and I’m usually intrigued by the buildings that line this park — their textures, their windows and rooftops, the glimpses of what goes on in them as the life of the park moves past. I think I was trying to think of a way to photograph the texture of this concrete wall when I came upon this bit of light coming across the walkway and casting shadows.

It is hard to recall too many more specifics of the scene, though I have a series of perhaps a half dozen or more photographs, made as various people moved through the lower part of the scene or, more accurately, their vague shadows moved through the scene. When people ask what sort of camera I carry to places like this, my answer is that it is usually a small camera equipped with small prime lenses. This photograph perhaps illustrates why that is. I can always have such a camera with me, I can use it quickly and without much fuss, and it even works in very low light.

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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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.