Month: March 2017

A Visit to the One World Trade Center Observatory

Standard Admission to the One World Observatory is $37 dollars per adult if you buy the tickets inside at the window. Keep in mind that the lines are always long and you’ll have to go through a security screening process. You’ll be required to remove any jackets, bags, belts, phones, and electronics and place them in a bin to be scanned while you step through a metal detector.

Once that’s done, you’ll walk along a tunnel-like corridor lined with presentation screens that display short movies about One WTC and Ground Zero. This corridor eventually leads to the elevators.

Once inside an elevator, you’ll find that the elevator walls are actually screens that show an animation of how New York City has changed over the decades. This is done in a way that gives you the sensation of rising above the city while it builds up below you. The elevator ride ends with a depiction of the construction of One WTC itself as you see steel beams assemble overhead.

Interactive elevator ride. Be sure to hit ‘record’ on your phone!

You’re then brought into a theater-like area and treated to a movie projected onto a large wall showing all sorts of scenes from around NYC.

Movie time! Great scenes of everyday life from around New York City.

When the presentation ends, the wall itself lifts up revealing huge windows and a taste of the amazing views that One WTC offers.

The big reveal! The movie wall lifts up, showing the actual city.

After a brief orientation from one of the staff members, you’re given the chance to take in the views of the city via One WTC’s two-level observatory.

Through the large windows you can see many landmarks including the Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, and the Empire State Building.

The Manhattan Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge are among many of the landmarks you can see.

You have as much time as you want in the Observatory. There’s even a cafe that serves coffee, tea, pastries, sandwiches, and so on. So relax, hang out, enjoy the views – and take lots of pictures.

Whether you’re visiting New York City or are a long-time New Yorker, I highly recommend visiting. All of the presentations were excellent, the staff was very friendly, and the overall experience was inspiring and uplifting with a very positive statement about New York and the city’s resiliency.

Photos in this story taken with an Olympus EM-10, Panasonic 25mm f1.7 and the Olympus 14-42RII kit lens.

Beginning Photography Cheaply

So you want your very first “real camera” — you want a DSLR. You’re ready to step up from your point-and-shoot or smartphone. But you’re not sure what you should buy to get started, and you don’t want to spend too much money as a beginner. Here’s my advice:

Buy Used

There are some people that will scoff at the idea of buying anything used, but it’s extremely common in the photography world to buy used gear. Photographers are constantly selling their equipment for various reasons. Sometimes a photographer doesn’t use a camera or lens as much as they thought they would. Or maybe they are selling off equipment to buy something more expensive. Whatever the case, the used photography gear market is thriving and you’re sure to find whatever you want at a discount. It’s true that there’s always a risk that some used gear may be in bad shape or may not function properly, so use a reputable source like KEH or Amazon (both have generous and easy return policies) and you’ll be fine. You can also try ordering refurbished equipment directly from the manufacturer.

I personally rarely buy any of my equipment new; nearly every piece of gear I have was bought used. Many of my cameras and lenses are very old.

Buy a Nikon

For a beginner, choosing between Canon and Nikon is often an agonizing decision, so I’m going to make it easy for you: just buy a Nikon. Okay, I’m a Nikon fan, it’s true. But they really are great cameras, and any Nikon DSLR made after 2011 is going to give you very high-quality images. And when compared with similar cameras from Canon, Nikon cameras usually have more megapixels and better sensors.

Buy One Lens

When you’re shopping for your used Nikon, keep in mind that it’s likely just the body you’re buying. You’ll also need to buy a lens. But don’t buy a bunch of lenses. As a beginner photographer, you’re going to be figuring out your style and what you like to shoot. Get one general-purpose lens and stick with that for a while.

My Specific Recommendation

Buy a used Nikon D3300 and a 35mm f1.8G DX lens. The Nikon D3300 is a very good camera, with excellent image quality. It’s also small and light, which means you’ll be more likely to throw it in a bag and bring it with you everywhere.

The 35mm f1.8G DX lens is a great all-around lens. It’s inexpensive, very sharp, focuses quickly, and it’s small. It’s also good for low-light situations, such as night photography or taking pictures of your friends in dimly lit bars. The lens is also good for people shots since it will give you that nice “blurred background” look when you take a picture of someone’s face. Also, it can focus very closely on objects — great for food shots, for example. And you won’t have to buy anything else for a while.

Good luck getting started on your photographic journey, and if you have any questions feel free to e-mail me, message me on Instagram, or leave a comment below.

New York City Skyline as Seen From a Rooftop Bar

This view is from the Press Lounge, at the top of the Ink Hotel. Very nice spot, and I feel it has some of the better views of the city. The staff is also extremely nice and professional, which is always a plus. Expect to pay around $17 for a glass of whiskey, however.

Taken with a Lumix GX1 and Panasonic 20mm f1.7 lens.

View of part of the New York City Skyline from Pier I

Pier I (West 70th street) is one of my favorite places to hang out at in the summer. You’re treated to a very nice view of part of the skyline. Facing the other way, you can see the New Jersey skyline, which is actually very beautiful as the sun sets over it. It’s also relaxing to just sit or stand there and watch the sailboats and jet skis go by.

In addition, there’s an outdoor cafe there that sells booze. Great place to take a date on a nice summer night.

It’s next to the West Side Path, so watch out for bikers when you’re heading home after a few drinks.

Photo was taken with an Olympus OMD-EM10 and the Panasonic 14mm f2.5 lens.

Empire State Building as seen from Long Island City

This is a shot of the Empire State Building as seen from the pier in Long Island City. The building is lit up in the colors of the New York Mets baseball team. Taken with a Nikon D5100 and the 35mm f1.8 DX lens.

View of the New York City Skyline from the Millenium Hotel

I took this photo years ago, in 2010 I believe. I used a little Canon point & shoot camera, pressed against the window of the hotel room. Recently I found this photo in my archive and used Photoshop to bring out the colors and sharpness, as well as reduce the noise.

I am not one of those photographers who will tell you “the camera doesn’t matter!” because it certainly does. However, once in a while, you can get a great shot even with a lowly point and shoot (and some Photoshop skills).

In this photo the main point of interest is the Chrysler Building, one of my favorite buildings to take pictures of.

New York City Skyline As Seen From the Ink Hotel

The Manhattan skyline is beautiful at night with all of the lights shining. In this photo you can see many major corporate buildings, such as the Conde Naste Building (the one that says H&M on it) and the Bank of America Tower behind it.

Towards the right side of the image, you can see the Empire State Building hiding behind the New York Times Building.