Union Square is one of my favorite places in New York City. It’s often the starting point for many interesting nights out. Union Square is also a great place to just sit down and relax — some nights, it’s the only destination.
A typical night in Union Square.
In the warmer weather you’ll find young people playing hacky sack or soccer. You’ll see skateboarders practicing kickflips and ollies, while street performers dance for dollars. There’s even a freestyle rap group that meets up there on Friday nights. And let’s not forget the chess players. Drop in a for a friendly game.
It’s all very friendly. Maybe.
In practical terms, Union Square is a major transportation hub. You can catch many subway trains here (4, 5, 6, L, Q, N, W and R). The L train can connect you to the 8th Avenue Line, so you’ll be able to catch the A, C, E after a quick ride.
Enter the subway. Or just hang around it.
Union Square Park stretches from Broadway to 4 Ave and from East 14th street to East 17th street. You can access the subway from many entrances in the park.
The photos in this story were taken with an Olympus EM-10 and various lenses.
The kit lens is the inexpensive zoom lens that comes with a new DSLR or mirrorless camera. Usually it’s made of plastic with a plastic mount. Years ago, kit lenses used to be very badly built and of poor optical quality. I have one old kit lens that was difficult to zoom in and out (it would become hard to turn and even get stuck at certain points). Even worse, it had optical problems, leaving one area of the photo very blurry while the rest of the photo was perfectly sharp. Kit lenses today are both built better and much better optically. Here are more good points about kit lenses:
They Are Cheap
Usually when you buy a new camera, the kit lens is around $100. For that relatively low outlay of cash, you get a lens that probably has very fast autofocus and may even have image stabilization built into it, as is the case with Nikon kit lenses. Due to its low cost, it’s less of a worry bringing it to places where you may not want to risk a more expensive lens.
Kit lenses make me feel safer riding the NYC subway.
They Are Versatile
Because they cover such a big focal range — allowing you to zoom from a wide shot to a close up shot and anything in between — they’re great for a lot of photographic situations. They are especially useful while traveling or at an event.
Photobombing, kit lens style.
They Are Lightweight and Small
Since they are small and mostly made from plastic, they are very light compared to more expensive lenses, which will likely be larger and made with metal. Many of the newest kit lenses are also designed to basically retract into themselves, becoming more compact for storage or for stowing in a camera bag.
They Are Sharp & Can Focus Closely
Yes, it’s true. The newer kit lenses are surprisingly sharp with pretty good image quality. I have also found that many can focus very close to the subject, which is useful for photographing objects like toys or food.
Late night with the kit lens.
Downsides
Sounds great, right? So why would you need any other lens? Well, as good as the kit lens may be, more expensive lenses will still be better optically. There really is a difference there. If you’re a beginner you may not be able to tell, or it may not matter to you right now. Later on in your photographic journey, it might become important.
Another downside with kit lenses is that they aren’t the best choice for indoor photography or night photography. However, I have done both of those types of photography with a kit lens — all of the photos in this article were taken with a kit lens, including the night shots.
Finally, every new photographer wants to experiment with that creamy “blurred background” look. While you can achieve it somewhat with a kit lens under the right conditions, it’s not the ideal lens for it.
Don’t worry about any of that right now, though. Go out and shoot with your kit lens. It’s probably a lot better than you think and you will get some great images out of it.
All photos in this story were taken with an Olympus EM-10 and the Olympus 14-42 RII kit lens.
The World Trade Center Station is a transportation hub that connects New Jersey trains to New York trains. The centerpiece, called the Oculus, can be thought of as the main station house.
The Oculus — surrounded by other, less-dramatic buildings.
Inside the Oculus is what’s technically the Westfield Mall. There are said to be over 100 retail stores and restaurants in the Mall, including an Apple Store, Banana Republic and an Eataly.
High-tech and futuristic all the way.
Designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the whole structure is supposed to resemble “a bird being released from a child’s hand.” I found it to feel more like being inside of some kind of futuristic dinosaur, since the curved beams reminded me of bones or ribs. It did have a very organic feel to it, and I did like the overall look of the place. It’s a bright, open space and if you enjoy shopping and dining out you can surely spend a lot of time inside of it.
It’s a… hub… of activity.
From a commuting standpoint, the Station lets you access the PATH system to get to New Jersey, as well as many (the 2, 3, A, C, E, N, R, W) New York City Subway trains.
I hope you didn’t lose your Metrocard.
If you’re vacationing in New York City, you might as well check the Oculus out while you’re here. You’ll probably stumble into it after you’ve visited the One World Trade Center Observatory anyway. If you’re a New Yorker you can skip this place until you, for some reason, have to take a PATH train to New Jersey and can’t do it from Penn Station.
The photos in this story were all taken with an Olympus OMD EM-10 and the Olympus 14-42 RII kit lens.
This image is also featured in my article Why You Should Shoot RAW. You can see the original version in that blog entry and get some information about the benefits of RAW. Taken with a Nikon D5100 and 35mm f1.8DX lens from the backseat of a taxi.
Standard Admission for adults to the Empire State Building’s 86th Floor Observation Deck is $34. Remember, don’t buy the tickets from the street vendors outside the building — it’s likely a scam. Buy them inside the Empire State Building on the second floor.
Much like at One World Trade Center, there will be very long lines and you’ll be subject to a security screening. Once that’s done, you’ll walk through winding Art Deco corridors until you reach the elevators.
Hanging out on the 80th floor of the Empire State Building.
The first elevator will take you to the 80th floor. During the ride, you’ll see that the ceiling of the elevator is a screen depicting the construction of the Empire State Building, with steel beams flying overhead and the sounds of hammers and drills. Wisecracking construction workers with overdone “New Yawk” accents make jokes and comments as the beams come together.
Downtown views.
Once on the 80th floor, you’ll be able to see downtown Manhattan through the windows. You can see such landmarks as the Statue of Liberty, the Flatiron Building, and most notably One World Trade Center. You can spend as much time as you like looking out of the windows on the 80th floor and taking pictures. Just be sure to take care while photographing since you’re shooting through thick glass.
Gaze into your future… the gift shop!
Next you’ll line up to get on to a second elevator. The line stretches past the gift shop, which you’ll later exit through on the way out of the building.
Photographers on deck!
The second elevator will take you to the 86th floor and the Observation Deck. Here you’ll be outside and have the full experience, with quite a few amazing views. Even better, your photographs will look great since you’re outside and there are no windows, just the iron bars which you can shoot through.
Shoot through the iron bars, or use them for effect.
You can spend as much time as you want on the Observation Deck as well, but it’s usually rather crowded. Expect to be standing shoulder-to-shoulder with others, and brace yourself for the inevitable bumps and jostles. Be careful if you’re toting a big camera and long lens.
The Conde Naste Building and Bank of America Tower.
Once you’re done taking in the sights, you’ll exit through the gift shop I mentioned before, which has all sorts of Empire State Building-related souvenirs.
My kind of souvenir. Is there Empire State Building brand whiskey?
I didn’t like the experience at the Empire State Building as much as I did at One World Trade Center Observatory. However, at least from a photography standpoint, the views are much better from the Empire State Building because you’re not behind glass.
Everybody’s on Twitter.
Because of the spectacular views, I recommend giving the Empire State Building a visit. Try to time your visit so that you’re on the 80th floor around sunset for the most spectacular sights, and hang around to get some good night shots.
Photos in this story taken with an Olympus EM-10, Panasonic 25mm f1.7 and the Olympus 14-42RII kit lens.
I always recommend that all photographers, even beginners, shoot RAW instead of JPG. Here are my reasons:
Exposure
It happens: you were in a hurry and underexposed your image. It’s too dark. But RAW files contain so much information when compared to JPG files that you can lift the exposure without degrading the image quality. Depending on the file and camera used, you may be able to increase the exposure by two or three stops without ruining it.
Color Correction
Fixing white balance issues is very simple in RAW, as well as controlling the hue and saturation levels of individual colors. For example, after white balancing the image, if something in your image is still too red or too yellow you can specifically reduce the saturation levels of those colors, without touching the other colors.
Noise Reduction
RAW files have no noise reduction applied, so you can apply your own. We all hate noise, but sometimes when shooting in JPG, the camera will apply too much noise reduction and make fine details like hair or architectural lines look “mushy”. RAW lets you add just the right amount.
Sharpening
As with being able to control the amount of noise reduction applied to the image, you can also control the amount of sharpening. Some JPG settings cause certain images to look oversharpened. In certain situations, such as portrait photography, you may not want any sharpening at all.
Luminance Channels
My favorite aspect of working with RAW files, since I shoot a lot of scenes with city lights. You can boost or lower the brightness of certain colors of light. For example, if you want to make the red traffic lights in a street scene stronger while reducing the strength of the headlights of cars, you can do that specifically, without brightening or darkening the other light sources in the image.
Future Software
One last interesting thing about RAW is that the software used to edit RAW photos is often being improved upon by software developers. This means that you can go back to your old RAW files months or even years later and extract even more detail. Try loading that old, underexposed file that doesn’t look so good through a new RAW converter and play around with it. You may be able to pull out something amazing from it. I certainly have been able to. A JPG on the other hand is basically frozen in time.
The original file as rendered by the camera (that is to say, the unedited JPG).
This is the original file of the image at the beginning of this article — the JPG image that is automatically made alongside the RAW file. It’s not bad out of the camera, but editing the RAW version of this image really helped me bring it to a whole new level. RAW is particularly useful when using a camera with a smaller sensor such as APS-C or Four Thirds or when using an older camera — you can really get the most of out of your images with a little editing.
If you have any questions about RAW or editing, feel free to comment below or e-mail me.
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.
Two floors, lots of photographers!
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.
What a view!
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.
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.
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.
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.
