Come and meet
Those dancing feet
On the avenue I’m taking you to
Forty-Second Street
Those dancing feet
On the avenue I’m taking you to
Forty-Second Street
Canon Sure Shot Z135 & Ilford HP5+.
Taken on 28 May 2019
Tag: rain
7th Avenue
There’s something iconic about the man-made canyons created by Manhattan’s road grid structure and I took a number of shots similar to the one below looking down some of the avenues. I’ve yet to scan all of them, but this one is particularly nice thanks to the sheen of rainwater on the pavement which gives a lovely specular sheen down the centre of the frame.
I was slightly disappointed to discover that “Manhattanhenge” took place on the day we flew home – Manhattanhenge takes place on four days each year where the sunrises and sunsets correspond with the east / west streets of Manhattan with the Sun being placed at one end or the other. My disappointment was reduced somewhat by the fact that it was thundering and raining heavily on the evening of our flight so I probably didn’t miss anything.
Canon Sure Shot Z135 & Ilford HP5+.
Taken on 28 May 2019
Stars and stripes and empty seats
Another photo from Times Square.
Now, you could argue that this is a picture that would work better in colour – primarily due to the huge illuminates Stars and Stripes display in the middle of the frame – but, well, I had HP5+ loaded in the camera, so that’s that. I do have some colour digital shots from the same location, but they won’t appear on here (and I’ve not loaded any onto Flickr as yet).
Anyway, despite the lack of colour, I still really like this photo. Once again, the rain makes it – the silhouette of the man with umbrella against the sign, and the wet, empty tables in the foreground work well I think. I also think that, despite the blazing colours all around, that Times Square suits black and white very well – possibly because it evokes older, classic shots of the location that I’ve seen over the years.
Canon Sure Shot Z135 & Ilford HP5+.
Taken on 28 May 2019
Rainy Times (Square)
I got back from a family trip to New York yesterday so it’d be a fair assumption to expect quite a few photos from there in the coming days (and weeks!). I shot six rolls in total: 2 x Kodak Portra 400 (135); 2 x Ilford HP5+ (135); 1 x Kodak Portra 400 (120); 1 x Kodak Ektar (120). I’m still waiting for the colour shots to be processed, so don’t expect I’ll see those until next week, but I’ve started on the two rolls of HP5 and have scanned a few strips already.
I’m looking forward to seeing the colour shots, but the black and whites I took in and around a rainy Times Square have come out pretty well.
I’d have loved to have spent days just wandering the streets taking photos, but it’s not really possible to do it freely on a family trip, so I just grabbed stuff wherever I could as we went about our holiday. I’d really like to go back and take more photos, but it’s a long way from home and I might never get to visit again – I think if we make another trip to the US we’ll probably aim to visit somewhere else.
Here’s one of my Times Square pics to kick things off.
Canon Sure Shot Z135 & Ilford HP5+.
Taken on 28 May 2019
Beer stockpile
Beer kegs in the rain.
Olympus OM-1, F.Zuiko 28mm f/3.5 & Kodak Tri-X
Taken on 10 March 2018
Paid and Displayed
This was a quick snap that I took in the car after a walk around town. It had begun to rain, and the water on the windscreen coupled with the reflection of my parking ticket seemed to be something worth photographing.
I don’t know if anyone else would agree, but I like it.
Pentax P30T, Rikenon 50mm f/2 & Kodak Tmax 400.
Taken on 3 February 2018
Breaking the rules
One of the rules of composition is the “rule of space”. This states that there should be more space in front of an object moving through the frame than behind it. I’ve broken that rule here, but (to my eyes at least), I think the shot works well nonetheless. The fact that the man is closer to exiting the scene than entering it seems to add a sense of urgency (which is also helped by the motion blur).
But what do I know. 🙂
Pentax P30T, Rikenon 50mm f/2 & Kodak Tmax 400.
Taken on 03 February 2018
Did I take that?
Sometimes, you get the negatives back and you think, “did I really take that?” – hopefully not in a bad way either. I think this is one of those shots. I’m very happy with this one.
Canon Sure Shot Telemax & Ilford HP5+.
Taken on 29 November 2017
Steel City Snapper photography 