Posted on July 30, 2018
New York City is truly the microcosm of the world as this diverse metropolis hosts almost every possible ethnicity and culture that our planet holds. At one point in history, this city was even referred to as the “Capital of the World” and the “Seat of the Empire”. Today NYC is more commonly known as the “City that Never Sleeps” or “The Big Apple”, although, one thing that remains true about this great big city is that it still is the center of world trade, culture and global politics. Even the line from the song New York, New York remains true to this day…”if I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere”. As a photography enthusiast, I always wanted to singly capture the vibrance, energy and grandeur of this city despite the fact that every city corner already offers a unique photo opportunity. I eventually came up with this bright idea (hold your laughter) that to capture the very essence of NYC I should photograph the city from the top…so up I went to the viewing deck of the Rockefeller Center to take my ultimate NYC photograph. The sun was about to set when I reached the viewing deck and the first thing I noticed was how the entire city was bathed in golden sunlight. As I scanned the city before me I couldn’t help but notice the Empire State Building, once the tallest building in the world and the emblem of greatness for old New York, standing majestically right in the middle of the city while in the far distance was the Freedom Tower, the symbol of the new New York, with its glass walls reflecting the rich colors of the setting sun. There on top of the Rockefeller Center I found my ultimate photograph of New York City capturing the old and the new with the rest of the world living harmoniously below.
Posted on February 13, 2018
This is probably every billionaire’s dream view for an apartment in New York City, although unfortunately for them this view is already taken by the viewing deck of the 30 Rockefeller Center or more famously known as the Top of the Rock. The viewing deck provides visitors with stunning views of Manhattan covering every angle of the city and every major New York City landmark from the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building and the Freedom Tower to the Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty. The deck is always packed with tourists so this photo I took is a very rare moment as if I had the entire floor to myself. I also consider myself very fortunate to have been situated perfectly at the right spot as it allowed me to capture the Empire State Building right through the middle window. New York City is my ultimate favorite city and I try to visit it at least every year and whenever I’m in the Big Apple, the Top of the Rock is always part of the itinerary for my photography. I decided to process this photo in black and white in order to create a timeless and romantic mood to the photo. Happy Valentines Day, everyone!
Posted on December 23, 2017
One of my favorite times to take a photograph is around twilight…that point where the last rays of the sun fade away and everything around turns a deeper shade of blue. For the photo above, I scheduled my climb to the top of the Rockefeller Center in New York City so I’d arrive at the viewing deck a few minutes before sunset. Luckily, I found a spot where I could extend the lens of my camera out of the glass partitions. I held on for dear life to my spot as other tourists were pushing their way to the front for a chance to take an unobstructed shot of Manhattan. I got pushed and shoved with my face flat on the glass but held on till I got the photos I wanted. I guess my patience paid off as I was able to capture multiple photos of the sunset with one of them featured on this page a few posts ago. This one I decided to save for this time of the year due to the chilly atmosphere the photo exudes. One would think this photo was taken on a cold snowless day in winter…however, this photo was actually taken on the last few weeks of summer just before autumn said hello. I personally like this photo as it captured three of New York’s most famous landmarks: the Empire State Building, the Freedom Tower and the Statue of Liberty in the far distance.
Posted on August 21, 2016
I’m in New York City for the weekend for some touristy stuff thus my missing a photo post or two for a few days now. Yesterday, I revisited the top of the Rockefeller Center to photograph the NYC sunset. After lining up for ages, walking through a labyrinth of walls and riding the speedy elevator to the 67th floor…I finally made it to the first ledge of the observatory. The observatory provided me with a 360-degree view of the city, however, I decided to focus my camera on the southern side of Manhattan to capture the Empire State Building and the new World Trade Tower just as the sun was setting. The view from the top was amazing and viewing it during twilight was such a breathtaking experience. It was also awesome to see the city lights slowly turn on one by one like Christmas lights on a tree just as the cloudy skies slowly turned darker each passing minute. I took a number of photos and this one turned out to be my personal favorite. I hope you guys like it too…would appreciate your feedback. Thanks.
Posted on December 6, 2015
The top of the Rockefeller Center provides you a great view of famous New York City landmarks such as the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building and the Freedom Tower. If you open your eyes really wide, you may see the Statue of Liberty in one of the islands just right of the Freedom Tower. On the opposite side, you have an unobstructed view of the entire Central Park (not seen in this photo). When planning to climb any of these buildings, it is best to buy tickets online in advance as it cuts down the waiting time standing in line at the ticket booth.