Welcome to my very first blog post! As I haven’t been able to engage in much photography due to being quarantined away from NYC I thought I’d start going over my photo archive and share them in blog form here on my website.
I’ll be sharing some extras as well as more info on specific images I’ve posted to my Instagram over the years and things that inspire me about photography and the creative process behind capturing the cities I’ve visited.
Hope you enjoy this space and check back weekly as I’ll be updating the blog during this time of social distancing and beyond.
Thought I’d start off by sharing some image outtakes and a bit of my thought process behind capturing images in the city. Sometimes I’ll head out with a goal or a clear image in my mind and I’ll aim for that. And at other times there is no set goal and I experiment until I find a composition that works best for me. A lot of the time I’ll finish a session without having captured anything particularly special but I found that the knowledge of the location I’ve visited will allow me to be more effective in capturing what I want in the second or third visit.
I’ve always had the best results and the most fun when out exploring two to three hours before sunset. I use the Sun Surveyor app now to help with planning where the sun will be at any given time. As you can see in the screenshot below, in the summer the setting sun lines up perfectly with the streets running parallel with the above ground J Line on Broadway, which has been a favorite location of mine in the past couple of years.
The following images were shot on iPhone 8 Plus and edited using VSCO.
I started off at this spot and chose my composition while waiting for a subject. I liked the lighting but nothing too exciting happening here.
Changed the composition a bit by moving closer to the roof of the car to see if there was an interesting reflection on it. Nothing too special but I always like trying all possibilities before moving on to the next spot.
Here’s the same spot but from further back. More color is visible due to the angle. Always waiting for a subject to enter the frame for scale or to give the scene some life? I don’t even know why but I prefer the scene with someone in it.
Found some color outside a Mexican restaurant. Staff looked intrigued as I stood outside shooting at different angles.
Finally got a subject. I always prefer a silhouetted one. Also loved the way the light reflected off the tin ceiling. I could stay at a single spot for hours but sometimes it’s better to move on as there may be better images to be had further along the route.
Moving further along and found this lovely light and neat pile of garbage.
Both sides of the street had beautiful light but it only lasts like ten or twenty minutes so had to move along quickly.
More silhouettes and shadows.
OK now I found my shot from the steps leading up to the platform. Light was perfect and was casting these exaggerated shadows and I knew I had found something special but didn’t have much time left.
Waiting for the perfect silhouette. There were many people but few were walking in the sun like I needed them to.
Found the composition I was looking for. Everything was working perfectly for me and lighting was something truly special. It’s hard to predict this atmosphere in the air that allows the image to glow. Lucky me.
2x zoom worked well too.
Final winning image. It’s hard to pick just a single shot but this is the one I’m most pleased with. Everything aligned perfectly for me.
You can find this image as a print below. Thanks for tuning in and until next time!
-Eric
Instagram - @ericvannynatten