Blog: Observations part 3

I revisited these images recently from a photo walk I did back in winter 2018.

I had wanted to photograph the court houses in downtown Manhattan during a snowstorm for a while. I didn’t know exactly how I would approach photographing this location or what exactly I’d find but It’s alway a bit of an adventure and exploring options is what fascinates me most about this kind of photography.

This a walkthrough and a bit of the thought process behind each image.

All images shot on iPhone 8 Plus and processed using VSCO and Snapseed.

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It didn’t snow as heavily as I wouldn’t liked but the area was empty and quiet.

A closer look at the pillars. I wanted to include them in the composition but that will prove difficult.

Moved on from trying to include the full height of the structure. Decided to shoot from behind so the pillars could ‘‘frame’’ the subject instead.

A little more pulled back. I love the ridges and shadows so this composition gave a closer view of them which I thought worked quite well. My issue now was the fence that I didn’t like being in the shot.

Wide lens view. Waiting for different subjects to walk past as usual.

Wide lens view.

I notice the snow accumulating on the base of the pillars and it works quite well. How to incorporate it into the composition?

Closeup view of the snow. Fixes the fence problem too.

Then three subjects with colored umbrellas come by.

Got my shot!

Another option with a lone subject but I tend to prefer a pop of color.

Moving on to another spot further down the street. I always see if the same composition concept applies at another spot too. I love the Woolworth Building and I can’t help but photograph it every time I’m near.

A little more pulled back

Love the arches just around the corner.

I love the the City Hall subway entrance, especially the old steel lettering. Hard to incorporate it into a workable composition but here’s my quick attempt.

Hope you enjoyed the walkthrough and a little peak into my process. 

For more work you can check out my Instagram

Instagram - @ericvannynatten

Blog: Outtakes part 3

Hi everyone, I hope you all are keeping healthy during this time. I thought I’d share some outtake images from a moment I captured during a walk near Bryant park in New York City.

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Wether I’m out shooting for a commissioned project or just simply walking around with my camera for fun I often find the best images are captured in unexpected places.

I happened to shoot these during a rest stop on a rainy evening in Manhattan. I had been walking around shooting in the rain for over an hour without much results when I decided to take a short break from the cold and to dry off my camera and gear. This scene then caught my eye just outside through the glass.

New York City is like that, so much going on and if you really take a moment to observe closely there are some truly special moments. Sometimes it’s just pure chance but you still have to be out searching for an image to have one ‘‘given’’ to you.

All images were shot on iPhone 8 Plus in October 2018. I had my mirrorless on me but the lens had condensation on it at this moment so I had to switch quickly to the iPhone to capture these. Hope you enjoy this set!

Here I used the wide angle on the iPhone. The subject was already well positioned behind the condensation which looked amazing with the street lights behind. He was actually holding quite still which helped a lot for a low light shot,

Took a step back and decided to use the 2x zoom instead for a tighter composition.

Subject stopped at the right spot. I was hoping he’d light his cigarette at this exact spot and he did!

Final winning image. I thought everything came together best here and I was happy to have captured the light on his face. I think it’s this small detail which makes this image special to me.

I continued shooting a bit more, changing composition to see what else I could do.

Some good variations, but the best image was captured moments before but I always push for more just in case.

You can find a print of my favorite image from this set below. Thanks for tuning in and until next time!

-Eric

Instagram - @ericvannynatten

Blog: Outtakes part 2

Here’s a series of outtakes from a moment I photographed in New York’s Financial District in December 2017.

Looking back at these images I remember how sometimes I’ll move on too quickly after a couple shots and I’ll miss the very best image the location has to offer which would only happen say 20 minutes later. So having patience and waiting for a longer period of time is important and I have to constantly keep reminding myself of that when out photographing.

All images were shot on iPhone 8 Plus and edited using VSCO.

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Light can change so quickly that new image opportunities appear and others vanish so it’s important to stay sharp and observe everything closely not to miss anything.

Photographing steam vents around NYC at a time of day when sunlight isn’t hitting them would probably look rather flat like this image so I like to keep that in mind if shooting them.

A couple minutes later the sun lights up the street.

I loved the dark shadows and silhouette here in a more pulled back shot.

I like to buy time by framing spots where the subjects have to stand for a while without moving much.

Tricky iPhone exposure issues when shooting directly into the sun. I guess with any camera these issues arise when shooting in these types of situations.

Trying to capture people walking through the steam.

Not working very well.

Back at this composition. I love the sharp shadows but not happy with the image overall.

What I love most about being Downtown is the height of the buildings. Standing on Broadway is like being in a canyon almost.

Maybe a wider shot works best in this location to reveal more of the skyline and street.

Moved even further up the street. I think it works much better for scale.

Traffic ceases a little. I think this composition works best. Just have to wait for a subject to enter the frame nicely.

I love how the wind kept blowing the steam in crazy directions.

Finally a silhouette emerging through the steam at the perfect spot.

I’ve chosen my favorite image. You can see here how rapidly the steam changes the mood of the image.

Final chosen image where I think the environment, light and subject come together best. I like the way the steam wraps around the subject but also reveals the scale of buildings and the sky behind them.

You can find this image as a print below. Thanks for tuning in and until next time!

-Eric

Instagram - @ericvannynatten

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