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Manhattan close-ups

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Since I live in New York City and particularly in Manhattan, I started to get interest about architecture and patterns; forcing me to improve my framing skills.

Originally written on August 14th 2012 when it was the half of my first stay in the US, I decided to split the content of this article in 2 parts.

Part 1 #

I took this shot during my first week when I visited the World Trace Center, composition and reflection make it look like a crystal with gold plugs at the bottom.

This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!

When walking on the High Line, if you watch out a little bit outside the path, you would find also great building views lighted by a beautiful sunset light.

This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!

In Lower Manhattan, you can very easily see very high contrasted patterns like these:

This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!

Colors and styles are just surreal. Looks like 3D models!

This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!

Half-season sunlight is usually the best and it's much easier to play with shades. They are the World Financial Center buildings.

This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!

In Harlem, buildings are mostly pre-war and renewed with bright colors but you could find colorful buildings in West Village as well.

This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!

In Midtown East, near the Grand Central Terminal, there are a lot of modern buildings with interesting pattern repetitions.

This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!

A little bit northward, in Hell's Kitchen, I played with my aperture although it was hazy:

This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!

Time Square and Theatre District also offer their bunch of shiny buildings, those ones have been taken from Bryant Park.

This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!

By the end of the day, there are a lot of reflections on Central Park West, you just need to catch the right angle!

This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!

Buildings are shaped in a very sharp way! Even in Chinatown...

This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!

I played a little bit with distorsion on this one from the High Line and the rendering is quite surprising.

This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!

Back to Harlem again with that breaking red!

This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!

I will finish this part with a building from Varick St, in Hudson Square.

This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!

Part 2 #

Not to forget we are still in the US, I shot this floating US on the roof of one of the World Financial Center building.

This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!

So far, Lower Manhattan was my favorite spot to play with reflections and architecture contrasts; sometimes both:

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The very new glass buildings just next to the old brick ones gives a strange sensation of falseness.

This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!

For the next two, I was almost in the middle of the street and trying to stabilize my camera while aiming almost vertically above me.

This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!

The mandatory close up of stainless steel louvers of the 7 World Trace Center tower and its south west corner:

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For your information, the first 10 stories of this building house a power substation which provides power to much Lower Manhattan so it explains the louvers.

This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!

Let's back to the World Financial Center buildings and specifically with the Four World Financial Center 1984's facade.

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I could have never taken the following one but here's the story: I was walking very fast to meet my friend though I was shooting around when I was walking by World Financial Center Plaza and saw this incredible light.
The blue sky was reflecting into all the windows of the Four World Financial Center building, I had to grab this picture!

This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!

All the very new buildings around provide alternate of glass, red brick, hanging glass porches, etc.

This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!

From the High Line, there are also a bunch of extraordinary reflection possibilities when you meet the right light.

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Or simply by playing with angle and geometry...

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The variation of the building types is fascinating, this is The Desmond Tutu Conference Center building from the High Line:

This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!

And finally, to close this part and this article, I will finish with this no-good-quality shot I have taken from the Roosevelt Island Tram while heading to the Roosevelt Island.

This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!

New York is a perfect city for architecture lovers, high contrast patterns and colors are everywhere. With a good eye and light, the rendering could be truly stunning!

Updated on September 15th, 2012 | Top