Manhattan close-ups
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_12.jpg)
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.
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_01.jpg)
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.
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_10.jpg)
In Lower Manhattan, you can very easily see very high contrasted patterns like these:
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_02.jpg)
Colors and styles are just surreal. Looks like 3D models!
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_03.jpg)
Half-season sunlight is usually the best and it's much easier to play with shades. They are the World Financial Center buildings.
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_05.jpg)
In Harlem, buildings are mostly pre-war and renewed with bright colors but you could find colorful buildings in West Village as well.
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_07.jpg)
In Midtown East, near the Grand Central Terminal, there are a lot of modern buildings with interesting pattern repetitions.
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_13.jpg)
A little bit northward, in Hell's Kitchen, I played with my aperture although it was hazy:
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_14.jpg)
Time Square and Theatre District also offer their bunch of shiny buildings, those ones have been taken from Bryant Park.
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_06.jpg)
By the end of the day, there are a lot of reflections on Central Park West, you just need to catch the right angle!
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_09.jpg)
Buildings are shaped in a very sharp way! Even in Chinatown...
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_04.jpg)
I played a little bit with distorsion on this one from the High Line and the rendering is quite surprising.
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_11.jpg)
Back to Harlem again with that breaking red!
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_08.jpg)
I will finish this part with a building from Varick St, in Hudson Square.
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_15.jpg)
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.
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_16.jpg)
So far, Lower Manhattan was my favorite spot to play with reflections and architecture contrasts; sometimes both:
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_19.jpg)
The very new glass buildings just next to the old brick ones gives a strange sensation of falseness.
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_22.jpg)
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.
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_18.jpg)
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_17.jpg)
The mandatory close up of stainless steel louvers of the 7 World Trace Center tower and its south west corner:
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_20.jpg)
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.
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_21.jpg)
Let's back to the World Financial Center buildings and specifically with the Four World Financial Center 1984's facade.
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_23.jpg)
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!
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_28.jpg)
All the very new buildings around provide alternate of glass, red brick, hanging glass porches, etc.
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_26.jpg)
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_24.jpg)
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_27.jpg)
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_25.jpg)
From the High Line, there are also a bunch of extraordinary reflection possibilities when you meet the right light.
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_29.jpg)
Or simply by playing with angle and geometry...
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_30.jpg)
The variation of the building types is fascinating, this is The Desmond Tutu Conference Center building from the High Line:
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_31.jpg)
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.
![Photography © Joris Berthelot This is a photograph of the 'Manhattan close-ups' article!](/content/2012/00-manhattan-close-ups/manhattan_closeup_32.jpg)
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