One of my favorite places to visit in New York City is the Rockefeller Centre. It never seems to be as busy or manic as the Empire State Building and the fact you get views of the ESB and Central Park win me over every time. The shots from this visit were taken at completely the wrong time – midday – and the light was harsh. This coupled with the haze and smog didn’t make for great pictures, but after some jiggery pokery in Aperture, a few of them have turned out OK!
It has to be said that Grand Central Terminal in NYC is one of the most impressive stations I have ever been inside. In fact many of the stations that I have visited in the USA are grand old buildings including Union Station in Washington D.C., and 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. If the rest of the mainline stations are like this across the USA, then I might have to try and travel by railroad more frequently.
In November, Louise and I took a trip to Chicago and NYC. Before we had even left Manchester we were told that due to a particularly strong jet stream we would be diverting to JFK (NY) to refuel. Whilst this wasn’t a major issue, it did mean that by the time we landed at JFK, got refueled, and airborne again, we were going to be arriving into Chicago a few hours later than scheduled. However, since we did not have kids in tow on this trip we didn’t need to stress about how we would entertain them for the extra few hours! The plane we were on, crappy as it was, had amazingly clean windows which meant that I could get some good shots during the flight. The shots posted are a mixture taken not long after leaving Manchester Airport, and arrival and take-off from JFK. I particularly like the one that gives the full view of Long Island.
Whilst waiting in Grand Central Terminal for Mummy and Mia, Ben and I decided to take some shots of the station. We found the escalators that go from GCT up into the lobby of the Met Life Building and thought it would be a good spot to slow things down and capture the hustle and bustle of the daily grind! It didn’t take long before Ben got bored and started to wander around during the shots, after all, all he was interested in was the picture once it was taken, not the processes used to get there. Just as I was pressing the shutter who should stumble across the frame…yep, you guessed it, little old Benny!
Now, normally I would bin this photo as it doesn’t portray what I originally set out to capture. However, looking at it again many months after it was taken, I now like it a lot and think it captures perfectly, a time in our lives that we have all experienced – being a child and not having a care in this world! Ben sums this up perfectly by not only walking in front of the camera at the exact moment I press the shutter, but also by the expression on his face created by blowing air out of his cheeks (most likely accompanied with a tune being hummed under his breath!).
Dave Johnson's Photography 