{"id":141,"date":"2016-02-25T16:29:02","date_gmt":"2016-02-25T16:29:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.holland-photography.co.uk\/blog\/?p=141"},"modified":"2016-02-26T09:52:12","modified_gmt":"2016-02-26T09:52:12","slug":"photograph-new-york-holiday-top-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.holland-photography.co.uk\/blog\/photograph-new-york-holiday-top-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Photograph New York: Holiday Top Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photograph

I took this photo of the Statue of Liberty from a boat. Take the free ferry to Staten Island or buy a guided boat tour for this view.<\/p><\/div>\n

I visited New York in October, and as you would expect, while I was there I took loads of photographs. Like many other people, in my mind I had a list of the sights that I wanted to see,\u00a0and\u00a0now having done it\u00a0I decided I would share my\u00a0top 10\u00a0tips\u00a0on how to photograph New York (NYC or\u00a0the ‘Big Apple’) if you are planning a vacation or New York City break.<\/p>\n

You may be wondering where to take the best photos of New York City. I certainly was before my trip\u00a0so I have put together my top ten tips to help you photograph New York like a pro.\u00a0Read on for\u00a0what I regard as the essentials\u00a0if you want to\u00a0photograph New York…<\/p>\n

1. Plan ahead<\/h3>\n

The more research you can do before your vacation, the better. Before my trip, I bought a guide book\u00a0for NYC which\u00a0included a street map. It’s really easy to find your way around because of the street grid system so start by marking on your map all of the locations you want to visit. Next, check out entry costs and opening times. Many places are completely free to visit or offer free entry on certain days of the week. More about the free stuff\u00a0later.<\/p>\n

Before you visit NYC, try to\u00a0make a list so that you know where things are, when they open and how much they cost. With this information you can plan your own New York photo safari to include all the sights you don’t want to miss.<\/p>\n

Be aware that some attractions are best booked ahead. This definitely applies to the ‘Top of the Rock’ – the views from the top of the Rockefeller Centre are stunning and very popular so it’s best to decide what time you want to visit and buy\u00a0your ticket earlier in the day.<\/p>\n

\"Photograph

The New York Manhattan skyline at night is definitely one to photograph but remember to plan ahead and buy your ticket in advance.<\/p><\/div>\n

2. Know your camera and make sure you have everything you need<\/h3>\n

Try to become familiar with your camera before your trip, especially if you have bought a new camera to use. If you don’t have time to do this, take the instruction book with you either printed or digitally on your phone or tablet. You can always read it on the plane!<\/p>\n

As well as the camera itself, if you plan to take lots of NYC photos you will need some or all of the following:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • a protective camera case (consider one that’s waterproof or shower proof as well as padded),<\/li>\n
  • spare batteries or a battery charger. Be sure to take or buy a power adaptor if required,<\/li>\n
  • spare memory cards,<\/li>\n
  • a memory card\u00a0case to protect the cards,<\/li>\n
  • <\/li>\n
  • the instruction book, if required,<\/li>\n
  • a selfie stick, if you really must \ud83d\ude09<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Make sure that you start with a charged battery and at the end of every day get your camera ready for the next day’s photo adventure.<\/p>\n

    3. Arrive early (or late)\u00a0each day<\/h3>\n

    One of the best times to photograph New York\u00a0is early in the morning. Many attractions are busy by late morning so if you aren’t there early,\u00a0you\u00a0may have\u00a0to spend time queuing to gain entry.\u00a0We visited the 9\/11 Memorial and Museum and we arrived just before 9.30am. There was no queue to get in and because there were very few visitors at that time of day it meant that we could reflect quietly as we viewed the exhibits.<\/p>\n

    \"Photograph

    Located next to the 9\/11 Museum, the 9\/11 Memorial Pools are beautiful. If you intend to visit the museum get there early and then photograph outside later on.<\/p><\/div>\n

    You will fit more sights in if you start early as well. You can pre-purchase tickets that include entry to multiple attractions but you usually need to visit about three a day to make them worthwhile compared to the individual attraction entry prices. They can often get you entry without the queue as well. If you\u00a0don’t like\u00a0to spend too long at each attraction then these could be perfect for you, but if like me you prefer to take your time or you only want to visit one or two places each day then I would recommend buying the tickets at each venue. You can buy express tickets for places such as the Empire State Building but if you are visiting late at night (say 11pm)\u00a0or out of\u00a0season such as mid-January then they may not be necessary as there aren’t likely to be big queues.<\/p>\n

    4. Use public transport<\/h3>\n

    It’s easy to find your way around in\u00a0Manhattan but the grid system of streets means that you need to cross the road every\u00a075-100\u00a0yards and it can be time consuming waiting at the crossings, so one of the best ways to get around is by bus. We found public transport\u00a0to be\u00a0cheaper than in the UK and there are plentiful hop on-hop off bus tour services.<\/p>\n

    A\u00a0bus\u00a0is a\u00a0great places to photograph NY from and the hop on-hop off services usually include a\u00a0tour guide so you learn lots while seeing and photographing the sights of New York. The bus services,\u00a0like the popular tourist spots themselves, can get busy at peak times of the day so it’s another good reason to\u00a0travel early in the day and to plan your return time in case the last bus of the day has no seats available.<\/p>\n

    Boats can also\u00a0provide a good way to photograph sights from a different viewpoint. There is a free ferry to\u00a0Staten Island\u00a0that\u00a0offers a great view of the waterfront buildings\u00a0and there are plenty of boat trips of varying distances that include\u00a0a tour guide\u00a0as well.<\/p>\n

    5.\u00a0Have your camera ready at all times<\/h3>\n

    There’s nothing worse than seeing something and then having to spend time getting your camera out and by\u00a0the time you have done that what you saw has gone. Make sure to keep your camera ready all the time. Use a lens cap or protective camera bag if you have one to protect it and keep the camera around your neck or in your hand. If it’s\u00a0too well tucked away you’re not likely to use it much. We found\u00a0because the tourist areas of Manhattan\u00a0are so busy, even at night, that we didn’t need to worry too much about camera security. Just be sensible about where you are and what’s going on around you.<\/p>\n

    6. Keep the camera still for night time and low light shots<\/h3>\n

    The Manhattan skyline at night is magical but you need to keep your camera still to avoid ending up with a blurred image. One way to do this is find a viewpoint with a rail,\u00a0ledge or wall where you can position your camera. Set the camera up on the wall or rail to include the view you want to photograph and use the self timer facility on the camera.\u00a0Using the self timer means that the camera automatically takes a photo a few seconds after you have pressed the button so you don’t need to hold the camera\u00a0while the photo\u00a0is being taken.\u00a0Doing this\u00a0helps to\u00a0reduce the camera shake that causes blurred images. Just remember to keep hold of the camera strap (without nudging or moving the camera)\u00a0so that your camera doesn’t fall\u00a0or get knocked off\u00a0whatever you have placed it on!<\/p>\n

    \"Photograph

    I took this image of downtown Manhattan at night from the Brooklyn Bridge<\/p><\/div>\n

    7. Photograph details<\/h3>\n
    \"Photo

    I love patterns and there are plenty of old buildings like this in New York<\/p><\/div>\n

    New York is not just about the big iconic attractions and sights. There\u00a0are plenty of things\u00a0you will\u00a0find that just don’t exist back home and\u00a0photographing the unique details\u00a0helps to tell the story of your trip. Look out for things like fire hydrants, street signs, huge display screens in Times Square, fire trucks, police cars, building name plates,\u00a0yellow cabs, traffic lights and\u00a0modern art sculptures.\u00a0There is\u00a0plenty different about New York in the small details as well as the main attractions.<\/p>\n

    8. Look out for unusual angles<\/h3>\n

    If you do travel by bus or boat you have a unique viewpoint compared to travelling on foot. Remember to look up, there’s more going on above because of the shortage of real estate so take some photos. There are good views from the Top of the Rock (Rockefeller Centre) and from the Empire State Building. The recently completed High Line (a walkway using a converted railway line) also offers good views of city life from above. It doesn’t even need\u00a0to be an attraction – get a window seat on the top floor of MacDonald’s in Times Square (not easy, but possible –\u00a0we did it!) and photograph New York\u00a0City from there.<\/p>\n

    \"Photograph

    I took this photograph from the top deck of a bus. Don’t stand up if you do this – the overhead street signs are very low!<\/p><\/div>\n

    9. Don’t\u00a0limit yourself to the well known sights<\/h3>\n

    I always like to look around and photograph something slightly different to the norm, so my recommendation here is to photograph the famous landmark and then start to look at what else interests you in the same vicinity. You can do the same if you are photographing from a bus or boat – just take photos of\u00a0what interests you while you have the opportunity. You can always decide later whether you want to include it in your holiday photo album or slideshow.<\/p>\n

    \"Photo<\/p>\n

    10. Don’t forget there are lots of free attractions and sights to photograph in NYC<\/h3>\n

    If you want to photograph New York City icons without breaking the bank, here’s a list of what I think are some of the best free sights and attractions in Manhattan:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • Times Square – iconic and very busy. It’s never quiet and there’s always something to see, making it a good spot to photograph people.<\/li>\n
    • Staten Island ferry – the free ferry gives great views from which to photograph New York City.<\/li>\n
    • St. Patrick’s Cathedral – standing proud among the\u00a0skyscrapers and department stores, St. Pat’s is magnificent both inside and out.<\/li>\n
    • Rockefeller Centre – an iconic New York site, the complex includes a skating rink and retail stores. Make sure you see the\u00a0mural paintings on the walls and ceiling in the\u00a0lobby area.<\/li>\n
    • New York Public Library – NYPL is the largest public library system in the US and the main building\u00a0is magnificent. The main reading room has wall murals and chandeliers but just about every area of the building is wonderful. Check out some of the smaller reading rooms as well.<\/li>\n
    • Grand Central Terminal – the star location of many movies, this is another must-see attraction. Stand at one end of the main terminal and take in the view – there will be people on the opposite side of the\u00a0concourse\u00a0doing the same!<\/li>\n
    • The High Line – this was formerly a disused a railway line that has been converted to offer a beautiful garden atmosphere with magnificent views of the city from above.<\/li>\n
    • Central Park – a quiet oasis where you can escape the noise and bustle of NYC. The park is larger than you might expect so if it’s on your list of places to see and photograph, make sure you\u00a0allow plenty of time. You won’t see it all in less than a day but you there are various entry and exit points so you can choose\u00a0a route to suit you. There is tranquillity to be found here as well as a zoo, boating lake, bridges, food outlets, walking, cycle and car routes, a museum,\u00a0statues and sculptures.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      There’s\u00a0loads more free things to see in New York, these are just the ones I can personally recommend but there’s more information on the net. Just search for ‘free attractions in New York’.<\/p>\n

      If you get to make the trip to New York you won’t be disappointed and I hope the information above helps you get some great photos to remember it by.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      I visited New York in October, and as you would expect, while I was there I took loads of photographs. Like many other people, in my mind I had a<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[24,34],"tags":[35,37,36,38],"class_list":["post-141","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","hentry","category-commercial-photography","category-top-tips","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-photography","tag-nyc","tag-top-of-the-rock-photo","post_format-post-format-image"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7cStv-2h","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":441,"url":"https:\/\/www.holland-photography.co.uk\/blog\/heritage-railway-wedding-photography\/","url_meta":{"origin":141,"position":0},"title":"Heritage Railway Wedding","date":"31 July 2017","format":"image","excerpt":"I had the pleasure of doing the wedding photography for\u00a0Grant and Sarah's wedding earlier this month.\u00a0Shortly after their wedding\u00a0I spent\u00a0a day with them photographing them again at various heritage railway sites in Cumbria. I hadn't visited the locations until Grant and Sarah mentioned to me their ideas for having a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Heritage railway"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.holland-photography.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/steam-train-wedding.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":199,"url":"https:\/\/www.holland-photography.co.uk\/blog\/fantasy-art-photography\/","url_meta":{"origin":141,"position":1},"title":"Fantasy Art Photography","date":"25 March 2016","format":"image","excerpt":"Fantasy Art Photography - unique digital art Last year I was asked by an art gallery to exhibit some of my portrait photographs. I didn't want to simply take images\u00a0that were on\u00a0the walls of my studio and\u00a0use them\u00a0in the exhibition so I did something a little different. I blended unique\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fantasy Art Photography"","img":{"alt_text":"Lifted - an original work of fantasy art photography by Paul Holland","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.holland-photography.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/1418-600x400.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":347,"url":"https:\/\/www.holland-photography.co.uk\/blog\/lakes-international-comic-art-festival\/","url_meta":{"origin":141,"position":2},"title":"Heroes and Villains – fantasy art photography (Comic Art)","date":"30 September 2016","format":"image","excerpt":"Heroes and Villains - my\u00a0Comic Art window trail display Every year, Kendal hosts\u00a0the Lakes International Comic Art Festival with workshops, films, talks\u00a0and demonstrations by some of the world's leading comic artists and writers. One of the event's attractions is the town's comic art window trail where shop and office windows\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Events"","img":{"alt_text":"A selection of images for the comic art window trail","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.holland-photography.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Comic-Mix-600x400.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":75,"url":"https:\/\/www.holland-photography.co.uk\/blog\/breakfast-at-tiffanys-photo-shoot\/","url_meta":{"origin":141,"position":3},"title":"Breakfast at Tiffany’s Photo Shoot","date":"12 February 2016","format":"image","excerpt":"It's always a treat to be asked to create photographs that are a bit different and last year I was asked by Yana if I could help her to recreate the look of Holly Golightly, Audrey Hepburn's character in the book and film 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'. Yana had booked a\u00a0studio\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Studio Photo Shoots"","img":{"alt_text":"Breakfast at Tiffanys Photo Shoot","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.holland-photography.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Breakfast-at-Tiffanys-600x900.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":113,"url":"https:\/\/www.holland-photography.co.uk\/blog\/how-to-choose-a-wedding-photographer-top-tips\/","url_meta":{"origin":141,"position":4},"title":"How to choose a wedding photographer – Top Tips","date":"16 February 2016","format":"image","excerpt":"There's a lot of information out there on this topic but it's not easy selecting the right person to photograph your wedding,\u00a0so as a full time professional photographer I thought I would help by\u00a0sharing\u00a0my thoughts on how to choose a wedding photographer that's right for you. 1. Where to start?\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Top Tips"","img":{"alt_text":"How to choose a wedding photographer image 01","src":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.holland-photography.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/How-to-choose-a-wedding-photographer-04.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":93,"url":"https:\/\/www.holland-photography.co.uk\/blog\/photography-for-domestic-appliance-centre-kendal\/","url_meta":{"origin":141,"position":5},"title":"Domestic Appliance Centre Kendal photography commission","date":"27 February 2016","format":"image","excerpt":"A few weeks ago I was\u00a0commissioned by Domestic Appliance Centre Kendal to create some images for their new web site (which went live recently). They wanted photographs that showed the huge range of appliances and parts they stock as well as their vehicles, the shop and members of the team.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commercial Photography"","img":{"alt_text":"Domestic Appliance Centre image 01","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.holland-photography.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Domestic-Appliance-Centre-01a.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.holland-photography.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.holland-photography.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.holland-photography.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.holland-photography.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.holland-photography.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=141"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/www.holland-photography.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":173,"href":"https:\/\/www.holland-photography.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141\/revisions\/173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.holland-photography.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.holland-photography.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.holland-photography.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}