Where to Photograph in NYC — New York City Photo Opportunities
Best Places to Photograph in NYC

NYC Skyline
NYC has amazing photo opportunities around every corner. From skylines and night photography, to portraits, architecture, street photography, and even wildlife, NYC has it all.
This guide to the best places to photograph in NYC will highlight many of the popular locations so you can capture that magic image.
Brooklyn Bridge from Brooklyn Bridge Park

Brooklyn Bridge, NYC
Brooklyn Bridge Park is one of the very best places to photograph the Brooklyn Bridge with the NYC skyline in the background. It’s very easy to get there via subway. You can also walk right over the bridge from Manhattan. Be sure to take your wide-angle lens and your tripod. Sunset and "blue hour" are fantastic times for photos. Blue hour is the brief period right after sunset, but before it's fully dark. The photo above was taken shortly after sunset.
As an added bonus for this location, the Manhattan Bridge can be photographed from here.
Wall Street, New York Stock Exchange
Wall Street and the area around the NYSE area can be a great place to capture the hustle and bustle of life in the city. The subway goes right to Wall St., so this is another area that is easy to get to. The photo below was taken from a set of stairs across the street from the NYSE.

New York Stock Exchange -- Wall Street
Rockefeller Center & Radio City Music Hall
The Rockefeller Center / Radio City area in midtown provides many great photo opportunities.
The photo below of the Rockefeller Center ice skating rink and Christmas Tree was taken during the holiday season in New York.

Rockefeller Center Ice Skating, NYC
This photo of Radio City Music Hall was taken from a tripod at 6th ave and 50th street.

Radio City Music Hall, NYC
This is the statue of Atlas at Rockefeller Center, with St. Patrick's Cathedral, taken from 5th ave between 50th and 51st streets.

Statue of Atlas, Rockefeller Center, NYC
The following is a street scene in the Rock Center area:

Rockefeller Center and Radio City, NYC
From this area, you can also take an elevator to the "Top of the Rock" observation deck which provides incredible views of the city.
Skyline from Gantry Plaza State Park
If you’re looking to a get a super-wide skyline shot, Gantry Plaza State Park right across the East River is a great place to do it. You can take the subway (#7 train or G train) to the park. The following NYC skyline photo was taken from Gantry Plaza State Park just after sunset during "blue hour".

NYC Skyline
South Street Seaport
The South Street Seaport is a fascinating place with endless photographic opportunities, from the pier to the ships to the river.

South Street Seaport, NYC
The photo below of the South Street Seaport was taken from the pedestrian walkway on the Brooklyn Bridge.

South Street Seaport, NYC
You can also take photos of the Brooklyn Bridge from the South Street Seaport. The following photo was taken from the Seaport during the "Waterfalls" art installation.

Brooklyn Bridge, "Waterfalls" art installation
Times Square
Times Square is of course one of the iconic locations in NYC. There are countless photo opportunities here, so take your time and explore.
In this more “abstract” shot, my goal was to capture the energy of Times Square. This was a panning shot...

Times Square Taxi, NYC
Grand Central Station
Grand Central Station is one of the major transportation hubs of New York City. 750,000 people pass through every single day! While tripods are not allowed to be set up in Grand Central, there is a short wall by one of the sets of stairs where you can rest your camera to take a long exposure such as the one below.

Grand Central Station, NYC
Empire State Building
There are many places to photograph the Empire State Building, which is located at 34th st and 5th ave. This photo is taken from Brooklyn through the structure of the Manhattan Bridge. You can also get great photos from up close, or from up high such as from the observation deck at “Top of the Rock”, Rockefeller Center.
This photo was taken with a telephoto lens from Brooklyn, near Brooklyn Bridge Park which was discussed above.

Empire State Building through Manhattan Bridge
Central Park
There are so many wonderful photo opportunities in Central Park.
One of my favorites is of “Literary Walk”.

Central Park, NYC
Bow Bridge on "The Lake" provides a peaceful scene to photograph, and is a great place to relax.

Bow Bridge, Central Park, NYC
The Ramble in Central Park is one of my most favorite places to go, both for photography and for relaxation. You wouldn't think you could find scenes like this right in the middle of NYC!

The Ramble, Central Park, NYC

The Ramble, Central Park, NYC
Some other great places to photograph in Central Park are:
* Central Park Boathouse on “The Lake”, where Venetian-style gondoliers transport guests over the lake
* The Great Lawn is a fantastic place to photograph people enjoying the outdoors
* Bethesda Fountain
Roosevelt Island
Roosevelt Island is a place where you can get great skylines and bridge photos. You get to Roosevelt Island via the Roosevelt Island Tramway, which is a short “gondola” ride over the East River. The following photo of the 59th Street Bridge and the Tramway was taken from Roosevelt Island facing Manhattan.

Roosevelt Island Tramway, NYC
The photo below of the East River was taken from the Roosevelt Island Tramway as it crossed the river.

East River Sailboats, NYC
Washington Square Park, Greenwich Village, East Village
Washington Square Park is in the heart of the "Village" area of NYC. Walking west takes you right into Greenwich Village, while walking east takes you into the East Village. Both present great photo opportunities. The photo below is of the arch in Washington Square Park.

Washington Square Park, NYC
Columbus Circle
Columbus Circle is on the southwest corner of Central Park, and marks the beginning of the Upper West Side. The photo below is of the fountains in Columbus Circle.

Columbus Circle, NYC
Central Park Zoo
If you want to capture some wildlife photos, the Central Park Zoo provides plenty of opportunities. As you can see below, even the NYC monkeys are cool.

Central Park Zoo, NYC
Other Photo Opportunities
The locations presented above highlight some of the more popular photo opps. There are of course so many other opportunities in NYC, including the Statue of Liberty and the rest of the boroughs. The photos below are some additional images from around the city.
If you can get up high, you can capture fantastic photos of the rivers and skylines.

East River Sunrise, NYC
This is a photo of the skyline reflected in a wine glass.

NYC Skyline in Wineglass
This photo of lightning over the East River was taken from a tripod.

Lightning over East River, NYC
The following two photos of the Brooklyn Bridge were taken from from Brooklyn Bridge Park and from standing on the bridge.

Brooklyn Bridge, NYC

Brooklyn Bridge, NYC
And lastly, the sun sets over NYC.

NYC Sunset
There are so many photo opportunities in New York City, you can explore for a lifetime. I've provided just a sampling of photo opps as inspiration for you own photos, and to highlight some of the more popular locations.
For those looking to improve your photography, I've also created an app for iPhone / iPad / Android which teaches photography and how to get photos like these while you're out taking pictures. It's perfect for when you're traveling. Click here:
Photography Trainer for iOS and Android
Photography Trainer iPhone app
If you find this guide helpful, please share it:
If you have any questions about the locations or photo techniques, please feel free to ask any time. You can also become a fan at my Photography Facebook page, add me to Google+ circles, or follow me on Twitter for more photography tutorials and tips:
Thanks for reading, and best regards,
Paul
If you'd like to purchase prints or stock photography licenses for my photos (for advertising and editorial use), please visit:
http://www.timpaphotography.com/purchase
Copyright 2014, Paul Timpa
Travel Photography: How to Prepare for Your Trip
Preparing for Travel Photography

Colosseum, Rome, Italy
Going on a trip where you'll be taking photos can be one of the most exciting photography experiences you can have. Whether it's simply going on vacation, or a dedicated trip specifically for travel photography, you’ll want to be prepared. This guide will help you get there and highlight some of the things you need to think about.
So let’s get started!
Gear
You should always bring all the photography gear you’ll need with you. Assume that you won’t be able to acquire any photo equipment at your destination. While it may turn out that there is a photography shop nearby, it’s better to play it safe. I suggest making a list of all your gear on your computer. Then before every trip you can print it out and check that each item is packed. I go the extra step and actually set everything up, power on the camera, put it on the tripod, etc. This way nothing can be forgotten. (For example, one time I almost left without the quick-release plate for my tripod, something that would have been easy to miss had I not actually tried to mount the camera).
Here is a simple list to get you started:
* Camera
* Camera Battery in the camera + extra batteries
* Battery charger
* Memory Card in the camera + extra memory cards
* Tripod and tripod attachments (e.g. Quick release plates, heads, etc.)
* Remote control for shutter
* Filters + filter holders
* Flash + flash batteries
* Ziploc bag (quick rain protection)
* Cable to connect camera to computer
* Electric plug adapters (for international travel)
* Backup point-and-shoot camera with battery, charger, and memory cards
Take special note of that last item. Cameras can fail, break, or get lost. You don’t want to be on the trip of a lifetime and have your only camera fail, leaving you with no other option to take photos. Always bring a backup camera, even if it’s an inexpensive point-and-shoot. You may not get the highest-quality photos, but at least you’ll have something.

Positano, Italy
Photo locations
Now for the fun part -- figuring out what you want to photograph at your destination!
There are many ways to determine some of the key "must have" photos from any particular location. I usually use three ways:
First, I’ll simply do some Google searches about the destination to see what comes up. In addition to researching the destination in general, I’ll usually search for something like “Where to photograph in [insert destination]” as well.
Secondly, I’ll buy guide book or two. These are great not only to highlight the key places to see, but are also super helpful overall for things like hotels, restaurants, etc. The popular ones are usually very good, such as Fodor’s, Frommer's, and Lonely Planet.
Lastly, I’ll go to a photo sharing site like Flickr or Google+ and search on the destination to see what’s popular to photograph.
When I get to the destination, I’ll look at the postcard rack to see what else looks interesting, and of course I'll talk to locals to get their input as well.
If you use the methods above, you’ll have a good chance of getting to all the key photo opps.
Once you've identified where you want to photograph, it's time to create the “plan” to get all the photos.
The first thing to do is figure out how many sunrises and sunsets you’ll have, since many of your photographs will likely occur at that time. You’ll get a sunrise & sunset for each full day you’re there, and depending on what time of day you’re traveling, maybe a sunset on the day you arrive, and a sunrise on the day you leave. Subtract out any sunrises / sunsets where you’re doing something besides photography (you might want to have a nice meal along the beach at sunset, y’know!)

Costa Rica Sunset, Mal Pais
Once you know how many sunrises / sunsets you have, just look at your list of photo locations and assign them to the days of your trip. Do the important ones first -- this way if the weather is bad and you don’t get a shot the first day, you can go back the next day and try again. The photos you don’t get to will be the least priority ones.
Especially for the sunrise / sunset photos, I recommend scouting the location in advance during the day. The window for photography at sunrise / sunset is very small. You don’t want to find out on the morning of the shoot that you don’t know where to park, that there’s a huge construction site in front of the location, or any host of other things. Go to the site during the day, confirm you know how to get there, exactly where you’re going to shoot from, etc. Then you can just go to the spot the next day, worry-free, and take the shot.
Use a sunrise / sunset calculator to determine your shooting times. I like the one below -- it also shows “civil twilight” which loosely translates to blue hour. Enter the location and dates you'll be traveling:
Determine if there is a particular direction you need to be facing. For example, the Grand Teton mountains are generally photographed when facing straight west, so they are usually photographed at sunrise when the sun is behind you and shining on the mountains. If you’re trying to get the NYC skyline with the sun rising behind it, you’ll want to be facing east and take the photo from the New Jersey side of the river. If you want the sun setting over the skyline, you need to face west and take the photo from Queens / Brooklyn. These are the types of things to think about.

NYC Skyline
Whether it’s a sunrise / sunset photo, day photo, or night photo, group the locations together so you can shoot the ones that are close together on the same day if possible.
Bring a paper map just in case GPS navigation doesn't work. Once I have my photo plan, I’ll use Google maps to get directions from one place to another, and I’ll print those directions to bring with me. Then I don’t have to worry if I don’t get a good GPS signal.
Also put some thought into what locations might be OK to shoot even if the weather is bad. You might not think of a gray rainy day as a worthwhile day for photography, but maybe the location lends itself to black & white photography, so getting warm light isn't necessary.
Don't forget there is more than one way to shoot a popular location, as illustrated below in two very different takes on the Eiffel Tower:

Eiffel Tower, Paris

Eiffel Tower, Paris
Traveling with your gear
Once you've identified everything you’re bringing and you've got your photography plan, it’s time to pack and travel. Traveling with your gear can present its own set of challenges. Firstly, if you’re flying, you must take your camera, memory cards, and accessories with you on the plane as a carry-on. It’s not wise to check your expensive and fragile equipment, that could get lost or damaged. Either put it in your luggage that can go in the overhead bin, or use a photo backpack that you can put under the seat. You can use a compact tripod with four-segment legs that will fit in many carry-on sized pieces of luggage. My four-segment compact tripod is my only tripod and it works great.
Be sure to use a foam-padded backpack or case, or at least wrap your camera in towels or clothes to protect it from the bumps of travels. Put in the center of your luggage, not near the edges where impacts can damage it.
If you’re traveling internationally, be aware of customs rules. There are some rules regarding purchasing equipment in other countries and returning with it, so if possible have a receipt or just some way of explaining that the gear is yours and was not purchased on the trip.
When you get to your destination, always be aware of your camera equipment. Never leave it unattended. If you’re going out on the town without your D-SLR and it fits in the hotel safe, then put it in the safe along with the memory cards.
Backup
OK, so you got to your destination, executed your plan, and you captured some amazing photos. Congratulations! Now it’s time to back everything up. It’s incredibly important to backup your images while you’re traveling, as soon as you possibly can after taking them.
The simplest and most familiar way is to bring a laptop and transfer the images to the hard drive. You can also buy a portable memory card backup device with a hard drive, but the laptop has a significant advantage: You can email the photos to yourself, upload to “the cloud”, or burn CDs from a laptop. This is important because if at all possible you should try to have backups that are not with you physically. If all of your backups are in your bag and it gets lost, you’ve lost everything. With a laptop, you can (and should) upload important photos to “the cloud” (a dropbox, your own server, etc.) or at the very least email a few photos to yourself. You can also burn a CD and mail it to yourself if necessary. This way, if something happens to your gear, you’ll still have the images in the cloud, your email, or waiting at home in your mailbox. I also connect an additional portable hard drive to the laptop via USB to create a second copy while I'm there.
Don't plan on using a "public" computer at your destination, such as in the hotel business center or Internet cafe. Often public computers have safeguards that will prevent you from plugging in your camera and/or hard drives.

South Street Seaport, NYC
Closing
Travelphotography can be one of the most rewarding types of photography. Not only do you capture memories to last a lifetime, but you get to share those beautiful locations with everyone. Perhaps you might even inspire someone to travel there too.
My last point in this guide is probably the most important: Remember that you’re traveling and experiencing amazing things. Don’t get lost in the photography while forgetting to experience the moment. If there is a stunning sunrise, photograph it, but remember to put the camera down for a few minutes, forget about the photography, and enjoy life.
Enjoy!
Best,
Paul
I've also created an app for iPhone, Android, and iPod Touch which teaches you photography -- more info can be found here:
Photography Trainer for iPhone and Android

Photography Trainer iPhone app
To keep up-to-date with the latest photo additions and other topics, you can become a fan at my Photography Facebook page, add me to your Google+ circles, or follow me on Twitter:
Paul Timpa Photography's Facebook
Share this guide:
If you'd like to purchase prints or stock photography licenses for my photos (for advertising and editorial use), please visit:
http://www.timpaphotography.com/purchase
Copyright 2014, Paul Timpa