Majestic

What better landmark can describe New York City if not the famous Empire State Building? I wonder if there any tourists who visited New York City and missed seeing this wonderful piece of architecture.

This black and white photograph of the Empire State Building has been sitting on my hard drive for some time now so I decided to bring it out and include it in my blog.

I still remember the very first time I saw the building, and being up there. I wish I could erase the experience from my mind and do it all over again. I have never felt so absolute and minor compared to this humongous building. It is a building so simple, yet so grand that there is no sore eye that can't look it and say 'Wow that's beautiful!'

New York City is one of those cities that you can't help fall in love over and over again with every corner you turn. There is always something to see. It's the city where dreams come true (and I am sure also the city where a lot of dreams are shattered, but lets not think about that.)

This black and white photograph was shot using a Canon 40D. It was edited and converted using Photoshop CS4.

Colors of New York City

New York City

“Every person on the streets of New York is a type. The city is one big theater where everyone is on display.” Jerry Rubin

This is my 84th photograph and I have never faced such dilemma. Today I couldn't decide whether to work with the color photograph or convert it to black and white. I liked both pictures and couldn't just pick one so for today we have a double entry...two versions of the same photograph.

One thing I instantly fell in love with when I first arrive in New York City was the architecture and the colors. Coming from a country where the buildings are bland and all limestone yellow this was beauty to me. I love the contrast that these beautiful buildings create...a red building with black fire escape ladders or darker buildings with white ladders. Add a beatiful clear blue sky, (or for a better effect I prefer a dull, greyish one) and the colors of the trees and you will be walking among art.

When I was younger, I never thought that it'd be possible to fall in love with a city, but New York City was love at first sight and it's the kind of love that will never die.

This photograph was shot with a compact camera. Editing, including the black and white conversion was done in PS CS4.

Elements

Valletta, Malta

"Blue, green, grey, white, or black; smooth, ruffled, or mountainous; that ocean is not silent." H.P. Lovecraft

A few days ago I posted a photograph entitled Past and Present which was shot at the Valletta Waterfront. The photograph today is also shot at the Valletta Waterfront but this time it's from the other side. 

The white tents are all tents for outdoor eating at various different restaurants. You could say you are basically eating on top of the ocean. I believe this is as close as you can get to eating by the ocean.

A few steps down, you can find the main harbor, where cruise ships come in. There was one when I took this photograph but since I was not carrying my DSLR I couldn't really bring it in the photography too (not much control) so I had to settled to two different pictures...one of this and one of the ship. 

The ocean you see here is part of the Mediterranean Ocean and the architecture has been there for several hundred years. I like the idea of mixing old with new and this project turned out to be excellent. It's one of my favorite places to visit while in Malta.

This photograph was shot using my iPhone. No app was used, just the iPhone's normal camera.

Linear

High-Line, New York City

"Architecture is inhabited sculpture." Constantin Brancusi

This is probably a sight that is in my top 3 favorites sights in New York City. It's modern versus old at it's best. Once again I am posting a picture that's shot from the newly refurbished High-Line in New York City (more information can be found here). 

The three buildings you see in the picture are all apartment buildings. They are so different and yet they look so good next to teach other. I can only think about the spectacular views the inhabitants can enjoy from the top floor, with one side being the Hudson River and on the other side you have the city.

This black and white photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV

The Lucerne Hotel

Lucerne Hotel, New York City

"Architecture in general is frozen music." Friedrich von Schelling

This piece of architecture has always caught my eyes, since the very first time I landed in New York City. It can be found on the Upper West Side of New York City. It is a popular hotel but the restaurant 'Nice Matin' that is found on the lower portion of the building is more popular than the hotel itself.

Both the restaurant and the hotel are French and even though I've never sat foot at any of them I have heard good things about both. 

As I said earlier, the building strikes me as very dramatic. That could be the deep red color of the stones or maybe because it's the only tower on that block. As you can see from the picture the buildings next to it are quite short in comparison.

This black and white photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV

Chaos

32nd Street, New York City

"Chaos in the world brings uneasiness, but it also allows the opportunity for creativity and growth." Tom Barrett

You know how they say a picture can say a million words? Well this is one of those pictures. In this frame we can see all of New York City. Yes all of New York City can be seen in this picture.

If you look closely you can see all New York City has to offer - high-end shops, restaurants, the famous taxi-cabs, skyscrapers, architecture, adverts, the Subway, pedestrians and lots more.

One of the places you can see this scene in New York City is 32nd Street exactly by Macy's. In my opinion it is even busier than Times Square and I always found it more interesting than Times Square itself. Some people hate New York City because of its chaos and fast pace living and those two reason are exactly why I love the City. 

This photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV

Ansonia

Architectural Building, Upper West Side, New York City

"Architecture aims at Eternity." Christopher Wren

Opera singers and this apartment building in the picture have a long history. This famous building which is called the Ansonia, was designed by Stokes, who had no architecture training but gave strict rules to a European architect he hired for the job. A lot of famous people lived in this building and I am sure it contains a lot of secrets behind its walls. 

The Ansonia building stands 18 stories high and this massive structure boasts 1,400 rooms over 50,000 square feet. 

The first time I was told that the Ansonia building was the home for a lot of opera singers I immediately asked why. It's clear enough why, but I am so immersed into looking at this facade that my common sense was lost. The building has very thick walls, therefore musicians could sing or play instruments all they wanted without bothering their neighbors.

Of all the awe-inspiring, historically significant buildings that make the Upper West Side of Manhattan so aesthetically pleasing and popular to the masses, perhaps few are as architecturally exuberant or hold such colorful history as the Ansonia building and hotel. 

This photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV

The Empire

Empire State Building, New York City

"Empire and Liberty" Marcus Tullius Cicero

Probably one of the grandest sights in all of New York City. It's simply a landmark that can't be missed. Tourists and New Yorkers alike, look at this gigantic piece of architecture with admiration. It brings with it a lot of history. 

Besides being fascinated with the architecture itself, I was always fascinated with the old pictures of the guys working on the building. The guys that are a couple of stories high acting like it's not dangerous at all. Some are lying on a beam sleeping or eating lunch. I know for a fact that I will never have the guts these brave people who built the Empire State Building in New York City had.

This picture is shot from the ever popular area that's close to Macy's. 34th Street is bustling with energy and I always thought it was actually busier than Times Square. It's an area that I will always keep close to my heart. You can feel chaos yet you can see the organization. 

This photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV

The Last House

85th Street, Manhattan, New York City

"A house divided against itself cannot stand." Abraham Lincoln

Some say a lot of the houses or apartment buildings look similar in New York City. I disagree wholeheartedly. Maybe those who are always in a hurry and just walk past these architectural structures without a short glimpse will disagree.

As I said in a previous post, I just love the New York City color scheme. For some it might be too dark and dull but for me it's spectacular especially on a cloudy/rainy day. Each building I see I try to see something unique in it and that does not only make me appreciate it more, but it also helps me to remember the buildings. 

This particular street in the picture is 85th Street between Central Park and Columbus Avenue. It's where I spend most of my time and it's also the street my muse lives on. So yes, this is not a random street picture, it's a street that has a lot of significant importance to me.

This photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV

Water and Stone

Lincoln Center, New York

All architecture is great architecture after sunset; perhaps architecture is really a nocturnal art, like the art of fireworks. Gilbert K. Chesteron 

The quote included with this picture is probably one of my favorites because it is so true. It's like architecture takes life after sunset and becomes something completely different. 

The architecture and sculpture in this photograph are located at The Lincoln Center in New York City. It was raining when I shot this picture so the area was pretty empty, which is good. Usually this place crowded and it makes it difficult to take a good photograph. And in New York it's rare, very rare, to find an empty spot so this was the perfect day.

The reflection in the water makes the sculpture look even more beautiful. The sculpture together with the reflection, the texture of the water and the coins all contribute together to create the perfect sight for a good photograph in New York.

This photograph was shot using Hipstamatic on my iPhone and the settings were Lucifer IV/BlacKeys B&W. I converted it to black and white in PS CS4.