A Walking City
By Farrell Kramer
15 Aug 2008
New York City is best experienced on foot.
I've been in and around New York City for many years. I was born there. Lived there. Worked there. And, whenever possible, I love to make photographs there. On foot.
I've stumbled upon some of my very best images by just walking around. I try to pack a camera bag whenever I venture into the city for a meeting or some other event. If I have a few hours between appointments, I'll start walking. If I'm busy all day, I'll try to shoot at night.
There's always something interesting to photograph in the city that never sleeps. People. Places. Motion. Emotion. When the weather's bad, the pictures are better. Cloudy skies. Slick, wet pavement that reflects light in interesting ways. Gusty wind. It's all a good thing.
Of course, there are many landmarks in the city that almost everyone photographs. So, I try to find new places to shoot. Or new ways of looking at the most well-known sights.
It's difficult to remember sometimes that the camera lets me introduce others to things I've seen a hundred times. Yellow taxis speeding across Times Square. Click. The Chrysler Building rising in the distance. Click. A man crossing the street. Click.
Of course, the best thing about shooting in New York is there's always a great picture around the next corner. You just have to remember to keep walking.
