It’s official: my favorite subjects to photograph are in Manhattan.
This was an easy conclusion to reach, given that the city’s views monopolize my top 11 photos of 2014, as chosen by yours truly (why stop at 10?). While I visited several unfamiliar sites and found many new subjects to photograph in Manhattan this year, I also shot some standard subjects, mostly much-photographed skyscrapers and bridges, from new vantage points.
My choice of cameras also helped define my photography this year. I found that I often used my iPhone 5C’s camera instead of my reliable Nikon D90. This heightened focus on smartphone imagery inspired me to download a few photo filters to experiment with different looks, as well as to revive and invigorate my long-dormant Instagram handle (@josephkellard). A few of my best iPhone images made the cut here.
So without further ado, below are my top 11 photos of 2014. Let me know if you have a favorite and especially if you want to buy a print (or two or three).
ARMY DAD & DAUGHTER REUNITE: This year’s money shot shows a teen hugging her Army dad after he showed up at her high school graduation ceremony while she thought he was still stationed overseas. Newsday assigned me to cover this reunion and I made sure I found a good vantage point to capture this moment. Money!
DUCKS ROW: I was passing through Central Park when I crossed paths with these ducks lined up along the Conservatory Water. I inched up close to the birds, crouched down with my iPhone, and angled it to include the trees, buildings and stormy sky above. The ducks cooperated just long enough for me to capture this moment in time.
CENTRAL PARK REFLECTIONS: Here’s another photo I snapped with my iPhone. What I like most about this shot, beside the boost in color I gave it, is that tops of the buildings are cut off but appear anyway in the puddle’s reflection.
PILING ON MANHATTAN: To capture this night scene of lower Manhattan, I planted my tripod where Brooklyn Bridge Park meets some pilings in the East River, and used a remote release and a 30-second-long exposure.
HOLE IN THE SKY: Yet another iPhone photo, this one taken at The Lake at Eisenhower Park on Long Island, as the rays of the setting sun pierce some low-hanging clouds.
OF RIVETS AND RUST: Many a photographer has captured this view: the base of the Manhattan Bridge framing the Empire State Building. I wanted to see if I could captured it through a perspective I hadn’t yet seen. I think I succeeded, especially in the clarity of the rivets and rust.
FIERY SKYLINE: Another snapshot of lower Manhattan that I took from Brooklyn Bridge Park, as a fierce sunset infused the skyline.
COLUMBUS CIRCLE SKY: To enhance the angle and depth of this view, one I’ve captured before, I walked to the bottom of the stairs at the Columbus Circle subway station, pointed my lens skyward and somewhat askew, and leaned back as far as my lumbar region would allow. Just like that, a new perspective.
EMPIRE STATE BUMBLEBEE: I keep a mental note: when shooting in Manhattan (especially Central Park), look for scenes that unite man-made structures with nature. When I was exploring new vantage points at Gantry Park in Queens, I spotted these flowers set against the Midtown skyline. As I was shooting, a few bumblebees feasted on the flowers and this single bee wanted me to photograph him next to the Empire State Building. So I did.
ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER: This was a simple shot. Stopped at a traffic light while driving downtown, I stuck my iPhone out my car window and captured One World Trade Center. And here it is now, the eleventh photo of what originally was a top 10 list.