Posted below on ours Instagram account, and some people have commented a bit. When I filmed it, it was a random frame generated from the open door of a helicopter on its way to, as they say, fry bigger fish. We’re dropping bombs on the Hudson River towards Gotham. Trees and shadows were not the main target of that flight. But as the astute editor ever, Jimmy Colton, pointed out on Twitter, what makes the frame a bit famous are the footprints and footprints in the snow. Which I only really saw later. Take a photo… .tall.
But aside from the chilly wind blowing in your face, there’s also something wonderful about being in the air over NY on a cold day. Summer clouds have spilled over to the sea, and the freshness of the air allows the blade of the sun’s rays to create textures and shapes with characteristic sharpness.
A few frames below, of a photographed muse, the Statue of Liberty, are among my favorites of the Lady. Just bits of her, shot in the late fall, have never been published, but of the thousands of pictures I burned for her lovely image, calmly overseeing the NY harbor, I like these. The late light limited the dimension and detail of her sparkling clothes.
The late autumn or winter light brings you the gifts of light and shadow, with steep angles and daily early fading.
And of course, always have a broad view. Working one Nikkor 16mm ankle, one would have to have orangutan arms to clarify the physicality of the helicopter. So I just let it stay in the frame, and the reality of the machine becomes part of the scene, like it or not. It’s not something I think about much as the pilot drops the bird aside, follows your instructions, and spins the wheel around a remarkable ground structure. The lens emphasizes the long aspects of the action going on, so I usually just need to stretch the camera and make sure everything on board is tight or cropped, myself included. Sticking your neck and lenses in a stream of cold water in a clipper with a sturdy lid can make your balls shrink like raisins, if you think about it. I just like to imagine it as a very cool roller coaster in the sky.
I must admit that I politely photographed the new silver guard at the base of Manhattan. I looked up at the sky, and I wanted to see the twin towers, towering again. The NY skyline misses them, dear.
Autumn turned to winter, and cold, clear light enveloped the great city. Like a snowball, it sparkles as the winter air sweeps over it.
More tk….
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