jsrockit
Moderator
I'm going to go ahead and say that NYC is a great street shooting city. You just have to keep going and trying. It didn't help that we brought you to some boring spots. 🙂
Some thoughts coming back from NYC
- Thread starter Lauffray
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daninjc
Well-known
I have somewhat the opposite experience - moving from NYC to Montreal, I still have to find here in the north the street excitement and the variety of the former. With enough time, and a good map, NYC never ceases to surprise, even after years of roaming its streets.
Granted - I haven't nearly explored as much of Montreal yet, and there seem to be many things going on here as well. I guess the one thing one really needs is a lot of time to let the city grow on you and the curiosity to explore the less beaten areas.
However, even the ordinary stroll between Union Square, Tompkins Square and Whashington Square park would usually reveal unexpected opportunities.
Granted - I haven't nearly explored as much of Montreal yet, and there seem to be many things going on here as well. I guess the one thing one really needs is a lot of time to let the city grow on you and the curiosity to explore the less beaten areas.
However, even the ordinary stroll between Union Square, Tompkins Square and Whashington Square park would usually reveal unexpected opportunities.
Lauffray
Invisible Cities
hehe I didn't say it wasn't, I just didn't see the diversity I was expecting. I still didn't go to Brooklyn this time, perhaps I need to get out of Manhattan ?
Lauffray
Invisible Cities
Well Montreal isn't too varied, that much we already know. I just thought that in a city as big as NYC I'd be busy shooting my entire stay.
Shoot me a message if you ever want to go shooting in Mtl one day
Out to Lunch
Veteran
Go and have a look at the 'future' which certainly is not to be found in NYC: Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Saigon, Shanghai and Manilla.
Lauffray
Invisible Cities
Saigon and Shanghai are definitely on the map too, this was a quick weekend trip not too far. Have you been to Asia Peter ? What's it like to shoot there ?
Out to Lunch
Veteran
You will have no problems shooting in any of these cities. Generally, people react in a curious instead of an aggressive manner.
jsrockit
Moderator
Yes... basically.
jsrockit
Moderator
Can you explain this please?
Lauffray
Invisible Cities
I should have said outside of Manhattan, sorry. That's exactly what I meant when I said I still haven't been to Brooklyn, it's my second time in the city and it's like I know nothing about it
hlockwood
Well-known
Will do, Cal.
I was born and raised in NYC. I lived on the (upper) Upper West Side until 1979 when I moved to Boston. Given the opportunity, I'd move back to Manhattan in a New York minute, and I'd burn through a lot of megabytes every day.
Harry
I Love Film
Well-known
If you're not in Manhattan, you're in Cleveland.
jsrockit
Moderator
Oh man, this is going to get heated. I thought only New Jersey people (I lived there for 35 years) said "the City" ... when referring to Manhattan.
davidtan
Established
No consensus on calling Manhattan the "city" or not, in my experience. I've never called it the "city", but I do know other natives (like some of my cousins) that do mention it as that.
Fun bit: In elementary school, I mistakenly declared that I lived in the suburbs. I lived in South Brooklyn, actually.
Fun bit: In elementary school, I mistakenly declared that I lived in the suburbs. I lived in South Brooklyn, actually.
Lauffray
Invisible Cities
furcafe
Veteran
Perhaps what he meant was that NYC is in the U.S., an established city in a developed country, whereas "Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Saigon, Shanghai and Manilla[sic]" are all in Asian countries that are still growing & therefore changing much more rapidly. More like being in NYC in 1890. Since the world's economic center of gravity is shifting over (or rather returning when seen from a historical perspective) to Asia, it is indeed the "future."
v_roma
Well-known
I haven't read through all the comments yet but wanted to chime in and say that, in my view, it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that there is a place out there somewhere where interestings things are everywhere and it's like shooting fish in a barrel. I'm not saying those places don't exist but the street photographers I most admire are those that make the ordinary seem special and transcedent. It's not luck and it's not going to that place where interesting photos are. It's about being aware, seeing things others might miss, waiting, and a very, very low number of keepers...
Lauffray
Invisible Cities
that's very nicely said. I guess I just wanted something different.
Although it's not completely fair of me to say that. Shooting in NYC is _completely_ different than shooting back home. People react differently, it's just the culture perhaps that I didn't find to be as different and varied as I expected
v_roma
Well-known
I completely understand. Certainly, in terms of people's reactions to and comfort level with photography, amount of pedestrian traffic, etc., NY has a lot to offer to street photographers compared to other cities.
furcafe
Veteran
It's a city in Ohio. So maybe the Canadian equivalent would be "If you're not in Toronto, you're in Winnipeg"?
