The Hell Gate Bridge was opened in 1916, and was the inspiration for the Sydney Harbour Bridge (built in 1925). The red paint used on the bridge fades relatively fast, I believe it had it’s last paint job in 2005 (bright red), but has returned to a very dull maroon color.
The East River Roundabout park is easily the most unknown and inaccessible park in NYC. It’s only use at the moment is a dog run. The structure is an old garbage transfer station, and the sculpture on top of it was designed/installed in 1995 by Alice Aycock. The NYC parks department has a bit more info about it. I love the structure.
Ever since I shot the pano in April, I was unhappy about it (the second one), and decided to reshoot it (the first one), with more coverage to the left, and a bit more resolution.
About 400 megapixel.
I really never knew what the structure above the GWB approach was, until I walked by and found that it’s another bus terminal, servicing NJ… who knew?
About 350 megapixel
The 125th birthday celebration were in full swing with a light show on the bridge. I went back to the same spot where I shot the “two Bridges” panorama from, only this time I used the 85mm lens. I personally found the light show quite cheesy and garish, but I guess it attracted tourists.
Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridge: since so many people really liked this panorama, I decided to reshoot it much larger, and this is the new and improved version that will soon find its way into the portfolio with the usual size of 243x76cm (96x30in).
Digital, about 400 megapixel.
Roosevelt Island has a great view of Manhattan, especially the upper east side.
About 250 megapixel.
I went back to the Brooklyn Bridge to take another panorama, this time only a 200 degree panorama, with nothing but water in the foreground and all the focus on the bridge and a quite nice moon. It’s stitched from 50 tiles.
About 280 megapixel.
Walking around in Manhattan is inspiring. You stumble over locations that are interesting, but yet deserted. South Street seaport, teaming with tourists during the day had only 2 employees there at night, and a bunch of teenagers partying.
About 280 megapixel.
Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridge are probably on every NY tourist photo. It’s just a bit tough to get them both in the same picture.
Digital, about 95 megapixel.
NY has hundreds of bridges, not just the five that everybody knows. You can see five of them from Rainey Park in Astoria: Queensboro Bridge, Roosevelt Island Bridge, Triboro and Hellsgate, and a small pedestrian bridge going from Manhattan to Wards Island. I had to wait a couple of days for the rain to stop to take that panorama. Rainey Park closes after 9pm, and all the gates stay open. Three police cars drove into the park, and came up to me and asked me what I was doing, that the park is closed, that I’m not supposed to be here, that I could be a terrorist, that it’s dangerous in parks alone at night, that I could get a summons, yadayadayada… fortunately they were all kind enough to leave me alone after a brief chat.
Digital, about 350 megapixel.
Astoria Park is right around the corner. It has a nice running track, but is otherwise not the nicest park. The fact that the Triboro Bridge is under renovation doesn’t really help. Close up it’s still an ugly bridge. The Hells Gate Bridge has much more class, although it could use a bucket or two of that hells-gate-red. But, over on Astoria Blvd, a block east of the world manor, is the best Gyros NYC is to offer. And as far as day panoramas are concerned, I think I stick with the night panoramas…
Digital, about 100 megapixel.
I was actually planning to take a panorama of the lower east side powerplant, hoping for some industrial flood lights engulfing the transformers… but nothing, no lights, and a really not interesting site… so I walked over to the East River Park and shot a panorama of the Williamsburg Bridge.
Digital, about 26000x8000px.
It’s not easy to find good places to shoot Manhattan. Lots of the good ones are owned by Con Edison or other companies, and they don’t let anyone on their property. I was trying to get a shot of the bridge from the south, but no such luck.
Digital, about 17000x4500px.
There is actually a really ugly/beautyful dump right under the bridge, right on top of the subway tunnel.
Digital, about 17000x6000px.
This is the analog version of a digital panorama two months earlier from almost the same location, just a bit closer to the water.
Analog, about 9600x3700px.
Astoria and Astoria Park have some great views of the city.
Digital, about 13000x3500px.
Handheld. PTgui didn’t like stitching this panorama, but I was able to straighten it out at the end. I liked the artifacts from the individual shots in this one and didn’t crop them away.
Handheld, digital, about 20000x2600px.
