I was very lucky to have the chance to visit NYC earlier this year, the street photographers Mecca. And it didn’t disappoint.
I came back to the UK with so many pictures, from the standard shot from the “Top of the Rock” to the obligatory Statue of Liberty pic! You see I fully embraced being a tourist and didn’t want to miss the chance to make my own memories of the obvious places captured by everyone on earth, but in all honesty I really wanted to explore the streets that I’d seen on countless YouTube videos posted by my favourite photographers.
The Kiss
I was there for a week, and let me tell you, for a tourist/photography trip it wasn’t enough. Not to fully immerse myself in the vibes of all the different districts anyway.
I did have a kind of epiphany though. After I’d reviewed my pictures and picked out my favourites, I started to wonder why or rather how I ended up liking these pictures more than many others I’d taken at home in Liverpool.
Don’t get me wrong, I like most of the pictures I post, at least for a time before I get bored of them, this is more of a question about seeing new things in new places. I felt like I could’ve got more keepers in NYC than I’ve ever felt in Liverpool or other cities in the North West of England. Was I simply seduced by the skyscrapers and the feeling on the streets there, or had I stopped really looking for those moments on the streets here?
Central Park
I guess the answer is both things had occurred. On reflection I fully believe that I’d taken my foot of the gas at home, believing that there was nothing new to see, which of course is utterly ridiculous. At the same time I’ve realised that my photography did indeed need an injection of something that a new place could give.
My takeaway point is simple…It’s important to travel, even if it’s to another town in your immediate vicinity, it doesn’t have to involve a flight. My New York experience rekindled my enthusiasm ten fold and reminded me that there’s something to see everywhere, from the front door to the car, to work and back.
So my goal is clear, keep looking, keep seeing, keep shooting, and to be honest….I knew this all along.
Steve.
Diner
Umbrella