A Glimpse at the Future | NY International Auto Show >>
Thursday, May 9th, 2013
Acura NSX Concept – Click to Enlarge
Hyundai Genesis Concept – Click to Enlarge
Honda Urban SUV Concept – Click to Enlarge
I think these shots pretty much speak for themselves. Three of my favorite concept cars from the New York International Auto Show a couple weeks back. I wonder what they’ll ultimately look like once they go into production? And what the price tag is on that NSX…
Enjoy,
Golden Hour | Harlem, NYC >>
Tuesday, April 30th, 2013
AP Randolph Campus High School – Click to Enlarge
Ever heard of the Golden Hour? It’s that time of day when the sun is just above the horizon, either on its way up in the morning, or finishing its descent in the evening. It’s a photographer’s heaven – and a driver’s nightmare (don’t you hate when the sun is too low in the sky for your visor to block it?). Colors are warmer and more vivid, shadows are long and dramatic, and the light is not as harsh as it is when the sun is directly overhead.
I snapped this shot from the AP Randolph Campus High School on 135th Street while walking home from a friend’s house the other day, and it got a lot of love on Instagram. Hopefully you like the larger version even more.
Be sure to follow me on Insatgram if you’re not already:
@ryanmsteeledotcom
…and here’s the Wikipedia article if you want to know more about the Golden Hour:
Golden hour (photogaphy) | Wikipedia
Enjoy,
Griffith Observatory Revisited | LA >>
Monday, March 4th, 2013
Sunset at the Griffith Observatory – Click to Enlarge
I’ve got a Post-It stuck to my monitor with 2 words scrawled on it: SHOOT, DAMMIT. I think I’m going to add a second note next to it that says “…AND PROCESS!“. That’s the tradeoff when it comes to shooting HDR photos – you get some amazing results, but you’ve got to put in the hours.
Since winter hasn’t completely loosened its grip on the Northeast, and I’ve got thousands of unprocessed shots sitting on my hard drive, I’ve shifted my focus over the past couple of weeks to processing (and finishing) some of my older ones that I may have overlooked in my initial pass. This is one from the Griffith Observatory is of the many that slipped through the cracks – I didn’t start processing it until almost 2 years to the day from date it was shot (February 22, 2011).
I posted one (of the three) original images below so you can see what I saw coming out of the camera. As you can see, the colors don’t quite pop as much on the original, and the shots are tilted in what I can only assume was a failed attempt at being creative (I must have been inspired by this shot from the Disney Concert Hall).
Be sure to check out my other Griffith Park photos while you’re here.
Enjoy!
The Before Shot – Click to Enlarge
100 Years | Grand Central Station, NYC >>
Thursday, February 7th, 2013
Click to Enlarge
This past weekend was Grand Central Terminal’s Centennial Anniversary. To celebrate, they set up exhibits, artwork, and other displays talking about the history of what has become one of the city’s most iconic locations. I figured I’d kill two birds with one stone and run over there Sunday before the Super Bowl (when there were fewer people), snap some photos, then run to the Apple Store to swap my iPhone 5 charger. The train was delayed, and by the time I go there the Store was already closed, but I think these two shots make the trip more than worthwhile.
My favorite parts: The “100″ they put up in the windows in the first shot, and the two people standing completely still (guy in grey, woman in green) still amidst the chaos in the second shot. These were shot handheld, too, which definitely adds another level of complexity in the dimly lit terminal. I’m gonna make a conscious effort to start shooting and positing more…let’s see what happens.
For now, Enjoy!
Click to Enlarge
Cloud Gate | Chicago, IL >>
Thursday, September 6th, 2012
Cloud Gate Sculpture, Millennium Park, Chicago, IL – Click to Enlarge
I’ve kept in touch with some of my coworkers from LA, and this past weekend we had a mini-reunion in Chi Town. We stayed at a dope hotel called Hotel Sax, ate some great food, caught up on what’s been going on over the past year-and-a-half, partied, and had an all around great time.
We made our way over to Millennium Park and I was blown away by the “Cloud Gate” that sits prominently in the center of the park. I had seen plenty of pictures of it before, but couldn’t grasp the sheer size of the chrome-plated bean-shaped sculpture. It rained on and off all day, and if you look closely you can see the trails left from the drops streaking down the sides. Of the photos I’ve had a chance to process this one is my favorite because the crowd of people in the foreground help to emphasize the Gate’s enormity.
I’ll do my best to get through a few more shots this weekend, if any of them are share-worthy I’ll be sure to post and share. For now, this will have to do!
Enjoy!
A Stone of Hope | MLK Memorial, DC >>
Wednesday, June 6th, 2012
MLK Memorial, Washington DC - Click to Enlarge
I had a chance to go back home this past weekend to visit with the family and before I caught the bus back up to the City we stopped off at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in DC. It was my first time visiting the Memorial since it opened last August and was definitely impressed by what I saw.
The Memorial is constructed as a literal embodiment of a quote from his iconic I Have A Dream speech: “Out of the Mountain of Despair, a Stone of Hope.” King’s figure is a part of the “Stone of Hope”, cut from the surrounding “Mountain of Despair”. The 14 quotes that are etched on the Mountain section highlight not only the passion and intelligence of the man, but also the fact that he was years ahead of his time. More than 50 years later, so many of his quotes are not only moving, but shockingly relevant — echoing many of the sentiments that are still present in our society today.
If anything, the Memorial reminded me of the amazing work that Dr. King did not just for African Americans, but for ALL people — both foreign and domestic. His Dream still lives on, long after his death, and the Memorial is a beautiful tribute to one of the greatest figures in American history.
I’ve got plenty of other shots that I haven’t gotten around to processing yet that I hope to get to in the coming weeks. I’ll post some more if there’s anything that jumps out at me.
Enjoy,
5Pointz | Long Island City >>
Sunday, August 14th, 2011
Graffiti-covered building at 5Pointz in Long Island City
My girlfriend and I went out to Long Island City a couple weekends ago, and decided to stop by 5Pointz before heading over to PS1. 5Pointz is an old, abandoned building covered in graffiti from wall to wall. Fortunately, I had my camera with me and was able to snap a few shots in the short time we were there. It rained the night before, and the water accumulated in some of the former loading dock ramps helped create some dope reflections.
There’s a part of me that wishes I could create some type of large-scale art with only cans of spray paint or prints/stencils, but I’ll stick to cameras and computers for now. If you haven’t seen the documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop, add it to your Netflix queue and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
I’m definitely going to make a few more trips out to 5Pointz before it starts getting cold. Not only am I just scratching the surface with these three shots, it’s the type of place that never looks the same from day-to-day.
Click to Enlarge
Click to Enlarge
Neon Underbelly | Highline Park, NYC >>
Wednesday, July 27th, 2011
Blacklight lit underpass on Highline Park, NYC
My girlfriend and I went to Highline Park a couple weeks back for a stargazing event they have every Tuesday night and to check out the new section of the park that just recently opened. The last time I was up there it was the dead of winter with an icy breeze blowing in from the Hudson, so the warm summer air was a much welcomed change.
I know the color looks pretty crazy but this one’s actually pretty true to life–the underpass is lit by blacklights, giving everything a neon purplish glow. I used three separate shots to make this image–each with a long enough exposure to blur the pedestrians who were walking through, but not erase them completely–further emphasizing the unique color and expansive nature of the underpass. The neon chairs sitting under the blacklights helped to break up the purple a little bit and add an extra splash of color to the otherwise monochromatic scene.
I’ve been trying out a new piece of software called HDR Darkroom made by Everimaging recently and have been pleasantly surprised by the results I’ve been able to achieve. It’s similar to Photomatix Pro, allowing you to combine multiple exposures, tweaking light levels, brightness, contrast, and color balance before producing the final image. I loaded the same three shots into HDR Darkroom and Photomatix Pro, tinkered with the various of sliders on each, hit the Process button and chose a winner. In this case, HDR Darkroom came out on top.
I hope to do a more extensive review of the software in the next couple weeks, in addition to their higher-end product, HDR Photo Pro, which looks like it has even more features. For now, check out their website and download the Trial version of the software to try it yourself.
I’ve got some other shots that I really liked from that same evening, I’ll see if I can post a couple more before the end of the month.
Enjoy,
Skate Something | Alphabet City >>
Thursday, June 30th, 2011
Street art & graffiti on the wall in Manhattan's Alphabet City
There’s a Department of Homeland Security campaign called “If You See Something, Say Something“ that’s all about being on the lookout for suspicious activity and reporting it to the authorities. It’s hard to get on the subway or bus in NYC without seeing one. A street artist had their own (hilarious) take on the message and plastered these posters all around the city as well.
In general I’m a fan of parodies, and thought this was hilarious the first time I saw it. I like the randomness of this shot, with the graffiti, semi-removed posters, and stickers and the variety of colors caught my eye as I was walking past. The ‘Crazy Mary’ sticker with the cell phone barcode was the icing on the cake.
Hopefully I’ll get a chance to shoot this coming weekend…I’m trying to find a good spot to get some firework photos on the Fourth. Have a great holiday!
Enjoy,
Chico | Lower East Side >>
Monday, June 20th, 2011
Chico Tag outside of Wendigo Productions
If you want a mural done in the Lower East Side, Chico’s your guy. He’s got murals on almost every block in my neighborhood. This one is on Avenue B in Alphabet City next to this place called Wendigo Productions. He was out there tagging it when I was walking home from work one day with a pretty big crowd around him watching him do his thing.
I’m going to make a conscious effort to get out and shoot some more in the coming weeks, I’ve just been crazy busy (especially on the weekends) and still getting used to this whole NYC thing. So far so good…it’s finally starting to feel like home.
Stay tuned.