12 Hours and 3 Friends In New York City: Street Photography

This past weekend a couple of friends and I had the “courage” to take a “red-eye” bus tour to New York City.  The total time for the trip from Portsmouth Ohio is about 14 hours–give or take!  For most of the trip we either slept or talked.  There were those every couple hour breaks when we could purchase a snack or a pillow for our backs!  We spent a total of 12 hours in New York City.  This is my first installment and showcases my street photography.  From left to right:  Angie, Me, and Marcia–I’m sure the passer-by is wondering what in the world we are doing.  As a friend of mine noted,”there are 2 left eye shooters and one righty” and two of us have our right foot forward.  We saw this mirror finish on a building and Marcia got all excited and said, “Let’s take our picture”!  We, at the same time raised are cameras and shot a couple of pictures of ourselves.  I love the “Automatic Sprinkler Shutoff Valve” and feel it is a necessary addition as there are 3 “hot chicks” in NYC!You cannot help but notice this guy…all of these purses, bags and what ever else is in the pile!  I like the orange peels by the chair…it looks as if he was sitting there eating and saw this lady approach and got up quickly to assist her.  He is actively engaged in a “wheeling dealing” mode by the look on his face.  
Papaya Dog…I took this shot because I liked the colors and the fact it is on a corner it added symmetry to this photo. Your eye is drawn to the center and then down each side of the street seeking out other treasures of NYC.The little boy is very much the center of this photograph.  This family has just emerged from the subway and are checking out what there is to see.  The boy is full of curiosity as he peers around the woman.  You can just see how much he is interested in what he is going to see and do next in this big city.

We were waiting on the Staten Island Ferry and I saw this woman walk in.  At first I thought she was doing a promo for a casino or something…you know, wearing a showgirl head dress?  Then I started watching her more closely and people were walking widely past her, staring.  I told Angie, “I’m going to go take her picture” and off I went.  I approached her and asked her if I could photograph her and she agreed that would be ok.  Shortly after I snapped off a few, people started lining up behind me so they could take pictures of her too.  Some even posed with her. Below is a shot of her from behind…and yes, this is her real  hair!

This photo was taken on Times Square in the evening.  I saw this couple sitting very still for this artist.  I was photographing them from behind and then I walked around to this side of them and saw their expressions and could not help but wonder, who talked who into posing for this portrait? I could not have asked for better timing of the lighted billboard across the street, it illuminated my shot perfectly.

I wonder if this was the same guy from earlier?  He was pushing his cart down the middle of Times Square…not something I’d want to do!
This is a perfect example of NYC taxi cab traffic!  I was standing on the 3rd floor of the m&m store and saw all of these yellow taxi cabs.  Do m&m’s come in Taxi Cab Yellow?
A cafe just off Times Square; people indulging in late evening goodies.  I love taking shots of stores at night.  There is just something magical about the lighting.  Are you drooling over the sweet stuff this shop has to offer?  We walked past here when we first arrived that morning.  All I can say is YUM!
The next two shots are by far my favorites of the trip.  Above is a guy waiting on his train as another train is passing.  I like the shine to the silver train as it glides by the platform.  He is obviously a seasoned pro at this mode of transportation as he does not give it a passing glance.  He is too intent on his playlist on his device.

Below is the second in a series of shots I took while riding the subway.  The first shot I fired by accident, but I liked the angle and the subjects so I laid my camera back in my lap and fired off another.  When I arrived home and began editing I could not believe I caught the lady in the act of blowing a bubble!  That is my friend Marcia on the right of the couple.  I hope you enjoyed my “views” of the Big Apple.  There will be more sites to see in future blogs!  Come back often for updates and stories of my travels.