Photographs of the 2015 Manhattan Skyline: Views from New Jersey and Brooklyn

"A life is not important except in the impact it has 

on other lives"

Jackie Robinson (Brooklyn Dodgers)

This post is lovingly dedicated to the memory of my dad, Harry Friedman. He passed away on July 15th at the age of 91.  

Manhattan's skyline is one of the most recognizable images in the world. When my parents were born in the early 1920's, the Flatiron Building (21 floors) was one of the tallest buildings in Manhattan. During their childhood (my mom grew up in The Bronx, while my dad was in Brooklyn), iconic structures like the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building were completed. This past year, the new World Trade Center (the "Freedom Tower") has been a significant addition to the city, as well as being a symbol of American resilience.  Other new skyscrapers are on the way, and they will contribute to the Manhattan skyline's ongoing evolution.   

To see some of my earlier photographs of Manhattan, click HERE.   The new images below (all taken in July, 2015) are from three locations, each on a different day:  1) Jersey City, New Jersey (morning of July 5th); 2) Weehawken, New Jersey (evening of July 13th); and 3) "DUMBO" in Brooklyn, New York (morning of July 19th).  Each of these areas offers a beautiful view of the Manhattan skyline. The New Jersey locations are back-lit in the morning and front or side-lit at sunset.  From DUMBO (Brooklyn), Manhattan is front-lit in the morning and back or side-lit at sunset.

When I started shooting these photographs of the changing Manhattan skyline, I was focusing largely on the view from New Jersey.  I took the first  of the photographs below early in the morning (July 5th) at the Liberty State Park, in Jersey City, New Jersey.  This is directly across the Hudson River from Lower Manhattan.  The location offers terrific views of both Lower Manhattan (including the World Trade Center) as well as Midtown Manhattan (i.e. including the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, etc.).  The park is home to the "Empty Sky" New Jersey 9/11 Memorial - a beautiful, emotionally moving tribute to New Jersey residents who lost their lives in the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks.

On the evening of July 13th I went to Weehawken (near the Lincoln Harbor Yacht Club), New Jersey to photograph the Manhattan skyline at sunset.  This is directly across the Hudson River from the Empire State Building and midtown Manhattan.  At Sunset, it offered beautiful light on Lower Manhattan (and the World Trade Center).

I took the last batch of photographs in Brooklyn.  My dad grew up there until he was 18, when he left to serve in the Army Corp of Engineers during and after World War II (largely in Germany). A few mornings after he died, as a tribute to my him, I photographed the Manhattan skyline from Brooklyn ("DUMBO" - Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass).  There is an area near the Manhattan Bridge, right by the river, that offers wonderful views of the Brooklyn Bridge with Lower Manhattan, or the Manhattan Bridge with midtown. 

I chose the above Jackie Robinson quote in memory of my dad, a childhood fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers, and a big fan of Robinson. Through his positive spirit, his sense of humor, his warmth, and his general enthusiasm for life, my dad had a tremendously positive impact on my life and our whole family.

Lower Manhattan just after Sunrise.  July 5, 2015.
From Liberty State Park, Jersey City, NJ.

"Empty Sky" New Jersey 9/11 Memorial and
World Trade Center (Freedom Tower).  July 5, 2015 (Morning).
Liberty State Park, Jersey City, NJ

Binoculars and Empire State Building.  July 5, 2015 (Morning).
From Liberty State Park, Jersey City, NJ

Lower Manhattan with World Trade Center.  July 5, 2015 (Morning).
From The Hudson River Waterfront Walkway,
Jersey City, NJ.

Empire State Building.  July 13, 2015 (Evening)
From Weehawken, New Jersey.  

View of Midtown Manhattan
From Lincoln Harbor Yacht Club, Weehawken, NJ
July 13, 2015 (Evening)

Manhattan Skyline (photo stitch from 5 exposures)
From Weehawken, NJ.  July 13, 2015 (Evening)

Lower Manhattan at Sunset (July 13, 2015)
from Weehawken, NJ.

Brooklyn Bridge and Lower Manhattan.
Early Morning (July 19, 2015)
From "DUMBO", Brooklyn, NY.

Manhattan Bridge and Midtown Manhattan.
Early Morning (July 19, 2015)
From "DUMBO", Brooklyn, NY.

Brooklyn Bridge and Lower Manhattan, with
World Trade Center. Early Morning (July 19, 2015)
From "DUMBO", Brooklyn, NY.

View of Manhattan Bridge from Washington Street.
Brooklyn, NY (morning of July 19, 2015)

Ice, Snow and Fog: Black and White Photographs of an Odd Winter Morning in Bucks County, Pennsylvania

This past Saturday morning (January 11th, 2014), I was out of the house well before the sun came up.  It was an unusual morning, with drizzle and fog.  The temperature was in the 40's, which seemed balmy compared to four or five days earlier, when I my first dog walk of the day was in a bitter cold 5 degrees.  The extreme cold stretch had caused portions of the Delaware River (between New Jersey and Pennsylvania) to freeze.  As the weather had warmed for a few days, chunks of ice were drifting down the river.  I took all of the following photographs on Saturday morning, between about 7:15 am and 9:30 am.  The fog and drizzle combined with the remaining snow and ice to create a beautiful, almost surreal landscape. 

Train Bridge Over the Delaware River in Morning Fog
Yardley, Pennsylvania

The Calhoun Street Bridge with Ice and Fog
Morrisville, Pennsylvania

The Banks of the Delaware River with Ice and Fog
Morrisville, Pennsylania

Love Seat Swing in the Ice and Fog
Morrisville, Pennsylvania

Tree Along the the Delaware River in Ice, Snow and Fog
Morrisville, Pennsylvania

I took all of these images with my Canon EOS 7D digital SLR camera.  After minor edits in iPhoto or Photoshop, I converted them to black and white using OnOne Perfect Photo Suite.  To see more of my work or to purchase a print, visit my ETSY store HERE.

The Tree: Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes

Don't worry.  My wife knows.  I've been having a bit of an affair with this tree for some time.  This marvelous, graceful old tree is in Marquand Park, in Princeton, New Jersey. This Threadleaf Japanese Maple Tree first got my attention about 15 or 16 years ago, when my wife and I used to take our kids (toddlers back then) to the park.  Over the past three or four years, I've photographed the tree during different seasons, times of day, and lighting conditions.  I've been there in the the middle of a winter storm, and days after Hurricane Sandy. These photographs are available individually or as a set on my ETSY shop. Click HERE to see my ETSY shop.

Autumn

Winter - Snow Storm

Winter - Foggy Morning

Sunny Spring Afternoon

Drizzly Summer Morning

Early Spring

Summer

Two Days After Hurricane Sandy

Early Autumn

Winter Morning

Spring Afternoon

Welcome / Atlantic City, New Jersey

Hello & welcome to my photo blog.  Many of my images are in and around Bucks County, Pennsylvania, but my camera is usually with me wherever I go.  Last weekend, my wife & I were in Atlantic City, New Jersey (primarily to see a Jerry Seinfeld performance, which was terrific).  I ventured down to the beach one morning.  Here are 2 of my photographs:

For the image of the pier, I used a slow exposure (1/2 second, with my camera on a tripod) to give a sense of motion.  For the shot of the three waves, I used a very fast exposure (1/1600th of a second) to "freeze" the action.