The idyllic residential communities of East Midtown Manhattan are some of the most famous in the world. I wanted to get a shot with the evening sun streaming down one of the streets, so I went over to Roosevelt Island in the East River. Unfortunately, the island has tall fences and embankment walls that make it difficult to position yourself for a well-composed shot. Furthermore, the wispy afternoon clouds I hoped to capture during sunset were quickly giving way to heavy cloud banks.

I was about to give up on the shot when I noticed the clouds on the horizon beginning to dissipate. Hoping for the best and never underestimating the importance of getting the correct photographic angle, I climbed over a fence and down an embankment wall into the East River. Standing on a submerged rock, I assembled my tripod and gear amid swells from passing barges and the rising tide. As the sun appeared beneath the cloud banks, New York bore witness to a few stunning moments of beauty. An enormous halo of light streamed up from between the cloud banks, lighting up the sky like a fire.

I worked furiously to capture hundreds of photos during the fleeting moments - many of which I later stitched together to create this 2,438 megapixel image (which makes it 12,000% larger than an ordinary professional photo). Throughout this scene, you'll find a couple embracing on the esplanade, a reader enjoying a good book on their 50th floor balcony, a group of people having a bbq party, and much more - all of them partaking in this magical moment with us.