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New Years Eve in New York: Sunset
Manhattan, New York City
No city on earth greets the new year as vibrantly as New York does. And no location in New York does so in more iconic fashion than Times Square. However, the rampant commercialization of the occasion imprints a decidedly sour taste to many photos that attempt to capture the celebration. So, I decided to create a VAST photo of the festivities free from any advertisements by finding a never-before-used vantage point.
After much research and scouting, I discovered the perfect location: the rooftop of an office tower in Hudson Square with an unobstructed view directly up 7th Avenue into the heart of Times Square. Given its position in southwestern Manhattan, this location also provided a first-rate view north across the rooftops of many famous New York neighborhoods such as the West Village, Chelsea, Gramercy, and the Flatiron District. Most importantly, however, was that this location offered a view into Times Square that obscured all of the gaudy, materialistic billboards.
New York City's skyline captures light in many unique ways over the course of a day. The luminance of the sun, the evening windows, and the night street lights all contribute to the city's ever-changing character. However, one area of the city that remains perfectly consistent in its brightness at all times of the day and night is Times Square. Because of this, I thought it would be fascinating to create a set of photos of this scene over the course of a few hours surrounding sunset.
On the afternoon of New Years Eve, my assistant and I began setting up our equipment on the empty rooftop. The streets beneath us buzzed with the kind of energy that New York buzzes with on holidays. In the distance, the crowds of revelers already filled Times Square.
The sun dipped low on the horizon and we began shooting the first of the VAST photos that comprise this series (and its black & white companion photo) as the city and sky alit with a with a beautiful warm pink hue. Shortly thereafter, with the sun significantly beneath the horizon, we created the second VAST photo at the time of evening when the brightness of the sky and the city are in perfect balance. Finally, after the last remnants of the sunlight disappeared, we created the third VAST photo of the skyline powered entirely by its own light.
Throughout all of this, surrounded by New Years Eve celebrations, we could feel the energy emanating from Times Square, as if it was an engine that powered everything around us. Our aim was to capture that energy in these VAST photos, conveying the character of New York City at the turn of a year.
| Date & Time | December 31, 2016: 4:13pm - 4:35pm |
| Location | Manhattan, New York City |
| Coordinates | 40.727990, -74.007397 |
| Focal Length | 400mm |
| Aperture | f/9 |
| Shutter | 1/30 |
| ISO | 640 |
| Num of Exposures | 123 |
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This is not an ordinary photograph.
Its resolution is 11,538% greater than a typical photo. Click on the boxes below to zoom in.
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Our ready-to-hang canvas prints are created using a specialty printer that carefully lays pigment inks down onto archival-quality fine art canvas material. The canvas is then stretched around a 1.5-inch-deep wood support structure to provide depth and elegance. Our canvas material has a delightfully matte finish that looks spectacular in any lighting conditions while retaining maximum vibrancy and contrast. Click here to learn more.
A VAST Print™ represents the pinnacle of the photographic medium. Each print is a true photograph created specifically for you using light-sensitive paper exposed in a darkroom with the industry's highest precision exposure technique. Your print is then sealed with a shine-enhancing protective glossy coating*, adhered to a sturdy aluminum composite backing, and finished in one of two ready-to-hang formats:
- Frameless floating display: A hidden mounting brace on the rear gracefully "floats" the print off the wall for a sleek, modern look.
- Framed display: The print is mounted inside one of our handcrafted 100% wood frames with a decorative separation between the print and the frame so that the print appears to be floating within the frame, providing depth and elegance to the finished photo.
*Note: a non-glossy, satin matte coating is alternatively available on request.
with artist signature
affixed to the back
Mounting brace floats the display
off the wall by 3/4 inch
protective coating
Due to their record-setting resolutions, VAST photos are the most versatile images ever created, with the quality necessary to look great at any size and in any project. Purchasing one of our standard royalty-free licenses provides you with the digital file at your choice of resolution and a permit to use it for most types of projects. Click here to learn more.
For a premium license that gives exclusivity, glass-related use in North America, or use in merchandise for sale, contact us.
| Total Pixels | 2,444,443,498 px |
| Width | 86,309 px |
| Height | 28,322 px |
| Aspect Ratio | 3.05 : 1 |
| Date & Time | December 31, 2016: 4:13pm - 4:35pm |
| Location | Manhattan, New York City |
| Coordinates | 40.727990, -74.007397 |
| Focal Length | 400mm |
| Aperture | f/9 |
| Shutter | 1/30 |
| ISO | 640 |
| Num of Exposures | 123 |
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