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At night, New York City is a sublimely magical place, illuminated with a fervor of melodic activity. Conveying the uniquely captivating atmosphere of the world's greatest city via the written word is a daunting challenge. Consequently, for the better part of two centuries, photographers have attempted to portray the city's magic in ways that words cannot. This exceptionally high resolution VAST photo is my humble attempt to capture a tiny fraction of that magic.
Heavy clouds, thick with snow, blanketed the sky on an early-January morning in 2017, the type of idyllic winter morning that reminds New Yorkers why they tolerate the cold months. After reviewing the forecast for many inches of snow followed by a sudden clearing of the sky at night, I decided to prepare for a photoshoot of the city from the top of one of the tallest buildings between downtown Manhattan and the iconic Midtown Manhattan skyline.
As the day turned to night, the snow continued falling, coating the usually-dark rooftops of the city with a sheen of white powder. Then, in a matter of minutes, the snow ceased and the clouds whisked away to the east, leaving a perfectly clear sky. The moonlight sparkled off of the snow-covered buildings and the clear atmosphere provided amazing views for miles in every direction. The city stretched before me, filled with glowing windows, energetic arterial avenues, and Saturday-evening festivities.
Giddy with excitement and reveling in the scene, I began exposing the 198 long-exposure images that make up this VAST photo. The fervor of cars racing up 6th avenue into the heart of the city continued uninterrupted during the two hours it took to meticulously record every last high resolution detail of this urban winter wonderland. In the weeks that followed, I spent over one hundred hours polishing and assembling the individual photos into this final VAST photo.
The clarity of this VAST photo cannot be overstated. Buildings nearly a dozen miles away, such as the houses on the New Jersey Palisades, are clearly visible. Tiny details such as footprint patterns in snow-covered parks are easily discernible. Fascinating rooftop structures covered in snow drifts are revealed in striking resolution. Groups of friends out for a night on the town fill the sidewalks. The diverse characters of famous New York neighborhoods like the West Village, Chelsea, SoHo, and Gramercy can be palpably felt. And facades of numerous architectural masterpieces such as the Empire State Building are exquisitely rendered.
Details like these fill every nook of this VAST photo, nestled among the melodic rhythm of the city's iconic skyline, a wonderland of New York City magic waiting to be explored.
This photo is also available in these alternate versions:
CLOSE-UPS
Stunning image clarity
This 4,636-megapixel VAST photo is one of the highest definition fine art photographs ever created. It has a resolution equivalent to 2,236 full-HD TVs.
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TECH SPECS
EXPOSURE SPECS
Date & Time | January 7, 2017: 10:53pm |
Location | Manhattan, New York City |
Coordinates | 40.725494, -74.005367 |
Camera | Canon 5DS |
Megapixels per Exposure | 50.6 |
Lens | Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II |
Focal Length | 400mm |
Aperture | f/7.1 |
Shutter Speed | 10 sec |
ISO | 400 |
Number of Exposures | 198 |
FILE SPECS
Total Pixels | 4,635,699,194 |
Horizontal Pixels | 164,819 |
Vertical Pixels | 28,126 |
Aspect Ratio | 1 : 5.86 |
File Size | 26.5 GB |
Width @ 300ppi (perfect) | 45.78 feet |
Height @ 300ppi | 7.81 feet |
Width @ 150ppi (near-perfect) | 91.57 feet |
Height @ 150ppi | 15.63 feet |
Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II
VAST PRINTS
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VAST Prints are fine art photographic paper prints that arrive ready to be mounted and/or framed. They are created using the sharpest photographic printer in commercial use: a very rare specialty printer that formerly printed currency and military surveillance imagery. Learn more
Every VAST Print has two certificates of authenticity hand-signed by the artist and the printmaker: one affixed to the print and one standalone. Additionally, each print is assigned a unique serial number via a permanent hologram seal and recorded in our registry. Its provenance is tracked and verified using state-of-the-art digital blockchain encryption technology.
VAST DISPLAYS
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VAST Displays are ready-to-hang works of art that contain a VAST Print sealed between flame-polished acrylic glass and an aluminum backing. A hidden brace on the back causes the display to gracefully float off the wall for a sleek, modern frameless look that complements nearly any decor style. Learn more
SIZING GUIDE
A one-of-a-kind conversation starter
This VAST photo becomes a stunning conversation-starter wherever it's showcased. It's offered in 3 large-format sizes:
LICENSES
Customize your own VAST creation
A VAST license allows you to use this VAST photo in any art or design project, using any printing, mounting, or framing method. Other photos degrade when enlarged more than 22 inches wide, but this photo remains sharp up to 91.6 x 15.6 feet. Your imagination is the limit for how it can be used. Learn more
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