New York's skyline casts an indelible shadow in every viewer's memory. Diverse architectural styles vie for attention in a never-ending competition that has spanned centuries. Capturing a fraction of that magic via a photo is difficult given the constant flurry of distracting activity that surrounds the city from every vantage point. In order to overcome this, I decided to combine two photographic techniques.

First, I used the VAST photo technique to create one of the highest resolution photos ever crafted of the skyline, at 2,127 megapixels. Second, as I was shooting the VAST photo, I also set up a camera to record a series of 100 long-exposure photographs using a very strong neutral density filter. I later merged these long exposures together into a single image, representing a 23-minute exposure. The sky and the Hudson river benefited from this technique, appearing with a smooth and subdued character, replete with subtle flowing gradients.

Then, I very carefully merged the VAST photo and the long exposure photo into a single final image: the highest quality super long-exposure photo ever taken of New York City. In addition to its exceptionally high resolution, this photo stands out because of how starkly the subtle tonality of the negative space juxtaposes with the sharp lines and contrast of the most powerful skyline on earth.

Note: A close-up cropped version of this photo also exists here if you prefer a version with less negative space and a wider aspect ratio. Licensing this photo allows you to crop it how you like.