Merry Christmas To ALL!
This is one of my favorite New York photos. I feel that it captures the spirit of the city at Christmastime, not fancy decorations or big productions, but the way that people really live. When I lived in small towns and suburbs, no one thought of going out to dinner on Christmas Day. It was a day when you spent time with family (or recovered from spending time with family).
In New York, it's common for people to go out to dinner on holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving. Many people live alone and long to socialize with friends. Many people don't celebrate Christmas, because they come from a different religious background, or they don't celebrate Thanksgiving because it's a uniquely American holiday, and they come from other parts of the world. Whatever their reasons, it's nice to know that many restaurants will be open and ready to welcome them.
Photography note: I attempted a similar shot a couple of days earlier, but when I framed the composition, I truncated the word 'LUNCH' on the awning to the left of the photo. Details like that annoy me, so I went back on Christmas night to reshoot while carefully watching the edges of the frame.
I try to be cognizant of composition-wrecking details, but it's tricky when you're shooting at night. Small details are easily overlooked in the dark. Sometimes, you don't notice a problem until you load the files onto the computer. If at first you don't succeed, charge your batteries, swallow your pride, get back out there, and make it right.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Camera: Sony a7R III
Lens: Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS
Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.
Copyright © 2018 Daniel R. South
http://www.dansouthphoto.com
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