The 50 Greatest Photo Opportunities in New York City [Paperback]

Amadou Diallo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 11, 2008 | ISBN-10: 1598637991 | ISBN-13: 978-1598637991 | Edition: 1

New York City is one of the most unique and popular travel destinations in the world, bursting with historic landmarks, vibrant street scenes, cultural delights, and world-famous icons. If you plan on documenting your trip through pictures, then this is your guide to making the most of your photography in New York City. You'll learn where to find the most interesting views, when to shoot them, and how to recreate the images you see in these pages. All the research, location scouting, and planning have been done for you so you can spend your time in New York City taking stunning photographs. Equal parts photo essay and how-to, "The 50 Greatest Photo Opportunities in New York City" is meant to complement your traditional city guidebook and show you how to capture the memories of your trip with professional-quality images. Also check out the brand new companion website for our "The 50 Greatest Photo Opportunities" series! For updates, tips, tutorials and other news on all things travel photography, visit http://blogfiftygreatestphotos.com.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Amadou Diallo is a New York City-based photographer, author, and educator whose passion for travel photography has taken him around the world. His words and images have been featured in national magazines and graced some of the most popular photography-related sites on the Web. His fine art photography has been exhibited in galleries nationwide and is in a growing number of private collections. He is on the faculty at New York's renowned International Center of Photography. For information about his photography and workshops please visit www.diallophotography.com. He lives in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Cengage Learning PTR; 1 edition (December 11, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1598637991
• ISBN-13: 978-1598637991
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.7 x 8.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #914,315 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A musician by training, Amadou Diallo began his career as a jazz saxophonist, touring with legendary artists including Lionel Hampton, Illinois Jacquet, and Eddie Palmieri. He made the transition from musician to photographer with a classically modern style that is the hallmark of his photography. He was an early adopter of the digital printing process, producing museum-quality limited edition prints for photographers and visual artists from around the world.

Author of The 50 Greatest Photo Opportunities in New York City and Mastering Digital Black and White, he has written for numerous publications including The Big Picture, Photo Techniques, and Professional Photographer.

He resides in New York City where he is a faculty member of the renowned International Center of Photography (ICP).

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Photographing the Big Apple April 8, 2009

By Conrad J. Obregon TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

This is a simple book that proved a pleasant surprise.

This book of places to photograph includes chapters on New York City's architecture, city life, events, urban oasis and secret NYC. There is an appendix that shows which of the places to visit based on weather and time of day. A typical entry is Brighton Beach. The entry started out with an indication of weather conditions and time of day for best shooting. This is followed by a description of the place, a suggestion for the kind of photographs to shot, including any special equipment that will prove useful, and ends with instructions on how to get to the place by public transportation. Each entry includes a few photographs taken by the author. (For non-New Yorkers, Brighton Beach is a neighborhood, not just a beach, and the author's suggestions include photographing in the neighborhood's restaurants.)

It's always useful to have a guide when shooting in a new place. My own preference is a friend who lives in the area but friends often have a limited view of what might interest a photographer and, of course, you may not have a friend in the area. I usually try to research a new place, including looking at books and on-line for the way other folks have taken photos. A guide book like this can prove useful.

On the other hand, I often wonder if I am going to go some place where I'm going to find specific holes in the ground in which to place my tripod legs. I can remember an evening shoot at Tunnel View in Yosemite where 18 photographers were lined up side by side with crossed tripod legs. The best picture from the shoot was an image of the line-up of photographers! And yet there are iconic shots that a photographer has to capture, even if one can purchase the same shot from a nearby rack of postcards. Architecture in particular often does not offer opportunities for the photographer to impress his vision on the image. Thus, for the IAC building in Manhattan, which was designed by architect Frank Geary, Diallo could only tell me to stand in the same places as I had already discovered myself. On the other hand many visitors to the city might not even have realized that this subject existed. For the Empire State Building, his suggestion to shoot from the third floor of the Rockefeller Center observation deck where, unlike the lower decks, there are no glass partitions, can be a real time saver.

Other then architecture, the other chapters of the book suggest places to go that are less iconic, but provide greater opportunities for the photographer to impress his vision on the image. Even long time natives might not think of shooting the tango dancers in Central Park, or the Hudson River Tug Boat Race, or the Conservatory Garden in Central Park or the Socrates Sculpture Park in Queens.

Even if the book only helps a photographer to get one memorable picture of the "Big Apple" that he or she would not otherwise make, this book is probably a worthwhile investment for the photographer visiting New York.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Good directions, mediocre photos March 25, 2009

By a reader

Format:Paperback

This guide has very good, practical information on where to go and how to get there (at least judging from reading it only!): it names what means of transport to take to specific shooting opportunities. The pictures in the book were a bit of a surprise, however: I had expected the best shots of a professional photographer, but instead they spoke not to me. I am not sure why.

I bought this book to help me plan my free "photo time" during a business trip to NYC, and I think I will help just fine with that. However, as a source of inspiration, it could have done better.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for New York City tourists who value photography as their hobby July 17, 2009

By Midwest Book Review

Format:Paperback

There are few cities more photogenic than New York. "The 50 Greatest Photo Opportunities in New York City" is a guide for the photo taker who plans on visiting the Big Apple with camera in hand. Pointing out the most captivating views one can find throughout the city, from pieces of natural beauty to gorgeous skylines, author Amadou Diallo has created the perfect companion to more traditional travel guides. "The 50 Greatest Photo Opportunities in New York City" is a must for New York City tourists who value photography as their hobby.