4th of July weekend in New York. My first time playing around with a tripod and long exposure shots.
This was my second time in New York — I was there for the week for work, but extended my stay to see the fireworks for the 4th of July. I realized shortly before the trip that I'd need a tripod to capture them, so I quickly ordered one on Amazon and went experimenting with it in Chinatown the night before. Got some cool shots out of it, playing around with lantern light and cars in motion.
During the day I went strolling around through mid-town, though with the crazy heat I didn't get to capture as much as I'd hoped. It reminded me of a cool video I had watched, I think, a year prior — one that inspired me to pick up the camera in the first place. It captured the languorous scene of the city in the heat, which I hoped to replicate.
The trip somewhat gave me a taste for life in the city. It had been a while since I'd been in such a dense place (London), and I forgot how chaotic it could be. I was surprised to find myself feeling a little overwhelmed that first night, sort of intimidated by how cool people are there. A couple days in I found a good rhythm and felt like I was inhabiting as opposed to observing. I enjoyed the buzz, but honestly appreciated the peace and beauty of SF a little more on returning.