by Jason Dixson -

One of the Best Views of NYC (Not from a 102-story skyscraper)

I always thought you needed to be a hundred stories up to get a great view of the NYC skyline—well, I was wrong.  Last month the very awesome Sofia Samrad showed me her sick SoHo rooftop view of the NYC skyline.

Though the building is only a few stories high, it gave just the right vantage point to see the main iconic structures of the NYC skyline, mixed in with the surrounding rooftops of SoHo.  It felt more like I was eye-to-eye with the city, rather than looking down on it.

The shot (above) was taken well after sunset.  It took some time for the ambient colors of dusk to take effect.  Meanwhile, someone started using a wood-oven or something, because a plume of smoke came up on the left to add some great texture to the skyline.

Here’s a shot of the street view to give you a sense of how far up the rooftop is—It’s also a cool shot of SoHo from on-high.  I (very cautiously) laid on my stomach and leaned over the edge of the roof to get this shot.

Thanks again to Sofia for being such a gracious rooftop host!  Follow her on twitter @SofiaSamrad or check out her clothing line Digitalebas.

by Jason Dixson -

Alan’s NYC Photoshoot

Last week I was in NYC photographing Alan, a photogenic twenty-something NYU graduate student living in Brooklyn. Alan’s main objective for the shoot was to capture photos with an “urban feel.” With his background in urban planning and given our surroundings, this wasn’t difficult to accomplish.

To be totally honest, the logistics of the shoot came together at the very last-minute. We knew only two things; 1) we wanted a view of Manhattan in the background and 2) we had only one morning to get it done. To shoot from Brooklyn with Manhattan in the background, and to avoid harsh lighting and shadows, we had to be out there at sunrise. The tough thing about photographing at sunrise in the summer is that sunrise is at about 5:20 am! By the time we got to the Brooklyn Promenade (late start) we had only around 10 minutes before the sun would be up so we scrambled to get into position, setup the lighting, and start shooting.

After we finished at the Promenade we knew we could get a few more shots from the awesome morning glow. We ventured to Washington Street and Brooklyn Bridge Park to get some shots with the Manhattan Bridge and city in the background.

All-in-all this was a fantastic, and exhausting, shoot. Once we saw the final result it was clear that the early morning hours and sleep deprivation were well worth it!




by Jason Dixson -

Photo of the day: San Francisco After Dusk

This shot was taken last week after dusk from Grizzly Peak in the Berkeley Hills, a favorite spot of mine going back all the way to college.  There are few locations that I find more peaceful or meaningful, and I return when ever I’m in the Bay.  Actually, one of the first “good” photos that I ever took came from this same spot and helped give me the motivation to stick with photography.

This particular photo was the last shot of the night and the culmination of several photos taken before, during, and after sunset.  The red skyline was much less visible in person; the result of a 15 second long exposure.