New York City, NY 2013
Matt and Myself, courtesy of the Connell Family. Taken at The U.S. Open, NY 2013.
Disclosure: I have not been compensated or sponsored in any way for any of the mentions in this post. I just f*ing love them.
“I swung on to my old guitar
Grabbed hold of a subway car
And after a rocking, reeling, rolling ride
I landed up on the downtown side.”
Welcome to the City that never sleeps!
I mean there’s so much to see, eat, and do that sleep seems superfluous on your first trip to the Big Apple.
My fiancé (now husband), his family, and I went to NYC for the 2013 US Open (tennis for those of you who don’t follow). My husband and his Dad are tennis enthusiasts and were the inspiration for this trip.
US Open Tennis Tournament,Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City, 2013.
©2022ClaraConnell
The Photography: 2013 was towards the beginning of my Nikon D3200 DSLR journey (see my Australia post for details on my travel gear) and I had some growing to do as a photographer. We captured the fun moments, some excellent sites, and enjoyed our adventures immensely.
In hindsight, this would have been the time to become more comfortable with my camera’s manual settings.
NOW WAIT!! To clarify : There’s nothing wrong with using automatic settings. I am not trying to sound like a judgy-mc-judgerson.
For my personal photography journey, I really want to be able to fully explore all that my fancy camera is capable of. I want to know and understand the different manual modes to be comfortable enough to capture the amazing things that I see without separating myself from being in the moment.
Local Highlights: Public transit is the best way to travel in a large city for me. The stress of driving/parking in an unfamiliar place, packed with people and traffic rules you’re not familiar with, can really suck the fun out of your day (don’t turn right on a red light in Manhattan - you’ll get a ticket).
The New York Subway system is logical to navigate, doesn’t charge you for the time you spend on the train, and runs 24/7. Perfecto, no? Those are the pros.
The cons: it smells sometimes, people can eat and drink on there so it can get a bit messy, and the DOORS WAIT FOR NO ONE! Do not try to strong arm these things. You will lose. Think of it like a sideways guillotine. Move quickly.
Subway Yard, NYC 2013. ©2022ClaraConnell
Another option for exploration is a city tour bus. We had such an amazing time with these! There are usually daytime and nighttime ride options. The tour guide is local and has an unlimited amount of massively interesting (and sometimes exaggerated) stories while you sit back and enjoy the view.
The tour buses are super convenient for anyone with mobility issues as well.
Now I know that New York is not just the Manhattan area, but for a tourist looking to see the sites and take in a broadway show — it’s a decent place to start. See my gallery for more of the NYC sites.
I would love to hear your NYC adventures! Let me know what your favorite photo opportunities were.
And don’t forget Central Park!
Cheers.
Clara