I shot these two about 2 years ago in Central Park. It was a very cold, wet day, and my ass was pretty damp on one of those benches. It's nice to be in a place where people expect to see photographers. It's strange to me how in a time where there is a camera in everything we own and on every street corner people still seem to look confused at a person walking around with a camera. Most likely they are afraid of having their good looks exploited.
Both are shot on Ilford Delta 3200 which accounts for the film grain. The one above is a straight shot, but I liked it from the start. It still has some of the feel my other images have due to the heavy grain and the pattern of the trees. The one below must've been shot a little earlier, because it's still raining. Let's hope that umbrella can take on that meteor.
These pictures are pretty refreshing to look at, remembering how wet and cold it was. That's usually how I think of New York, which is a good thing. Today it was about 103 degrees, and just the thought of walking around shoulder to shoulder with a few million other sweaty NY'ers seems quite un-refreshing. It's just not right unless you're wearing a big coat.
This is "New York, New York" by Norman Parkinson (b. 1913). It was taken in 1955, which was around the time New York started to be the hot place for photographers. Kickin it wit Bazaar and Vogue, Parkinson was one of the first fashion photographers to shoot out of the studio. It may not be true, but I heard he was paid entirely in bagels for this shot.
http://www.normanparkinson.com/