Photographing New York City during a blizzard, especially at night, is one of my favorite things to do.
I’ve been snow-obsessed since I was a kid, and as an adult, it has only grown as it became a major subject for my photography. I love how snow storms completely change the city, turning it hushed, emptied of people and traffic, and quite magical. I’m much more inclined to try and capture what it feels like to be there rather than just show an objective place and time.
I mostly photograph snow only during a raging storm. It took me a bunch of years from when I first started photographing to realize that being in the storm was what enthralled and interested me. I like the constant challenge it imposes and the way the wind and blowing snow collaborate with my flash to make an interesting scene full of motion and life. Once the storm ends and the day is sunny, I have little interest in snow pictures. The magic is gone for me.
This image was taken during another big January storm in New York City that actually started earlier in the day and went into the evening. It was taken around 6 pm, so it was dark out. The location is near the 72nd Street subway station at Broadway, so you have some people coming and going, and there are lots of store lights. I’m sure I kept walking downtown after taking this photo. It was a fun day and night.
For the past 2-3 years, New York has experienced a record lack of snow. That has been extremely frustrating for a snow maven like me. It makes me think about moving to a city where there are more chances for snow.
What are the TWO most impactful features that make your image a good photograph? Don’t be shy!
The depth of the scene and that it drops you in the middle of the storm with the snow swirling all around you.
If you could make this photo again, what would be the ONE thing you would like to do better or different?
I would prefer the reflective signs weren’t quite so blown out.
Russ Rowland shared this photograph with the FRAMES Facebook Group.
Photographer
Russ Rowland, New York, NY, USA
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