NYC Portrait Walks: It's Sweata Weatha

Sweata Weatha

This past summer in New York City was something else. Days when the forecast called for sun and the sky opened up without warning. Days when the humidity was so thick you could practically swim through it. Mornings that started at 90 degrees before the city had even finished its coffee. As a photographer I spent a fair amount of the summer mopping my brow and watching dark clouds roll in from nowhere.

But something shifts in September. The people who spent August in the Hamptons or on vacation come back. The city fills up again, but differently, with purpose and excitement. The new theater season opens. The opera and dance seasons begin. The Knicks and Nets tip off. The Yankees chase October. There's an energy in the air that feels like a fresh start, which in New York, autumn actually is.

And then there's the weather. A chill arrives. You can finally pull out the sweaters and the tweed and the scarves that have been waiting patiently in the closet since April.

This is one of my favorite times of year to photograph people in New York City.

The autumn light is warmer and more directional than summer light, which means it does more interesting things to a face and a landscape. The clothing is richer and more textured. A great sweater or a well chosen jacket adds visual depth that a t-shirt simply can't.

Central Park in the Fall is extraordinary. The paths are full but not overwhelming, the light filters through the trees in ways that make every corner feel like a painting. All of it looks, well, crisp when the air has that particular autumn chill to it.

Now let's talk foliage. It is spectacular when you hit it. Peak autumn color in New York, the full city explosion of orange and red and gold, typically happens around late October to early November, but it's unpredictable. Some years it comes early, some years late. It's a bit like cherry blossoms in spring — spectacular, fleeting, and impossible to schedule around with any certainty. The good news is that you don't need peak foliage for extraordinary portraits. September and early October give you lush green parks and tree lined streets with warm golden light, and that combination is quietly beautiful in its own right. If you happen to hit the color, consider it a bonus.

Central Park photo walk

Brooklyn Bridge Park and DUMBO take on a particular magic in autumn. The skyline across the water, the leaves beginning to turn in the park, the cobblestone streets of DUMBO catching the low afternoon light. In autumn it's one of my favorite times to shoot there.

Brooklyn Bridge Park and DUMBO photo walks

The 42nd Street walk takes you from the grand architecture of Grand Central Terminal through Bryant Park, through the theater district and on to Times Square. Best timed to finish at sunset when the lights come up and the whole place transforms.

42nd Street East to West Photo Walk

The Upper Midtown walk brings together two very different worlds. Rockefeller Center and the surrounding streets offer some of the city's most celebrated architecture, while a short walk north takes you to the southern edge of Central Park — Gapstow Bridge, Overlook Rock, and quiet tree lined paths that most visitors walk right past without noticing.

Upper Midtown and Lower Central Park photowalk

And then there's Halloween. New York City takes Halloween seriously.... really seriously. The decorations come out in early October and the whole city leans into the spooky season with an enthusiasm that is almost frightening. If you've ever wanted portraits in full Halloween finery, this is your moment. Let's get creepy and do a photowalk in costume.

A portrait session booked this autumn means your images arrive in November, just in time for the holidays. Prints of your family, your partner, your children, made in one of the most beautiful seasons in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, wrapped up and given to the people you love. It's a genuinely lovely gift idea that most people don't think of until it's too late to make it happen.

I launched NYC Portrait Walks earlier this year — curated routes through some of the city's most photogenic neighborhoods, combining a walk with a professional portrait session along the way. We have routes through Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park and DUMBO, 42nd Street from Grand Central to Times Square, and Upper Midtown down into the southern edge of Central Park. Custom routes are available for anywhere else in the city you have in mind.

Autumn in New York is something special. Come find out why.

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NYC Portrait Walks: It's Sweata Weatha

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