Rite of Passage

As a photographer, I have always aspired to create photographs that have never been seen before: unique and spontaneous moments. But capturing certain photographs have become almost a rite of passage for any travelling photographer – even if they have been photographed thousands of times. A study of the Manhattan skyline is just such a photograph, and despite my preference for not repeating the work of others, I couldn’t help wanting to capture the scene for myself when I was in New York.

I knew that one of the best places from which to photograph the skyscrapers of Lower Manhattan was a riverside promenade on the opposite side of the East River. And so it was that I found myself walking across the Brooklyn Bridge to line up next to a dozen other photographers, all attempting to capture exactly the same photograph.

It was October, and a winter chill had descended over the city. Shivering on the bank of the East River, I spent around two hours waiting for the perfect moment to capture the famous city skyline in the light of the setting sun.

The final photograph isn’t unique – there are many just like it. Nevertheless, it’s a photograph I value and appreciate. Despite the existence of so many similar shots, this is mine – the one I captured on that cold, shivery evening in New York.