Newsletter Issue 7 (Hudson Valley; NYC in Fog)

Introduction

Lots to share in this one! Enjoy my photos from a recent Hudson Valley trip, insane fog over NYC, and some more Prospect Park scenes.

About Michael

Michael Silverstone is a photographer based in New York City. He specializes in train, landscape, and city photography. Michael currently shoots with a Sony Alpha A7RII, alternating between four lenses. On any given day or night, you can find him capturing one of NYC’s iconic landmarks, or shooting from a subway platform deep in Brooklyn.

A hiking trip to the Canadian Rockies in June 2017 (specifically a starry night over Pyramid and Patricia Lakes in Jasper, Alberta) was the inspiration for Michael’s photography journey. Upon returning to NYC, he purchased his first camera the very next day.

Michael’s work has been shared by the marketing organization NYC & Company, and has been featured on multiple local cable news outlets, including Spectrum News NY1, FOX 5 New York, and ABC7 Eyewitness News. He also serves as a mod for the popular Instagram photography hubs @NYCPrimeshot and @USAPrimeshot. These hubs feature the work of local and national creators, and organize and run photography meet-ups/networking events around NYC in collaboration with other hubs, and with the participation of sponsors.

Michael enjoys playing guitar, attending concerts, and studying New York City’s bizarre and captivating history.

Equipment

Sony Alpha A7RII

Tamron 17–28mm f/2.8 Di III RXD

Tamron 28–75mm f/2.8 Di III RXD

Sony FE 85mm f/1.8

Sony FE 70–300mm f/4.5–5.6 G OSS

Hudson Valley Autumn Peak

The Hudson Valley region of New York State has undoubtedly gained tremendous popularity over the last five years, much in part due to its social media presence on Instagram.

Hikes like Bull Hill, Anthony’s Nose, and Breakneck Ridge are all accessible via Metro North, but you’ll also find literal miles of cars parked on Route 9D. These hikes can be mob scenes, and for good reason.

The Northeastern USA during this time of year is renowned for its amazing Fall Foliage. So, on top of the regular hikers, you can expect many “leafers” to visit the Hudson Valley during the Peak (aka when the colors of the foliage are at their best).

My parents, Shayna Maydele (who you should be following on Instagram if you aren’t), and I headed to the Bear Mountain State Park area for the peak, which (like in 2019) hit the area at the end of October. Here are some shots I got:

Metro North’s Hudson Line (extending from Grand Central to Poughkeepsie) is as scenic as it gets!

A north-bound Metro North train as seen from the walking path of the Bear Mountain Bridge.

A city-bound Metro North train passing through Manitou Station. This is probably one of my favorite train compositions I’ve ever come across. That’s the Bear Mountain Bridge in the distance!

The view is great from up here. Must be epic from the river, too!

The Bear Mountain Bridge with Anthony’s Nose in the backdrop.

Family minus Max

Shayna Maydele rests up for a stroll across the Bear Mountain Bridge

Due to an unauthorized person on the tracks, all Metro North trains are delayed until further notice.

NYC in Fog

Last week, NYC was hit with some unusual early morning and late night fog. I biked over to Brooklyn Bridge Park on an early weekday morning and was absolutely blown away by the scenes I saw:

This image was featured by NYC’s official destination marketing hub NYC & Company on their Instagram!

Loving those moody mornings!

Playing around with some isolated color editing. What do you think?

My two modes of travel into the city from BK. In front, you’ll see the Manhattan Bridge, which connects me to Manhattan via the B/Q. In the background, you’ll see the Williamsburg Bridge, which connected me to Manhattan via the J/M when I used to live in Bushwick.

Happened to see this comp while walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. Completely unplanned!

Some More Brooklyn Exploration

It’s imperative to continue taking advantage of the beautiful fall scenery not just in the Hudson Valley, but also right in my backyard!

Here’s a shot by the Binnen Bridge near Prospect Park’s iconic boathouse. Even during the day, this area seems to be fairly secluded, and definitely feels like an Adirondack-style getaway in the middle of NYC!

The Franklin Avenue shuttle as seen from a footbridge on Carroll Street, east of Prospect Park. As I was taking pictures, a local resident walked by and told me that the concrete bridge I was standing on was a wooden bridge 75 years ago. Pretty cool! (I’ve been playing around with the ‘masking’ tool in Adobe Photoshop, which allows you to blend two similar images together. In reality, the above photo is two separate images taken in the exact same spot, a few minutes apart. The trains did not in fact pass one other at the same time. Can you tell this is photoshopped?)

Walking away towards the next newsletter. Thanks everyone for reading!

To see all prints for sale (including many of the images above), check out my shop site!

michaelsilverstonephotography@gmail.com

Website | Shop | Instagram