Physical light, is what makes a photo possible. Lighting, on the other hand or the lack there of, is what gives a photo it’s depth and mood. I’ve always found myself chasing light and shadows and finding the balance where they play well together, and Manhattan always provides constant opportunities. The variety of building heights creating shadows and reflections of sunlight in addition to the time of day, gives you plenty of angles to work with. Throw in a slightly cloud day, and things begin to change quickly.
Walking up and down city blocks, I found this slice of light almost perfectly lined up with the pillars on either side. I took a few photos, seeing how the light and shadows worked in the image and then spotted a woman making her way into the frame. I waited, then took a quick burst, finally selecting this image. Almost immediately after that, clouds moved in front of the sun and the entire scene changed.
Gone was the color vibrancy; in its place were muted tones that still worked very well. This time, a man crossed from the opposite side and again I shot another burst of photos. So close in time were these two images, that the woman in red from the first photo is just barely in the second. Two totally different moods, two totally different color palettes, two totally different photos, separated by just a semi-split second.