Christmas at New York City: Chinatown and Year of the Tiger
Day 4, Part Two of photography workshop with Joe McNally in New York City during the Christmas season.
The evening at Chinatown and Little Italy. Both quarters are lively and vibrant and they are divided by just one street. Interestingly enough, the crowds don’t mix at all. On one side of the street you are surrounded by Mandarin sounds and red lanterns and then you cross the street and suddenly, as if by magic, you hear only Italian speech and laughter and you smell pizza and lasagna. Both quarters are insanely vibrant and a feast for the photographer’s eye.
Christmas at New York City: Times Square in the Fog
Day 4, Part One of photography workshop with Joe McNally in New York City during the Christmas season.
The initial plan was to photograph the Winter Village at Bryant Park. Internally, I was not so sure if I would be able to get anything Christmassy or worth looking at in broad daylight. Luckily, it had been raining all night (yes, there’s no bad weather in photography) and the morning looked foggy and gloomy - a perfect timing to visit Times Square. It was dark enough to make the neon lights stand out and the wet surfaces provided ample opportunities to capture reflections. Even people lining up for a rapid Covid-19 test at a mobile site looked hopeful and enjoying the views.
On my way back to the hotel I wandered to the Lyric theater, the home of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play. I stopped at a gorgeous Art Deco building to use its windows as a mirror. To my surprise, a kind concierge inside waved to me to come in and he even kindly invited me to visit the upper floor to get more photos of the stunning interior. This completed my happy morning in New York City.
Christmas at New York City: Grand Central Station and Rockefeller
Day 3, Part Two of photography workshop with Joe McNally in New York City during the Christmas season.
We spent the morning wandering around the Grand Central Terminal, alternating long and wide lenses, motion blur and slow shutter speed, camera handheld and on a tripod and different white balance settings. We were even lucky to catch the spectacular display “Into the Northern Lights: An Immersive Experience”. This Canadian interactive installation gave a full experiencing the northern lights in Canada with its floor-to-ceiling mirrors reflecting the northern lights in all directions. They even allowed photography inside, of which we took full advantage, of course.
The rest of the images are from somewhere along Fifth Avenue between the Central Park and Rockefeller Center. The lit balloons were a definite theme this year and the police officers were fiercely guarding the elevated surfaces of the Channel Gardens from public recklessly attempting to climb them for a better view of the holiday installations.
Christmas at New York City: Holiday Window Displays on Fifth Avenue
Day 3, Part One of photography workshop with Joe McNally in New York City during the Christmas season.
The assignment was to photograph the holiday window displays of the high end brands on Fifth Avenue. By this time I had a better sense of what was expected of each assignment - do something that would make the viewers stop and get a second glance at your work. How could I photograph the work of insanely talented designers and attempt to add something of my own? I went with a long lens and focused on tiny fragments of the installations, thus making the photographs more about portraiture rather than holidays and shopping windows.
Christmas at New York City: Rockefeller Center and Saks Fifth Avenue
Day 2 of photography workshop with Joe McNally in New York City during the Christmas season.
This time we spent an evening mingling in with the crowds at Rockefeller Center and Saks Fifth Avenue. It was not easy finding a composition or even a spot to stand anywhere near the ice-skating rink, the Channel Gardens or the Christmas display on the frontal facade of the department store.
Christmas at New York City: Downtown Manhattan
This year, I had a wonderful opportunity to take part in a workshop with photography legend Joe McNally in New York City during the Christmas season.
For several days, we walked the streets of Manhattan, practicing new techniques to capture the festive mood and getting daily critique from the maestro himself. What makes Joe McNally stand out from his peers of insanely talented and successful photographers? He is a very humble and tactful coach who eagerly shares his trade secrets.
Here’s just a small portion of the photographs I took on the first night of the workshop in Lower Manhattan, wandering in and out of Oculus at World Trade Center, the 9/11 Memorial Pools, and Winter Garden at Brookfield Place.
Thank you, Liza and Ari at Fancy Girl Street Boy, for organizing the workshop and being wonderful hosts and welcoming guides.
Alena plays the violin
We really enjoyed the end-of-term Christmas concert organized by Leah Givelber of Center of Young Musicians at Edgeworth Club in Sewickley.
Hearing Alena perform her beautiful and complex musical pieces she’s preparing for an ABRSM diploma exam got us thinking that it’s probably time to upgrade her violin.
So we paid a visit to Phillip Injeian, a master violin maker, one of the many hidden jewels of Pittsburgh. He helped Alena navigate through a variety of instruments and choose the right fit for her and he even performed a short piece for us saying that “you shouldn’t trust a mechanic who doesn't drive a car himself”!
Thank you, Phillip, for this memorable experience.
Fitness instructor, Heather Taylor-Martin - Headshots for a Fitness Instructor
“Thank you so much! It was awesome getting to work with you.”
~ Heather Taylor-Martin
Alena’s Studio Portraits in Colorful Light
Here’s another set of portraits we created together with Alena. This time she wanted to experiment with the gelled lights and different colors. I love the mysterious and thoughtful mood of these photographs, it reflects Alena’s inner world. Which one would you select for the larger wall art?
Family Studio Portraits for Ryan, Mason and Keira Scott
“Thank you for the beautiful pictures! I am enjoying them all!! I would love to schedule again outside!” ~ Elise Scott, mother
“Thank you so much for the pictures. They look stunning!” ~ Ryan Scott
Alena’s Studio Portraits in Red
Alena’s portrait series in red.
Album for Zachary Elkin - High School Senior Portraits at family Home and Gardens
“Zack’s pictures turned out great!”
~ Erin Centofanti, mother
Album for Josephine Reiter - High School Senior Portraits at Phipps Conservatory
“I think the pictures are just beautiful, thank you! I’m so glad we have them to mark this particular moment in time. I’ll look forward to receiving the album.“
~ Leah Givelber, mother
A Fall Foliage Family Session for Aizhamal
“I loved the photos - beautiful and natural at the same time.”
~ Aizhamal I.
Actor’s portfolio for Ben Heavner
“A great photo shoot experience with Karina - your company’s name is very fitting to what you do with your clients- pure joy and playfully capturing the unexpected !❤️
Amazingly fun way to create a cinematic effect by blending colors - you aced this one!
What a great outcome from something unexpected! Thank you , Karina for creating a fun album for Ben!”
~ Rina Heavner, mother
Album for Heavyn Kerr - High School Senior Portraits with a Horse
“I fell in love with so many of the photos” ~ Heavyn Kerr
“Absolutely beautiful.” ~ Mary Ann Kerr, mother
High School Senior Portraits for Luke Miller
“THANK YOU, thank you!! My son’s photos are nothing short of spectacular! Her farm is a place of respite for me and both my boys, and it was clearly a phenomenal backdrop.”
~ Mary Shannon Brady, mother
“These are great - thank you Karina”
~Kevin Miller, father
Homecoming Dance 2021 at Valley Brook Country Club
“Thanks so much for your time and talents! 😊” ~ Stacy Hurt, Griffin’s mother
“Thank you so much!” ~ Heidi Colombo, mother of Jonathan
“Looks beautiful! So excited!” ~ Hazel Bigdeli-Golestan, Nikki’s mother
“Thank you!” ~ April Cordle, Alexandra’s mother
Album for Erina Fortune - High School Senior Portraits at Mellon Park
Senior portraits for beautiful Erina from Pine-Richland High School who recently learnt that she got into the LECOM Early Acceptance program! Now she is ready to enjoy her college life without worrying about taking MCAT, sending application to medical schools or even interviews. Congratulations! What an achievement!
Halloween Session for Alena and Aekam
Halloween is my favorite holiday in the fall. This time I met two very friendly ghosts who didn’t mind posing for the camera. ))