Alright, lemme tell you ’bout this “Lipstick Building” thing I tried out. Saw some pics online, looked kinda cool, so I thought, “Why not?”
First off, I grabbed my camera, a basic DSLR, nothing fancy. Figured I’d head down to Manhattan, find this “Lipstick Building,” and snap a few shots. Didn’t really have a plan, just wanted to see what I could come up with.
Got to the area, and man, that building does look like a lipstick! Started walking around, trying to find the right angle. That’s where the fun began. Spent a good hour just circling the block, looking up, looking down, trying to get a perspective that wasn’t just a straight-on shot.
Tried getting low, shooting upwards to emphasize the curve of the building. That was alright, but the background was kinda cluttered with other buildings. Then I tried shooting from across the street, using the other buildings to frame it. That was a bit better, but still not quite what I wanted.
Then I noticed this little park nearby. Went in there, and BAM! Found a spot where the trees framed the building perfectly. The leaves added some color and texture to the shot, and the angle was just right to show off the building’s unique shape. Took a bunch of shots from there, different exposures, different compositions.
After that, I messed around with some black and white conversions. The stark contrast really brought out the architectural details. Also tried some long exposure shots at dusk, capturing the city lights blurring around the building. Those came out pretty cool too.
Back home, I dumped the pics into my computer and started editing. Mostly just basic stuff – adjusting the brightness, contrast, and color balance. Cropped a few to improve the composition. Didn’t go too crazy with the filters or anything.
In the end, I got a few shots I was really happy with. It was a fun little project, and it taught me a lot about finding the right angle and using the environment to enhance a subject. Not gonna lie, took way longer than I thought! Like, a whole afternoon dedicated to one building. But hey, that’s what it’s all about, right?
- Went to Manhattan
- Found the building
- Walked around a lot
- Tried different angles
- Found a park with good framing
- Took a bunch of photos
- Edited the photos
Lessons learned: patience is key, and always be on the lookout for unexpected perspectives. Oh, and wear comfortable shoes – you’ll be doing a lot of walking!
