PORTRAITS IN CENTRAL PARK WITH THE PIXEL 2

On Saturday April 28th, I had the pleasure of joining a bunch of New York's finest photographers on a spring walk through Central Park. It was all for @nycprimeshot - An account that recently featured one of my photos on their page - They curate some of the best of New York so it was amazing to be in such epic creative company. I wanted to shoot a video of this insta-meet but I also didn't want to miss out on all the fantastic models that volunteered their time, so I decided I would shoot video with my Lumix and shoot portraits with the Pixel 2. Below are some of my selects, all of which are Pixel 2 with portrait mode on.

Scroll to the bottom to see my video of the day.

@susanna_mostaghim + @suuhleena

@danae_k_muratore

@danae_k_muratore

model unknown // comment if you know they are!

@natali.hope

@susanna_mostaghim

@danae_k_muratore

@half_pepper

It was crazy to see how well the Pixel 2 handled portraits, especially from a distance. I don't do a lot of portrait photography but this shoot definitely has me wanting more. Special thanks to all the models that came out. Check out my video of the day below and shout out again to @nycprimeshot for hosting!

Follow me: instagram.com/impatrickt
Watch: youtube.com/impatrickt

#justshootit

THE DRAMA OF FOG AND MIST

Pixel 2 // VSCO

If you follow me on instagram and watch my stories you'll know that as soon as it starts raining, or there's a bit of fog - I'm immediately hitting the streets. I absolutely love shooting when it's wet and humid out. As winter turns to spring the rapid changes in weather create what I consider to be ideal photographic conditions. Overcast sky, wet surfaces, and a thick haze.

Pixel 2 // VSCO

Sometimes it's not always as foggy or misty as we want it to be but thankfully there's an incredibly easy way to add a bit of drama to your moody grams with an app called Lens Distortions.

With the Lens Distortions app there's a plethora of options for adding dynamic layers to your image, my personal favorite is the Fog II pack - Below I will show you how easy it is to add a quick layer to a simple image. Always start with the original image (no edits) we will apply our filters after we add the fog we want.
 

It's really as easy as picking a layer and then playing with opacity/placement until it blends into the image naturally. I did a quick behind the edit of this on my Instagram and I had a few DM's from people that couldn't even tell that I added the fog in post. A great magician never reveals his secrets - good thing I'm not a magician. Once you have your fog set it's time to edit the photo. We'll use VSCO for the final edits.
 

VSCO Formula

Here's the final image:

You can't be afraid to get a little wet to grab shots like this - Sometimes I find myself standing on a street corner waiting for the right person to walk by for up to 10 minutes at a time. Patience is key.

Pixel 2 // VSCO

Pixel 2 // VSCO

Pixel 2 // VSCO

Next time you wake up and it's gloomy out don't be upset - It's a great time to go explore and capture a new mood that you may not have felt happy about before. It beats Pizza and Netflix... (it doesn't).

Apps Used:
Lens Distortions
VSCO

See more of my work on Instagram and watch more of my tips on YouTube. #JustShootIt

 

Unsplash x NYC Photowalk

On Saturday April 21st I had the pleasure of joining a few other talented photographers on a photowalk for Unsplash. Daniel Gold saw that I was in NY and sent me a DM the day before. Thankfully my schedule was open to hang out for the afternoon. 

I met a lot of cool and talented people that I hope to collaborate more with in the future. Check out some shots I grabbed and watch the video at the end for some more scenes from the day. 

 @beccasiegelphoto

 @jessemyfriend

 @hungryshai

 @halfhalftravel / @danielcgold

 @danwme

 @beccasiegelphoto

We concluded the day with some brews and eats along with some really great conversation. It was awesome to meet such great people - I've never met an Unsplash user I didn't immediately connect with. Looking forward to the next one!

Photo by @jessemyfriend

Street Photos in New York with the Pixel 2

Pixel 2 // VSCO

I've been spending quite a bit of time in New York City recently for reasons I will probably get into in a later post, but in my most recent trip out there I took some time to shoot some street photos entirely on the Pixel 2.

Pixel 2 // VSCO

The interesting thing about using your phone for street photos is that it's so low profile. I've always felt a bit awkward using my DSLR or even small mirrorless cameras out in public, especially when you're taking photos of strangers. Understandably, people get creeped out when a random person takes a photo of them - when you use your phone you can be quite sly and most people won't even notice you snapping a shot. Always be respectful of personal space, if you're in a public place you're allowed to shoot photos but use your judgement. If it feels weird. It probably is. 

Pixel 2 // VSCO

Pixel 2 // VSCO

Pixel 2 // VSCO

After a few subway trips I ventured above ground in Chinatown and started shooting from the hip as we walked passed the fruit markets and restaurants.

Pixel 2 // VSCO

Pixel 2 // VSCO

Pixel 2 // VSCO

I always forget how much I love doing candid street photography. There's an art and a lottery to it all - You know what you want to capture, and you sort of know how to capture it... but ultimately the photo you get is often nothing close to what you were expecting. That's the beauty of it because it's not scripted or staged - you're deciding what to freeze in time forever out of the millions of things that are happening around you at every moment. It's very special.

For the curious I edited all of these in VSCO with my own tweaks to the M5 preset. As always I urge you to experiment and find a look a you really like and have fun. Don't forget to just shoot it.

See more of my photos in New York: instagram.com/impatrickt