Forty-Second Street, New York City, New York, 2016 photo

Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Sixty Eight: A city portrait -- impressions of New York > Forty-Second Street, New York City, New York, 2016

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02-NOV-2016

Forty-Second Street, New York City, New York, 2016

This photograph tells its story by contrasting a sea of pedestrians at the bottom of the frame to the massive display of colorfully lighted marquees that fill the rest of the shot. The image is packed with details calling attention to the attractions on display here. Every inch of this image screams for such attention. The effect is both chaotic and energetic. This is what gives the city’s Times Square area its identity and purpose, and makes the phrase "Forty-Second Street" universally understood.

FujiFilm X-T1
1/160s f/4.8 at 63.2mm iso3200 hide exif

Full EXIF Info
Date/Time	02-Nov-2016 15:03:54
Make	FujiFilm
Model	X-T1
Flash Used	No
Focal Length	63.2 mm
Exposure Time	1/159 sec
Aperture	f/4.8
ISO Equivalent	3200
Exposure Bias
White Balance
Metering Mode
JPEG Quality
Exposure Program
Focus Distance

other sizes: small medium large original auto

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Phil Douglis		27-Sep-2017 01:35
Thanks, Marisa, as always, for your incisive comment. We have come to take Times Square for granted. We are familiar with its energy and excitement, and this image tries to express that very feeling. However we sometimes forget that the entire purpose of this lurid display is to sell ideas, products, and services. Your comment reminds us that much of advertising is indeed subliminal, and it can profoundly affect the unconscious mind. When I now look at my image, I see exactly what you see -- the image becomes an expression of brainwashing, on a massive scale.

Marisa Taddia		26-Sep-2017 18:42
This photograph is very shocking! The exhuberance of luminous canopies that make their way almost until the sky, appear like a great weight on the cut-off heads of its passers-by. As if those ideas and suggestions try to penetrate their thinking, to guide them towards consumerism.

Phil Douglis		22-May-2017 22:18
Thank you, Iris and Stephanie, for this comment. I usually try to simplify my images, removing as much clutter as possible by taking a "less can be more" approach when composing in the frame. However in this case, I deliberately went against that advice. Chaotic colors and clashing signage designs can create utter confusion, yet when I compressed this chaos within the borders of the frame, I found that I had captured the very essence of place. It is this sense of disorder that draws the crowds and creates tremendous visual energy. This massive assault on the senses is deliberate, and I have tried to express it in this image. Thanks to you both for enjoying it for what it is.

Stephanie		22-May-2017 13:23
WOW! This is one of the most exciting images of Times Square I've ever seen! Excellent work Phil!!! BV

Iris Maybloom (irislm)		20-May-2017 17:56
The garish colors, the lurid lights, the roving crowds all express the energy of Times Square and make it such an exciting place to visit....and to photograph.

Phil Douglis		16-May-2017 17:42
Thanks, Anitta. I delighted that you can feel (and imagine hearing) the energy of the crowds in this scene. The colors are created to draw the eye -- everything in this picture is essentially selling a service or product to someone. They combine here to express great excitement.

Anitta		16-May-2017 08:27
So much to see in this well composed image, Phil. I can almost hear the sounds of this busy area. I like the colors, too. Hope all is well with you dear friend. Best, Anitta

Phil Douglis		16-May-2017 06:43
Great to hear from you, Carol. I, too, recall this area as one you would want to avoid, particularly at night. The corner of 8th Avenue and 42nd Street is now a glittering spectacle, and it is always packed with surging crowds. When I think that I was able to capture such razor sharp detail at night using an ISO of 3200, I am stunned. How far digital imaging as come in the last few years is amazing.

Carol E Sandgren		16-May-2017 05:23
You've really captured the excitement of Times Square! Those bold colors, bright huge billboards, the crowds... all contribute to an energetic experience. Contrast this scene with one that was twenty or so years ago before the area was cleaned up from it's porn shops and crime, and probably not nearly as popular and crowded. Now I like going there for my fix of people watching excitement.

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