36 hrs in nyc
Oftentimes it isn’t just businesses that need help with branding, but people too! Over the past few years, it’s become very apparent that anyone who can build and successfully manage their own personal brand can create many opportunities, both to make more money and to network with other high-net-worth individuals. But to get there, the main driver—content— needs to be on point. That’s where we come into play, we team up with these personal brands to create professional content, both to drive engagement and actually make an impression among their audience. In this instance, we travelled to New York City for a two-day content creation trip to provide @jans.ace with quality images and videos around the most recognizable spots in the Big Apple; we’re talking the George Washington Bridge, the Vessel, Chinatown, Brooklyn, Times Square, and more. It was definitely a taxing project, but the results couldn’t be better. Keep reading to hear the full story…
Where it all started
Five days before this whole project started, we had just gotten back from a long content production trip in Florida. After landing late on Monday night, getting back to Rochester, and beginning to cull and edit our content from the past four days in Florida, we were contacted by @jans.ace, a Florida based content creator, to help provide photography and videography services during his trip to NYC that upcoming weekend. Despite the short notice, we couldn’t turn down the opportunity to shoot this custom-spec 2025 BMW G80. After spending some time communicating with Ace to understand the locations, timing, and style of content he was looking for, we came up with a plan that would have us running full-steam for the next 36 hours…
Hours 1-10
We began Saturday morning around 1AM where we began our 6hr drive to New York City. Spending the entire drive in the dark with no other vehicles was definitely not an ideal way to start the weekend, but after a few quick stops for energy drinks and gas we were in Jersey City just in time to catch the beginning of the sunrise for our first location, the George Washington Bridge. Once we arrived, there was no time to waste, as we were working against the clock for prime lighting conditions. We greeted Ace and began positioning the car, working quickly through our angles and making minor adjustments to help create stronger compositions. Once that was done, it was immediately off to the next spot, grabbing a few rollers across the 1/2 mile GW bridge.
Location #2 was the Met Cloisters, an old museum structure run by the famous MET dedicated to their medieval artwork and historical artifacts. Here, we were able to catch the last rays of the sunrise as they struck the top of the castle-like structures. We chose this location because of its unique backdrop, since we hadn’t seen any other automotive photographers use this location before. After a quick shoot, we once again hit the road back to Jersey City, finding ourselves this time at the top of a quiet parking garage. Here we finished out the rest of shooting for Day 1, using the hazy NYC backdrop to create an impressive atmosphere in the shots. This was also the first location where we could really see the full extent of the unique wrap on this G80, with aquas, greens, and brilliant gold flakes appearing and disappearing through each angle the car was viewed at.
Hours 10-24
With day one already concluded at 10AM, we headed back to our stay in New Jersey to begin the initial editing (and, admittedly, catch up on some much needed sleep). One way we are able to get content out to our clients quickly is by not waiting one moment to begin the editing stage, which is where most creatives get caught up in. Leaving a project unattended for too long after the shoot can create a disconnect from the work which makes it feel strange and almost alienated. Starting right after the shoot gives us a direction for the media as well as helps us understand what to try and improve on for day two. We also revised and finalized the game plan for the next morning, where we would be doing all the heavy hitting locations throughout NYC. With everything set in place, we grabbed what few hours of sleep we could.
Hours 25-36
Day two began just as early as the previous, waking up around midnight and meeting up at our agreed location to begin our shooting, taking a quick stop at Wawas for some much needed chicken salad wraps. After capturing rollers through the empty Lincoln Tunnel, we moved quickly to our first location, the Park Ave Viaduct. From here it was Chinatown next, where we finally began to see the city clear out from the busy night scene. Chinatown provided us with some unique lighting, which you can see in the video above. Crossing this spot off the checklist, we moved onto the Vessel, the hardest location to shoot. Although interesting, this spot was quite dark to shoot at, and let’s just say security wasn’t the biggest fan of us either. After making multiple passes over the next 30 minutes, we finally got all the shots we needed and moved onto the next spot, Times Square. To our surprise, the whole block was quiet. Working in tandem with the traffic lights, we were able to easily position and shoot some incredible shots of the car under the iconic bill boards. After a brief shoot, we were ready for the last location, and just in time as the sun was beginning to rise.
Our last spot was in Brooklyn at Domino Park, just underneath the beautiful Williamsburg Bridge. After positioning the car, we captured some of my favorite shots from the trip, getting both lower Manhattan and the Upper East Side in the background. Facing the other direction, we got the smallest hint of the Statue of Liberty underneath the overpassing Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges. As the sun started reflecting off the tops of the Manhattan skyscrapers, we wrapped up our weekend of shooting and headed on our way back home, driving 5 hours through the gorgeous Poconos and Catskill mountains back to Rochester.
Post Production
Over the course of the following week, we worked vigorously to put together all the content across the different locations, spending countless hours making adjustments in Lightroom and Photoshop. Although the project was definitely a sprint, once our heart rate came back to normal we were proud of everything we had been able to accomplish from this trip. It certainly had its challenges, mainly the working hours and long editing sessions, but at the end of the day everyone was happy with the results. So, if you have your own personal brand and are looking for professional content for your page, don’t be afraid to contact us!