Today I took a few more photos for possible inclusion in the limited edition black & white portfolio I am doing on the Empire State Building.

I like this one because it reminded me of the visual drama (or melodrama) of the Art Deco photography in the 1930's -- very much in keeping with the style of a building that was completed in 1931. To emphasize the drama I used an infrared technique that blackened the dark blue sky and set of the brightly lit building and clouds in stark contrast.

This photo was taken from inside the New York Public Library. The only trick here was maintaining an exposure that balanced the interior of the library with the bright sunny exterior scene. What I like about this image is its bright airiness contrasted with the dark shape of the window frame.

The building might be a bit too much off kilter, but I positioned it that way because I was creating more of an abstract composition of lights and darks.