Long Island City Engagement Session: Film & Digital : LIC, NY

Hunter’s Point South Park in Long Island City has a way of feeling both iconic and intimate — urban yet serene. I recently photographed an engagement session here in early March, catching that golden hour glow that feels like a reward for enduring winter’s chill. The park’s views of the Manhattan skyline offered a sense of both expanse and closeness which is a setting I feel especially at home photographing in.

I brought both my digital setup and my 35mm film camera shooting a mix of color and black & white films. I have a deep affection especially for b&w film — there’s something timeless about its ability to strip away distractions, highlighting emotion and texture. Every time I get those film scans in from the lab I’m surprised by the depth. In that late-day light, the still-bare branches and the skyline took on a sculptural quality, made all the more striking through the grain of black-and-white film.

The couple and I wandered the park, embracing the last hour of daylight. The sun hung low, casting long shadows and painting the East River in warm, reflective tones. We made use of the waterfront’s gentle curves and industrial walkways, contrasting them with the softness of quiet, candid moments.