Yes, there came the horrid day when I turned forty. To soften the blow, my friends and family all pitched in some money to send me to a vacation trip to New York, a city I’ve always wanted to visit. Better yet, my friend decided to come along with me, making it a perfect road trip! After some months of planning we set out for a 10 day adventure in the city that supposedly never sleeps… We didn’t have much plans about what exactly we will be doing, but as we both are photo-enthusiasts, it was obvious that pictures will be taken… and taken… and taken… Well, you get the point.

When we finally arrived to New York, it was amazing to be in the middle of the landscapes and places that I´ve seen in movies and TV. Seeing the familiar views made me want to try to capture the spirit of these places in a different way, not repeating the same scene as in every NY postcard. I ended up taking a LOT of images but I haven’t published that many yet, because I wasn’t happy with the way they were turning out. It seemed that the spirit of the city was lost in the masses of pictures, so I went ahead and selected only a few of my favorite images from the thousands to work on.

Looking at these pictures I tried to see beyond the obvious and add something that would make the image feel like I felt when I saw the view. Now I was happy; Even though these images are only a fraction of things I experienced during my vacation, to me they represent my bite of the Big Apple; same familiar look but a new and fresh taste. Funnily enough, adding “The Feel” to the pictures, I think they somehow became Art, something that someone could hang on their walls! I will remember my trip through these images much more vividly than looking at the thousands and thousands of other shots I took during those 10 days.

This adventure would have never happened without all my friends and family who contributed to this trip. These images are my way of thanking you guys for making it possible –You made turning forty fun! I hope these images resonate with other people as well, showing a different take on the iconic city. I also wish these images will remind me (and other photographers!) to keep looking beyond the obvious.