I have to be honest, there’s really nothing romantic about Times Square on a Sunday evening. Tourists are out in full force, garbage is all over the sidewalk and you can’t walk two feet without someone stopping dead in their tracks in front of you. It’s frustrating for a normal human, but for a photographer, it’s also a challenge to create new images in one of the most photographed locations in the world. Luckily, I had a fantastic couple with me this fine evening and all of our creative juices were flowing as we traipsed around midtown Manhattan. Andrea had an image stuck in her head. She wanted a quirky photo of tourists photographing her and her amazing fiance, Steve, as if they were celebrities walking the red carpet. Someone clearly told her never to take me up on a bet or challenge, because I will pull it off.
I can’t say enough about Steve and Andrea, the two feed off each others creativity and are open to any idea no matter how ridiculous. “Wow, Steve, I wish there was a way to get you on the LOVE sign without getting arrested by NYPD,” I mumbled to myself. Seconds later, Steve catapulted himself to the top of the sign as Andrea chuckled and posed for the camera. I almost fainted, but snagged a few fun portraits before security came after us. That’s when I knew I had found the perfect couple.
Ignoring the throngs of tourists, we spent some time in front of the Edison Ballroom and under the huge monitors flanking Broadway. It is easy to forget how chaotic the world around you is when your mind is set on creating a particular image. That said, there was one photograph that still had to be made. So we headed to the now iconic red staircase in the middle of Times Square and slowly ascended the massive walkway. Halfway up, I had the couple stand up and I started photographing them with the biggest lens and camera I had on me, hoping to arouse suspicion from the tourists. It didn’t quite go as planned, so I started just yelling out loud. “Everyone, please get up and photograph this amazing couple. They just got an engaged and are going to be famous one day.” Somehow the ploy worked. Now all I can think about is the number of people that went home from vacation with photos of this random couple amidst shots of friends and family. If you happen to have a photo, send it to info@glkcreative.com. I’d be happy to forward it to the Andrea and Steve. For those that helped out, you rock.
