Shot from an unmarked rooftop on the Lower East Side — had to shoot through a busted chainlink fence.

I’ve been trying to get a clean layered shot of Lower Manhattan for months. Most rooftops there are locked, this one you have to climb a fire escape to get to. The fence was right in my face so I used it as a natural frame instead of fighting it.

What I like about it is the layers: bottom is covered in graffiti and AC units, then that classic red brick building with the water tank, then the older financial district buildings, then One World Trade punching through the haze.

Single frame, not a composite.

Gear: Canon R6 w/ 24-70mm f4
Settings: 165mm, f/8, 1/640, ISO 200

What would you have done differently with the fence?

Shot on a Nikon D850

All captured on 10/12/2026.

Yes, I’m behind on sharing my work.

Washington Heights AND Inwood, my bad.

2021 Canon T7 Rebel

Long time lurker, first time poster and a noob photographer. I caught this potential composition opportunity while jogging.

I took this while photographing around New York. I wanted to capture the Brooklyn Bridge with One World Trade Center behind it, but frame the scene with some of the foliage along the waterfront rather than going for a completely clean skyline shot.
I like the contrast between the darker foreground, the bridge structure and the brighter skyline. The paddleboarder on the water was a small detail that I think helps give the scene a sense of scale.
I’m still working on getting the balance right between a cinematic edit and keeping the image looking natural.
Curious what other photographers think: does the foreground framing add to the composition, or is there too much going on at the bottom of the frame?

A few moments I’ve caught around the city lately. Been trying to document NYC as I actually see it people, movement, little details, everyday life. Still building the archive and always down to connect with other photographers/creatives in the city too.