Calvary Cemetery
Calvary Cemetery sits on a gentle rise in Queens, offering one of the most unexpected and striking views of the Manhattan skyline available anywhere in New York City. The foreground of dense headstones, obelisks, and stone monuments creates a layered composition where the dead city and the living one seem to merge into a single frame, with midtown skyscrapers rising directly behind the grave markers. Shoot from the elevated sections near the older portions of the cemetery to maximize that stacked, compressed effect; a telephoto lens in the 70-200mm range works particularly well for flattening the distance between monuments and skyline. Golden hour and blue hour both reward patience here, with warm or cool tones wrapping across the stone and glass together. The cemetery is open to the public during daylight hours; be respectful of visitors and services, and move quietly. Street parking is available along the surrounding roads. (Queens, New York City, New York, United States)
