Fire Escapes on Greene Street in Soho
Greene Street in SoHo is one of the best stretches in New York City for classic cast-iron architecture, where ornate building facades and layered fire escapes create strong graphic compositions above cobblestone streets. Walk the blocks between Canal and Houston and look up, the repeating iron zigzags work especially well compressed with a short telephoto lens in the 70-135mm range, flattening the geometry against the facades. You can also shoot low from the cobblestones with a wide angle to emphasize the texture of the street leading into the canyon of buildings. Overcast days are ideal since direct sunlight creates harsh shadows across the ironwork, while soft diffused light reveals the detail in the facades. Early morning gives you empty streets and clean compositions without crowds or parked trucks blocking your foreground. The area is easy to reach on foot from several subway stops nearby. (New York City, New York, United States)
