DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY DAILY

Photographer Spotlight

Oscar Rivera’s Extraordinary Photography From The Streets of New York

I came across New York City photographer Oscar Rivera’s photographic work while trading forum emails with him about Nikon lenses. I followed a link to his website, and was thoroughly amazed as what I discovered next.

Oscar is a native New Yorker who has a passion for photographing the city he loves. The photography that ensues is proof of his passion. Upon taking the time to view his website and his portfolio, my first thought was to share it. I was first impressed by Oscar’s overall body of work, and the quality of his images. It seems that Oscar has mastered the art of night photography. The color, exposure, composition and other technical aspects of his photography provide impact you normally don’t see, and that’s what makes Oscar’s photography unique. Oscar’s website, http://quietstormphotos.com/, is impressive as well. We can all take note of the importance of a quality website that Oscar proves out. It is a lot of work to design and implement a photography website, and it seems that Oscar has done that as well!

We conducted a short interview with Oscar:

DPD: Can you tell me about your photography background?

Oscar: My interest in photography began when I was about 12 years old. I would help my older brother, an amateur photographer, develop, process & even enlarge prints in our bathroom. I started taking photos as well. In the beginning, I just took photos with what ever type of camera I had and my shots were mostly vacation type. Through the years I continued, but didn’t really have much time to devote. I would say it wasn’t until the last 4 or 5 years that I became more active in pursuing my photography. I began taking classes, avidly reading and questioned other photographers. With much trial and error, daily practice, and continually upgrading my equipment, I have been able to hone my skills. I never rest in my pursuit of perfecting my techniques and I enjoy every minute of it.

DPD: Your images of New York are incredible, colorful, sharp, and lively. Can you tell us what drives you to take all that time to capture these images?

I am a first generation American born and raised in NYC. The love I have for this amazing city is so deep in my soul, that I live for expressing it and I am able to do it in this art form. Every time I see the NYC skyline, it’s as if I am seeing it for the very first time with awe and amazement.

DPD: In addition to your skyline images of New York , what are your other favorite subjects to photograph?

Oscar: I love to photograph just about anything & everything. I particularly love Central Park & I spend a great deal of time shooting it. I especially love to shoot scenes of the park blanketed by freshly fallen snow.

Parades have become a recent passion. I love capturing the fascinating people & sights that a NYC parade provides. Another recent interest has been traveling throughout Central America . I just love it! The beautiful people & capturing a slice of their lives, love it!!

DPD: Standard question here for our readers. What kind of equipment do you shoot with (what’s in your camera bag?):

Oscar: I have two Nikon D300’s & a Nikon D80, Nikon 18-200mm F/3.5-5.6g IF-ED AF-S DX VR, Nikon 50mm F/1.4, Sigma 10-20mm F/4-5.6 EX DC HSM, Nikon 70-300mm F/4-5.6D ED AF, Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 EX ASP DF, Nikon Speedlight SB-900.

DPD: How do you post-process (photoshop, lightroom, elements, Photomatix, etc.)

I use a variety of programs depending upon the need. I use a Nikon product called Picture Project for simple cropping and color correction. I use Photoshop for image resizing and for fine color correction. I use Photomatrix for tone mapping (HDR), and lastly I use Lightroom to catalog and tag my images.

DPD: In what future direction do you see your photography heading to?

Oscar: I’m very interested in having a showing of my work this year so I am working on that; mostly I want to continue to grow as a photographer. I look forward to embracing new challenges and enjoying each day with the promise of new photographic adventures.

We want to thank Oscar for taking to time to share his thoughts with Digital Photography Daily. You can visit Oscar Rivera’s website at http://quietstormphotos.com/ .

Related posts:

1. New York Road Trip Camera Or Not
2. A Day in the City
3. Taking Photographs With A Theme In Mind
4. Discover High Dynamic Range (HDR) Imaging

2 Responses to “Oscar Rivera Photographs New York City”