Occupy Wall Street With My Leica M9:
I finally got a chance to walk down to Occupy Wall Street, and of course, I brought my Leica M9 with me. It’s definitely busy down there, with both protesters and tourists everywhere. There are so many people taking pictures down there. Whether you agree or disagree with the cause, If you want to practice some street shooting in New York City, Occupy Wall Street is a great place to start. There are a lot of protesters who don’t mind getting their pictures taken but just keep in mind that there are a few who don’t like it at all.
The In’s And Out’s of Occupy Wall Street:
For those visiting New York City, Occupy Wall Street is located in Zuccotti Park (aka Zucotti, Zuccoti or Zucoti) near City Hall and the World Trade Center Site. If you’re going by MTA, you can take the 2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, and R trains. There are a lot of cops surrounding the park, and the people for the most part, are generally friendly. As stated before, it is very crowded. There are a lot of tourists, and New Yorkers alike taking photos. Zuccotti Park itself is extremely crowded with all the protesters, and the tents placed extremely close to one another. If you don’t mind the tight fit, you are welcomed to roam around inside Zuccotti Park and check things out further.
↑ The tents are right next to each other making it very crowded inside Zuccotti Park.
↑ Another view of the tents…This individual got a chance to check out the news on his Apple Ipad.
↑ There are small paths inside the tent area to walk through.
There’s actually quite a bit more at Occupy Wall Street than I thought if you check inside. There’s food tents, a medic station, and some people even have mattresses. From what I’ve heard, there’s even restaurants, such as, Katz’s who donate food. There are people from all different backrounds, religious beliefs, and political affiliations. Surprisingly, there are a lot of young people (I’m guessing around teenage to mid twenties) congregating at Occupy Wall Street.
↑ Volunteers helping by knitting people clothes.
↑ A young individual giving some tourist info on Occupy Wall Street.
↑ Many younger people played music at Occupy Wall Street. It almost reminded me of Woodstock.
↑ Same guy playing for the crowd again.
↑ Long night :).
↑ While a lot of people there were young, there were a few older individuals there as well.
↑ Here’s another one.
↑ Many people at Occupy Wall Street really wanted to get their message across to the people walking by.
↑ Rallies were a common occurance at Occupy Wall Street.
For those who follow this blog, you all know that I love the Leica M9, and this place is perfect for the M9. It’s small, and discreet allowing you to get real close to the action without causing too much disturbance to the scene. I used both my 35 Summicron ASPH and my 50 Summilux ASPH, which performed flawlessly at Occupy Wall Street. I should also mention that I went with my brother in-law, and he brought along his Leica X1. The X1 is a great little camera, and you can check out the black one or the silver one at Amazon or here at Adorama (silver or black). I know there have been a lot of new small compacts with big sensors coming out recently but IMO, the Leica X1 still offers up the best image. Hopefully he won’t mind posting some photos here in the near future of what he photographed at Occupy Wall Street.
↑ A sticker I saw on one of the tents.
Go Check Out Occupy Wall Street:
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the photos, and stay tuned for some reviews coming up. Also, I might be posting some more photos from Occupy Wall Street. I seriously had a great time taking photos down there, and I definitely want to go back next week. Great and fun way to practice street shooting :). If any of you are in New York City, you should check it out. Bring your camera :). Here’s some more photos.
↑ It wouldn’t be New York City without a big cockroach. Don’t worry, it’s a fake 🙂.
↑ Signs like this are everywhere at Occupy Wall Street.
