There’s some shit hot photographers in New York and a lot of New York Photography Tours on offer so if you prefer some company it’s just a matter of doing a Google and choosing one that you like the look of. I’d also contact one of the many photography schools and institutes and try asking if there’s any students available who can take you around.  You’ll probably get them for half the price of most New York Photography Tours. For those not wanting or interested in doing a New York Photography Tour, here’s a few places to get some good shots of New York city.

Websites as big as Conde Mast list some of the so called best places to take photos from in New York City, but is the Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, Lower Manhattan, and the Brooklyn Bridge really anything anybody doesn’t already know about?  Yep, for sure, you can go to the top of the Empire State Building to take a nice photo overlooking the city, as do 60 million other tourists each year.

Pretty much every New York Photography Tour will take you to Grand Central Station for the drag-your-shutter-get-people-blurred shot, but it’s worth going to, even if you’re not a photographer.  You’ll have the cops onto you if you try and setup a tripod here but go upstairs, rest your camera on the railings and you’ll be right. The New York Public Library is a lovely old building but the real photographs to be had are on the inside.  Every photographer has to have a collection of library shots right!  If you like people and crowds, head straight to Times Square. It’s a much better photograph at night, good luck finding a spot to setup a tripod but there’s some excellent street shots to be had here.  You’ll be harassed by the hundreds of touts with a camera around your neck but it’s gotta be done.

If you don’t live in Asia then China Town is probably worth a visit. As with most China Towns, the real action doesn’t begin until later in the afternoon and at night, but for the that single person shot mornings are fine. For the opposite, head to One World Trade Center, take a wide angle and hope for a rainy of stormy day to capture the mood of the memorial and the tower. Head down here at sunrise and it’s much quieter and peaceful and you can better capture the scene.

Send us any questions or comments you have about New York Photography Tours via email or ask us on twitter.