For those of us who are photographers, a visit to New York City entails a number of must-do side trips: The Modern Museum of Art, the International Center of Photography, and the Leica Gallery are always high on my list.
Additionally, as a photographer/human of the Cameras Consumeras species, I simply have to spend a few hours in B&H Photo, the camera store equivalent of Paradise, in my humble opinion.
I was in NYC recently (also called Juh Ci-tay by a four-year-old I met on the plane who cannot pronounce "New York, " and, for some reason, that hipster-ish name tickled me. ) I went to photograph one of the global celebrations of the 80th birthday of the Dalai Lama, but I was so busy shooting that I didn't have time to gallery-hop and see the work of others. I did, however, find a few moments to stop at B&H Photo (it was only three blocks from the Javits Center, where the Dalai Lama event was held.) I shot a phone selfie (above) with a street photographer outside the store.
Once the two-day Dalai Lama celebration had concluded, a Tibetan lama friend and I also made a trip out to Long Island, where my friend gave a talk about meditation. The images below were shot that day.
I'm back in Seattle now, readjusting to life in the land where everyone carries a daypack, even suit-wearing lawyers headed to the office, or cultured types on their way to a symphony concert. But I must admit that I am kind of missing Juh City.
A return trip MUST be scheduled.
