By: Alex
New York City in the United States is not only a vibrant and creative international metropolis but also a city that never sleeps, full of glitz, glamor, and excitement. Photographer Michael Shainblum was also captivated by the charm of New York City. He infused his awe and wonder into this 3-minute visual journey of New York City, created using time-lapse photography techniques.
This short film by Shainblum, titled 〈Liberty〉, features a strong compositional style with sharp and clean visuals. It works exceptionally well for photographing a distinctive metropolis like New York, which offers an endless array of photo subjects. It is reported that the film consists of approximately 15,000 photos, shot during 2016 and 2018.
Everyone has heard New York City being nicknamed the Big Apple, but how is it connected to apple production? This goes back nearly 100 years, when jazz was all the rage. There was a jazz song with lyrics that said: “There are many apples on the success tree, but when you pick New York City, you Pick the Big Apple.” The rough meaning is: there are many apples on the tree of success, but if you choose New York, you’ve picked the Big Apple. This is similar to the once-popular phrase on the mainland: “East, West, South, North, and Central — get rich in Guangdong.”
However, the New-York Historical Society offers another explanation. The nickname “Big Apple” dates back to 1921, from a horse racing columnist named John J. Fitz Gerald at The New York Morning Telegraph. While chatting with African-American stable hands from New Orleans at the racetrack, he learned that in their eyes, New York was a place full of opportunities. They used the term “Big Apple” to describe New York, meaning something attractive and desirable that everyone wants a bite of. He began frequently using this interesting term in his articles, and it was later widely adopted by other media. Over time, “Big Apple” became synonymous with New York.
You can see more photos of New York City on Shainblum’s personal website.
Source: Michael Shainblum, Fstoppers, Wikipedia