New project: New York Photo City!

New York Photo City is a publication that aims to bring visual inspiration to your day in a simple way, through one photograph at a time, delivered directly to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

This newsletter is an invitation for you to look at my work in a more intimate way, without the distractions that social media feeds have. By receiving it in your email inbox, you’re in control of when you want to open it, how much time you want to spend looking at the photograph, and how you want to interact with it.

The content of New York Photo City will be a mix of recent and archival work, with occasional related career updates and more. Subscribe below for free to receive it in your inbox. Hope to see you there!

Jenny Kern

Here are some shots I took of singer-songwriter Jenny Kern at a concert at Mercury Lounge in NYC:

Susie McCollum

Here are some shots I took of singer-songwriter Susie McCollum at a concert at Mercury Lounge in NYC:

Jake Brewe

Here are some shots I took of singer-songwriter Jake Brewe at a concert at Mercury Lounge in NYC:

Roopa Mahadevan

Here are some shots I took of the amazing Roopa Mahadevan at a concert at Joe’s Pub in NYC:

Tipling Rock

Here are some shots I took of the band Tipling Rock at a concert at The Knitting Factory in NYC:

45 Riots

Here are some shots I took of the band 45 Riots at a recording session at Germano Studios in NYC:

📸 Spring in NYC

After many months at home, I finally took my camera out for a stroll in the city. The destination was Roosevelt Island, with the intention of seeing the last breath of the cherry blossoms. All images were taken with the combo Fujifilm X-T2 + Fujinon 16-55mm 2.8

📸 Women in Music, part IV

In celebration of Women's History Month, I decided to revisit my archives and highlight some of my favorite photographs I took of incredible women in the music scene over the years while working almost exclusively as a music photographer. This will be a 4 part post, with 10 pictures per post. Here’s the fourth and last batch:

Pia Salvia @ Rockwood Music Hall, NYC

Raye Zaragoza @ Irving Plaza, NYC

Regina Spektor @ Credicard Hall, SP

Rony's Insomnia @ Pianos, NYC

Rosemary Minkler @ The Bowery Electric, NYC

Shilpa Ananth @ C’Mon Everybody, NYC

Stalking Gia @ The Bowery Ballroom, NYC

The New Tarot @ Mercury Lounge, NYC

The TenFiveSixty @ The Bowery Electric, NYC

Valentina Blú @ Mercury Lounge, NYC

📸 Women in Music, part II

In celebration of Women's History Month, I decided to revisit my archives and highlight some of my favorite photographs I took of incredible women in the music scene over the years while working almost exclusively as a music photographer. This will be a 4 part post, with 10 pictures per post. Here’s the second batch:

Iris Lune @ C’Mon Everybody, NYC

Jackie Hoffman @ Joe’s Pub, NYC

Jenny Kern @ Rockwood Music Hall, NYC

Jessica Meyer @ BAMCafe, NYC

Jocelyn Mackenzie @ Knitting Factory, NYC

Kate K-S @ Joe’s Pub, NYC

Katie Buchanan @ Mercury Lounge, NYC

Kaylyn Marie @ Rockwood Music Hall, NYC

Kimbra @ Bowery Ballroom, NYC

Labaq @ Central Park Summerstage, NYC

📸 Women in Music, part I

In celebration of Women's History Month, I decided to revisit my archives and highlight some of my favorite photographs I took of incredible women in the music scene over the years while working almost exclusively as a music photographer. This will be a 4 part post, with 10 pictures per post. Here’s the first batch:

Addi & Jacq @ Joe's Pub, NYC

Batala @ Central Park Summerstage, NYC

Bianca Muniz @ Rockwood Music Hall, NYC

Big Freedia @ Central Park Summerstage, NYC

Corinne Bailey Rae @ Central Park Summerstage, NYC

Emel Mathlouthi @ Joes Pub, NYC

Emily King @ Central Park Summerstage, NYC

FEATHERS+EYES @ The Living Room, NYC

Grace Alves @ CUNY Graduate Center, NYC

Hadar Orshalimy @ Private Concert, NYC

From The Archives: Traveling through California

I’ve been revisiting my Photography archives lately for an upcoming project I’m working on and came across a lot of images that I really enjoyed revisiting and thought it was worth sharing. In this post, 10 images I took in California throughout the past few years in different cities. All images were taken with the combo Fujifilm X-T2 + Fujinon 16-55mm 2.8 and can be purchased as prints by clicking here or individually on each image:

From The Archives: Traveling through Greece

I’ve been revisiting my Photography archives lately for an upcoming project I’m working on and came across a lot of images that I really enjoyed revisiting and thought it was worth sharing. In this post, 13 images I took in 2018 during a trip through Greece, while visiting Hydra, Santorini, and Athens. All images were taken with the combo Fujifilm X-T2 + Fujinon 16-55mm 2.8 and can be purchased as prints by clicking here or individually on each image:

From The Archives: Traveling through the Southwest

I’ve been revisiting my Photography archives lately for an upcoming project I’m working on and came across a lot of images that I really enjoyed revisiting and thought it was worth sharing. In this post, 14 images I took in 2017 during a trip through the South West of the US, while visiting Sedona, the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and Zion Park. All images were taken with the combo Fujifilm X-T2 + Fujinon 16-55mm 2.8 and can be purchased as prints by clicking here or individually on each image:

San Francisco with the Fujifilm X-T2

One year ago I went to San Francisco for the first time (disregarding the one time I was in the city for just one afternoon) and coincidentally I’ve been thinking a lot about that trip, maybe because we’re living in a time where traveling seems such a distant concept right now... I had a blast walking around and exploring the city, and realized I haven’t really shared that many pictures from it. So here we go, hope you enjoy it!

DSCF0794.jpg

(All photos taken with a Fujifilm X-T2 + Fujinon XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR)

New Orleans with the Fujifilm X100F

On a recent (and first time) trip to New Orleans, I decided to leave all my gear at home and borrow a Fujifilm X100F to bring with me instead. Since I was going to be there only for 2 full days, and Photography was definitely not the focus of the visit, I wanted to have a camera that would be with me at all times without having to worry about size and/or weight. It has a fixed 23mm (non-interchangeable) lens, which makes it the perfect equipment to throw in any bag or even a jacket pocket.

I was curious to see if, by having the camera always accessible, I would be more enticed to just document everything that caught my attention, without overthinking or planning much. Not only that happened, but also having nothing but a fixed lens forced me to move around and get much closer to my subjects. No wonder so many people prefer prime to zoom lenses. I would be lying if I said I didn’t miss having my trusted 16-55mm with me in some cases, just to be able to get a bit closer. But I’m sure I would have missed a lot of significant moments by constantly thinking about all the range I would have with that lens.

Here are a few favorite frames from the trip:

Equipment used:

Window Display Portraits

One of the most valuable skill you need to have as a Photographer, in my opinion, is curiosity. Not the latest gear, proper education, post processing skills, but simply being curious all the time. I always like to say that, as a beginner, you should be out photographing every single Photography genre that you can be exposed to. That will teach you not only what you enjoy shooting, but most importantly, what you DO NOT enjoy shooting.

With that in mind, I decided to join a few photography friends that decided to go out one night to photograph the window displays decorated for the holidays, a long time tradition in NYC. I had no idea that something that has very little appeal to me, would end up being so enjoyable. Using only available lighting from each display and treating the mannequins as models ready to be photographed, I found a lot of pleasure in walking around looking for interesting and (sometimes) unusual angles to capture each of them.

Here are some of my favorites:

In-Camera Multiple Exposure With the Fujifilm X-T2

Multiple Exposure in Photography is not a new technique by any means, but it’s definitely still very enjoyable and, surprisingly, not explored by that many Photographers.

In a film camera, a ‘multiple exposure” consisted in pressing the shutter to take a photograph, but instead of advancing the film to the next frame, you would recompose, press the shutter again, and that second image would superimpose the first one, creating the most various effects depending on the lighting conditions and subject matter. Later on, with the advent of Photoshop, people started experimenting the same effects in the digital world, by simply layering different photographs on top of one another and playing with opacity, masks, bleeding modes, etc.

(old Victorian ‘ghost photography’)

(old Victorian ‘ghost photography’)

But what most people don’t realize is that a lot of the current digital cameras are also capable of creating the same ‘multiple exposure’ effect natively, without the need of a post processing software. I remember when I upgraded my DSLR from an entry level to a full-frame model, the one key feature that I knew my next camera would absolutely have to have it was a multiple exposure setting. I haven’t looked back since then, and it’s something that I am constantly experimenting with, on my personal projects, and also for some of my clients that are also attracted by that look.

(© Leonardo Mascaro - 1/200 sec at f/3.2, ISO 1600 - 70mm (EF 70-200mm f/2.8)

(© Leonardo Mascaro - 1/200 sec at f/3.2, ISO 1600 - 70mm (EF 70-200mm f/2.8)

The difference between DSLR and Mirrorless system for Multiple Exposures:

I always loved shooting multiple exposures on a DSLR camera, but there’s one thing on the mirrorless system that makes it even more enjoyable: the electronic viewfinder! When you’re shooting multiple exposures on a DSLR with an optical viewfinder, you have no idea how both images will blend, unless you are looking at the back at the camera, instead of the viewfinder, which is not always a good idea. With a mirrorless camera, like the Fujifilm X-T2, assuming that you are using the electronic viewfinder (highly recommended), once you take the first shot, you will be looking at it while framing the second one, until you fire the shutter for the second time. It’s magical to see the effect being created right in front of you even before you actually do it!

(© Leonardo Mascaro - 1/500 sec at f/16, ISO 800 - 55mm (XF16-55mm f/2.8)

(© Leonardo Mascaro - 1/500 sec at f/16, ISO 800 - 55mm (XF16-55mm f/2.8)

The only minor issue, for me, is that the Fujifilm camera automatically converts your double exposure file into a JPEG (even if you camera is set to shoot RAW only), as with other DSLRs I tested, the camera maintains the file as RAW, allowing you have much more control in post processing later on. Hope they are able to change that in the near future.

“So where do I find the multiple exposures setting in my Fujifilm X-T2 camera?”, you may be asking… Well, they couldn’t make it easier than this:

All you need to do is turn the bottom of the left dial from S (single frame) to the icon right next to it with the two “overlapping” photos, and you are ready to start experimenting! Take your first shot, accept it or retry (if you’re not happy with your first frame), and look for the second shot to be combined.

(© Leonardo Mascaro - 1/500 sec at f/16, ISO 800 - 55mm (XF16-55mm f/2.8)

(© Leonardo Mascaro - 1/500 sec at f/16, ISO 800 - 55mm (XF16-55mm f/2.8)

Many people will say that it’s much easier to jump into Photoshop and combine as many layers as you want with endless possibilities, but I personally still think that it’s way more interesting and fun when you are in a location and create unique images with what you have available right there for you. Here are more images to inspire you to try and have fun next time you’re out photographing:

(© Leonardo Mascaro - 1/500 sec at f/16, ISO 800 - 16mm (XF16-55mm f/2.8)

(© Leonardo Mascaro - 1/500 sec at f/16, ISO 800 - 16mm (XF16-55mm f/2.8)

(© Leonardo Mascaro - 1/500 sec at f/4, ISO 200 - 55mm (XF16-55mm f/2.8)

(© Leonardo Mascaro - 1/500 sec at f/4, ISO 200 - 55mm (XF16-55mm f/2.8)

(© Leonardo Mascaro - 1/640 sec at f/8, ISO 100 - 55mm (XF16-55mm f/2.8)

(© Leonardo Mascaro - 1/640 sec at f/8, ISO 100 - 55mm (XF16-55mm f/2.8)