During my last visit to New York, I wanted to visit my dear Zeynep and David and meet their baby girl Ayla. We later decided to turn this visit into a family photo shoot. The best part was having a great time both during the photo shoot and afterwards. You can find the rest of the “NYC Family Photography” article below the photos…
I was together on Zeynep and David’s wedding days in Lake Como, Italy. We shot outdoors in Torno, took a boat tour, swam in the lake, held events and a wedding at Villa Pliniana, and attended a dinner party on the island of Comacina. We did activity after activity and had fun and worked until the mornings. I think it was one of the most unforgettable shoots of my life. I’m leaving the link about this wedding here.
For the photo shoot, we first met with Zeynep and Ayla in front of the 112-meter, 33-storey Georgetown Plaza in Manhattan. Honestly, I couldn’t start shooting for a while because I loved to play with Ayla. She is truly a wonderful baby. First, we started with the warm-up shots in front of the plaza with the mother and daughter.
Washington Square Park Photoshoot
Then we met with David and went to the famous Washington Square Park. This place is very close to the family’s home and is one of the important symbols of New York. Known for its arch honoring George Washington, which gave its name to the park, and its fountain, which is 43 years older, Washington Square Park is the meeting point of artists, public, children and pets. It is the most well-known of New York’s public parks. In fact, this is one of the buildings belonging to New York University. It is a lively location where protests, demonstrations, street artists and artistic performances often take place. We shot cheerfully and comfortably in various parts of the park, in line with the spirit of the park.
Our next stop was Washington Mews Street. Here, too, we took family shots in front of iconic houses. Ayla crawled along this street, which was closed to vehicle traffic, and we followed her. This is a secret spot located between the famous Fifth Avenue and University Place, just north of Washington Square Park. These buildings, formerly barns, have served as residences, offices and other facilities for the University of New York since the 1950s.
MacDougalStreet
Our last stop was David’s special request. In front of the replica statue of his beloved Spanish poet and writer Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra in Willy’s Garden. A copy of the statue of the Don Quixote author in Madrid, made by Antonia Sola in 1835, made in 1986. We took our last shots in front of this wonderful bronze statue and headed straight to MacDougal Street.
We had a wonderful dinner here with my friend Özkan, who joined us later. MacDougal is a short but legendary street where Bob Dylan and Baz Luhrmann’s houses are located, where names such as Miles Davis, Allen Ginsberg, Ernest Hemingway, Jack London, Marlon Brando and Henry Miller are frequenters, where Jimi Hendrix took the stage and where scenes of the movie The Godfather were shot. Breathing the atmosphere of this place with wonderful people on a warm New York evening and most importantly spending time with Ayla was truly priceless. See you again as soon as possible.
NYC Family Photography by Ufuk Sarisen
