THE LOCATION: Top of the Rock, Rockefeller Center, New York City, N.Y.
GPS: 40°45'32.3009" N 73°58'45.8408" W
THE EQUIPMENT: Canon 5D Mark IV | EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
THE STORY: It's Thanksgiving weekend in the Big Apple. I bought tickets for sunset at Top of the Rock.
Am I nuts?!
Sometimes, we have to be to get the shot we want. Check the weather; gonna be clear and cold and phenomenal in New York.
Buy that ridiculously overpriced ticket. How soon should I get there? The entire world feels like its here. Better go two hours before sunset, at least.
Stop at REI first, buy some winter gear you need. It's okay, it's on sale since its the day after Black Friday.
Get to Rockefeller Center, go up the quick elevator. Yup, the roof is packed.
Hurry to the upper observation deck. Find your spot. Stay there for hours, in the wind, in the cold, even as scores of tourists cram themselves four deep behind you, pressing you against the barrier.
Don't leave. Don't move. Just watch the light show over Manhattan.
So worth it.
Dave Pidgeon is a seasoned photographer and writer. He lives with his three sons in Lancaster, Pa. You can purchase prints of his work at Pidgeon's-Eye View.