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NEW YORK

A Cadillac Commercial - 2017

In mid-2017, the owner of Robo Aerial asked if I would be interested in joining them on a 360-video commercial shoot in New York City to shoot with the marketing agency behind Cadillac's new campaign. Plus, he also needed an extra hand at setting the exposures; as I was allowed full access to any gear he was not using during, before, or after the shoot for my own creative purposes.

We got to the airport and he looked at me and told me that I have free reign to shoot all weekend with his gear. We had a nonverbal agreement that this entire weekend was going to be dedicated to the creation of great content.

We were the splinter team on the set of the commercial that was shot with heavy duty equipment. The assistant director and producer basically swear our secrecy and warned us not to use our cameras to take pictures of the set.

THE CADILLAC CTS-V 2018

CADILLAC CTS-V 2018 in New York Photographed by Commercial Photographer Rashad Anabtawi

Behind The Scene Photograph of the Cast placeholder for the Commercial by Chicago Set Photographer Rashad Anabtawi

With a 6.2 Liter V-8 Engine boasting a great 640 horsepower and 630 lb-ft of torque along with Rear-wheel Drive Type ABS Driveline Traction Control; this car delivers both a luxurious and sport like dual dynamic. A beautiful vehicle with carbon fiber accents for aerodynamic and stylish results. Brembo brakes and performance tires with sports suspensions leave little to the imagination as the driving of this car is one of the best in its class. Turning corners, hugging the road while twerking its rear during a kick acceleration while maintaining great grip.

The professional set was located on Stanton Island. There were two teams of filmmakers with the car. The main unit was used to film the cinematic B-roll of the vehicle as it drove through the winding roads and through between the trees. The second unit was contracted to shoot the 360 immersive video from the interior of the new Cadillac. There was a strict media embargo on set, no unit still photography was allowed, due to fear that images of the car and the set itself would leak before the commercial.

NEW YORK CITY URBAN EXPLORATION

Urban Landscape Photograph of New York City Manhattan by Landscape Photographer Rashad Anabtawi

Urban Photograph of a Cramped New York City Subway Cart in Manhattan by Photographer Rashad Anabtawi

Obviously, transportation in New York City was extremely different. Yet, it is amazing how efficient everything runs in New York. It's fast-paced and always moving.

Though, one would understandably mistake this marvelous techno-craft for a complex living organism which has some sort of symbiotic relationship with the humans. The city can only survive if the humans run around endlessly on it, and the humans can only survive if they run around endlessly in the city.

Urban Landscape Photograph of Manhattan in New York City by Chicago Photographer Rashad Anabtawi

Urban Landscape Photograph of the Bridge in Manhattan New York City by Chicago Photographer Rashad Anabtawi

Urban Street Photography of People of New York City Manhattan by Chicago Photographer Rashad Anabtawi

Urban Street Photography of of New York City Manhattan by Chicago Photographer Rashad Anabtawi

Black and White Architectural Photograph of a building in Manhattan New York City by Chicago Photographer Rashad Anabtawi

Urban Architectural Photograph of buildings in Manhattan New York City by Chicago photographer Rashad Anabtawi

Urban Street Photography of pedestrians of New York City Manhattan by Chicago Photographer Rashad Anabtawi

Architectural Photograph of Manhattan buildings in New York City by Chicago Photographer Rashad Anabtawi

Urban Street Portrait Photography of People of New York City Manhattan by Chicago Photographer Rashad Anabtawi

Portrait Urban Street Photography of People of New York City Manhattan by Chicago Photographer Rashad Anabtawi

Symmetrical Urban Photograph of an Empty New York City Subway in Manhattan by Photographer Rashad Anabtawi

Landscape Photograph of the 9/11 Monument in New York by Photographer Rashad Anabtawi

Landscape Photograph of Manhattan Island New York by Photographer Rashad Anabtawi

Oh? Say, What do you 'See?'

A Landscape Photograph of Lady Liberty in New York by Photographer Rashad Anabtawi

A Landscape photograph of fiery a sunset in New York City Manhattan by Photographer Rashad Anabtawi

When I was young, I would watch television with my mother and father and we'd always watch Hollywood movies, be it action, drama or romance. One thing was constant though... NEW YORK HAD IT GOING ON!

Now, whatever 'it' was is anyone's guess.

A Tourist Style Photograph of the famed Chicna Town at night

A Wild Photograph of a New York City Inhabitant

A Black and White Fine Art photograph by Fine Art Photographer Rashad Anabtawi of people going about their daily routine in the subway of New York

Candid Urban Photograph of a Cat on a cart by Urban Photographer Rashad Anabtawi

A Balck and White Fine art Image of an under Bridge in New York by Fine Art Photographer Rashad Anabtawi

THE CITY, THE STREETS

Landscape Urban Photograph of Brooklyn in New York By Chicago Photographer Rashad Anabtawi

Photograph of an Abstract Wall in Brooklyn New York by Chicago Photographer Rashad Anabtawi

Urban Photograph of Brooklyn in New York By Chicago Photographer Rashad Anabtawi

Urban Photograph of the People of Brooklyn New York by Chicago Photographer Rashad Anabtawi

Urban Photograph of a Red Car I'm Brooklyn New York by Chicago Photographer Rashad Anabtawi

Urban Photograph of a hipster cafe in Brooklyn New York by Chicago Photographer Rashad Anabtawi

I don't know who you are, but thanks for posing!

My boss was about 67 feet ahead of me trying to snap through the Bronx in about 25 minutes before calling an Uber back to the Hostel we were staying at, so we can then take our over packed gear and head to the airport and catch the plane we were supposed to board in an hour. We had also been irresponsibly walking for a collective 24 hours now.

I randomly looked to my left to see this girl prepping her finely kept bicycle, about to leave. “This was the perfect shot”! I said to myself, but I didn’t know why yet.

"Stop!" I yelled, like some deranged asthmatic lunatic who's just jumped off the loony bin. She looked up in understandable shock. "Do you mind if I take your picture?" She smiled and said "Sure!" with a hint of hesitation, but as she tried to get into a good frame I snapped my shot and my boss yelled out "Come on, you freak!" and I told her "Thank you!" and was on my way. Unfortunately she never got to see the photograph.

I found that the composition lends itself to further analysis. Here was a persistent paranoid sensation that there was a rather curious conspiracy going on, and I was not in on it.

In the moment of this photograph, I had an inspired feeling and took a snapshot as memorabilia to study later when I would neurotically connect the dots. It was indeed unique and interesting though. Everyone was looking at her.

The pure fact that I have no idea what made all of us freaks on the street look at her is one of the key reasons as to why I love the image so much.

A Photograph of the sunset in the Vertical City of New York

A Picture of New York City from Under the Tracks by Chicago Photographer Rashad Anabtawi

A Photograph of what I saw from Inside the Train

One of my favorite photographs I took of the Bridge at Golden Hour

It all seemed like a mesh of one long day. I know we were in New York for multiple days but we only slept once so this memory is nothing more than foggy and groggy like my exhausted body was most of the time there. I was amazed as to how I was able to pull through for such a long time. I believe it was the excitement of creation.