Water limits the light: The geometry of shooting pools
Summer in New York turns every rooftop pool into a high-glare concrete box. To make these spaces look like editorial fashion rather than a tourist brochure, you have to stop shooting the water and start shooting the reflections. Here is how we balance harsh summer light, blue water, and the skyline without losing the garment.
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The William Vale, Williamsburg
At 60 feet, it is one of the longest pools in the city, offering a massive expanse of open blue that can easily wash out your subject. The key here is using the stark, grey concrete of the deck to frame the model against the Manhattan skyline, treating the water as a secondary graphic element.
Shoot from a low angle at the pool's edge to compress the water surface into a single, sharp horizontal line that dissects the frame.
SOHO House, Meatpacking
The red-and-white striped loungers and brick surrounds offer a highly specific color palette that clashes with complex clothing. To make this work for editorial, you must shoot tight crop portraits that block out the crowd and focus on the interaction of skin, water, and brick.
Wet the model’s hair entirely; dry hair looks out of place against the high-gloss reflection of a morning pool deck.
TWA Hotel Pool, Queens
An infinity pool overlooking active runway 4L/22R. The challenge here isn't just the water, but the massive, curved concrete architecture and the heat haze rising from the tarmac, which can ruin your background sharpness if you shoot too wide.
Use a polarizing filter to cut the glare on the water entirely, allowing the camera to see through to the red pool floor tiles.
LifeTime Sky, Midtown West
Surrounded by towering glass luxury towers, this pool acts as a mirror for the midtown grid. The light bounces off the surrounding skyscrapers, creating unpredictable double-shadows that require heavy flag use to control.
Position the model on the underwater ledge to shoot the distortion of the garment submerged in chlorinated water.
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Fashion and editorial photography for brands, designers, and models in NYC.
NYC Fashion & Editorial Photographer