Snowing today in NYC

Unbelievable snowy fairytale happened today in NYC. Adults like with kids trying to catch snowflakes with their tongues :) Dogs in colorful coats wandering through snowfall and warm white silence of Central Park.
I love such weather even if my feet are wet. It reminds me of childhood. I'm happy again.

Runners with dogs in Central Park, Upper East Side

Walking dogs on UES, Manhattan, New York

Yellow city

It was just a catching glimpse of NYC life stream. Chelsea in the morning.

NYC taxis around Chelsea neighborhood. High Line City Park.

I was waiting for my clients to start a portrait photo session when this picture just caught my attention. Sooo much yellow :)

The city moments

I was shooting another family portrait photography session in Central Park yesterday and just stuck there afterwards for a while. Crowds were enjoying nice weather and it was that amazing feeling of NYC's craziness at the same time, which I love :)

Most colorful person in the city

I see this guy in every NYC's parade. You name it - he is there. First time I met him at Easter parade in our very first year here, in New York City. Then Saint Patrick, Halloween, Mermaid - he is always around or in the parade :)

He was circling with those jars on the top of his head for a while

At first there was a bunch of guys dancing together, circling around and doing crazy stuff on their roller-blades. But every year their number were growing and suddenly a couple of years ago I saw a poster read that they are now an association. And they were fenced :) It didn't change the thing though. They are still great at having fun.

Public art installation on the streets of New York City

Walking to the subway by w46th St I stumbled upon these art installation. Quite catching and I haven't seen it before. Just took a few snapshots as memorabilia.

Tornado aftermath

Tornado hit Queens borough of New York City on 9/16 around 6pm. 
At first I thought it was nothing severe because everything we saw out of our windows was quite strong wind causing waves of water in the air, blackened skies and it lasted just for about 5 min. Gone. Nothing. But almost immediately started sirens of emergency vehicles. From all directions. Again could be just regular storm, we have had a couple of it this year. But, after 30 min sirens still coming I started to worry about my car parked on the street :) I guess not only me.
Still didn't want to go outside. After a helicopter with a projector had hung over our building for 10 min it got to me that it's quite serious somewhere close to us. I checked traffic in goggle.maps and got a shock - no one time saw I all local streets black. Something was happening out there for sure. And we went to see it ourselves as many of you did.
That was something extraordinary by any measure! Many people will remember those 5 min of nature's anger for long time: smashed cars, destroyed trees, damaged houses etc.
And below you'll find photographs witnessing human weakness before nature's power.


Firefighters working on cleaning Woodheaven Blvd in Queens, New York City


Firefighters working on cleaning Woodheaven Blvd, preparing safe corridor for traffic, Queens, New York City


Traffic allowed through safe corridor, Queens, New York City


Cars smashed by fallen trees, Queens, New York City


Tornado hit the streets of Queens


Traffic allowed through safety corridor, Queens, New York City


One of many cars totalled by fallen trees, Queens, New York City


Morning update: more pictures witnessing devastation:


Street blocked by fallen trees, Queens, New York City


Street destroyed by fallen trees, Queens, New York City


Do not park at bus stop?


Power lines are down by fallen trees, Queens, New York City


Fallen trees are all over the Juniper Valley Park, Queens, New York City


This tree fell down in the morning at Juniper Valley Park, blocking almost the whole road


Trees are down all over the neighborhood, damaging cars and houses


Trees are down all over the neighborhood, damaging cars and houses


You may cross the street now!

Relay for life

My son spent almost a whole day on a field in Juniper Valley Park where Relay For Life 2010 was held.
You must probably see the scale of it to realize how huge is the problem - cancer could strike just virtually anyone. There is no guarantee against it. There is no 100% cure. There is no vaccine.
You may just hope and fight.
And you may help others to fight!

I couldn't count how many candles were there? Thousands?

Kids were helping around there.

And they had some fun for sure.

Photo books in easy way

Great news to all photographers and other creative folks - now we have another way to showcase our photo books made via Blurb.com on-line - they just came up with a new fine widget.
It's easy to integrate it into your photography web-site, photo blog etc. You may post it to your Facebook account in just one click.
Below you may see how it works - there is my fine art / documentary book about Greenwich Village Halloween Parade in NYC.

Boo To You! by Alex Kotlik | BOOK INFO

Bryant Park Holiday cards with my photograph of 2 chairs in the park

I love Bryant Park in every season. I love it most in spring when daffodils blooming and everything around smells new life.
But I like it in the winter not less. It's just different. You could feel more attached to the place when less people around you. For me it's more calm, lonely there in the winter.

And I am a little bit proud that I was able to capture that feeling and the beauty of the park in a photograph which were chosen by Bryant Park Corporation for their annual Holiday Cards.
I believe it's quite compelling example of street-life photography. A silent dialog of 2 chairs that left behind... Ghosts of people passed by some time ago... They are together and they are alone, conscious and abandoned...

You may see more of my street-life photography of New York on my web-site and there are some documentary photography, photo stories and series as well.