Photographer reveals how he took a photo of NY after Hurricane Sandy

(Image source: Reproduction / New York Magazine)

A helicopter, a Canon 1D X camera, a 24-70mm f / 2.8 L lens and thousands of shots. According to Poynter, who spoke with Dutch photographer Iwan Baan, these were the elements he used to capture the iconic image that illustrated the cover of New York magazine.

According to Baan, a day after the storm from Hurricane Sandy, it was easier to rent a helicopter than a car in New York. And in order to show the duality of a partly illuminated and partly dark metropolis, this was the ideal means of transportation to immortalize this devastating moment.

Iconic Image

Although it sounds simple, it was not easy to get the perfect image. Baan flew over New York City for an hour, braving freezing temperatures and wind as he steered the camera over a dimly lit city and the helicopter moving constantly.

The photographer employed an ISO 25, 600 and a speed of 1/40, plus a full lens aperture, achieving a result that would not have been possible with other types of photographic equipment.