Nikon’s New Ad Campaign Signals A Brighter Future For Us Passionate Photographers

If you’re in New York City in the next few weeks you might run into some of my images, particularly along the N Subway Line or at the Times Square or Atlantic Subway stops.

I had the good fortune to work on a campaign for two things I really love; the city I live in and the equipment I use to capture it.

Shot on a Nikon D750, you can see this enormous enlargement outside the Broadway Subway Stop in Queens. When it looks good shot on iPhone, it looks AMAZING shot on a Nikon.
Shot on a Nikon D750, you can see this enormous enlargement outside the Broadway Subway Stop in Queens. When it looks good shot on iPhone, it looks AMAZING shot on a Nikon.

Nikon and the ad agencies Cramer-Krasselt & MWWPR chose a bunch of my New York images to create love letters to the city for the campaign which encourages New Yorkers to show their love for New York  by sharing their pictures online.

The campaign hopes to inspire people to pick up their cameras and capture it “with a quality that reflects the pride and personal connection we have to these places.”

You can find the love at various stops along the N-line but you can't miss it at the Times Square and Atlantic (Brooklyn) stops. In an age where I'm so used to seeing my images on a screen I'm reminded of the power of the printed image.
You can find the love at various stops along the N-line but you can’t miss it at the Times Square and Atlantic (Brooklyn) stops. In an age where I’m so used to seeing my images on a screen I’m reminded of the power of the printed image.

“It’s great to see a camera company working to connect with the public in this way”.

 

I think the campaign is perfectly timed. More people are taking pictures then ever in our history. Photography has become hugely popular. It may be true that many “photographers” choose the convenience of their phone camera over a stand alone picture-taking device.

But what excites me  is the potential for camera companies like Nikon to ride this new wave of photography.

Phone cameras have improved. But many of the images I shot for this campaign could not have been made with a phone. My thinking is that phone photographers whose picture-taking passion is ignited will realize these limitations and want something more to help express themselves and tell their visual stories.

It's great to see photography and Nikon reaching the general public like this.
It’s cool to see my photos used this way. Be it selective focus, low light, long or wide lenses and/or fast shutter speeds…phone cameras don’t yield the quality that stand-alone cameras do–and with apps like SnapBridge, people can share their images over social media almost instantly.
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So I think some people, inspired by the age of photography we live in now will seek something better to capture their world. This is an opportunity for companies like Nikon to seize this new market of picture-takers who want more than their phones will give them…which is considerable.
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You can still post images of your lunch on Facebook and Instagram– only with a quality more delicious than your phone will give you.
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This image was shot on a 12 megapixel D3S, and looks amazing blown up like this. Many others were shot with the 36 megapixel Nikon D810.
New York City
The original, shot in Brooklyn on a hot, August day with a Nikkor 85mm f1.8 lens wide open with a shutter speed of 1/3200th of a second to freeze the spray like only a very short shutter speed can.

I’ve seen the ebbs and flows and the paradigm shift between analog and digital. I think this is a very exciting time for us.

I worked on the global campaign for the now cancelled DL cameras– shooting in Cuba, Dubai and Lisbon. You can imagine my sadness when they cancelled their production. So having the honor of being involved in this project with two of my loves: Nikon and New York City– came at the right time for me.

And despite some of the negative chatter I hear of doom and gloom for our photographic future; I think we are on the verge of a very exciting period of growth in our industry. Innovation and quality will fuel this growth to convert the passionate selfie shooters who crave more from their picture taking machines. This is Nikon’s 100th Anniversary year. I expect there is much more to come.

You can express your own love for NYC at the Nikon Website:  showyourlove.nikonusa.com

Say what’s on your mind. Comments appreciated. Lets start a conversation.

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  1. says: Sheri

    Dear Steve,
    Thanks for capturing my dad in such a theatrical moment. Though he was not able to go on the subway to see any of the photos- I know it meant the world to him to have people tell him the pictures were around town.
    Fondly,
    Sheri

  2. says: Steve Simon

    Hi Rick, thanks for your comment. I’m not an advertising guy, but this campaign is subtle. I think it’s about branding and talking about images and associating the city people love with a camera brand. For those of us already into photography beyond our phone cameras it may be too subtle–but maybe for people who enjoy photography and are looking for something more from their camera–they will look at Nikon first. I think that is the demographic it is aimed at. Regardless, I’m happy to see a camera manufacturer reaching out to the public in this way. It’s not something I’ve seen often and I think it has the potential to bring new people to the brand who had never considered photography in a more serious way until now.

  3. says: Rick Lewis

    I always enjoy your Blog posts and did enjoy this one. I have to disagree on the premise that this is a good ad campaign though. I know you worked on the campaign and use Nikon equipment, and obviously have to promote it, but this ad, in my opinion, did nothing to promote the benefits of shooting with a Nikon camera.

    “The campaign hopes to inspire people to pick up their cameras and capture it…” The problem is, people will pick up their Canon or Sony or what ever to do just that. I really don’t see much of a connection here. The images are good but look no different than most good amateur’s vacation snapshots. I mean no offense toward the photographers here. I know this was shot in this fashion on purpose.

    But, from an avid consumer, I just don’t get the marketing aspect of this. What is being sold; New York or a Nikon camera? I only mean this comment as constructive criticism.