Smoked City For the third time in as many years, the fallout from far-flung wildfires reached New York City. The eerie ochre pall it cast over Manhattan recalled recent scenes from the West Coast, Australia, and at least one dystopian sci-fi movie (yes, really).
I was in office during the worst of it and grabbed my camera, heading up to the roof to document what I could.
All of these images were exported using Fuji’s Provia color profile, the one used as the default or “standard” profile on my X-T5, without any additional color adjustments. Gives you a sense of how dramatic it was.
If there’s a silver lining, it’s the hope that this made an impression on some people who’ve thought they were unaffected by the ongoing destruction of our habitat. As New Yorkers who’ve now gotten a crash course in AQI levels can attest, no one is invulnerable. It’s a small planet. What happens in one part of it can—and often will—affect others.