Sanctuary, Manhattan, New York, 2019.

Sanctuary

Manhattan, New York

2019

Edition of 50

Reflection

From above, Central Park becomes more than a landscape. It becomes a sanctuary.

Surrounded by one of the world's most densely built cities, this vast rectangle of green interrupts the relentless geometry of Manhattan with an unexpected sense of calm. Streets, towers and avenues radiate outward in every direction, yet the eye is continually drawn back to the quiet centre.

Captured as the last light of day settled across New York, the photograph reveals the remarkable relationship between nature and the city it has shaped for more than a century. From this perspective, the park is no longer simply a destination—it becomes the heart that gives Manhattan room to breathe.

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Andrew Griffiths working during an aerial photography flight.

Behind the Flight

Photographing Manhattan from directly overhead requires precise coordination through some of the busiest controlled airspace in the world.

Captured from an open-door helicopter during the brief window before sunset, this image demanded exact positioning to align Central Park within the surrounding city grid. The warm evening light lasted only minutes, transforming the streets and towers into a tapestry of colour before disappearing beyond the horizon.

It is a perspective few people experience, revealing both the scale of New York and the extraordinary presence of its most iconic green space.

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