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InspirationPhotography

New York Glow: satisfying neon photography series of the Big Apple at night

Xavier Portela never set out to become renowned for a certain style of photography.

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All images courtesy of Xavier Portela

All images courtesy of Xavier Portela

But his original Glow project really took off online and one thing led to another, and here he is, producing one popular series after another, as people click to view his super bright images of dazzling neon lights in pink and blue hues of cities around the world.

Electrically-charged and reminiscent of scenes from Tron or Bladerunner, he has so far featured Tokyo and Bangkok. Now he's focusing on New York with some of the Big Apple's favourite tourist spots highlighted. "The initial idea came from frustration after capturing night scenes of Tokyo a few years ago," explains Xavier. "The photographs were ok but I couldn’t get that 'electricity' feeling that you get when you are on location.

"So I left those pictures there for years. Until one day after watching some Japanese manga, I remembered those shots and I thought 'what if I try to mess with the colours and atmosphere of those compositions? Could it help to reproduce the feeling you get when you arrive in those places?' I wanted those pictures to look as if they came straight out of a manga. That’s how I landed on the idea of processing all the colours in order to make it more vibrant and powerful."

Discover more of his work at xavierportela.com.

Times Square at night illuminated by neon pink and cyan advertising billboards and screens towering above the street
Times Square at night illuminated in vibrant neon pink and cyan blue, with Disney signage and glowing billboards visible above speeding traffic
Times Square at night illuminated by vibrant neon signs in pink, blue and red, with light trails from moving vehicles below towering skyscrapers
Times Square at night illuminated by vibrant neon signs and billboards in hot pink and blue hues, with car light trails streaking across the street below
Times Square at night bathed in vivid pink and cyan neon lights, with blurred pedestrians and vehicles crossing the street beneath towering digital billboards
Times Square in New York City glows with vibrant neon pink and blue lighting, featuring towering buildings, digital billboards and a lone pedestrian crossing the street.
A neon-lit New York street at night glows in vivid magenta and cyan, with pedestrians walking past illuminated storefronts and parked cars beneath towering buildings
Times Square at night illuminated in vibrant pink and blue neon lights, with crowds of people and towering digital billboards advertising Broadway shows and brands
Times Square at night illuminated with vibrant neon pink and blue lights, with light trails from passing vehicles streaking across the street
Times Square at night illuminated in vibrant pink and blue neon lights, with Star Wars and Chris Rock theatre advertisements displayed on large digital billboards surrounded by towering skyscrapers
Times Square illuminated at night with neon pink and cyan signage, tall buildings and blurred street activity by Xavier Portela
Neon-lit New York street at night bathed in vibrant pink and blue lighting, with illuminated signs, vehicles and pedestrians beneath towering buildings
The Shubert Theatre illuminated in bright pink and cyan neon at night, with a marquee advertising Hello, Dolly! and a black car parked outside
Neon-lit New York street at night glowing with vivid pink and cyan lights from storefronts and signs, creating an electric cyberpunk atmosphere
Times Square illuminated in vibrant magenta and cyan neon lights, with Broadway theatre marquees and tall buildings lining the street
Neon-lit New York street at night with glowing pink and cyan signs illuminating tall buildings and parked cars below
A neon-lit corner building in Times Square at night, featuring pink and blue signage for Mama Sbarros restaurant with a glowing heart logo above, surrounded by vibrant digital billboards and city lights
Neon-lit New York street at night with vivid pink and blue signs illuminating tall buildings and storefronts, creating an electric cyberpunk atmosphere
A neon-lit Times Square street scene at night with magenta and blue glowing signs, theatre marquees and crowds of pedestrians walking beneath illuminated storefronts
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