23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Empire Rising
On a quiet Manhattan rooftop, I looked up and saw the Empire State Building perfectly aligned beneath the moon. For a few seconds, the city and the sky seemed to connect — light meeting light. It wasn’t planned, just a rare moment of stillness in the middle of New York’s energy.
Photo Detail
| Date Taken: | 09.2023 |
| Date Uploaded: | 11.2025 |
| Photo Location: | New York, NY, New York, United States of America |
| Copyright: | © Bryan McNulty |