Misshattan: Queen of New York City Skyline

Misshattan: Queen of New York City Skyline
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Misshattan looking over the New York City skyline.

Misshattan looking over the New York City skyline.

Misshattan

Have you ever pushed the limits to create? Natalie Amrossi is a photographer/entrepreneur more commonly known as Misshattan or Airmisshattan. Ideally because of her amazing aerial shots of New York City, which gained a lot of attention by the masses. Misshattan began formulating content ever since her childhood. She stated,

“The idea of being able to freeze a moment in time fascinated me; I felt like I had a super power.”

Misshattan would borrow her parent’s film camera and capture moments from scenic views to adventures with friends and family. She actually did not receive her first high-end camera until her college graduation. However, between Misshattan’s early childhood and building up to college, she was still taking photographs. Misshattan’s inner flame sparked during her first job at JP Morgan. The location of the office had outstanding views of Manhattan. Which triggered a chain of events that generated an urge to chase the “next big shot”. Instagram became a platform for Misshattan to share her photos to the public. Where she has a grown a fan base of 420,000 and counting loyal supporters from all over the world.

Misshattan

The traditional system is to attend college, then to acquire an office job and be completely content with life. Misshattan had a great job, but decided to take a gamble and leave to truly do what she wanted to do. Which is strong advice we’ve all heard, especially by Gary Vaynerchuk. I asked Misshattan, how was the transition from Corporate America to becoming a photographer? She stated,

“The transition has been a wild ride. It has been a contradictory mix of exciting, terrifying, humbling, and gratifying. The hardest aspect of the transition is with structure. When you have a typical job, you get a schedule, coworkers, a desk or office designated for your work, a lunch break, etc. These are the things that you dread, but also the things that you miss. As a freelancer, there isn’t any guidance, structure, and boss that tells you what to do. While this is the main appeal of going independent, it is also a tough adjustment. If you sleep in a few days, there is no one to reprimand you. If you watch a little too much Netflix, there aren’t scary superiors or demanding deadlines to meet. It’s all on you. That’s a good thing and a bad thing, at least for me. I’m well adjusted now (for the most part), but the beginning was tough. The beauty of being independent is that there are not any limits to the opportunities you can establish.” Since leaving her corporate job Misshattan has partnered with brands such as Jaguar, AT&T, Nike, HP, Beats by Dre, and more!

Misshattan in frame overlooking the Empire State Building.

Misshattan in frame overlooking the Empire State Building.

Kingy Kings

Which leads to the question of what drives Misshattan to create? There are numerous reasons. She enjoys being able to travel the world and inspire viewers to explore the same places. Traveling is the root of her happiness. Being able to share experiences with the world is absolutely surreal to her. In addition, she adores learning about different cultures. In the words of Misshattan,

“It’s difficult to narrow down my driving force into a single reason, as it’s definitely multi-faceted. Ultimately, what pushes me through difficult periods, and motivates me each day is to inspire the spirit of travel in those that see my photos. I want to provide the feeling of New York to my followers, even if they can’t visit just yet. If I’m abroad, I want to share the essence of my location through imagery via my social media platforms. I truly believe that social media allows photographers to provide a new experience beyond photos. We can use imagery to inspire others to travel, incite curiosity to visit a new destination, or invoke a sense of nostalgia to visit an old favorite. This is all accomplished through captivating photos that tell a story, and ignite an emotional response.”

Misshattan

New York City is very near and dear to Misshattan because it’s her home. The amount of culture that this city holds is extremely captivating. Which is why it is such a great canvas for her to produce content. I completely agree with Misshattan, because it just might be the only place in the world where one can ride the train with a beautiful model to their left and a guy in an over the top costume to their right, while trying to not get kicked in the face by a subway dancer. Misshattan also said,

“There is so much to love; diversity, unity, amazing food, theater, comedy, history, I could go on and on. This city has been through the ringer, and we always come out stronger. It's a beautiful thing to experience and be a part of. As a photographer, taking photos here is always exciting, as you never know what you’ll see when walking down the streets of New York.”

Misshattan

The first time Misshattan stepped in a helicopter she was absolutely freezing, but the experience was well worth it. She has always had a love for New York City. However, after witnessing it from a different vantage point she fell head over heels. One defining moment while she was in the clouds was seeing the Empire State from above. She become immediately mesmerized by the view, and knew from that instant she had to see as many cities as possible from the sky.

It’s actually ironic because there is a part of her that is afraid of heights. However, when Misshattan has a camera in hand, all of the fears seem to vanish. When she’s in any scary situation, whether its thousands of feet in the air or hundreds of feet underwater scuba diving, all she tends to focus on is taking the best photos possible. When one thinks of art, the first few things that usually come to mind are photos, paintings, and films. I asked Misshattan how she would define art and she responded with,

“I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer to this, and I find my definition changing as I get older. Art is any form of expression that can be experienced by others. I don’t care if it’s a scribble on a napkin - you can create art with anything. In my opinion, there are no limits to art and what it could be, it's all up to your own creative skills and imagination.”

Misshattan

When it comes to Misshattan’s art she is a perfectionist like most artists. Unfortunately, being so particular to one’s creation can cause discrepancies in the way one sees their own work. Misshattan has already acknowledged the matter and has started accepting the process. It could seem as a never-ending battle. However, it’s a good trait to have, but in moderation. In regard to getting discouraged she responded with,

“As humans, we tend to look inward and only see the areas that can be improved, and neglect the areas in which we are proud of. Our selective vision tricks us into seeing the doom and gloom clearly, while blurring out the optimism and silver linings. I think the most important thing is not trying to avoid these bouts of discouragement, but to press on and power through them. They never last as long as you believe they will.” I completely agree.

Kingy Kings

Lastly, I asked Misshattan if she had advice to others out there who are also following their dreams? She happily said,

“My advice comes in two steps: First, be true to yourself; second, be persistent. When I say be true to yourself, I mean be honest with your dreams and passions. If you’re sitting at a job you hate, and your real passion is being sidelined, be honest when you say you will make time for your passion project. Don’t procrastinate, because one day you will wake up and regret not doing it. If you think about pursuing something often, yet you tell yourself it’s a pipe dream, or it’s the equivalent of a lottery ticket, it’s doing a disservice to yourself. After you have been true to yourself, persistence is key. If you want something bad enough, you must do anything within your power to achieve it. The moment you give up is the moment you don’t want it anymore. Brian Chesky, the CEO and co-founder of Airbnb says it better than I can: “Failure is an invitation to keep going.” All that greats have failed at least once, it’s merely a rite of passage.”

Natalie Amrossi (Misshattan) has definitely earned her wings. After speaking with her I have become even more inspired to make my dreams become a reality, and I hope she has done the same for you all as well.

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