Wednesday, September 22, 2021

The return to the Big Apple after 18 months!

Last I was in NYC, it was March 2020, shortly before apocalyptic times hit us. Then things started coming back, but I still refrained from NYC due to mask ops. Then I saw masks dwindling, and there was a week with a lot of events, so I thought what the hell, time to make my return. 


Day 1

I arrive in the evening, and I catch the tail end of an event. I got G-Eazy, actress Madison Pettis, among other things. 

Madison Pettis

Full list of Day 1 photo ops


Day 2

This day would start with WWE flights at the airport. Sadly I screwed up cause I should have been at another spot earlier where I heard actor Simu Liu stopped. The WWE trek was a disaster mainly because none of them would remove masks. 

Shotzi and Nox came through and were nice as can be but despite my pleas would not remove masks. I got the dual op but I don't count mask ops. I got them to sign the inside cover of my WWE_E V4 (the one released in 2020).

Apparently at one point Rick Boogs came through but I never noticed him. He is one that may have removed the mask. 

Most everyone else I saw I already had and did not even bother to ask them to remove masks. But I salvaged a little by getting autographs on two WWE_Es. This is a summary of autographs.

WWE_E V3

Big E (single entry)
Finn Balor
Sami Zayn

WWE_E V4

Shotzi and Nox (inside cover)
Big E (single entry)
Big E (New Day entry)
Cesaro
Finn Balor
Baron Corbin
Kevin Owens
Nakamura
Liv Morgan
Sami Zayn
Tamina
Edge (single entry)
Edge (tag team entry)
Beth Phoenix

Went to another spot which was letting out, but didn't get anything good. Then to another spot where we got blown off by tennis players, and that was about it. 

Full list of Day 2 photo ops


Day 3

For this day I go to a spot to try to redeem Simu Liu, but sadly never see him. Could have gone to WWE spots but everyone had masks anyway. I guess I could have gotten autographs. 

Then to the evening spot where I get some successes, like singer actress Tinashe, singer Julia Michaels, among others. 

Full list of Day 3 photo ops


Day 4

Start at a spot and would get some results. Got fresh names in actor Laura Harrier, singer Charli XCX, actor Andre Royo, singer Addison Rae. Got repeats in actor Christopher Mintz-Plasse and singer Rita Ora. Also got trans actor Tommy Dorfman.

Got a shot with Eiza González where I had to wear a mask, but that's ok cause I have her from before. Also singer Saweetie who I never heard of did mask ops. 

Went to a spot for tennis player Emma Raducanu but she blew everyone off. Got another shot with model Winnie Harlow. Went to another spot but it was a dud.

Full list of Day 4 photo ops


Day 5

Start the day at the same spot I started the prior day. Cause actress Sofia Boutella and possibly Pom Klementieff were there. I get country singer Maren Morris, actor Joseph Sikora, among others. 

Nicky Hilton is walking the street with her daughter. I then run up to her as she is getting papped and ask for the photo op. She is nice as can be. 

Finally after hours of waiting I see Sofia and manage to score a combo. Never see Pam (spoiler alert, I would see her somewhere else another day).

Go to another spot with Ben Platt and Amandla Stenberg. I have Ben need Amandla. I stupidly leave that spot and forgo Amandla to go to another spot with quantity. And that spot was a bust. 

Go to another spot for the evening, and get some actors from Gilmore Girls. Then the last spot with some rappers. I stupidly miss French Montana cause I was waffling around. Not a name I'm a fan of but would have gotten if there. Got other names I never heard of. 

Nicky Hilton

Sofia Boutella

Full list of Day 5 photo ops


Day 6

I start the day at a spot with singer Avril Lavigne. She did photos the night before when I was a block away, so I wanted to remedy that. Sadly I would find out the photos she had been doing were mask shots. I failed to get the op cause I wasn't aggressive enough as it was a mask shot. I did get autographs though. 

While in the same spot I got fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger and Melissa Gorga. Saw Audra McDonald and Lili Reinhart who didn't stop but I have them.

Now for the evening there were two spots, both a block or two from one another. I stand at one of them. I actually score Pom Klementieff there and Elon Musk's wife and singer Grimes.

Also get a Korean rapper CL, Kim Petras in a horuse outfit (repeat), and a mask shot with Lee Pace (whom I have no mask). Singer Rihanna did 2 ops and blanked everyone else.

Sadly in the other spot people get Taika Waititi, Simu Lui, and Billie Eilish! Guess I should have been there. This was the biggest blunder of my week.

Move to another spot where I find out Billie did combos not long before I got there. That spot was done so I leave. Then a block away where I score a slew of names including actress Laura Harrier no shades, actress Julia Garner, Adam Sevani, among others.

Pom Klementieff

Grimes 

Julia Garner

Full list of Day 6 photo ops


Day 7

Start at around noon, and I score a Hailee Steinfeld shot. Not the greatest shot, but no mask and better than what I had (which was nothing). Get some other shots like Leslie Grace and Storm Reid before giving up.

My final stand for my time at NYCC would be an evening spot with Jessica Chastain. Already have her but other people could show up (and they did). I got Richard Kind (repeat) and Jessica Chastain (repeat, but she looks much nicer as she is dressed up). Maggie Gyllenhaal shows up but sadly doesn't stop. Peter Sarsgaard (who I have) is with her too. I see actress Cherry Jones who I need and she stops, but sadly a mask shot. I redeem this spot by chance as young and upcoming actress Rachel Zegler is walking around and is nice as can be. Try out one more spot for the evening but it was a dud. This ended my time in NYC.

Hailee Steinfeld

Rachel Zegler

Full list of Day 7 photo ops


And the Autographs obtained.

Overall I didn't do as well as I had hoped, and I had blunders and misses, but I'm glad to have gotten a taste of how things were before the virus hit, getting some new street photo ops again, and seeing and hanging out with the NYC graphers whom I hadn't seen in over 18 months. It was good to catch up with so many of them again. 


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