DC Photographer Eli Meir Kaplan Shoots Citi Bike Brand Campaign Across NYC
Six neighborhoods. Two boroughs. Two days behind the camera
for one of the most recognizable bike-share brands in the country.
Washington, DC-based photographer, director and camera operator Eli Meir Kaplan was tapped by Citi Bike and Lyft, through production company StudioNow, to create brand photography and instructional video content showcasing the new Cosmo ebike and updated Citi Bike identity.
The shoot moved from Grand Central Station and the Farley Building in Manhattan to DUMBO, Park Slope and Sunset Park in Brooklyn. A polished, well-prepared cast stepped into their roles immediately, embodying the diverse, intergenerational ridership that defines the Citi BikeThe setups ranged from riders pedaling down tree-lined Brooklyn residential streets to friends docking bikes at busy stations, quiet moments in parks and navigating real city traffic.
Every location brought its own texture.
“You’re making real-time decisions constantly,” Kaplan said.
“In a city with this many visuals, the client might see something in the moment and you adjust on the fly. The whole shoot crackled with spontaneous energy,” he added.
The hero image came near St. Ann’s Warehouse in DUMBO: a rider on a Citi Bike caught in a pensive moment, the Brooklyn Bridge rising behind them. In a shoot full of motion and city noise, it was the quiet frame that landed hardest.
The resulting work is now in rotation across Citi Bike’s marketing channels.
