NY Philharmonic in Prospect Park
Jul. 17th, 2010 01:55 pmI was sorely disappointed that I missed what sounds like an excellent concert Tuesday night in Central Park by the Shanghai Symphony and the NY Philharmonic. Determined not to miss another, I went to Prospect Park with friends last night for another NY Philharmonic concert. In spite of being too far back to clearly hear the orchestra (over the very loud voices of the small children and their caretakers sitting near us), we had an excellent time.

( +10 )
Events like this are part of why I love NY.

( +10 )
Events like this are part of why I love NY.
NYC LGBT Pride 2010
Jul. 2nd, 2010 07:37 pmLast night I finally finished editing and uploading my pictures from last weekend's NYC Pride celebration. Enjoy them!

Work It!
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Work It!
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NYC Pride 2010
Jun. 28th, 2010 12:29 am
Today was my first time ever attending an LGBT Pride Parade. I had a ball in spite of the crowds and my aching feet. The energy and sense of belonging were amazing to me, and my shutter-finger itched all day. There were beautiful LGBT people (and straight-but-not-narrow people!) of all colors and sizes and shapes and walks of life. The 320+ photos I took weren't nearly enough to scratch my photo-making itch.
There will be more photos, but I am completely wiped out and need to collapse into bed. (T is smart; she's been passed out for about an hour, already.)
I hope you had a very happy Pride Sunday, too.

T and I spent yesterday afternoon at a bike blessing sponsored by the B.R.A.T.S. Motorcycle Club of NYC. It was my first biker event, and I had a blast. It was wonderful to be around so many African-American bikers, to see reunions as bikers from various groups recognized one another, and to see bikes of all kinds. Many of the bikers were very friendly and were happy to chat with us newcomers.

Honda Goldwings: what sport bikes aspire to be when they grow up.
When this contingent of Honda Goldwings pulled silently into the yard--these bikes run as quiet as sewing machines, no lie--all of the sport bikes lowered their forks an inch in reverence. :-) These bikes are like easy chairs rolling down the highway.

Best Seat in the House
You can see more photos of the event in my Fotki album.

Honda Goldwings: what sport bikes aspire to be when they grow up.
When this contingent of Honda Goldwings pulled silently into the yard--these bikes run as quiet as sewing machines, no lie--all of the sport bikes lowered their forks an inch in reverence. :-) These bikes are like easy chairs rolling down the highway.

Best Seat in the House
You can see more photos of the event in my Fotki album.
Hooray for Marching Outside the Box
Apr. 20th, 2010 11:46 pmWhen I was in high school in NJ in the mid-80s, there was a sharp division of girls and boys in certain roles: only girls were flag twirlers and participated in pom pom squad, while only boys played drums. (I once told the high school band teacher I wanted to play bass drum in the marching band, and he laughed at me. Not having the backbone then that I have now, I didn't mention it, again.) Since I like killing sacred cows like gender roles, I took great pleasure in the following participants in this year's NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade:

Girls Playing Bass Drum
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You can see my complete collection of St. Patrick's Day Parade photos in my gallery.

Girls Playing Bass Drum
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You can see my complete collection of St. Patrick's Day Parade photos in my gallery.
Using What I've Got
Apr. 2nd, 2010 11:36 pmThe weather today was gorgeous, and I left my DSLR at home. I didn't miss a beat, though. Instead of mourning what I could not photograph, I whipped out my Blackberry and did what I could with what I had to work with. (The only alterations I made to these photos was adding my watermark.)

The Fountain at Bryant Park
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The Fountain at Bryant Park
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What My Eyes See
Apr. 2nd, 2010 03:57 pmThe grounds crew has finished re-sodding the lawn at Bryant Park. It looks inviting! I'll be glad when they reopen that part of the park. Besides, there are tulips blooming in the flower beds along the walls, and I'd like to get a close look at them.
Today's weather is sunny and warm. I'm stretched out on the steps in the sun, so I've taken off my jacket. I came to Manhattan for a 1 o'clock appointment, and I'm loathe to go back home. It's too nice to stay indoors!

Today's weather is sunny and warm. I'm stretched out on the steps in the sun, so I've taken off my jacket. I came to Manhattan for a 1 o'clock appointment, and I'm loathe to go back home. It's too nice to stay indoors!
Macy's Is Having A Flower Show
Mar. 30th, 2010 09:13 pm![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)

Our tour guide, in the green sweater, explaining the displays.
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The Cloisters Museum
Mar. 20th, 2010 08:20 pm![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)

The Amazing
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
I genuinely enjoyed her company. We talked about our interests--she knows a lot about medieval art--and filled in some of the gaps between what we blog about and what we experience. During our conversation, I made photos of the museum. I'm very happy with how these came out; they are a far cry from the ones I did a couple of years ago with Rebbie (my 300D).
( Photos of the Cloisters Museum )
The next time
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
1400+ Photos Later...
Mar. 17th, 2010 11:30 pmIt is going to take a little while for me to finish uploading, then sort and edit my photos from today's St. Patrick's Day parade. I stood on 5th Avenue for the entire 6-hour parade (save the last five minutes, when I finally had to find a restroom). My feet are aching still, but I had a marvelous time.
Photos are coming, I promise!

Looking for the Parade
NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade
17 March 2010
Post-processing tip: deliberately under-exposing by 1 stop saturates the colors in-camera, so you need not deepen the colors in software. I learned this trick from the wonderful Peter Phun, and it worked like a charm, today!
Photos are coming, I promise!

Looking for the Parade
NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade
17 March 2010
Post-processing tip: deliberately under-exposing by 1 stop saturates the colors in-camera, so you need not deepen the colors in software. I learned this trick from the wonderful Peter Phun, and it worked like a charm, today!
Today was wet and rainy. That's a good reason to leave my camera at home, right? Wrong! The rain wasn't torrential, and besides, I have a golf-sized umbrella. I walked 20 blocks rather than ride the subway, just so I could capture a bit of New York City in the rain.
For the past few days I've been shooting exclusively with my 50mm lens. I do that when I feel like I am leaning too much on zoom and not enough on instinct. Like choosing to shoot in the rain, it is something to do when I need to stir things up a bit and keep myself on my toes.

If I had my zoom lens on my camera, I may have zoomed in to try to focus on the woman carrying the umbrella. But I prefer this composition: what she lacks in size next to the church, her umbrella makes up for in contrast.
This shot wasn't all luck. I saw her coming down the block, saw this image in my head, and shot five or six frames once she got to the church. Being there when she was there was luck, but the image was deliberate.
That is the difference between taking a photo and making a photo.
For the past few days I've been shooting exclusively with my 50mm lens. I do that when I feel like I am leaning too much on zoom and not enough on instinct. Like choosing to shoot in the rain, it is something to do when I need to stir things up a bit and keep myself on my toes.

If I had my zoom lens on my camera, I may have zoomed in to try to focus on the woman carrying the umbrella. But I prefer this composition: what she lacks in size next to the church, her umbrella makes up for in contrast.
This shot wasn't all luck. I saw her coming down the block, saw this image in my head, and shot five or six frames once she got to the church. Being there when she was there was luck, but the image was deliberate.
That is the difference between taking a photo and making a photo.
Skylight Diner (34th St. and 9th Ave.)
Mar. 11th, 2010 11:40 pmThe amazing Leepak and I stopped in here for hot chocolate and a gab-fest this evening. I like the place; it has character that begs to be photographed. I'll have to go back in the near future.
There's nothing like spending a couple of hours chatting with a friend who shares my passion for photography. We talked shop for a couple of hours, and I enjoyed every minute. We must do it again, and soon!