Brooklyn Pebble Beach offers great views of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Skyline across the East River.
Pictures of my Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 were taken using a Nikon D7000 dslr, with a SIGMA 10-20mm 1:3.5 wide angle lens, and a Samsung Galaxy smartphone with a Platypod eXtreme mini-tripod.
I am celebrating my 70th birthday without a party, I honored the occasion with a scenic day trip to NYC, by focusing on an intimate, quiet dining experience with myself in New York doing things that I truly enjoy.
Later today, I would be engaging in my favorite hobby at the garage with the motorcycles. To me, the little things are the ones that matter, like spending the afternoon changing oil and filter on my motorcycle and making sure the Ninja is ready for the upcoming riding season. I also went out on a shopping spree for colorful and vibrant clothing; the color clothing that enhance my personal style.
My 70th birthday is a milestone worthy of a quiet celebration, focusing on gratitude, family and my small circle of friends. This coming week I would be reflecting on 70 years of life and focusing on what truly matters. Happy birthday to me. š
For many people, a beautiful landscape image serves as an escape to a peaceful place away from the noise, congestion and stress of civilization. As I’ve mentioned many times before, photography has been an excellent therapeutic outlet for me. For several years, I've been trying to capture a good picture of the Tribute in Light in Manhattan, (lights aiming skyward in two column as a remembrance of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks).
In 2016, I captured the Tribute in Light from Brooklyn Bridge Park, the DUMBO neighborhood near the Manhattan Bridge in Brooklyn. There were hundreds of photographers lined up in a small park along the water between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridge. I was happy with one of the final images of the New York City skyline that night.
The following year, I took the afternoon off work, and headed to New York City to try capture the Tribute in Light from the Exchange Place Waterfront in Jersey City, New Jersey. This was a once a year photo opportunity, the 16th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
I arrived early in the evening, there was still plenty of daylight to find a good spot and setup my gear. To my surprise, as you can see in the image posted at the bottom, only a handful number of photographers were lined up at the Exchange Place Waterfront waiting for the blue hour.
As soon as the Tribute of Light illuminated the NYC skyline, I took dozens of images hoping to capture at least a couple of good pictures, then catch the PATH train back to Manhattan. I didn't want to miss my Greyhound bus back to Philadelphia.
The bus ride took two hours each way. Once I arrived home that night, I selected a couple of images for post-processing editing to give my images a crisper vibrant look. The final image was edited using Adobe Photoshop Elements with the Topaz Adjust filter applied. I am quite happy with the final result.
The trip was all worth it, and I had tons of fun! Enjoy!
I quickly realized that I'd prefer to take pictures during sunset hour because of the soft, warm light and rich colors. It didn't take me long to learn that one hour before sunset is ideal, the light is less harsh than during the middle of the day. Enjoy!
The following year, I attended an introduction to DSLR photography class. It was an excellent workshop. On my way home after the class, I remember thinking, "from this point forward, my pictures should look a lot better".
A few months later, I wondered if I could take pictures from top of the Brooklyn Bridge boardwalk very early in the morning. I finally did. Imagine my surprise to see groups of runners and bicycle clubs riding up and down the bridge, at five o'clock in the morning. It was difficult to hold the camera and tripod steady in the pedestrian walkway, (which is a boardwalk like no other). The boardwalk vibration caused by the runners/cyclists ruined most of the pictures. Only two or three images were worth using.
If you've never been to the Brooklyn Bridge boardwalk, it is one of the best sights and landmarks in New York. Walking across the bridge you can experience spectacular views of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Lower Manhattan and the East River. It is safe to say, the NYC skyline views are real, and they're spectacular.
The following day we went to Central Park, went shopping in Times Square, and had lunch at famous Joe's Pizza. Even though Joe's Pizza claim to serve the best pizza in New York, and their restaurant is covered with pictures of famous people, personally I wasn't impressed.
The family insisted on buying cookies at Levain Bakery on West 74th street. Another place that claims to sell New York City most famous cookies. So after leaving Bethesda Terrace, the water fountain and Central Park lake, we walked two blocks to Levain Bakery.
Levain Bakery reminded me of the famous Soup Nazi from the sitcom Seinfeld. Same store configuration, and design of the front counter. For a minute I thought the character from the Soup Nazi was going to make an appearance and say, "No Soup For You". Enjoy the pictures!
