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.
Por primera vez en mi vida, decidi celebrar mi cumpleaños todo el mes. El 4 de abril del 2026 cumpli 70 años. Este pasado mes celebre un año más de vida, agradeciendo por la salud, la familia y las personas que alegran mis días. Este mes celebre mucho mas que un cumpleaños, celebre una vida llena de momentos inolvidables. Es el momento perfecto para valorar el amor propio y recibir una nueva etapa con gratitud, alegría y metas renovadas! ¡Feliz cumpleaños para mi!
My birthday celebration lasted the entire month of April, for the first time ever. April 4th of 2026 was my 70th birthday. This month, I celebrated much more than just a birthday, I celebrated a life filled with unforgettable moments. I celebrated another year of life, giving thanks for my health, my family, and the people who brighten my days. It is the perfect moment to give thanks for my health, cherish self-love, and welcome a new chapter with gratitude, joy, and renewed goals! Happy 70th birthday to me!
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. 😀
Prior to this event, I had never been at Willie's before and didn't knew many people at this bar/restaurant. The one thing I was confident was that they play and dance Salsa music. I don't drink alcohol, so I knew I would feel weird to sit at the bar if I am not spending money in alcohol. I contacted a friend from the Bronx to meet me there; so she and her partner could make my visit at Willie's Steak House more comfortable.
I rented a hotel in midtown Manhattan and spend my first full day in NYC taking pictures. The following night I took the #6 subway train to St Lawrence Ave Subway Station in the Bronx. I am glad I attended the all-white party event. It was a great birthday celebration among friends. As I recall, I didn't even dance once, not sure why. It didn't matter, it was a great night listening to good Salsa music and hanging out with friends.
Thanks to Artificial Intelligence, I was able to revisit the all-white attire I was wearing that night, and the NYC subway ride to the Bronx. AI created this new caricature from one of the pics taken that night. Cheers!
Crowded locations often prohibit tripods for several reasons. The Rockefeller Center Top of the Rock observation deck is no exception. On this photo walk I took with me the old trusty Platypod Ultra since I know tripods are not allowed at Top of the Rock.
This was one of those rare occasions where I was able to remember to take a couple of "behind the scene" images. The only difference is that this time I used a smartphone to do it. I hate to admit, but I was in the group of people who always denigrated smartphones as a tool to take photos. That way of thinking changed for me that day.
On my way to the exit elevator, I took four or five pictures handheld using my cell phone. The images were captured through glass windows. Glass can be one of the hardest things to take photos through. Out of those images, I blended three pictures and created a panorama image of NYC. Some of these smartphone images can rival those taken by my digital Nikon DSLR.
The moral of the story is, don't knock it until you've tried it. Let me humbly say that I learned a valuable lesson.
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!
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.
Visiting NYC was not a photo excursion, but more of a way to celebrate my birthday in one of my favorite cities in the world. The top picture was taken using my cell phone at the top observatory of the Rockefeller Center (Top of the Rock).
As has always been the case when I visit this location, most of my Nikon DSLR pictures were unusable. On my way to the exit elevator, I took four or five pictures handheld using my cell phone. The images were captured through glass windows. Glass can be one of the hardest things to take photos through.
Out of those images, I blended three pictures and created a panorama image of NYC. These cell phone images look 110% better than those taken by my digital Nikon DSLR.
The moral of the story is, don't knock it until you've tried it. Let me humbly say that I I have learned a valuable lesson.
After they settle into their rooms, we spent some time catching up. Afterwards, we had lunch at Dinosaur B-B-Q in Brooklyn, excellent cuisine with excellent prices. Highly recommended.
We have a full schedule ahead of us, so for now I am going to leave you with a couple of pics. Enjoy!
