New York, New York

On Saturday I went to NYC with my friends, Wendy and Debbie and some members of their club, the Cranberry Digital Photography Club. We took the train from Hamilton and the subway once there. Our first stop was Top of the Rock (Rockefeller Center). It was mid-day and hazy so the photo ops were not optimal but it was fun and a GREAT view. On one side we could see the Empire State Building with the Statue of Liberty far in the distance. On the other side we could see Central Park and hundreds of people in Strawberry Fields enjoying the beautiful warm day. (See photo.) We stopped in at Grand Central Station and I used my monopod to snap a few. It was getting later in the afternoon by then so we took the subway down to the Brooklyn Bridge and joined hundreds of others and walked across to Brooklyn. After a much needed rest and bite to eat we went to a park alongside the bridges (Brooklyn & Manhattan) where we waited for the sun to go down and lights to come on. Thanks to Debbie and her GPS we found a subway in Brooklyn that took us where we needed to go and we didn’t have to walk back across the bridge to get home. It was a fun day with some new sites and experiences. Thanks Wendy and Debbie!

'Empire State Building' © Denise Bush

'Central Park - Strawberry Fields' © Denise Bush

'Grand Central Station' © Denise Bush

'Brooklyn Bridge Detail' © Denise Bush

'Manhattan Bridge' © Denise Bush

'Brooklyn Bridge & Downtown Manhattan' © Denise Bush

Apple Pie Hill

Last Friday, my friend Terry and I ventured into The Pines to the fire tower atop Apple Pie Hill in Chatsworth. The tower is getting rickety and I must admit I was a little scared climbing to the top as it vibrated with each step. We brought our tripods but the size of the landings did not allow their use. We pointed out Philadelphia and Atlantic City which glowed just before the sun disappeared. We wondered what the mound to the north was … Mt. Holly perhaps? We marveled at the way so many pine trees hid all signs of life as far as the eye could see and while I didn’t come home with any award winners, I was glad I went for the thrill of it all.

'Miles from Philly' © Denise Bush (Can you spot the city?)

'Looking North' © Denise Bush

Try, Try Again

I shot at the location below last winter and got some results I thought were ‘interesting’. Then the boats came back and I told myself I’d go back next winter when the boats were gone again. Before I knew it March was here and I still hadn’t followed through with my plan, so I headed down there a few weeks ago hoping for an awesome sunset. Well, it didn’t happen the first trip, or the second or even the third. The boats have started to come back now so here are the best of what I was able to capture. In the end, I like the version without the clouds because there is so much going on with the pilings. Sometimes it takes several trips to a location before you get what you are looking for. If at first you don’t succeed … try, try again!

'Before the Boats Come' © Denise Bush

'Approaching Twilight' © Denise Bush