A Visit to Coney Island

July 22, 2018 in Photography, Urban, Travel

I've wanted to visit Coney Island for some time. It's close to New York, a city I love and visit often, but so different. It's old and new at the same time. It's historical, a New York landmark. and it has a devoted following. I'd seen the pictures, read the history and I wanted to experience it first hand.

Public transit makes Coney Island readily accessible. I was amazed that from Times Square in the centre of Manhattan I could take a subway, on a journey that took almost an hour, for the tiny fee of $2.75. A bargain for sure.

Coney Island, the last stop on the Q Train

My first view of Coney Island - with the Wonder Wheel ferris wheel dominating the scene and the beach in the background - photographed through the window of the subway train.

Coney Island is an amusement park on the Atlantic Ocean in Brooklyn. Well established by the 1890's with its three separate amusement parks Coney Island was the largest park of its kind in the United States for many decades. Over the years there's been several attempts to rezone the area and develop it for residential and commercial use, with some success. Two of the original three parks have been demolished. Each attempt to develop large sections of Coney Island has been met with vigorous opposition, and today the area continues to be zoned for amusement and recreational use only.

Today there are two amusement parks - Luna Park and the Wonder Wheel Amusement Park - along with other rides that are not part of either. And there's also the New York Aquarium, opened in 1957, severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, then rebuilt, expanded, and reopened in 2018.

Nathan's, home of the famous hot dog eating contest. Hot dogs for sale, along with all sorts of seafood. A busy place.

Three of the original Coney Island rides are now designated New York landmarks: The Wonder Wheel, a steel ferris well built in 1918 and opened in 1920. At a height of 150 feet it's the tallest in the world. It's also been in continuous use since it opened, with more than 30 million riders and no accidents.

The Cyclone, a rare wooden roller coaster, built in 1927, and still in use today. Seen in the background with the Coney Clipper in front.

And the Parachute Jump, a Coney Island landmark. Built in 1930, it closed in 1964, was renovated between 2002 and 2004 but remains inactive.

The Thunderbolt, a new ride, opened in June, 2014. There's also a children's area, a Carousel, bumper cars, haunted houses and lots of games. Something for everyone.

Two and a half miles of boardwalk connects the beach to the amusement area with restaurants and arcades all along it.

And then there's the beach. It's sandy, well maintained and open to everyone, and there's no charge to use it.

I spent half a day at Coney Island, wandering around, photographing what I saw, and enjoying the experience. It's a busy place, with lots of activity and people having a good time everywhere. There's lots to see but it's not always easy to photograph. Dense with colour, movement, big-scale structures, and lots of people, getting a clean composition is a challenge. But I'm glad I went. It more than met my expectations and I'm thinking a return visit at night when it's all lit up would be well worth doing.

Driftwood: A Story of Trees, Water, Storms and Time

May 11, 2018 in Nature, Landscape, Photography

This winter was long and harsh, with high winds and big storms. Lake Huron froze early and stayed frozen until March. Once the ice left an unusual amount of driftwood remained on the beaches and in the water. Where did it come from? How far had it travelled? Impossible to know.

This image was taken on May 9, a half-hour before sunset. Most of the driftwood had been returned to the water and the smaller pieces picked up by people walking the beach.

Three weeks earlier this is what that same beach looked like. The large tree in the water is constantly tossed and turned by the waves, and the rest of the wood and debris has mostly disappeared.

Late in the evening, a silver shimmering lake and a log sculpted by water, wind and time.

The same scene, taken with a longer exposure. The first a "natural" representation, the one below created to smooth the lake and sky and give a more serene and minimalist look. To my eye both images work.

A different beach, again photographed late in the day. The evenings have been cloudy with storms ever present on the horizon. The light is hard to catch.

A closer shot of the three logs, buried in sand under the water, and projecting up. Hard to know how long they'll keep their positions before the sand shifts or the next storm takes them out.

The logs, despite their weight, are hurled together by water and wind, ending up as interlocked forms. To lift these logs is impossible; only the changing water levels, pushed by winds and storms, can toss them around and shift the configuration.

White, smooth, and sculpted - and now mostly out of the water - this lovely piece still decorates the beach, hopefully for some time.

Again late on another evening when the skies were dark and a storm threatened.

Over the three weeks that these images were taken the beach has changed. The large logs are still there, heavy and hard to move; the smaller pieces are scattered or gone. The opportunity to find and photograph these natural sculptures is probably over for this year but I'll keep on looking. As always, I am awed by the beauty of the world around me. And grateful to be able to photograph it.

A Few Days in New York

April 16, 2018 in Photography, Urban, Travel

Like so many people I love New York. Hard not to. It's a unique place, with it's own look, feel, and special kind of energy. Last week I spent five days there, seeing some opera and spending as much time as I could exploring different parts of the city with my camera. I visited the East Village, NoHo, a bit of Little Italy, and Williamsburg in Brooklyn. I used the subway and the East River ferry to get around and was surprised how fast, inexpensive and easy it was.

This time I wanted to visit areas I hadn't been to before, and Astor Place in NoHo/the East Village was the first stop. This huge bronze sculpture jumped right out at me. Installed in mid-March it has been met with both delight and derision. Called The Last Three it was created to honour and bring attention to the last three remaining northern white rhinos on the planet. I found it quite beautiful.

The sculpture had been up less than a week when the male rhino, Sudan, died. He was 45 and is survived by his daughter and granddaughter.

The sun was out this morning, lighting the buildings and casting shadows. Old and stately residential buildings with their cast iron fire escapes, sections painted in different colours, with a slim and elegant church making up part of the block.

On another day It was wet and cold much of the time, but the streets were still busy and the rain made the colours pop.

A brightly painted coffee shop. Some inside enjoying a break, a man outside heading somewhere in the rain, another with a shopping cart perhaps out for groceries. This is a neighbourhood with more residents than tourists.

One of the many steam vents that can be seen on the streets, part of the New York City steam system. Steam produced by the steam generating stations is carried under the streets and used to heat and cool residential buildings and businesses. Excess is expelled through the vents. In use since 1882 it's the largest steam generating system in the world and services much of Manhattan.

Walking around is a delight. There is beauty everywhere - the buildings, the people, the streets. I simply couldn't get enough.

I turn the corner and come face to face with art on the side of a building. Based on an old Blondie poster dating back to a concert that took place in 1979. I stood and looked at it for a while. People strolled by, some not seeming to notice - perhaps they've seen it many times before - others, like me, stopping to take it in.

As in most big cities there's construction everywhere. From the look of the paint and graffiti these barriers have been around a while. People and traffic simply move around it all.

These two guys were movers, carrying things down from a walkup, then taking it all to a truck they had parked around the corner. Not an easy job that's for sure.

A pause at the edge of Little Italy. Not enough time to wander through it. Perhaps that will be part of my next trip.

An Asian lady walks by, and then stops to have a chat with an Asian man who was eating a sandwich in the outside seating area of a local coffee shop. I watched them for a while as they talked to each other, oblivious of the many people walking by.

Another day that began with trip on the subway. And just as I could spend hours on the streets I could do the same in the subways. There is so much to see. There's art in many of the stations, musicians playing in some, and lots of the subway cars are brightly painted. And of course there's the people.

Roy Lichtenstein's Times Square Mural, 6 feet by 53 feet, commissioned in 1994 by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and installed in 2002. It's remarkable.

Brightly coloured subway cars, these two painted with themes from The Walking Dead. A musician playing and singing and a group of people waiting for a train.

After the subway, a ferry across the East River to Williamsburg in Brooklyn. Going down and across the river you see both the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge up close. Two beautiful and amazing feats of engineering.

First the Brooklyn Bridge...

---and then the Manhattan.

Once across the river in Brooklyn, looking at Manhattan from the other side you get a sense of the size, scale and density of the place. The East River Generating Station is on the left, the Empire State Building in the middle, and the spire of Chrysler Building visible just a little to the right.

The United Nations Building in the Foreground and the Chrysler Building to the left.

A walk through parts of Williamsburg, and then the ferry to travel back up the river and across to Manhattan once again.

Manhattan's East River Generating Station seen from the ferry dock.

A great few days in New York. Walking around with my camera, trying to take it all in, a feast for the eyes. And in between, opera at the Met, a feast for all the senses. New York is a gift to the world. I can't wait to return.

Tundra Swan Migration 2018

March 23, 2018 in Photography, Nature, Wildlife

The annual Tundra Spring Migration is just about over. The swans left their winter home in Chesapeake Bay and started arriving here at the end of February. This is the first stop on their journey to the Arctic. They land in the wet farmers' fields where they can find food and rest up for the next stage of their journey. Large groups of swans have been in the area for the past three weeks. They're also in Aylmer, at a wildlife sanctuary where food and water are both available.

Unlike other years this time the light has been excellent, with blue skies, patches of cloud, and soft golden evening light rendering the swans even more beautiful.

They tend to fly in groups and can be heard long before they're seen. Watching a large group of tundra swans flying overhead is an amazing sight.

These are large birds, almost 5 feet in length with a wingspan of 5-1/2 feet. Males weigh in at 7.5 kg and females a little less at 6.3 kg. They take their time in choosing a mate but once chosen they pair for life.

This group is taking off for the next stage of the journey west and north.

They're active on the water, interacting with each other, moving around, making loud sounds. They run across the water as they prepare to fly from one section of the pond to another.

Despite being large birds they land easily and elegantly, although sometimes nearby swans and geese get swamped. Here three swans land among a group of resting swans and geese, and startle a dark morph snow goose into flight. The goose flew a few feet away and quickly settled back down.

When the birds come in for landing they brace their legs, lower their rear ends, skim across the water for several yards leaving visible trails, and slowly retract their wings as they prepare for a resting position on the water. The settling of the wings occurs gracefully over several seconds.

Several swans landing in the middle of a large group already on the water

A family of four arriving late in the day and getting ready to land. The two younger birds, the ones with brown heads, were born in the Arctic last year and are undertaking their first migration north. They remain with their parents for at least one full migration.

This year's migration is coming to a close. As always I've enjoyed seeing and photographing these strong, beautiful birds. I wish them well on the journey to their Arctic breeding grounds and look forward to seeing them again next year.

Images from the Dior Collection

March 16, 2018 in Photography, Urban

On a recent trip to Toronto I went to see the Christian Dior exhibit at the ROM. I've always loved fashion and clothing but wasn't sure what to expect from a display of ultra high couture dresses and gowns. Perhaps they'd seem strange and old-fashioned, suited to another world, another age. Or simply extravagant and ostentatious, unattractive symbols of wealth and privilege.

The exhibit is beautiful. There are dresses of all sorts - cocktail dresses, dinner dresses, long gowns, summer dresses, and a group of three dresses designed for a mother and her two daughters. All are exquisite. The detail remarkable, the fabrics rich and varied, each chosen to work with a particular design. And they are timeless. These dresses could just as easily be worn today as they were 60 and 70 years ago.

A cocktail dress and summer afternoon dresses.

Much of the exhibit is displayed in open spaces and that gives it a special feel. You can walk around the clothing, see it from all angles, and appreciate that there's as much detail, sometimes more, in the back of the dress as on the front.

Along all sides of the room were exhibits in glass - sequins and other stones that were applied to certain gowns, embroidery skeins, fabric swatches, shoes, some jewellery - along with other pieces of clothing. The origin of each, how it was created, and its purpose for the garment was well explained. As interesting as that was, and it did add valuable information about the complexity and rigour of the construction process, having the articles behind glass was a distraction. The beauty for me lay in the three-dimensionality the on-floor exhibits offered, and I was mesmerized.

Three dresses, created for a mother and her two daughters, for a special event. Each dress a work of art, and each designed to best suit the age of the person wearing it.

Detail from the back of the younger daughter's dress, and two more long gowns.

On the way out I was asked if I would participate in a survey about the exhibit. Normally I avoid those things but this time I said yes, and I'm glad I did. The focus of the survey was to understand the impact of having items on open display versus in cases. In most museums, the exhibits are always under glass, and I understand that, given their value. But that has limitations. The glass reflects, the items can't be seen as well, and they're certainly not as accessible. This exhibit was special, and very well curated, and I hope the ROM plans on doing this again.

Due to popular demand the exhibit has been extended until April 8. If I can I'll visit it again. And if any of you reading this are in the Toronto area and have some time this Christian Dior exhibit at the ROM is well worth seeing.

Iceland Through a Long Lens

February 26, 2018 in Landscape, Nature, Travel

On a recent trip to Iceland my main lens jammed on the first day and I was left photographing that big-picture landscape country with just a long lens. And while my 70-300 is a good lens it's not the one I reach for first, and certainly not for a place like Iceland. First disappointment, followed by mild panic, and then I simply had to get on with it. So two weeks to go and an opportunity to practice longer focal length photography. Not ideal and It was a challenge.

Iceland is known for the size and scale of its waterfalls. Broad and high, cascading over massive rock formations, they are impressive. With this lens I had two choices: shoot from further away or focus on just a section of the waterfall.

150 mm, 1/40sec  @ F9, ISO100 — 150 mm, 1/40sec @ F9, ISO100

A tall, narrow waterfall a short walk away from the massive Skogafoss waterfall. It was the small tree, growing in a rock wedged into an opening that caught my eye.

A small section from Skogafoss, a large waterfall in the southern part of the island. Capturing the entire scene wasn't possible but this shot gives a sense of the volume and power of the water cascading from the river above.

Hraunfossar Falls, or really just a small part of it, is a series of cascading falls that stretch along the lava fields. The landscape above was a riot of fall colours. And because it's off the beaten track it gets fewer visitors and can be enjoyed almost in solitude. That said, it's difficult to capture without getting unwanted twigs and shrubs in the foreground. So this time the longer lens was an advantage.

A struggle at Oxarafoss Falls in Pingvellir National Park. There was no way to get the right angle on the falls and also be far enough away. At 70 mm, the widest angle I had, I focused on the lower section and the water cascading over the rocks in the foreground. Vertical shots or closeups provide a different view.

Lava fields, rock formations, black sand beaches, ice formations - Iceland has it all. Rock formations jutting into the seas, formed by lava and shaped by time and weather, are remarkable. Here a longer lens often worked well, as in the image below, taken at Vik in the south of Iceland.

"Drinking Dragon" rock formation with mountains behind.

Ice formations on a black beach taken in the "blue hour" just before dark.

And the same place at dawn the following morning.

The Blue Lagoon. Large chunks of ice and small icebergs break from the glacier, stay in the lagoon for a while, then make their way to the sea. The black markings on the ice are ash from volcanic eruptions that occurred in ages past. The longer they're in the lagoon the smoother the ice surfaces become, shaped by all kinds of weather.

Blue skies and snow-capped mountains with glaciers moving down them are part of the unique beauty of this place.

Lava fields are slow to regenerate. It takes years for earth to accumulate sufficiently for moss to grow, and the hardy plants, bushes and few trees that are able to grow in this environment take much longer.

Fishing nets along the shore in the northern part of Iceland.

Winding roads along the fjords and small communities built along the water or nestled up close against the mountains, common sights as we travelled through the country.

78 mm, 1/160 sec @ F9, ISO400 — 78 mm, 1/160 sec @ F9, ISO400

Churches like this are found all over Iceland, brightly coloured, with a few buildings nearby.

The abandoned herring factory at Djupavik in the north of the country. Built in 1934, closed in 1954 when the herring were gone, and recently painted and refurbished as a setting for part of the superhero movie "Justice League" in October, 2016. A beautiful location.

The harbour in the town of Patrekskfjordur.

Iceland's famous black church in early morning. And a full view of the church at dawn.

Spending two weeks in Iceland was a treat. Being there without my regular landscape lens was a challenge. Just an unlucky break. I had an extra camera body with me, extra cards and batteries, a second cable release, but it wasn't practical or feasible to take a duplicate of each lens. So I struggled to overcome my frustration, worked with what I had, and learned more about shooting with a long lens. Despite the setback I had a great time and the images I wasn't able to capture with my camera are firmly tucked away in my memory.

Photographing in the Snow

February 21, 2018 in Photography, Nature, Winter

I live in a country with seasons and I enjoy that. Places take on a different look with each change of season, providing fresh scenes to photograph. Right now we're in the middle of winter, a time of year I quite like. The light is different - softer, less harsh, and the colour palette works for me. But it can also be bleak with many days that are simply grey and uninviting. This winter has been a harsh one, with cold temperatures and bigger snowfalls than usual. And while that makes it difficult to get around it does offer up some interesting photography.

With all the snow we've had this year I bought some snowshoes which gave me access to places I'd never be able to get to without them. I've now spent a lot of time In the woods, among the trees and grasses, where the snow remains pristine, enjoying the spaces and creating photographs.

And in winter the birds are hungry and looking for food. Travelling with some seed and investing lots of time and patience gave me some images I like. The birds are small, beautiful, and very fast. Capturing them on camera isn't easy. I'm very much a novice at this type of photography but plan on doing more.

Sarnia experienced a rare weather event a month ago. A combination of high winds, bitter cold, and a recently thawed river threw vast amounts of water from the St. Clair River up onto the shore where it immediately froze. The resulting ice sculptures were both eerie and beautiful.

Summer vacation towns and other urban areas present differently in the winter. Bare trees, ice on the water, reflections, and so much more. There's lots to photograph.

Great Lakes freighters in dock for winter maintenance in Goderich

It's now been raining for two days and the snow has disappeared. Yes, it's milder out there but nowhere near as lovely to look at. But it is only the middle of February and winter isn't over. There's bound to be more snow and when that happens my snowshoes and camera will be ready for action.