The day was just perfect with sunshine, blue skies, cool temperatures and no wind. You couldn’t ask for better photo conditions. My photo goal for the day was to take shots of the architectural magnificence of the majestic Hell Gate Bridge and the more austere Triboro Bridge in Astoria Park. As I like to walk the two miles or so to the park, I chose to walk along 20th Avenue  a part of the industrial section of Astoria Queens and capture a few eclectic images to add to my urban galleries.  The early morning light provided me with wonderful dark shadows of trees against red brick walls and tiny bright sunbursts on sharp razor wire. The little tenacious weeds growing out of the concrete looked pretty and glowed in the warmth of the morning sun. Corroding metal turned russet red on heavy locks and chain linked fences. Even a discarded box of Marlboro cigarettes took on the likes of a miniature statue on the sidewalk.  Basically, anything looks good if the lighting is just right.

Now, to get back to the title of this blog. I entered Astoria Park on the far north side at the corner of 20th Avenue and Shore Boulevard and the immediate scene to your left is of the wide expanse of the East River with the majestic Hell Gate Bridge arching over its turbulent waters. There is a bit of a challenge to getting a clear shot of this bridge devoid of the many trees growing along the river bank and in the park itself. And though at times they can be used in creating an interesting composition they can also be a real pain the neck depending on what side of the bridge you are trying to capture.  You find yourself spending a lot of time trying to find a clear vantage point either by climbing down among the rocks, broken glass and other debris along the shore, leaning as far as your body will go over the promenade railings without toppling into the river, or find a hill for a higher elevation. You can get quite a workout in this little urban oasis. But once stationed in the right spot the scenery is just fantastic and you find your self taking shot after shot as the sun inches further along the sky.

There are not many parks that I know of that boast two bridges sitting side by side spanning the same body of water but Astoria Park does.  The Triboro Bridge (it has since been re-named the RFK bridge but I grew up with the Triboro and refuse to call it anything else) is a wonderful architectural contrast to the Hell Gate Bridge. The modern steel grey color, graceful art deco lines and lithe arch of the Triboro bridge is what gives it its special visual appeal in comparison to the Hell Gate’s early 20th century ornate style. My favorite images from this shoot were the Bridges in reflection caused by the unusual calmness of the river that day. The water took on the hue of the deep blue sky and the high arching Hell Gate Bridge reflected back as a large long oval. The tall steel work towers and suspension cables of the Triboro gleaming in the sun were mirror reflected on the water.

While trying to get a better vantage point of the Triboro I almost stepped into a little grouping of wild mushrooms growing all over an old tree stump. I’ve developed a fascination for them this past autumn due to their many shapes, colors and textures and these were huge about the size of a dessert plate. I spent a few diverted minutes with these very photogenic fungus before turning my attention back to the bridges and have included them in the gallery below.

I hope you enjoy my little walk in the park and the images below.

You can view all of my photographic work on my website at www.photobycate.com where you can by prints and digital downloads for your home, office, website or computer.

Stay In Focus,

Cate

The smell of pine and moist soil permeated the air as I walked along the pathways camera in hand capturing ethereal moments when the sun illuminated the leaves causing the colors to become saturated in a glowing halo. Turning around I looked down the path and saw a mix of colors; yellow, green, red, brown and gold. Ah, this is what I love about the autumnal equinox; the incredible color.

I walked by a  large fallen tree and its trunk was laying close to the path and growing from the dried splintered bark and looking like golden yellow buttons  were forest fungi a.k.a. mushrooms. They looked so beautiful warming themselves in the sun and made for a few terrific photos. I found clusters of tiny dried pine cones hanging from thin spindly branches of tall conifers. There was bright green lichen clinging to ancient protruding rocks and light brown fuzzy alien looking plants sprouting from the floor of this old growth forest.

I followed the trails until I got to the path that took me to the Bronx River water falls. I was hoping for the calm smooth water behind the falls that I saw last time I was there, to capture the perfect mirror reflections of the trees along the shore but that was not to be. A group of canoeing enthusiasts were taking people out to canoe the Bronx River on this beautiful day. So, the water was not smooth but full of soft ripples from boats gliding silently along with oars cutting through the water. This did add to the composition of the image by making the reflections look like an abstract impressionist painting. A few trees on either side had fallen across the water falls drenching the leaves and branches in the cold clear fast moving waters.

On my way back to the park entrance I stopped at the little pond where last time it was covered with a thick green scum was now clear and reflecting the small foot bridge across it and the colors of the season.

Enjoy the images below and the full gallery of over a hundred images of this fantastic historic landmark at www.photobycate.com where you can by prints and digital downloads for your home, office, website or computer.

Have a great week and stay in focus,

Cate

I only encountered one frustrating thing on this excursion of mine and that was the lack of signage with directions from the train station to the entrance of the Walkway. The website said “only a four block walk.”  Now, when I got out of the train I could see the bridge way up above me and people walking too and fro so I knew it was there but where was the entrance?  I wandered around for over thirty minutes taking photos and asking the friendly locals where I could find the entrance and received numerous directions but none that got me to the entrance. When I was just about ready to turn back to the station and go home I finally saw a tiny little sign that had the Walkway logo on it and an arrow which pointed up a very long winding street, I think it was Verrazzano Street or Avenue. I followed that for about ten minutes mumbling to myself and of course taking a few photos along the way. Finally, at the end of this street I just blindly made a left onto I think North Washington Street and saw Lola’s Cafe which someone told me to look for and lo and behold there was the entrance! Hallelujah! I said, as I raced up the stairs and entered the walkway.

I realized very quickly that I was going to have a little bit of a challenge in taking photos because the side railings were very high or at least very high to my 5′ 2″ stature, and a quarter of the way was an additional fence barrier above that which obstructed the view somewhat. I knew that they must have an area that would be open for people to enjoy the full breathtaking views and I wasn’t disappointed. The middle of the bridge is the best viewing area and standing on my tip toes and at times poking my lens in between the rails I was able to take some fantastic photos of trees dressed in their autumn finery of  yellow, green, red and gold, boats sailing by and trains choo-chooing  along the narrow banks of the Hudson River. Later in the afternoon dark and light grey clouds rolled in leaving little slits in the sky where rays of sun would light up the tops of the hills. I would suggest to take a wide angle telephoto lens like an 18-270 so you can capture both the wide vistas of the Hudson including the Mid Hudson Bridge and then zoom in on the passing freight trains or boats or the lovely little houses nestled in among the trees. Actually, some of my favorite shots were taken as I was walking back over the bridge toward the train station and had an aerial view of the surrounding area which looked like a tiny toy town.

The bridge was full of happy talkative locals and visitors like myself out strolling with  their children, dogs, neighbors or riding along on their bicycles. One of the best things about this Walkway are the “ambassadors” that they have walking along and answering questions regarding the history of the Walkway, the surrounding area or just to have a nice little chat with you. I was lucky enough to meet the past Chairman of The Walkway Over the Hudson  Fred W. Schaeffer attorney, avid bike rider and one of the original planners who put forward this fantastic idea of a pedestrian walkway or bridge across the river.  The Walkway is a good reason for getting out of the house, tying on the sneakers or getting on the bike and experiencing the freedom of the great outdoors without the stress of vehicular traffic. A place to  socialize face to face outside of the internet at a leisurely pace with no particular place to go.

I hope you enjoy the images below and on my website and treat yourself to a nice long wonderful walk across the Poughkeepsie Walkway.

Stay In Focus,

Cate

I boarded a packed New York Water Taxi at Battery Park and set sail at 10:00am across the Hudson River toward Staten Island. The first site was Robbin’s Reef Light House one of the many historic light houses that were, back in the day essential in guiding ships into the various ports of  New York and New Jersey. This lighthouse as tiny as it is was home to the lighthouse keeper and his family. It must have been quite a challenge to live in the middle of upper New York Bay. The lighthouse keeper’s, wife Kate Walker would row her children to Staten Island to attend school every day. One heck of a commute and one heck of a mom!

We passed by the Saint George Ferry Terminal, through the Kill van Kull, the Arthur Kill, (kill or kille is Dutch for riverbed or water channel) and Fresh Kills Landfill which is soon to become a public park. We glided under the metal arches of the Bayonne and Goethals Bridges, and stopped a few minutes at the infamous Staten Island boat graveyard.

For most of the time I was positioned on the top starboard side toward the front of the boat but would wander around depending on what we were passing and where the sun was at the time. Everywhere though, from port to starboard from stern to bow one could observe and photograph the harbor’s bustling maritime traffic.  I saw the little but powerful tug boats pushing and pulling  huge tankards. Mammoth cargo ships cutting through choppy waters heading to the container terminals. Numerous small commercial and tourist boats, ferries, a  smattering of leisure craft out for a mid autumn sail, and of course lighthouses.

The industrial shore line facing the harbor from both Staten Island and New Jersey is not your typical picturesque landscape, but for those who love to photograph gritty urban industrial “stuff” like I do, this is the place to be. The Port of Elizabeth’s huge cranes sat looking like lawn chairs for giants, enormous gas tanks with spiral staircases winding around their corpulent bodies,  sprawling industrial plants with plumes of steam puffing from their tall stacks, as well as remnants of old factories, docks, boats and other terrific flotsam and jetsam, dotting the shoreline.

On our way back home we passed under the beautiful Verrazzano Narrows Bridge heading back toward Battery Park stopping for a few minutes to say hello to Lady Liberty where I got a shot of a helicopter circling her like a large pesky flying insect. I bet you didn’t know that the Statue of Liberty was also a light house. The view of lower Manhattan as seen from the middle of the river in the late afternoon sun is just spectacular and a great photo opportunity for all photographers.

This tour was provided and sponsored by the Working Harbor Committee whose mission is to “strengthen awareness of the working harbor’s history and vitality today, and its opportunities for the future.”  After viewing my photos and website, check out their website for the next Hidden Harbor Tour.

Enjoy and Stay in Focus,

Cate

www.photobycate.com

I knew the leaves would still be green but it was a perfect time to hike around the numerous and peaceful trails and find the spots that I know will provide incredible foliage shots upon my third visit in a few more weeks. My goal was to make my way to the Bronx River that runs through the gardens, find the water fall and scout out the area for other interesting photo ops. I found quite a few oddities such as a day-glow green scum covered pond providing great abstract shots; some wild forest fungi, polka dotted bird feathers, purple poisonous looking berries and an old shopping cart floating eerily beneath green murky waters.

I did get side tract for a little bit in the beautiful and fragrant Rose Garden but I eventually found my way to the falls and before I took any photos I sat myself down for a few cool peaceful minutes and just listened to the sound of the water as it rushed and tumbled over the rocks to the river below. Behind the falls the water was calm and smooth as glass and the reflections of the surrounding trees and rocks was spectacular and will be mind-blowing when in foliage. I stayed there for about an hour taking shot after shot and marveling at how crystal like the water looks as it pours over the edge of the land and bursts into brilliant water shards when it hits the rocks. The rest of the day was spent darting in and out of the trails to mingle with the trees and inhale the damp mossy wild smells of a forest.

When I had my fill of all things great and green I decided to head back toward the Children’s Adventure Garden and take a few shots of the whimsical pumpkin creations in the Haunted Pumpkin Patch. The place was just crawling with little ghouls and boys laughing, screaming, screeching, shrieking and crying (there is always one child that cries no matter  how much fun they are having) and it truly gave a most haunting atmosphere. The garden was filled with huge orange pumpkin sculptures of spindly legged spiders, stinging scorpions, annoying giant flies, marching caterpillars and large child sized orange toad stools.

Another terrific autumn day. Enjoy the photos below and you can see the full gallery of early fall photos from the New York Botanical Gardens on my website.

Stay in Focus,

Cate

My photo recipe for flower shots is to use my nifty Canon 50mm 1.4 lens. I love this lens because it is light weight, fast, sharp and gives you the best bokeh you’ve ever seen, IMHO and great for indoor shooting without flash.  In post processing I add a soft, glowing blur to all my flower shots, giving a dreamy-fairy-garden look to them.  Since, I don’t use a macro lens for these shots the backgrounds are full of color from surrounding flowers, shrubs and leaves all beautifully blended and blurred.

To kick off this first of the fall photo shoots I walked through the Ross Conifer Arboretum taking shots of the green and brown crusty pine cones and golden brown mossy acorns. We mostly think of a pine tree or any tree for that matter with a vertical standing trunk. I found a few that grew horizontal from the forest floor resembling a giant hand laying palm upwards with the limbs curled like hoary arthritic fingers.  Another tree caught my attention because its trunk resembled a Picasso painting with one large eye to the far right, a big bulbous nose to the left and a wide pair of lips stretched to the right.  It was wild to say the least and one of my favorite shots from this series.

My next stop was at the Nancy Bryan Luce Herb Garden, filled with fragrant and colorful flowers and leaves. I then wandered into the Jane Watson Irwin Perennial Garden, full of brilliant gold, orange, and purple flowers growing in profusion and full of big fat bees bumbling from flower to flower. Really, I have never seen so many busy bees in one place in my life.  In addition there were incredible plants with huge green leaves with multi-colored veins that when viewed with the sun behind them looked like stained glass.  There were bees sitting on these plants also; they must have been taking a break from the rigors of pollinating.

After that I walked into the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory to view the fall flower exhibit (no bees). There was only one room designated for these flowers but it was beautifully packed with delicate little flowers of bright red and orange, tall straight and stiff bamboo and many other delicate but hardy flowering bushes and shrubs. Outside, the conservatory is the lotus pond with white and red lotus flowers sitting atop green lily pads with white and gold koi fish swimming lazily around the plants.  Before I moved onto another outdoor garden I had to go back into the conservatory to take shots of the incredible ferns and mosses that grow there in the atrium of the building and that just blow my mind with the variety, texture and size of these tropical wonders.

Last but not least was the Seasonal Walk and Home Gardening Center just packed with beautiful crape-myrtles, hydrangea, dahlias, butterflybush and hibiscus (I got that from the brochure I was smart enough to put in my back pack so I could at least give you some names of the plants I took photos of) and of course more bees.

The few hours I spent there, the gardens I visited named after people with very long names, and the many bees I became acquainted with were only a tiny part of this 250 acre “garden” and I look forward to returning when the foliage season is in a full riot of color to wander through its 50 acres of  forest having a ball photographing this National Historic Landmark.

Enjoy the photos below and on my website.

Stay in focus,

Cate

Today, was somber and grey and I had planned to go back to that site to document the 10th anniversary memorial services and capture the emotions of the day on the faces of the visitors and to pay homage to all who died on that tragic day. But alas the police would not let anyone near the new WTC and 9/11 memorial who carried a backpack and of course I was carrying a back pack. Plain and simple, there was no argument.

Not to be deterred I decided to stay on Broadway and Fulton Street for a little while and photograph the crowds around St. Paul’s Chapel. Across from St. Paul’s there was a group of conspiracy theorists protesting peacefully but with emotion waving banners and billboards and small American flags.  The front of St. Paul’s was festooned in white ribbons know as Remembrance Ribbons. You could go into the chapel grab a ribbon and write any heart-felt  feelings about the day or the name of a lost loved one on this ribbon and tie it to the wrought iron gate surrounding St. Paul’s. Some people attached flags, flowers or a photo to their ribbons. A small parade of Fire Fighters marched along Broadway carrying bright red flags their faces solemn in homage to their fallen comrades.

My next stop was Battery Park to photograph the beautiful Flags of Honor (civilians) and of  Heroes (firefighters and police) which seem to have sprouted all over the lawns from one end of the park to the other. Each flag resembling the American flag contain the names of everyone who died ten years ago on September 11th 2001. The park was filled with a profound peace and humble quiet as people walked between the rows of flags reaching out to pull a flag closer to better read the names printed on them.

Remembrance- we will never forget. Reluctance - we must learn to let go and move on. Respect – the memory of those we lost and continue to live with courage and freedom.

Peace.

Cate

www.photobycate.com

Yesterday was the 19th annual running of the Great North River Tugboat Race & Competition on the Hudson River. I boarded the Circle Line “spectator” boat at Pier 84 at 9:00am with a jolly crowd of mostly native New Yorkers to sail up the Hudson River or the Great North River as the nautical folk call it.  We sailed along side the tugboats with  a terrific vantage point to photograph the boats as they raced by.  So, by now you are probably snickering knowing that tugboats are not known for their speed and yes it was like watching snails race but despite appearances they are quite powerful, after all they do move huge ships and haul tremendous amounts of cargo up and down that harbor 24/7 .  There were ten boats; The K-Sea or Ross Sea. The Maurania III, The Pegasus, the three Miller tugs: The Susan Miller, The Freddie K. Miller and The Catherine C. Miller, The Sea Wolf, The Growler, The Quantico Creek and last but not least The Bronx. Before the race the tugboats paraded against a back drop of the majestic retired WWII aircraft carrier now museum the Intrepid, the enormous cruise ship the Norwegian Gem and towering commercial and residential buildings that loom over this riverside community.

During the race I looked to the south and saw what looked like a ghost ship floating through a white translucent mist. It was the Fireboat Three Forty Three, named after the number of firefighters who died in the September 11th attacks on the WTC, proudly sailing up the river with all hoses firing long graceful plumes of water that spread into curtains of white water. I almost fell over the side of the boat trying to get shots with over a hundred other excited people shoulder to shoulder with me watching this spectacular water display.

In addition to the race there were two competitions: the nose-to-nose pushing contest exercising the formidable power that tug boats are known for and a line throwing contest; a test of agility and coordination. After the race all of the tugboats including our Circle Line tied up at pier 84 where I disembarked and then walked along the pier where the tugboats were now resting and I had a chance to photograph them close up and personal. I noticed that in addition to the numerous old rubber tires that surround a typical tug boat an apron of thinly sliced tires surrounds the bow of the boat like black rubber balene.  The boats had a hoary rough and grungy look to them that gave the impression that these were no party boats but  hard working denizens of the harbor. Each tug and its crew of friends and family were getting ready for an afternoon of celebration with picnic tables and chairs set up on the stern and people hopping from on boat to another to talk with fellow boat captains and crew.

A wonderful, fun and exciting river adventure and a great way to celebrate the Labor Day weekend. Enjoy the photos below and you can view the entire gallery of images by clicking here.

Ahoy Mateys!

Cate

Then I took a walk just a few blocks from my home and whammo! Felled trees everywhere. A huge tree in the garden of school PS 2 on 20th Avenue and 76th street lost its hold in the earth and toppled. It smashed into the fence its huge limbs like large gnarled claws clutched a  parked car and smothered it in branches and leaves.  As its roots were pulled from the earth like a tooth it buckled the ground around it pushing a garden bench skyward leaving it perched on its side. A few feet away across the street in a tiny triangle of a park a young  tree having lost its battle with mother nature lay on its side its roots no longer to grow beneath the earth.

A few minutes later someone came up to me and told me to walk down 78th street (from 19th to 20 avenues) where trees were knocked over by the powerful winds completely blocking the street. I did so and found one of the trees was ripped up right through the concrete its roots lying in a pile of broken cracked debris. Thankfully none of these trees landed on people’s homes nor went through windows, most of them buried cars under their bows and leaves but no major damage was done and no one was  hurt. The streets were filled with the neighborhood residents awaking to an amazing sight right out there front window.  Some were wandering around marvelling at the power that Irene unleashed on us in the wee hours of the morning taking photos of each other standing next to these fallen giants with their cell phones to send to friends and family.

I hope everyone effected by hurricane Irene is now safe and sound with none or  minimal damage to home, self and property. It is still very windy out there so please if you are taking a walk in your neighborhood please be careful of flying debris.

Stay in Focus,

Cate

www.photobycate.com

This past Saturday was the opening day for the 21st Annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival held in Flushing Meadow Park Queens, NY and what a thrilling day it was.  The race which is a multi-cultural two-day event took place on Meadows Lake.

Before the race I wandered over to the boat basin on the lake to photograph the teams as they entered their boats and sailed out to the starting line designated by six colored and numbered buoys far out in the lake.  The teams were many and diverse and all the team mates had cool vibrant T-shirts with the team name and logo emblazoned on the back.  The boats were more narrow than I had expected but despite the size held a team of 12 rowers, 1 drummer and 1 person who maneuvered the rudder. Each member wore a brightly colored safety jacket picked from a huge pile of jackets scatter on the pier.  Also, on the pier was a bucket full of extra painted wooden paddles, and a dragon head waiting to be installed on the bow of the boat.

Following tradition the race officials dotted the eye of the dragon with red paint which awakened the dragon and signalled the race to begin. After donning a life jacket I got in a little motorized boat with another photographer from Beijing. We were taken out to the middle of the lake to capture the decorated dragon boats as they flew past us racing to the finish line. As you will see in the photos below the rowers seemed to be on top of each other as they furiously jammed their paddles into the lake again and again to the rhythm of the drummers perched on the bow of the boat.

The park was full of happy people with their children enjoying the carnival like atmosphere, picnicking on the grass by the lake, visiting the many food and sponsors tents (Verizon, HSBC, Pepsi, etc.) and buying  Chinese arts and crafts. There were dancers, singers and performances in martial arts. The best part of the event for me aside from the excitement of the racers were the many and colorful kites. Hundreds of them filled the air diving and swirling through the sky like vibrant colored birds of prey. There was a man whom I dubbed the “Kite Guy” wandering through the crowds and selling the kites to children of all ages. You could not help but smile at the sight of the children squealing with delight as they watched their kite captured by the wind soar up into the sky.

Before I left I settled down on the grass under a tree and enjoyed an ice-cold glass of pink lemonade and huge chunks of red ripe water melon. Ah, a terrific summer’s day.

I’ve added a few photos from the event below but there are plenty more to see for your viewing pleasure on my website. Just click on this link: Dragon Boat Race

Zai Jian,

Cate

www.photobycate.com