Scribbles and Photos

We had to wait for the longest time for this train to clear the gate to Riverside Cemetery. Freight Train by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px

Our train chugging along from Georgetown to Silver Plume. Steam Engine (Georgetown Loop, Colorado Rockies) by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px

Does it count as a road trip if it is only 3 and a half days?  A couple of photos from today's adventures in and around Denver, CO. Blacksmith Building, Clear Creek History Park by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px Oil Refinery by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px

FarmReflections by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px

Red Tulip by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px

It took a lot of tries to get this photo -- the angle was tough, the light was tough, and it was the first day out with my new camera lens.  In other words, if I was shooting with film, I would have spent a $$$ on developing! What I have learned over time is that sometimes it takes patience to get a photo that you really love. The annual appearance of Snow Drops reminds me of this lesson.    Snow Drops by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px

Took a brief walk in Central Park today after my eye doctor appointment -- partially dilated eyes and all.  At first I thought this was a wedding photo shoot but it appears to have something to do with strawberries now that I inspected my photos a bit more closely.  Did I mention my eyes were dilated and my vision blurry? Strawberry Photo Shoot by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px

In Two Bridge Walk , I reported that I had walked the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridge and strolled around Chinatown and Mulberry Street fora while. here are some more photos from that expedition -- given how far I walked (almost 8 miles!) -- there will probably be more photos to follow. For the Mulberry Street part of the walk (Little Italy), I was practicing shooting from the hip -- hence this slightly off-kilter photo below.  Which, truth be told, I kind of love. People Watching, Mulberry Street, NYC by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px One of my primary reasons for taking this walk was to see Tom Fruin's Stained Glass House which has been installed in Brooklyn Bridge Park since last October. It had taken me a bit of time to get here but it was well worth the trip. Although I am not on the same quest to see more art that I was in 2014 ( Resolved ), I am still trying to catch the public art that graces NYC. This is a particularly wonderful installation. Alas, it is only in ...

Three Little Tulips all in a Row by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px In the Garden by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px

I walked the Brooklyn and the Manhattan Bridges today and, per my FitBit, ended the day having logged about 8 miles.  No wonder I'm a bit sore! The Brooklyn Bridge with Manhattan Skyline by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px Which I followed with a bit of a stroll through Chinatown and Little Italy practicing shooting photos from the hip (or, in the case of the one below, close to the hip. The Kiss by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px

Kwanzan Cherry Tree by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px

Parrot Tulips with a Hint of Rust by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px

There is that moment when you realize your photo will never make it off the Fresh page on 500px because someone else has uploaded a bunch of photos in the same category and within  a matter of minutes to the hinterlands of Fresh.    Apparently, as in most of life, timing is everything on 500px and Kwanzan Cherry Blossom Walk II will never be as popular as Kwanzan Cherry Blossom Walk As for this photo, it made it onto the upcoming page and has a fighting chance of making it to popular.  It's the opposite of Sunny Morning Tulips in terms of what I was hoping to achieve with my new lens ( the Olympus M Zuiko f/2.8) .  For this one, I wanted it to be sharp throughout and so it is. It's also a veritable festival of shades of orange. Tulips, Of the Orange Variety by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px

Sometimes, I hold my camera like a point and shoot.  Oh, wait, this is a confession.  I confess -- that should be MOST of the time.  In other words, I've pretty much divorced my electronic viewfinder (EVF).  There are definitely times when I do use my EVF (like when I'm taking a picture in strong sunlight as in Sunny Morning Tulips ) but most times it's the LCD screen for me. There are three reasons for this.  One, I spend a lot of time during the week using my iPhone to take photos which has gotten me way more used to framing things on a screen.  Two, the screen articulates on my OMD EM5 -- no more kneeling, bending, or twisting to get the shot which is great (particularly for my knees).  Three, my "older" eyes just seem to do better with the screen. So, there you have it, I don't use the EVF all that much anymore.  And that's OK. Kwanzan Cherry Blossom Walk II, Central Park, NYC by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px

Don't download the 8.1 software update to your iPhone 5S.  It murders your battery life.  What on earth could my Home & Lock Screen be doing to use 21% of my battery?  It sounds like if I take this to the Genius Bar (the earliest appointment is on Wednesday!!!), they will set up the phone as a new phone and re-install 8.1 which may  magically solve the battery drain issue.  Of course, I don't have time to go to the Genius Bar to get this Apple-created problem fixed.  I could come in tomorrow morning and get on the stand by line which usually moves pretty quickly. OK, just needed to get that minor tirade out of the way. Deep cleansing breathes.  In the grand scheme of things, iPhone battery drain is a very trivial problem. Had two perfectly lovely days toddling around the gardens and byways of NYC with my camera in tow.  It's a peak weekend for the tulips, the Kwanzan Cherry Trees are in bloom along the West side of the Jacqueline Kennedy ...

Having gotten up so early to meander around in Central Park, I am wondering if I will make it past 9:00 pm.  It was totally worth it and after two days playing around with it, I think the new lens is a keeper ( More (Tulips, That Is ))  The only bad thing is that exacerbates the occasional dark photo problem that my OMD EM5 has.   Something to investigate in at a future date when I'm less busy.   For now, I just need to be mindful of the problem. Sunny Morning Tulips by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px

My groceries arrived before 7:00 am this morning (insane, I know, but that way I'm not waiting all day for them) and so I headed out the door to see the Kwanzan Cherry Trees that are in full bloom along West side of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. Glorious morning for an early morning walk amongst the blossoms. Kwanzan Cherry Blossom Walk, Central Park by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px

I think the gondolas are a little incongruous when the row boats are out but there have been no row boats for a couple of weekends and Bow Bridge is now under construction (for year!).  So this single gondolier plying his trade had the lake to himself. The rowboats will be back this week -- the dock was temporarily under repair.  Let the congestion return to the Lake. A Gondola in Central Park by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px

190 people mistakenly visited this blog yesterday.  Or so the google stats say. Had so much fun playing with my new camera lens (the Olympus M Zuiko f/2.8).  A lot of mis-fires and took some getting used to how heavy it is.  It's my first "pro" lens and quite a difference from my prior 40-150 zoom at the low end of the Olympus line. Tulips by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px

This is from last week's early morning expedition to the Westside Community Garden.  Every year the gardeners here put on one of the most spectacular tulip displays in NYC. pink tulips by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px