Scribbles and Photos

Magnificent Gold, Many Buddhas by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px I was going to post these photos of dresses on display as a part of the Costume Institute Exhibit at the Metropolitan (China through the Looking Glass) to fashion on 500px (an online photo sharing service) but they just don't seem to belong there.  To put it more bluntly, the fashion category seems to consist of many photos of scantily clad, beautiful women.  These just don't rise to that level.  So, I posted them (along with the photo in Haute Couture Dreaming )  to urban exploration.  Come to find out that urban exploration means abandoned buildings or ruins. I guess I could post to travel (the Met is a huge draw for tourists after all) but that seems sort of weird since NYC is my hometown.   I wish 500px had a category called Things Seen -- sort of a catch all for photos that don't fit in other categories. Through a Blue Veil by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px

The essence of NYC in the summertime. Bubbles & Cashews by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px

This dress by Chinese designer Guo Pei?  Breathtaking (from the China through the Looking Glass Exhibit at the Metropolitan).  I converted it to black and white because I keep picturing Audrey Hepburn wearing it (think Funny Face). Haute (as in Couture) by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px

I discovered a new gallery at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Sunday -- the day I decided to dive into a cool pool of art rather than walk around outside in the heat.  I didn't rack up quite so many steps on my Fitbit but I learned that there are quiet spaces at the Met! It was a good place for me to practice with a lens that has been troubling me since day one -- it's a prime and I can never seem to get the distance exactly right.  As they say, practice makes perfect.  Unfortunately, I was so lazy, I did not switch to my beloved street lens for some shots that required a wider angle than this one can get.  Next time. Filing under "I'll be back." Roman Vase (of the Ancient Sort) by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px The lens for these shots?   M Zuiko 45mm f1.8 . Roman Glass Cinerary Urn ( really old) by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px

Working on depth of field with my new lens (an Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8.  It was challenging to say the least.  The main issue being that I could cheat the lens when in full auto (see below) but not when in aperture priority or full manual.  Not that I'm unhappy with the outcome mind you -- just not sure why that is.   A Color Riot by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px Clouded Yellow Butterfly by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px

The Spine of the Path Station by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px I am head over heels in love .  The object of my affections?  The new WTC Transportation Hub at Ground Zero.   It's over budget and we are long past it's original opening date but everything we love has a flaw or two.  Designed by Santiago Calatrava, the station is meant to evoke a bird taking flight.  So far, it's been the object of much ridicule - mainly because of the $4 billion price tag which NY Magazine ( A Glorious Boondoggle Will the New WTC Train Station Permanently Taint Santiago Calatrava's Career ) reports is double the inflation-adjusted price of Grand Central. At one time NYC had two great train stations but we demolished Penn Station in favor of the monstrosity that is Madison Square Garden.  Penn Station (!the BUSIEST transit hub in the United States!) these days is something to be endured - a way station to be transited as quickly as possible on the way to the grand vistas of...

It's been a while since I've had my camera with me for a walk in Battery Park.  The last time looks to be on one of the first walks that I took post having toe surgery -- Rolling through My Toes .  I was so ambitious in that post, not only was I going to free myself of the iPhoto library, I was also going to start shooting in raw.  Pleased to report that one of those things is done.  I was on the cusp of getting my OMD EM5 (Olympus) and dithering over whether to get new lenses or a converter for my existing lenses.  You can probably figure out how that went. As for the Freedom Tower, it has changed a lot since that 2013 photo.  For one, it's open and tenants have moved in.  It's become a fixture in the NYC city skyline.  So much so, that last nights news reported that the spire was lit up in red, white, and blue to celebrate the USA women's soccer team win.  I kept waiting for them to mention the Empire State Building (also lit up) but that...

Mr. Bubbles by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px

There is something about the rain that brings out the colors of the flowers. Hydrangea in the Rain by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px They Call me Red by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px Half a Thistle by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px

New School (Roller Blades, 2015) by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px I used to roller skate.  I learned how with metal skates that had a key for adjusting the length and toe grip and graduated to booted skates sometime in college.  I hung them up awhile ago -- having never achieved the sheer perfection of the skaters that frequent the dance party that is just south of Bethesda Terrace in Central Park.  They are poetry in motion. Roller Dance Moves by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px Old School Skates by Nancy Lundebjerg on 500px