Fleeing the Pope

Don't get me wrong, Your Humble Protestant Photographer likes Francis more than the other popes. But oy, the traffic tie ups and street closures!
Last night after work, I fled to Jersey City for some waterfront shots and some mac and cheese from a mac-and-cheesery in Hoboken (consumed, not pictured).

Lower Manhattan Skyline and 9/11 memorial

Rest in Peace, Officer Webb.

30 Hudson Street - I've seen this building 5,700 times without ever knowing what it's called

Solitary Together

Too good for a caption

Gramercy Park

Yesterday's travels brought me to the gates of Gramercy Park, one of New York's most exclusive patches of greenery. Unfortunately, only residents of nearby buildings get keys to the park (though I did hear a rumor involving a certain Airbnb rental and park access). On the bright side, the fence, in addition to keeping the riffraff general public out, also makes a great photographic framing device.

View of the park from the east. Check out the keyholders strolling by

Straight up the middle of the park, and Lexington Avenue

A better shot of the statue from across the street

Singapore: Inside Out

I met up with the Forefront Photo Guild last night; and after a brief chat about found light, we went out to nearby Madison Square Park to find some light. We stumbled across the under-construction Singapore: Inside Out exhibition; and I couldn't tell whether or not the scaffolding is part of the exhibition, but it does kind of tie the room together. 

Tavern at Rest

Today's travels brought me to a Manhattan watering hole that shall not be named, and while sitting at a certain angle, I couldn't resist the call of the camera.

Straight down the middle

Taps at rest

Pulaski Bridge

I walked over the Pulaski Bridge, between Long Island City and Greenpoint, after writers' group last night, because it'd been a few days since I'd taken some pictures, and my shutter finger was itchy.
Yes, even with all the exploring I do, some days I don't always see anything that says "Jeff, photograph me or you'll regret it!"
I digress. The bridge took me over the entrance to the Queens-Midtown Tunnel, one of the only at-grade railroad crossings in the city, and past one of Brooklyn's trademark welcome signs.

Queens-Midtown Tunnel toll booths

Skyline and the Suicide Fence

LIRR at-grade railroad crossing near Hunterspoint Avenue

Like No Other Place In The World!

Greenpoint and 1 World Trade Center

Roosevelt Island

After a slow day at work, I took advantage of one of my few weeknights without plans and took a spur of the moment photography trip over to Roosevelt Island.

East side skyline marching down the river

Triborough Bridge and Midtown

Looking down on Main Street

Retired tram cars resting underneath the bridge to Queens

Welcome Center - and the Eleventh Commandment

Fun with Filters - Chicago

I took a ton of pictures in Chicago, not all of which have appeared online; and am teaching myself how to use filtering apps - what better way to combine the two?
I ran a few of last month's pictures through EyeEm, a popular photo sharing site and app, last night, to play with the filters a bit. Here are the results.

I took this shot of the back side of Merchandise Mart, facing the Chicago River, last month on my last day of vacationing in the City of Broad Shoulders. A soft filter helped emphasize the greenery on the lower half of the building.

I liked the orderliness of these Divvy bikes all lined up in their parking slots. A soft filter helped the bikes shine out against the background even more.

Fresh Filter 3 brought out the Wicker Park street scene in the background, and really made this directional sign pop!

I applied Fresh Filter 2 to this wide shot of Chicago's Flatiron Building (only a little bit shorter than ours) to bring out the colors and angles. Looks good to me.

The Warwick Allerton Hotel's reputation - at least its neon sign - precedes it down Michigan Avenue. Urban Filter 4 sharpened the picture and brought the sign out even more, while slightly toning down the streetlight's unescapable glare.

Hudson Yards

After almost two years of delays, the 34th Street-Hudson Yards #7 station is open! Your Intrepid Photographer headed over there Sunday night after the opening day hoopla had died down (but before the platforms had a chance to get dirty) to check it out. 

It's official! Platform sign

It's a long, long escalator ride to the top

34th St-Hudson Yards station entrance

Fountains across 34th Street from the station

One Hell of a Road Trip

Yesterday's travels brought me to Kips Bay, just east of Grand Central Terminal, where I found this most interesting of license plates.
Also, a couple night shots from Washington Square Park.

This guy must've driven all the way from Aruba

Wet and peaceful - Washington Square Park fountain on a rainy night

Prelude before Chick-Fil-A: Washington Square Arch at night

Brooklyn Bridge (or, Too Many Shots for One Post)

I did get to see the tribute lights! After braving the firefighter/first responder crowds near Engine 10, I headed for the Brooklyn Bridge and braved the tourist crowds. Were the shots worth it? I think so. 

Panoramic shot of the Manhattan Bridge

Verrazano Narrows Bridge in the distance

Midtown Skyline

Tribute lights together with the new 1 WTC

What Tourists Left Behind

Congrats Lauren.

Never Forget

I worked all day yesterday, because Your Humble Photographer's got bills to pay and coffee to buy. In the evening, I saw someone mention the tribute lights on Facebook, so I headed downtown, phone and zoom lens in hand, to check it out.

Crowd milling around Engine/Ladder 10 at 124 Liberty St

FDNY Band

Reunion crowd with One World Trade Center rising in the background

Tribute lights rising above the skyline

While Waiting for a Meetup

Despite my normal fashionably-lateness, I got to yesterday's Living Quirky Meetup on time. So on time that I was the first one there.
What ever was I to do?  

Washington Square arch with One Fifth Avenue rising in the distance

Washington Square Park and not quite Will Smith's house from I Am Legend, but right down the block

A better shot of the park and the arch

Washington Mews. Mostly NYU's language houses are here

Once I got back to The Uncommons (a literal game room just south of Washington Square Park, more fellow Quirksters had arrived; and I ended up having a great time.