hidden byway
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Having accomplished the “distant foggy” shots which drew me out of HQ, a humble narrator began the scuttle back home but I was far from done with the evening’s exertions. For those keeping score – the walk to Astoria Park and the waterfront adjoining Shore Boulevard from HQ and back is found somewhere on the dividing line between a “long” and a “short” walk for me. Basically, it’s further away than you perceive it to be when leaving the house, but not all that far, really.
At least it’s mostly flat. I’m pretty sensitive to discrete changes in altitude and declination for some reason. If you pay attention to the “lay of the land” it’s possible to ignore the built environment’s masonry distractions and “see” what the actual topography is like.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Obviously, the area surrounding the early 20th century vintage Hells Gate and Triborough Bridges had been thoroughly worked over by crews of laborers. There was an “Astoria Park” prior to the modern shaping, which you can observe on old maps from the 19th century, but it was nothing like the modern park other than location.
One hung around the park for a bit, shooting from various spots, but I won’t bore you with those photos since they really weren’t anything special. The fog had started thinning out in anticipation of a forthcoming bout of rain, so I pointed my toes back towards HQ.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Good golly, do I ever enjoy the weird lighting offered by food trucks for some reason. It’s funny the way that you suddenly become entranced by something that was formerly ignored. Throughout the pandemic months, I’ve found myself noticing things – gas stations, for instance – that I used to just scuttle right past.
Tomorrow – something completely different at this, your Newtown Pentacle.
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The Newtown Pentacle 
Your quarter profile view of Hellgate Bridge is wonderful. Blowing it up in Flickr I think I can see processing effects (?) that enhance the beauty of the full view, or maybe its just compression effects. Either way, wow. Very nice.
dbarms8878
February 15, 2022 at 4:25 pm
Might be some compression in the jpeg, but as I recall – the point of focus was on the bridge, so anything in the foreground is a bit blurrier which creates artifacts. F 1.8 at iso 6400, handheld at 1/13th of a second – I’m just glad that it wasn’t a motion blurred mess.
Mitch Waxman
February 15, 2022 at 4:31 pm
Thanks for the details. You’re the expert. I just love it. Put it on a greeting card and I’ll buy a box. Gorgeous setting and colors and contrasts.
dbarms8878
February 15, 2022 at 8:31 pm
The physical looks of that bridge always scared me as a kid! It had a foreboding look to it, and my folks told me that the waters under it were very dangerous! What did I know, I was just little!?
Jim Garrity
February 16, 2022 at 5:41 pm