Archive for the ‘Hells Gate’ Category
treasure house
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Well… this is it. The shots from my last ride on the NYC Ferry, and the literal sunset for my interval shooting NY Harbor. It’s hard not to feel all choked up, as the harbor has been at the literal center of my life for decades. The tugboats, the bridges, Fireboats, the… Creek.
Usually, when I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed or emotional, I’ll put on some appropriate music to lighten my mood.
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– photo by Mitch Waxman
Eric Burdon often finds himself in heavy rotation on my various playlists, at least the playlists that don’t involve Cthulhu. Burdon’s talents are many, and I would urge you to particularly seek out his collaborations with LA’s Funk outfit “War.” The tune below could be used as the theme music playing over a montage sequence of me packing boxes and driving back and forth to Pittsburgh.
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– photo by Mitch Waxman
Astoria gave birth to one of my favorite hardcore punk bands, Murphy’s Law (actually, the Dutch Kills hood did, but close enough.)
“Pit Bulls, Beer, and herb – aww right!” This does kind of sum up the experience of living in Astoria. Really, Astoria smells like a combination of college and burning brake pads.
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– photo by Mitch Waxman
LA punk band Fear are intentionally offensive, and in the modern era their albums would likely be considered a hate crime by either the overly sensitive “Ute’s” or the deeply offended “Normals.”
Great live band, Fear was. Saw them at cb’s a bunch. The only thing that offends me, really, are people who are easily offended.
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– photo by Mitch Waxman
One of my little open secrets was that before each and every tour, I would listen to two particular songs on my headphones at top volume, in order to get “amped.” The Dropkick Murphys “Bastards on Parade” – below – is one of them.
In many ways, my entire philosophy is elucidated in this song.
The other song, as in the other one that I listened to right before every boat or walking tour, is this one.
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– photo by Mitch Waxman
And so, at last, my season on NY Harbor came to an end. I still had another destination to go to on this particular evening, but this was it for NY Harbor.
As far as what it’s felt like to be in the skin I’m in, quitting and abandoning everything I’ve worked to become or be, while throwing away half of my worldly possessions, all in pursuance of starting over in a new City while in my middle 50’s – how does that feel?
well…
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doubtful alchemy
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As mentioned in prior missives, one last ride on the NYC Ferry was on my NYC bucket list to accomplish, before the big move to Pittsburgh. My pal Val and I had boarded the service in Queens and ridden the Astoria line boat southwards to Pier 11 in Manhattan, whereupon we then transferred to a Soundview line unit heading northwards.
The East River gave me a good day, for this last outing. The Queensboro Bridge was lit up all pretty like.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One thing I laugh about continually, since having arrived in Pittsburgh, is when the locals complain about traffic. There’s certainly road congestion here in Western Pennsylvania, but traffic? Look above, at the FDR Drive. That’s what traffic looks like. Pittsburgh traffic, even when it stacks up around the pinch points of tunnels and bridges at rush hour, still moves at 15-20 mph. Normally, it’s flying along at highway speeds. The average speed of a motor vehicle in NYC is 4.1 mph. …traffic…
Val and I had timed our afternoon out perfectly, as it turned out. Despite the complete lack of clouds in the sky, there were already hints of golds, oranges, and scarlets appearing in the early winter sunset.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After visiting one of the ferry’s stops at 34th street, the boat headed northwards. After 34th street, the Soundview boat moves into the westerly channel of the East River, found between Roosevelt Island and Manhattan, as it navigates north. This is more or the less the pathway that the ill fated General Slocum followed, all those years ago in 1904.
Next stop for the ferry is at East 90th street, nearby Gracie Mansion. The Astoria line stops here as well, and it’s one of the points where you can transfer between the two. Until they get wise to this exploit I’ve been taking advantage of, you’ve got a 90 minute period after activating your ticket during which you can transfer from one line to another. If you play your cards right and time it correctly, you can get from Soundview in the Bronx – nearby the Throgs Neck Bridge – all the way to Rockaway on $2.75.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That’s the northern edge of Astoria pictured above, where thousands of people will be occupying newly developed luxury apartment houses within just a few years. It ain’t exactly prosaic that the City is putting this sort of population density in place along the waterfront, in an era when the term “managed retreat” is about to become quite familiar to most New Yorkers, but there you go.
Somebody else’s problem, as I now live on the side of a small mountain of coal and shale nearby three rivers, some 400 miles away from NYC.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
So many memories bounce about in my mind about the Hells Gate narrows area of the East River. Truly, this is one of the most amazing places, in a place known for being amazing. Don’t forget, for those of you who are staying in NYC, to stop and smell the roses every now and then. Gaze in wonder at the marvels, and appreciate the billions of hours of labor that they represent. Robert Moses didn’t build that bridge, tens of thousands of our grandparents did.
Mighty Triborough. The Hell Gate Bridge. Randall’s/Ward’s Island.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The Soundview boat crossed under the two great bridges at Hells Gate, past Astoria Park, and continued north. Our plan, as it were, was to be riding southwards on the return trip at more or less the moment when the burning thermonuclear eye of god itself descended behind New Jersey. In the intervening period since shooting these photos, I’ve made a discovery or two which I’d like to share.
Turns out that the burning thermonuclear eye DOES NOT descend into New Jersey, as I’ve learned clear on the other side of that state. Recent observation has suggested to me that it instead descends somewhere else, perhaps even behind the State of Ohio.
More astronomical discoveries, and other updates tomorrow…
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“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
fumbling in
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
June 3rd saw a humble narrator drawn to Astoria Park by the annual Astoria Carnival. My initial intention was to buy a ticket and ride the Ferris Wheel pictured above in pursuance of capturing an uncommon view of the “zone,” but the high price of the ride coupled with the presence of smudged plexiglass on the cars made me reconsider.
Also, the carnival was positively mobbed with teenagers. I decided discretion wasn’t the better part of valor, and headed down to the waterfront along Shore Boulevard instead.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It was an overcast and kind of humid day, which usually makes for decent sunsets, so my toes were pointed down at Hells Gate.
Really, that’s what this section of the East River is called.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One set up for landscape shots, with tripod and all the other gear deployed. The last time I was down here, I missed a few shots which just sort of “happened” when the camera was configured thusly, and when preparing for this evening’s activities I had a plan in place for the eventuality reemerging.
You can save a set of camera settings, assigning them to a camera dial position which Canon calls “creative settings.” There’s three of these dial positions available. I had set one up in advance for the circumstance of “I’m set up for long and slow exposure and a tugboat shows up.”
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Thereby, when a tug actually did show up, I was ready for it. It isn’t anything obtuse, these settings, unlike the one I’m noodling for creating time lapses. The latter is something I’m still figuring out, which is why you haven’t seen any of that stuff yet.
Time lapse photography involves taking hundreds of shots at timed intervals and then lining them all up as an animated image. It’s different than video, as it’s a series of stills. This allows me to do what I do during the “developing” of the RAW format image files captured in camera. “Shoot for the edit” is the best advice I can give – other than “show up, do the work, go back home and finish the work.”
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The “showing up” thing is a big deal for me. Keyboard Warriors abound in the modern world. They’re generally bitchers or moaners, like to describe the way the world used to be or the way it should be, and you don’t normally see them in person until somebody is handing out trophies or the press is there.
Sweat equity is what I’m built around respecting. Show up. Do the work. Go home.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Turns out I was right about the atmospheric conditions producing a pretty spectacular sunset. Speaking of “shoot for the edit,” the shot above is actually three shots. The foreground one received a shallow depth of field and the focal point is right in the middle of Triborough’s reflection. The second shot is focused on the bridge’s Randall’s Island pierage, and the third on the Manhattan shoreline and sky. I changed up the exposure settings for all three as well, and then married them together using an extrapolation of the “focus stacking” technique.
Shoot for the edit.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
whisper leeringly
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
On April 13th, I found myself at a rooftop bar on the east side of Manhattan, one which offered somewhat sweeping views of the East River. Queensboro Bridge was large and in charge, of course. In the lower right foreground, that’s “Four Freedoms Park” on Roosevelt Island. You’re looking in the general direction of Astoria, diagonally towards LaGuardia airport.
There you go, that’s what that looks like, and you didn’t have to pay $20 for an “old fashioned” to see it.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
On April 17th, a humble narrator felt like doing some shooting but didn’t want to return to Newtown Creek again, so Shore Blvd. alongside Astoria Park and the Hells Gate section of the East River was decided upon as a destination for the evening’s effort.
I’ve actually been trying to make it a point of being present during sunsets of late, as you may have noticed.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Hell Gate Bridge is to the north, Mighty Triborough to the south. These waters are still pretty complicated from a maritime point of view – strong currents and eddies. The United States Army Corps of Engineers blew this part of the river up “back in the day” to cure up the navigation issues, but it’s still a part of the harbor that requires a bit of skill on the part of whomsoever is driving the boat.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I set myself up for “landscape mode” with the tripod and an ND filter and started capturing a series of longish exposures. It was so bright out, in fact, that even with the filter on I was getting no more than ten seconds worth of exposure time.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As I’ve mentioned several times, high flying clouds turn colorful during sunsets. No guarantee you’re going to get scarlets and crimsons, but when you do…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I hung around until it got dark, then got scared by the presence of teenagers in Astoria Park so I rapid scuttled away from the area in a paroxysm of terror. One flew through the streets, his brain awash in the steroids of panic. Teenagers… brrr… no impulse control.
At HQ, I barred the doors behind me, and commanded Our Lady of the Pentacle to descend into the storm bunker with me and hunker down in case the adolescents had followed me home.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
turned restlessly
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As it turned out, February 23rd was a three Borough day for me. Woke up in Queens, hit the Bronx and then Manhattan, and then went back to sleep in Queens. I’ve since had a four Borough day which you’ll see in a couple of weeks. There’s also a two City day in the mix. When it’s reliably warm again, I plan on a 5 Borough day which will involve the entire solar cycle. Given how far ahead of schedule my photos are at this point – you’ll probably be seeing that in late June.
I had an unusually prolific and mission oriented winter and early springtime this year. I’m making up for lost time during the pandemic, and there’s something else on the horizon which is going to be pretty major and is going to absolutely rock my world. That’s something I’m going to be talking about a bit later on in the year.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That’s a pedestrian bridge, officially called the Wards Island Bridge (aka the 103rd street Pedestrian Bridge) which spans the Harlem River. It’s a vertical lift bridge which allows Manhattanites access to Randall’s/Wards Island. The Harlem River is a tidal strait connecting the Hudson River and East River. The bridge opened for use in 1951.
The light began to fail, as Manhattan’s long shadows began to envelop the waters of the East and Harlem Rivers.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
You always hope that you’re going to get a “real” sunset with oranges and crimson painting the vault of the sky, but nine times out of ten you don’t. Damned oceanic climate zone…
Oh well, might as well make the best of it.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Since I was all set up for a long exposure sunset, one set upon capturing a few shots of the type seen above and below.
Since I’m often asked to do presentations on this or that subject, photos which I can set type onto are oft needed. Thereby, my shots list always includes capturing ones with large fields of color that I can fill up with the sort of drivel that a scholastic audience expects.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It had been a long and kind of fun day for me, and right after the shot above was captured, the kit was packed up and the camera reset back to handheld shooting mode.
For the curious – remove the filter from the lens, as well as the shutter release cable, turn the lens stabilization system back on, pack up the tripod.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A quick ferry ride from East 90th street to Astoria occurred, and soon I was standing alongside Hallets Cove here in Queens. A half hour of scuttling brought me back to HQ.
Tomorrow – something different at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
The Newtown Pentacle 