Archive for the ‘Queens Boulevard’ Category
And on the fourth day…
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There were two more old friends whom I wanted to reconnect with – in person – on my recent NYC visit. The first of these individuals and I had breakfast in Forest Hills at the diner pictured above. Recommended.
The outlandish plan for shedding soiled garments along the way had played out well, and after leaving behind yesterday’s t-short, skivvies, and socks in Hank the Elevator Guy’s kitchen garbage pail in Middle Village, I was now down to just the one camera bag instead of multiple bags.
My host (Hank) was bid ‘adieu,’ and one summoned a cab to carry me to that meet up with my buddy Mike at the diner. Afterwards, he walked me to Queens Boulevard, and the nearest subway stop.
The next meetup was over in Queens Plaza.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The E arrived in minutes, and I was again on my way. This was going to end up being another long, long day. My flight back to Pittsburgh was scheduled for 7 p.m., but would end up getting pushed back due to weather – first to 9, then 10:30, and I finally boarded the plane at 11:41 p.m. Yeah… ‘bah!’
Y’know what – I kind of do miss the subway a bit. Easy Pickens for rail shots, and that air conditioner blast when you get onboard…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Queens Plaza, and I was about a half hour or so early to meet up with my friend. Couldn’t help but talk a short walk while waiting, and it was startling. Another friend of mine coined the term ‘real estate frenzy’ a while ago to describe what’s been happening here for the last ten to fifteen years, but I have to say that ‘the frenzy’ seems to have turned into ‘a real estate riot’ while I’ve been gone. Wow.
It does seem like the paint isn’t dry on one of these new tower buildings before a massive population of people is moved into it.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One of several weird things now extant: an enormous population of pedestrians. Used to be that people were just scurrying around to get to and from the train stations in Queens Plaza. Now you’ve got young couples with babies, old people with walkers, all sorts milling about on Jackson Avenue. Shoppers. It’s weird.
I cannot imagine somewhere I’d like to live less than Queens Plaza, but you do you, boo. The noise, man…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The screeching of steel on steel is omnipresent. Queensboro Bridge allows the transit of tens of thousands of vehicle trips a day, and the Sunnyside Yards (State Superfund Site, and also one of the contributing ‘PRP’s’ to the nearby Newtown Creek Federal Superfund Site) are in your back yard here. I like (from a visual perspective) and have photographed this area for years, but from a purely existential point of view – this would be a challenging place to live due to all the constant tumult and noise.
Not my problem anymore, as I keep reminding myself.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I met up with my buddy Paul, one of my oldest friends. We went to Junior High School together, and have stayed in touch with each other during good times and bad. We met up, and then headed for mighty Queensboro.
One of the many things that have changed here in the World’s Borough is that the Queensboro Bridge’s southern outer roadway (which used to be a trolley line’s right of way) has been closed to vehicle and bicycle traffic and is now a designated pedestrian path.
The last time I got to walk this one was when I was a Parade Marshal for the bridge’s centennial back in 2009, and I had Borough President Helen Marshall with me.
Back tomorrow.
“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.
bold entreaty
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
On October 5, it was raining in the City. A diminishing meteorological system had stalled over the megalopolis for several days and all was moist. Regardless, one required a bit of exercise and time for thought, so off on a scuttle did a humble narrator go.
My plan was to hug the fence lines of the estimable Sunnyside Yards, and commit a few exposures to the “same old, same old.”
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As mentioned ad infinitum in the past, HQ is a few blocks away from the yards and my habit is to use it’s curvilinear border streets to transit back and forth to Newtown Creek, so I’ve passed through this corridor often over the nearly twenty years that I’ve been living in Astoria. As also mentioned, I’m suddenly trying to capture a lot of “portrait format” vertical shots.
That’s the Long Island Railroad passing through the Harold Interlocking, as seen from “hole reliable.”
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One really isn’t a “rail guy,” rather rail is something which I find very interesting as far as photography challenges go. Surprisingly difficult to get a decent rail shot, especially so in challenging lighting conditions. Shiny things festooned with bright lights which are moving at a high rate of speed is a problematic situation, camera wise. There’s also an abundance of busy detail in frame – wires and lamp posts with super bright lights, occluding infrastructure, all sorts of stuff to worry about.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It was just getting dark as I scuttled around and onto Skillman Avenue.
The former Citigroup building, or as I’ve previously styled it – the Sapphire Megalith of Long Island City – has always been one of the two far points that I focus on when I want everything in a certain part of a shot to be “tack sharp.” The engineering of a lens has a “hyper focal” distance built into it, which essentially means that when it’s focused on “infinity” at a particular aperture setting, everything between a certain point in front of the lens and infinity will contain the field of focus. In the shot above, and at the aperture I was using, that field was about twenty feet away from me. Notice the blur of the signal pole, which was about ten feet from me.
The other far point is the Empire State Building, which you used to be able to see from everywhere in Long Island City.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One continued on. This was one of the walks which saw me carrying a light kit bag – one bright prime lens on the camera, another in the bag. I did have a little camera support gizmo with me, but didn’t end up using it at all on this walk, as I was in a handheld kind of mood.
Although I didn’t intend to walk all the way to Dutch Kills on this particular evening, it seems that’s where I was heading to.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
By the time I crossed Queens Boulevard, it was “proper dark” out.
Well, the night time is the right time, I always say…
More tomorrow.
“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.
retinue of
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Saturday the 18th of June, my trick left foot was singing a song. Baleful and rich with lament, this arthritic melody informed my night’s journey and thereby I decided that it would be a fantastic evening to “ride the train.” Accordingly, my toes were painfully oriented in the direction of Queens Boulevard from Astoria.
That’s the Standard Motor Products building, whose frontage is on Northern Boulevard at Steinway Street. There’s an urban farm up on the roof, which is just plain old cool.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Steinway Street becomes 39th Street when it crosses Northern Boulevard and passes over the Sunnyside Yards, but to members of the cult of historical specificity here in Western Queens – this section of 39th street will always be known as the “Harold Avenue Truss Bridge.”
Nerd.
The sunset was setting up nicely, and it seemed like I had actually timed things right for once.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
At Queens Boulevard, a Manhattan bound 7 line subway was coursing along its tracks. My plan was simple, and it involved hopping on and off of the 7 line between Queensboro Plaza and somewhere east of there. At some convenient point, I’d transfer down onto one of the underground lines which move through the 46th street stop nearby HQ in Astoria.
It was a warm night, and somewhat humid in Long Island City. My name is Waxman, I live here and I carry a camera. Dum de dum, dum.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
At Queensboro Plaza, there are two iconic shots always available for the passing photography enthusiast to gather. One revolves on variations of the shot above, depicting a Manhattan bound 7 line train entering the lower level of the station.
I should mention, a recent update of the software on my camera introduced a “vehicle tracking” feature for autofocus into my tool kit, and I’m currently working out the nuances of the new feature.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The other “iconic” subway shot at Queensboro Plaza is found at the extreme end of the platform, where the Flushing bound trains make their turn into the station on the high elevated steel of Queens Plaza, with the old Silvercup Bakeries signage in the background.
Figured I’d do a portrait format one for a change. I’ve been trying to remind myself to do this more often these days – turn the camera 90 degrees.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I began hopping on and off at various stations and popping out train photos for about an hour. On the 7, at least, ridership seems to be back to pre Covid levels.
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.
unmistakable style
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As mentioned yesterday, a bit of gear which allows me to place the camera in positions that would normally require lying prone on the sidewalk to capture has recently been added to my camera bag.
When shooting these, I had in mind a narrative I was going to talk about them with which would describe how I’ve given up walking in favor of crawling.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Believe me, after you’ve been walking for 8-9 hours straight, crawling actually sounds pretty good. Thing is, it’s a bit of a reach. I’m intrigued by the change in perspective, however. It’s what you’d refer to in a comic book script as a “bug’s perspective.” Maybe it’s that of a Cat’s.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This device isn’t a tripod, rather it’s called a “platypod,” and it’s their “max” model. I’ve had their smaller “ultra” version for a while and decided to go with the larger and more stable version recently.
Glad I did.
“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.
blazed dangerously
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Another shlep across Western Queens in the dark, that’s all I wanted to do. While on this particular scuttle, I discovered that I had fully burned through yet another pair of Merrel hiking boots over the prior six months and that it was time to order another pair. Concrete devours the treads of my shoes, and after noticing that my trick left foot was causing me all sorts of trouble and pain in recent weeks, I inspected my shoes only to discover that the treads had been ground away and all that remained of them was a light pattern on an otherwise bald sole.
You didn’t skimp on shoes, I always say. Foundation garments either. Cheap shoes and socks buy you expensive blisters and cause trouble.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As previously mentioned, I’ve been trying to stick to an every other day schedule for walks long and short. This was a short one, by my standards. Walk over to LIC, swing the turn at Queens Plaza, head back to Astoria. Roughly two hours, with occasional stops at interesting if familiar points of view like the one above at Sunnyside Yards.
From HQ in Astoria to Queens Plaza, as the crow flies, is three subway stops or about a mile and a small bit of change. Peregrinations along the route add in some distance, and all told – there and back again is about three miles.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
At one point I decided to lie down in the sidewalk and crawl around for awhile in the manner of a pilgrim. Just kidding there.
A bit of gear I recently acquired allows for a stable placement of the camera on the sidewalk, and a few other uncommon “POV’s.” It also encourages one to engage in what I call “photographer calisthenics,” which includes deep knee bends and that sort of motion.
“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 