Green-Wood Cemetery/ National Historic Site

Green-Wood Cemetery is 478 acres of park like rolling Brooklyn hills with the some of the best views in all of New York City. Established in 1838, the cemetery has always been more than just a cemetery. By the 1860's it was the second most popular tourist destination in the country (Niagara Falls claimed number one) seeing well over 500 thousand visitors a year. Even by today's population that is an astounding number. Green-Wood was the inspiration to create Central Park in Manhattan. The final resting place for numerous historical figures and having the largest collection of stately trees in New York, Green-Wood was declared a national treasure in 2006.
The Civil War graves in this photo are part of an on-going project to find "lost" grave sites of Civil War vets and return them to the dignity that they deserve. At the start of the project volunteers estimated finding 500 graves, the actual number in currently in the thousands!

Jockey Portrait

Another day at the office.

The Homestretch

I've heard that prior to high camera shutter speeds it was argued that a race horse always had at least one hoof on the ground. Coming down the homestretch this guy seems to float above the track approaching the finish! (best in large view, click on image)

Back At The Stable

The stable area at Belmont has it's own culture, a unique community just beyond trackside.

Sunday At Belmont

The NYRA and Belmont Racetrack's Sunday morning program runs through the month of June. The park opens it's gates free of charge for an early Sunday morning view of workouts and a glimpse of life at the track. The staff is very accommodating to photographers, the program runs from 6:45am to 9:30am. Breakfast is available in the clubhouse cafeteria for a nominal fee.

Pony Show

"The horse I bet on was so slow, the jockey kept a diary of the trip.”- Henny Youngman

Ferry Below

Bring on the sun!...Our rainy June continues to be very wet!

Just A Field

...but it caught my eye. The tranquil side of Long Island.

Time To Play

"Let us live so that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry." Mark Twain

Fire Island's Burma Road

Behind and between the dunes the "Burma Road" provides access for emergency vehicles on Fire Island.

Great South Bay Evening

The bluefish continue to be on the prowl throughout the bay, the sunset is an added bonus!

Sayville Ferry

It's early June and like clockwork the weekday ferries to Fire Island are filled with exuberant elementary students. Year end class trips to Sunken Forrest and Sailor's Haven are all the rage this time of year. Passing the ferry guarrantees cheerful greetings and arm waving from hundreds of little people who are just thrilled to not have to go to math class! We must be getting close to summer...

Pretty As A Picture

Amazing how much beauty can be seen looking through my lens....

Hard Aground

Still beached and firmly entrenched the 40 foot "Gwaihir" was not going anywhere yesterday afternoon. The salvage crew worked all day digging only to watch the tide return much of the sand to the underside of the hull.

Every Sailor's Nightmare

We read the story in the paper and just had to check it out for ourselves. Seems as if the crew of this sailboat was en route from Virginia to Rhode Island when someone tacked a bit too far to the Starboard in a thick fog. The 40 foot racing hull has been hard aground for a few days now, a salvage crew was preparing things for an attempt to pull her off the beach later this week.

Old Time Baseball

Like a vintage baseball card. A little experimentation with film grain and sepia treatment gave this shot an antique look to match the scene. The larger view appears to have a grainy/older photograph type of texture.

Guarding The Line

Proof that third base has always been the "hot corner" since the days of Abner Doubleday! Old Bethpage Village is the perfect venue for vintage baseball, the entire area is a living museum and has the look and feel of the 1800's.

Vintage Baseball

The Mineola Washingtons vs. the Brooklyn Excelsiors playing by the Rules of 1864 at "The Home of Vintage Baseball" in Old Bethpage. An actual functioning league, these players claim to play baseball the way it was meant to be played..."on real grass for the love of the game". (And without gloves!)
We had a fun day shooting way too many vintage baseball photos!

The Inaugural Season

A wide exterior view of the Met's new home shows the architectural tip of the hat to Ebbets Field.

Behind The Eight Ball

A situation that we all can relate to...

More From The Airshow

Getting grounded...a series of parachute landings that are right on traget!

Golden Knights

Very impressive and landing with pinpoint accuracy, the Golden Knights put on quite a show at Jones Beach.

Landing On His Feet

...or hitting the ground running.

Sayville Parade

Any parade in our local town always seems to feature every piece of firefighting equipment known to man. I suppose it's a form of community reassurance to make us all feel safer and more secure. At any rate, the antique equipment certainly has style and appeal.

Fox Update

We hear from one of the Rangers at Fire Island that the Fox family is indeed living living under the walkway at Tailsman beach. Recent sightings include four young fox ( called cubs or kits). It seems as though ducks have been added to their diet lately.

Memorial Day 2009

"And I'm proud to be an American,where at least I know I'm free. And I won't forget the men who died,who gave that right to me".~Lee Greenwood

(Best viewed large, click on the picture)

Thunderbirds Sunburst

Thunderbird F-16s climb from the deck to over 12,000 feet in twenty seconds seemingly headed straight for the sun. Their flight patterns then head directly to each point of the compass and out of one's line of sight.

Thunderbirds

The Airforce Thunderbird F-16 high performance team are the headliners at the Jones Beach Airshow. I think that one pilot decided to get a better view of the beach in this pass! For me, the most impressive aspect of the Thunderbirds is their ability to catch the crowd off guard. Just as the masses are enthralled with a pass like this shot, a low flying single F-16 may come in over your shoulder from behind you. The real thrill is that you never heard it coming until it zooms past you and your feet have left the ground!

Zoom

The F/A-18F Navy Super Hornet leaves an impression as it accelerates to super sonic speed just above the deck at Jones Beach. The humidity in the air causes the "cone" effect as the pilot puts the peddle to the medal. The roar of the engines is deafening and awe inspiring.

Jones Beach Airshow

Today was "practice day" for the Memorial Day Airshow at Jones Beach. Not to be missed, this show is the ultimate in WOW!

Bee Serious

These guys see me take the macro lens out and they start to pose!

Nice Glass

Just how does Alida get those tack sharp close shots of shore birds? "Stay low and slow", she says. Somehow I think that 400mm zoom is helpful as well.

Light Show

A dazzling Great South Bay sunset AND the fish were biting!!

Thwack..

Just a lucky shot taken while walking through the stands at Citifield. ( Best in large view/click on the image)

Great South Bay Sunset

Sometimes "fishing" is just a real good excuse to get out on the water and be appreciative....

Boyhood Dreams

Some things remain timeless. I was inspired by this scene which took me back to those early and innocent days when a young boy's dreams could make anything seem possible. The crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd will do that to you.

Endless Beach

"Our" beach, only accessible by boat, remains undeveloped, unspoiled and uncrowded. Fire Island National Seashore has miles of beach without a single high rise condo or hotel in sight!

Citifield

We made the trek into Queens to see the METS new digs at Citifield. A real showplace for MLB, every seat has a viewing angle of home plate ( no more neck strain when sitting down the foul lines!) and the playing surface is much closer to the stands than METS fans eveer experienced at Shea. Citifield is a destination all it's own with a myriad of dining options, fan oriented stores and a fan gaming center with activities for all ages including an outdoor whiffle ball field for small children.
After an exciting 12 innings the METS were able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory losing 7-6 to Atlanta. (click on the image for a larger view of this fisheye shot of the park)

Beach Stroll

May, and not a single other soul for several miles. A stroll on the beach just does not get any better, fresh salt air combined with the songs of shorebirds and the crash of the waves make it a very peaceful escape.

Fox News

After our experience on Saturday with Mr./Mrs. Fox we took a chance that he/she might still be in the beach area today. What we discovered was evidence of a breeding den but no fox. We had just about given up our quest after a few hours of searching when the fox found Alida (seriously!). Wary but not shy our prey let us get in close for a few more photos!

Buddies

Some days are just made for hanging out with friends, watching the world go by and enjoying the fresh air.

Happy Mother's Day

If everyone's Mom was like mine this would be a more peaceful world AND...all bedrooms would be clean and neat, the trash would always be out and everyone would be home in time for dinner. Happy Mother's Day! :-)

Foxy

We sailed over to the beach with friends today to enjoy the respite from the rain. Much to our surprise this red fox was relaxing by the bay and did not seem to mind our attention or our cameras.

Busy Bee

Time to practice more with the macro lens as the honey bees were very active and cooperative this morning. (click on the image for large view)

Great Day For Ducks

Abstract of duck...I was lingering over the paper and another cup of coffee on a very wet morning. Looking up in the sunroom I saw this visitor waddling away the morning. Interesting point of view for sure!

Under The Dogwoods

More from the Monastery gardens...

The Tea House

On the grounds of the former John E. Alfred Estate afternoon tea was a serious endeavor. The garden "Tea House" is complete with stained glass windows and an artistically designed copper

roof.

Spring Rain

The good news is that the lawn and the new plantings are getting a much needed head start with a good natural watering. The bad news is that this stalled rainy weather system will be with us for four more days creating cabin fever in May.

Garden Gate

The entrance to the formal gardens at St. Josaphat's Monastery still maintains a regal elegance. Most of the garden work is now done by local volunteers as the cost of maintaining the manicured grounds has become prohibitive.

Monastery Walk

St. Josaphat's Monastery was our photo safari of the day and a rare opportunity to visit this very private enclave of the Greek Orthodox Church. Formerly the John E. Alfred Estate, the mansion was built in 1910 and was known as the "Ormston House". Located on long Island Sound in Glen Cove this 40 room relic of the Gold Coast is currently home to 13 monks. Entrance is strictly on an invitation only basis. Our photo club was granted a visit for 15 of us, while most of the building is cloistered we were given a tour of the main floor.