Bethesda Terrace
I was back in New York last weekend and as usual I had a list of things I wanted to shoot while there. There’s never a shortage of things to see and shoot in New York no matter how many times you’ve been there. I’ve been to Bethesda Terrace in Central Park many times before but always with hundreds of other visitors and while that’s okay for some street photography I selfishly wanted the place to myself.
My alarm went off at 4:30am and off I went. I grabbed a cab as I wanted to get there before the 5:15 sunrise time and as I got out of the cab two things happened. First I opened the door to the cab to get out and on the sidewalk were 2 rats the size of an external hard drive and second the cab driver told me to be careful. I thought he was talking about the rats and when I told him they’d already scurried away he said that he meant in the park. “There’s a lot of bad people in the park at that hour” Great…that’s what I needed to hear. I had already tried to put aside my concern about my walking through Central Park at that hour telling myself that it would be light soon and it wouldn’t be a problem. I was right. As soon as I started walking towards my destination I encountered joggers and cyclists and I immediately felt better.
As I was setting up my tripod and getting ready to start taking pictures a couple of more rats decided to run by my feet (surprisingly I didn’t freak out. I think they were more afraid of me then I was of them. Maybe because I used to have hamsters ๐ )
Here’s the first that I’ve processed. I’ll have more later in the week along with a little history of the place.
Click on the image to enlarge (it really does look better) or to Purchase a print.
Great shot Edith! You are brave, glad you encounter only rats. ๐
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July 16, 2016 at 10:01 am
Lol…thanks Anne.
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July 16, 2016 at 10:24 am
Such a beautiful capture! And I loved hearing the story behind it. I am always a bit weary of getting out alone as a woman setting up some expensive camera equipment that early (and same goes for late). Good job!
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July 16, 2016 at 10:26 am
Thanks so much Inger.
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July 16, 2016 at 9:45 pm
Your intentions rewarded. Well done.
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July 16, 2016 at 10:44 am
Thanks Sally
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July 16, 2016 at 9:45 pm
Stunning image…
Truly worth the efforts ๐
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July 16, 2016 at 12:16 pm
Thank you so much Sreejith.
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July 16, 2016 at 9:45 pm
This is an especially beautiful image, Edith. The composition, the colours, the lighting – amazing. Can I ask what programme you use for processing? By the way, I think you’re very brave walking through Central Park at that time in the morning – or should I say ‘very dedicated’.
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July 16, 2016 at 12:59 pm
Thank you so much Isabella . I use Lightroom & Photoshop CC.
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July 16, 2016 at 9:47 pm
I use Lightroom too, so maybe I need to look at Photoshop, although I’ve heard it’s very complicated to use. I know I over-saturate my images because I like rich colours and RAW images are so bland and washed -out. Your image is very rich, but without looking unreal. That is obviously an art I need to master. Thank you, Edith.
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July 17, 2016 at 3:38 am
My pleasure Isabella. I started with Photoshop Elements and really liked it and was easy to learn. I’ve just recently upgraded to Photoshop CC but you might want to try Elements first.
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July 17, 2016 at 10:22 pm
I will. Thank you, Edith.
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July 18, 2016 at 9:02 am
What a NY experience, Edith. Your rat exposure rate is quite high๐ –all was worth it for this exquisite image. The clarity and light are fab. Enjoy the city.
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July 17, 2016 at 2:06 am
LOL…thank you so much Jane.
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July 17, 2016 at 10:21 pm
Pingback: A Short History Lesson of Bethesda Terrace | Edith Levy Photography
A wonderful image Edith. Well worth the effort!
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July 18, 2016 at 8:55 am
Thanks so much Adrian.
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July 18, 2016 at 1:59 pm
Glorious colour in this shot, Edith. There’s an old adage that says: ‘you are never more than six feet from a rat’. I guess most of them must scurry away when they hear me coming because I have very rarely seen a rat! I can understand your concern at being on your own ant that time of the day – more so in a below ground space than up-side where you are out in the open. Well worth the effort.
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July 19, 2016 at 4:05 am
Thank you so much Andy…I do appreciate it.
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July 19, 2016 at 10:55 pm
Great shot Edith!
Liebe Gruesse Monika
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July 19, 2016 at 6:14 am
Thank you very much.
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July 19, 2016 at 10:55 pm
That is simply stunning. And Im sure the rats was just being friendly. ๐
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August 4, 2016 at 5:40 pm
Thank you so much Frida.
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August 10, 2016 at 9:33 pm