After dark in Central Park
I spent a couple of days in NYC last week - that place is exhausting.
I know many people just LOVE New York City, and I can totally understand why. It's a great city, and there is - quite obviously - a lot to see and do there. But I have to admit though that I am not one of the NYC-lovers. I like it, but I can only take it in doses. I can only visit for brief periods.
I love bridges and pathways - I just find them very compelling subjects.
Topaz Simplify was used here to create this painted version of the previous photo.
I won't dispute that there is a lot of beauty there and all that stuff, but I could never live there. It isn't me. I find it exhausting. It's loud, crowded, and hyper, basically 24/7.
I'm more of an Oregon kind of guy, I think. Heck, I would even take San Francisco or London over NYC any day of the week. And yes, both of those cities could possibly be described as loud and crowded, but they just feel different.
Anyways, of course NYC is a great town for photography too, and so one afternoon I headed out with camera and tripod in tow, ready to take down some brackets. I succeeded.
After trying miserably for a while to get a cab (I thought it was supposed to be easy!), I finally caught one and was whisked off to Central Park. I started in the Strawberry Fields area, making my way over to the Bow Bridge and Bethesda Fountain area. Ultimately, I started walking back and wound up taking today's shots very near my exit from the park - basically, in the very bottom left corner of the park. In other words, just a stone's throw from Columbus Circle, in case that helps.
I couldn't resist using Topaz Simplify to create a painting out of this one!
I do find it interesting that despite being surrounded by such a frenetic energy and continual noise, the park itself is very peaceful, quiet and beautiful. It's probably no surprise that I really enjoyed that break from the madness of NYC!
