Heaven on Earth

One of the reasons I love photographing so much is that wherever I go I find magical moments. Even if the place is crowded, covered with fences or has a terrible weather, I can capture something special. Most of the moments I capture are more beautiful than what I saw in real life. This is because, in reality, there is too much information and a lot of different angles to look at things. However, while photographing , I always choose a focal point as well as an angle. For instance, in the image above, taken at Yosemite National Park, you don't see the dozens of people standing by my side. This is my way of creating heaven on earth.

At Yosemite it was very easy to find little pieces of heaven and every creature I met represented an opportunity. At the park, I photographed two species of reptiles: Sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus graciosus) which pose nicely for the photo and Gilbert's skink (Plestiodon gilberti).

The skink had a beautiful blue tail but the tail was hidden between the rocks. Also, the skink was too illusive, I had to wait quietly for several minutes before I could snap his photo.

The flowering Dogwood tree was a much easier target. But sometimes, when I know the object is immobile, I have less motivation to get an exceptionally good photo of it.

The California ground squirrel (Otospermophilus beecheyi) was less illusive than the lizards and more challenging than the Dogwood tree so I spent a while near the river trying to get a nice portrait of this little fellow. These squirrels seem to be very comfortable around people and they didn't pay much attention while I was photographing them. Actually, two of them got into a fight and ran toward me. Unfortunately, they came so close that I couldn't focus on them with my 300mm lens.

The mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) is one of the largest animals in the park. It is also one of the easiest animals to spot. They are not shy around people and you can see them everywhere if you just keep an eye for them.

My heaven on earth is made from the creatures I meet and their habitat. This piece of heaven in Yosemite National Park is extraordinary, especially when you look at it through the mirror lake.    

Central Park Moments

I love almost everything about New York City, but mostly, I love Central Park. The park is beautiful 24/7 and I can see the sky and feel the earth. Also, the park is always changing and only recently the icy lakes and snowy-leafless trees transformed into a colorful spring blossom. The huge flowers of the Magnolia trees are always a delight and the falling petals from the cherry trees add some magic to the atmosphere.

The park was deserted during the winter, but now it is packed with people, especially during the weekends. However, Central Park spreads on 843 acres, so it is fairly easy to find some hidden places in the park. Also, at night, the park is usually empty and this is a great opportunity to capture some of the park's landmarks, like this Bethesda Terrace.

For viewing spring flowers, Shakespeare Garden, is one of the best places. The garden is covered with flowers on different levels, from ground to tree-top. There I found: the pink flowers of the Magnolia, red tulips, white and yellow Daffodils, blue and purple Lilacs and many more flowers and colors.

The smell is absolutely intoxicating, so don't forget to stop and smell the flowers.

Sakura Matsuri

The first day of spring was snowy and the cold weather refused to go away. However, today we were out to celebrate spring in all its glory! Alex and I went to the cherry blossom festival at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. This is my second time at the blossom festival, so I was not surprised to also see the celebration of the Japanese culture.  

To me, the main attraction of this festival, other than the flowers, is the cosplay-clad attendees. Whenever I think no one can surprise me, I get blown away by people commitment to dressing up. 

From a women with horns, red eyes, vampire teeth and a dragon on her shoulder to a man riding on a smiling unicorn. All the colors and the people, it was almost epileptic.

For photographing people this is one of the best event in the city, as most of the attendees will cooperate and pose for the camera. For flowers however, this is not the best time for a photo-shoot as the place is packed with people. 

The best time to photograph the flowers is in the middle of the week, when the gardens are almost completely empty.