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Photo Meetups
Saturday, March 23, 2019 Ellis Island
Here’s your chance to wear a hard hat! We’re going to Ellis Island for a photo shoot on March 23, 2019 at 10 am
Cost: $200/person to be paid by check (payable to club) or cash at February 2, 2019 meeting. We have nine (9) slots open and a waiting list will be available for March 31, 2019 if needed. Travel by ferry: www.statuecruises.com at $18.50/person which you will need to purchase by yourself.
The sessions begin at 10:00 AM and are designed to last approximately 2 ½ hours or so. The vast majority of your time will be shooting time in the hospitals.
Equipment: Tripods & lighting are allowed on our Photo Sessions. While photography is allowed on our regular Hard Hat tours, photographers are limited to hand-held shooting only.
Tour Size: 10 guests per Photo Session maximum. The hospitals are best shot in smaller groups, and a 10 guest maximum insures that there will not be overcrowding.
Location:
Our Photo Sessions are held in the abandoned hospitals and are led by a Save Ellis Island Guide. Hard Hats are required, and you must stay with your group at all time. A waiver will be required so please give it to Suzanne.
In keeping with our new format of having fewer field trips that will attract more members, we are going to Winter Wonderland at the Kensico Dam in Valhalla on Saturday December 8.
Winter Wonderland is a large and colorful holiday festival that includes Santa, a holiday circus, an outdoor ice skating rink, several rides, a 40 foot tall Christmas Tree, and the Lights of Wonder Show. The latter includes dancing lights that are choreographed to holiday music. The entire event is a photographer’s paradise. Be sure to dress warmly and bring a tripod.
Gates open at 5:00. Because the line to enter can be long, it is best to buy your ticket and wait in line until the gates open. Therefore, we will meet at 4:45 at the entrance.
Tickets are $20. There are a number of local food trucks on the premises. There is also a large parking lot. The nearest train station is in Valhalla. Please email Elaine Kirchen (elaine_kirchen@live.com) if you are planning to attend so that we can exchange telephone numbers in advance.
For further information, go to www.wwinterland.com.
We hope that you enjoy our new field trip format, and we look forward to seeing you at Winter Wonderland.
Saturday, April 14, 2018 Central Park
Join us for a BPS Members Field trip to the Central Park on Saturday, April 14th at 10am. We will meet at the Reservoir in Central Park on 90th and Fifth Avenue. After photographing the cherry blossoms that are around the Reservoir, we’ll walk up to the Conservatory Gardens at 104th St. There are beautiful trees, a fountain and hopefully lots of flowers. Contact Elaine if you’re going so she can send out a list of who else will be there – elaine_kirchen@live.com.
Join us for a BPS Members Field trip to the main branch of the New York Public Library on Fifth Ave. and 42nd Street (476 Fifth Avenue) on Saturday, March 24th at 10am. It’s a great place to capture portraits, HDR images of the book stacks, or take pictures of all the architectural details of the building. Contact Elaine if you’re going so she can send out a list of who else will be there – elaine_kirchen@live.com.
Join us for a BPS Members Field trip to the Oculus at the World Train Center. Meet us at 10am at the southwest corner of Fulton and Church Streets. We’ll be photographing the Oculus as well as the Palm Court and surrounding areas. For more information, check out this page. Contact Elaine if you’re going so she can send out a list of who else will be there – elaine_kirchen@live.com.
Put your hats and scarves on and get your cameras and tripods out, because a winter wonderland awaits you! Take a hay ride or a stroll down Candy Cane Lane, marvel at the amazing light shows or take a long exposure of the Holly Jolly Caterpillar… whatever you choose, this is one fun event and a time to really let loose and be creative! Meet by the entrance at 5:00pm after you’ve purchased your tickets.Any questions about the venue, click here. Contact Elaine if you’re going so she can send out a list of who else will be there – elaine_kirchen@live.com.
Coney Island and the Boardwalk! Coney Island is a MUST on any REAL NY photo tour! That said, we’ll meet at 10:00am at the entrance of the aquarium and shoot for a few hours before heading over to the boardwalk. There, we’ll find a plethora of things to photograph from the fun and colorful rides (which open at noon) to the fun and colorful people who frequent Coney Island. Lunch plans will be determined on site. Looking forward to another great day! For more Coney Island info and directions, please click here. Any questions? contact elaine_kirchen@live.com.
Donald M. Kendall, former Chairman of the Board and CEO, conceived the gardens which bear his name. He imagined an atmosphere of stability and creativity. The sculpture collection was started in 1965 and consists of works by major twentieth century artists. Russell Page, the internationally famous garden designer, cultivated the corporate grounds into an arboretum transforming the gardens into a work of art. The sculptures and gardens exist in harmony on a carefully maintained landscape. There are many interesting things to photograph from frogs and flowers to sculptures and fountains, so remember to bring all the appropriate lenses and gear you might need for this diverse shooting location. There is something for everyone.
We will meet at 10am in the parking lot at the main entrance at:
PepsiCo
700 Anderson Hill Rd.
Purchase, NY 10577
Click here for directions.
Saturday July 22nd at 5am BPS Members Meetup Nickerson BeachYES… YOU READ THAT CORRECTLY…5:30 am!! In order to get the beautiful early light we will meet at 5:30am in the farthest and only open parking lot by the playground and restrooms. From there we will walk to the nesting area. This walk is a good distance over sand, so wear good shoes. Also, PLEASE NOTE, the terns have been VERY AGGRESSIVE this year when photographers approach their nesting area. They fly at you, try to peck your head and/or poop on you! It’s a lovely experience…lol…PLEASE bring a hat and or poncho with hood. There are terns, skimmers and oystercatchers that are nesting, flying, mating and feeding, so there are many different shooting opportunities depending on what you like. Harvey and Anastasia will be there to help in any way we can, so grab your LONGEST lens (and perhaps a wide angle in case there is a gorgeous sunrise on the beach) and get ready for some fun! We generally shoot until the light gets harsh (around 7:30 or so) then we will have breakfast in the area.
880 Lido Blvd, Lido Beach, NY 11561
Please click here for directions.
Our BPS Members field trip is to Untermyer Park and Gardens in Yonkers. They open from 7am until sunset every day.
There is no entry fee for the gardens. Walled Garden Hours: EVERYDAY 7am until sunset
Parking: There are two small lots with spaces for about 20 cars next to the community center at Untermyer. Also, there is street parking along North Broadway both metered (coin operated) and unmetered.
Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities: There are two designated parking spaces available next to the Cola Community Center. The path leading to the Walled Garden, and the paths within the Walled Garden are flat and covered with fine gravel. You can learn more here.
Our BPS Members May field trip will be to the Oceanside Maine Study Area. The Marine Nature Study Area is a 52-acre salt marsh preserve devoted to environmental education and natural history. The Oceanside Marine Nature Study grounds are a great location to observe and photograph a variety of song birds and water fowl. There is a distance to walk from the parking lot to the various areas, several gravel or boardwalk pathways for exploring. There is never a guarantee with wildlife, but we’ l l have plenty of time on the grounds to move around and to capture the natural habitat. To date there have been more than 274 bird species calling Oceanside home! Recommended equipment: Long lens, a tripod with a Gimble head for easy movement,
We’ll meet at the Parking Lot at 9am at Oceanside Marine Study Area, 500 Slice Drive, Oceanside, NY 11572. Let Elaine know if you are going!
Our BPS Members April field trip will be to the New York International Auto Show. We will meet at 10:00 a.m at
the entrance of the Javits Center at 655 W. 34th Street beyond the West Side Highway. Ushering in the latest automotive trends, the Auto Show will showcase an incredible collection of cutting-edge design and extraordinary innovation. More than four floors of displays from the world’s automakers will feature the newest vehicles and latest futuristic concept cars as well as antique motorcycles.. Nearly 1,000 cars and trucks will be on display at North America’s first and largest-attended auto show dating back to 1900. here vehicles offer interesting colors, angles, and reflections that make for some very interesting images. The venue is well lit and very busy, so no tripods, please. You will need to purchase your own admission ticket. Let Elaine know if you are going!
Our BPS Members March field trip will be to the Kings County Distillery at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. It is located in the first building after the gatehouse. We will go on a 45 minute tour that begins at 4:00. The leader will tell us about the history, culture, and science of distilling whiskey. After it’s over, the Head Distiller and Production Manager, Ryan Ciuchta, will take us on a private tour of the area where the whiskeys are made. We are free to photograph although I doubt that we can use tripods. For those who are interested, the tasting room is open until 10 p.m. The cost of a tour is $14. Please get your ticket beforehand on the website www.kingscountydistillery.com. Identification is required to enter the Navy Yard. Let Elaine know if you are going!
Our BPS Members February field trip will be to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We will meet inside the entrance of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Fifth Avenue at 80th Street) on Saturday at 10:00. Admission is as you choose. After we finish photographing, we can have lunch at the museum. At 2:30 we can walk downhill to the Central Park Ice Festival. Park personnel spend two days making snow and ice so that specially chosen artists can make ice sculptures which are lit in various colors as the sun begins to set. It should be a fun-filled day. Let Elaine know if you plan on going.
Saturday January 28th at 9:50am BPS Members Meetup at the Bronx ZooOur BPS Members January field trip will be indoor exhibits at the Bronx Zoo – Congo World and Wild Asia. If time (and weather) permits, we may head over to the Bird Aviary and some of the other outdoor exhibits also. We will meet just before the Zoo opens at 9:50am at the Southern Blvd. Gate Parking lot. Bring your tripods and monopods, but remember they can be difficult to handle depending on the crowds (one reason why we’re meeting early). Lunch plans will be determined by the group – often we go to the Zoo cafeteria and then out to more shooting, but we’ll decide that morning. Admission to the zoo is $24.95 if you are not a zoo member. Let Elaine know if you plan on going.
Our BPS Members December field trip will take us back to Winter Wonderland at Kensico Dam on Saturday December 10. It includes the Candy Cane Lane, Dancing Trees, rides, an ice skating rink, and for the first time the Hanneford Circus. For more information you can Google Kensico Dam and click on Events. We will meet at the beginning of the ticket line at 5:00. If that area is crowded, pay $15 admission, go in and start shooting. We will all eventually find each other. Parking is free. Kensico Dam is accessible by public transportation. Take Metro North to Valhalla. It is no more than a 1/2 mile walk from the station. Alternately, there are taxis. If are planning to go, please let Elaine know.
Saturday October 22 at 3.pm BPS Members Meetup at West Village, Meatpacking District & the High Line
Our next BPS field trip will be on Oct. 22 at 3pm. It will cover the West Village, the Meatpacking District and the High Line. We will meet in front of Starbucks immediately south of the intersection of West 14th Street and 8th Avenue. We can photograph lovely streets in the West Village or the High Line. We will reconnect at 5:30 at the High Line at Gansevoort St. at the southern most entrance and photograph the sunset, after which, anyone interested can go to dinner. Please email Elaine if you are planning on going.
Let Harvey know at Saturday’s meeting if you’re interested in going. Admission is $8 per car. There are 400 acres including two greenhouses, woodland trails and they currently have an outdoor Dahlia Festival going on as well. Tripods are not allowed in the greenhouses but otherwise can be used throughout the grounds. Learn more, including transportation directions at plantingfields.org. It is accessible by public transportation by taking the Long Island Railroad to Oyster Bay and either walking or taking a cab. There is a cafe with soups, salads, etc. or alternately you can bring your lunch.