Ann Parry NY

First Snowfall of 2012, Long Island, NY

2012-01-22T05:55:00.014-05:00

Yesterday, shortly before dusk, I put on my boots, coat & gloves, and went outside during our first snowfall of 2012 to brush the snow from my car and sprinkle ice-melting pellets on our front stoop and path leading to the driveway.

Then I went back inside to get my Nikon D700 with f/2.8 24-70mm lens, and drove to Cammans Pond in South Merrick.

Though I wish birds the best, I'm not particularly interested in photographing ones that aren't pets, but the seagulls and ducks were the most promising subjects at the gray, snowy pond.

And it wasn't long before I realized I should have brought my f/2.8 70-200mm lens. So I sat on the bench nearest the seagull, and when that wasn't close enough, I sat down on the snowy ground and inched my way closer and closer until the bird flew away, and then we repeated the dance when the exquisite ball of fluff returned.

Then before it got quite dark, I headed to Milburn Pond alongside Coral House, with its lovely lights shimmering in the pond.

Though the flock of ducks kept their distance, the pair of swans swam to the edge of the pond to meet me. Once it was clear I had come bearing a shiny black box, rather than food, alack & alas, they slowly paddled away.

Photo Gallery (in progress): First Long Island, NY, Snowfall of 2012

Happy Holidays, NY 2011

2011-12-15T18:29:00.011-05:00

Happy Holidays from my family here in New York to yours.

Here are my daughters skating at Mohonk Mountain House's outdoor skating pavilion earlier this year, in New Paltz, New York. And, yes, older sister is pushing younger one around ;)

Click: http://www.alamy.com/lbx.asp?1031014 ( Mohonk Mountain House editorial photos at alamy.com (Ann E Parry)

Happy New Year's 2012!

smiles - Ann

Election Night 2011, Long Island, NY

2011-11-25T20:15:00.004-05:00

While photographing two candidates at the Merrick Train Station on Election Night, I aimed to capture what it's like during the last hours of a long, hard-fought campaign.

The below photo video shows the running mates and campaign workers as they meet commuters from several rush hour trains from Penn Station, NYC, that November 8th.

For Full Screen at http://animoto.com/play/fZWpGaxjeHUL3t0w6xJeIQ# click on the small rectangle at the lower right corner of video.

video, photos © 2011 Ann Parry - Election Night NY 2011

That night, to capture the mood and energy of campaigning on the generally dimly lit elevated train platform, I used:

Nikon D700
aperture priority @ f /3.2 - 5.6
ISO 640 - 2000
24-70mm/f2.8 Nikkor lens
SB900 Speedlight for one shot

Election Day 2011: ann-parry.photoshelter.com/gallery/Election-Day-2011/G0000FnfqmtiM37M/

Election photos on Alamy: http://www.alamy.com/stock-photography/99867BA1-DCB0-4F9C-9F66-ABD559FA08EA/election/7/0/0/1/Ann%20Parry.html

Merrick Street Fair 2011

2011-10-30T20:09:00.014-04:00

Last weekend's Merrick Street Fair - about a month later than it's traditionally held - was Merrick's best one ever. Besides great booths and rides, we had lovely weather.

The weekend after that, October 29, 2011, yesterday, we had a record-breaking early snowfall. So, to commemorate that, I've added a photoshop blizzard to the above image that started out as an editorial shot of several Auxiliary Unit members of Merrick Post #1282 of the American Legion at their fair booth. You can see the actual snow-less scene at my Merrick Street Fair gallery.

Though at the fair mainly to work, I happily stayed longer to capture shots of many colorful people and booths. I used the Nikon D700, 24-70mm/f2.8 lens, and SB900 Speedlight with my wonderful new Rogue FlashBender (a flexible light deflector) and Quantum Turbo SC external powerpack.

Click here: Merrick Street Fair 2011 gallery

Click here: Slideshow of Merrick Street Fair

I also made a photo video with licensed music at animoto.com, but those were different images for a different story.

Bellmore Family Street Festival 2011

2011-10-05T16:13:00.032-04:00

The threat of a rainy weekend - at the end of our summer of rain - certainly didn't keep people away from the recent 25th Annual Bellmore Family Street Festival.

Climbing to the LIRR elevated platform of the Bellmore Train Station, I saw awesome views of the fair, especially the carnival rides, and all against a gorgeous blue sky with white clouds.

CLICK HERE to see a Slideshow of photos from this summer's Bellmore Family Street Festival at Ann-Parry.com

I did a double-take while walking by the Nassau County Police and Auxiliary Police Building, for an eye-catching mannequin wearing a Nassau County Auxiliary Police uniform and woman's wig stood attached to a "No Stopping Here Any Time" sign, and appeared to be staring at the two auxiliary police at the literature table.

With local elections little over a month away, many candidates and elected officials visited the fair. And Sunday afternoon, it was easy to find U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) as he shook hands and chatted with fair-goers during his long and energetic walk up Bedford Avenue, since aides held two big signs with "Meet Senator Chuck Schumer" in red, white, and blue.

In the military area, the U.S. Army was a standout - literally - with men in military camouflage scaling a portable rock climbing wall jutting up past nearby rooftops.

Make sure to catch the Bellmore Family Street Festival next year if this sounds like fun: rides and local entertainment to enjoy; food, crafts and other items to buy; local organizations to join; services and subscriptions to sign up for, even pets to adopt.

Editorial licenses available for purchase at:
my Bellmore Family Street Festival 2011 gallery & the stock agency Alamy

Chihuahua and Her Paparazzi

2011-06-14T20:52:00.017-04:00

When I was in downtown Merrick last night, I saw a woman carrying a chihuahua smaller than my cats.

The furball and I had fun the next few minutes - she the star, and I her paparazzi.

Using my Nikon D700 with its 24-70mm/f2.8 lens, I captured the below image at f/6.3, 70mm, 1/50s, and ISO 1600.

Robbie Rosen Day in Merrick

2011-04-20T01:17:00.171-04:00

Robbie Rosen is Merrick's own American Idol, and our Chamber of Commerce declared last Saturday Robbie Rosen Day at the Merrick Kids Fest.

Click below to see the Video of Robbie Rosen Day right on this blog. You can adjust/turn off video's music:

*Click Here to go to my website to see many of the photos used for this video.

Trouble viewing video? See it on YouTube: Robbie Rosen Day at Merrick Kid Fest

Arriving early and with a light step stool, I stood right behind the roped off area in front of the stage. On the other side of the rope, a man - who looked very familiar - was taking videos throughout the ceremony. When he stood right in front of me, he kindly asked if I could still see, which I could.

But I was still trying to figure out why he looked so familiar, so I mentioned it to him. It turned out we had Calhoun H.S. in common, but that didn't solve the mystery.

Later that night, after looking through the day's photos and re-visiting an article or two in local media about Robbie's American Idol journey, I finally realized the obvious - the videographer was Robbie's father.

Click below to see the larger HD 720p Video at my website:

Visit my new photojournalism/editorial photo website at Ann-Parry.com
Click to see more of my Performer photos available for RM Editorial licensing
My Email: info@ann-parry.com
smiles - Ann

Doo Wop Concert on L.I.'s South Shore

2011-04-05T16:58:00.039-04:00

Unlike many of my family and friends, I've never been particularly interested in Doo Wop, so I didn't have a clue what fun I was in for when I headed to my first Doo Wop concert Saturday.

Merrick Bellmore Community Concert Association (MBCCA.org) presented this special event Doo Wop concert, which was not part of its regular season of four concerts, and it starred: Danny and the Juniors, Larry Chance and the Earls, and more.

The quality of the singing, so many decades after these groups burst onto the Rock and Rock and Blues and Rhythm scene, was great, and so was the showmanship.

I quickly realized that audience participation is a big part of the fun at a Doo Wop concert, with singers walking down from the stage to pick lucky members from the audience to be part of the act, and lead singers talking - with jokes that debuted well before the 1950s, but that was part of their charm - with the audience between songs. Also, a couple or two got up to dance at the side of the front row.

And - for the first time I recall in over five decades of MBCCA concerts - audience members took photographs throughout the concert! One enthusiastic fan walked up right below the stage and held her camera phone up to record some songs - and the groups clearly were fine with it.

As MBCCA's photographer, I often get permission before concerts from our performers to take photos, as discretely as possible, while sitting in the audience, but this was the first time that I (and a couple of other photographers with heavy duty equipment) not only got up from my seat but also used flash - my Nikon SB900 Speedlight on full-frame D700 with 70-200mm/f 2.8 V2 zoom lens - to capture the action on and off stage during an MBCCA concert.

When I walked into the rehearsal before the concert at Kennedy High School, I was unfamiliar with any of these inductees to the Hall of Fame for Vocal Groups or/or Rock and Roll, but by 11:00 that night, I walked out smiling and one of Doo Wop's newest fans.

CLICK HERE for more photos from MBCCA's Doo Wop Concert
CLICK HERE for more concert photos available for Editorial RM licensing

DEDICATION:

This concert blog post is dedicated to the memory of my brother John Parry, an opera singer and pianist. He died 19 years ago and would have been 55 today. "You were one-of-a-kind, great fun to play horse shoes with, and we miss you, John."

hugs - Ann

St. Patrick's Day, NYC, 2011

2011-03-28T04:25:00.063-04:00

Someone slammed into me and my Nikon from behind as I walked from Penn Station to the St. Patrick's Day Parade this March 17th.

But it was nothing personal...

... for, in the split second I saw the boy before he lurched away, he looked as surprised as I was, which was very.

Luckily, I stayed upright, and my camera and SB900 Speedlight seemed okay, so I tagged along with a high school band that was snaking its way through the packed walkways from Bryant Park up 6th Avenue toward the parade.

About a half block later, one of the adults with the band came alongside me and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Oh... yes, thanks."

"Someone punched that boy in the nose."

"Oooh."

"And he bled all down your shoulder."

What? Twisting my head back over my speedlight and shoulder, I was unhappy to see a few drops on my sweater, but a bit relieved it was a few drops, rather than the flood her vivid description had conjured up.

"So that's why he ran into me," I said shaking my head. "Thanks for the head's up." Rats, and I was wearing a gray sweater I was rather fond of.

I fished tissues from my bag, carefully dabbed at the sweater, and then gingerly held the paper until I finally found a safe place to get rid of it, around E 48th, near 5th Avenue.

Then, squeezing into about 2-square-feet of open sidewalk across from St. Patrick's Cathedral, I watched and photographed the parade and crowds.

And as I chatted with Elizabeth, a friendly woman from Florida, the afternoon shadows and wind grew stronger than I had dressed for.

But I stayed and enjoyed the parade until after the last group marched by, and the first street cleaning crew arrived - for, after all, I am (part) Irish - even when it isn't St. Patrick's Day.

CLICK HERE to see photos of 2009 and 2011 St. Patrick's Days at my website, AnnParryPhotography.com.

CLICK HERE to see some of my RM licensed St. Patrick's Day editorial photos.

smiles - Ann

Meeting Alamy CEO James West in Brooklyn

2011-03-07T23:47:00.662-05:00

Tuesday, I took the F train to Brooklyn to attend Alamy CEO James West’s meeting with a few dozen photographers at the stock agency’s Jay Street office, where we had a presentation and Q&A about Alamy’s past, present, and its plans for the future. We seemed a diverse group with a wide range of portfolio sizes and experience in stock photography.

Background

Two or three years ago, I joined Alamy as a contributor, not only because its nonexclusive commission rates are higher than any other stock agency I know, but also because it donates the vast majority of its profits to medical research. And more recently, I learned it's committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and started donating solar powered lamps to charities in 2010.

But I didn't go to the Brooklyn meeting planning to cover it formally, since I don't consider for-profit businesses the focus of my blog.

However, the more James West shared - in a most engaging way - about Alamy, the more my respect grew for the man and the company. Plus, before and after the presentation, friendly Alamy staffers also chatted and answered questions. And though I didn't take notes, photos, videos (SIGH), here it is for you:

How Alamy Stands Out for Customers:

Library Size & Variety - Alamy’s encyclopedic library of over 22 million images are edited for technical quality but not content - increasing one’s chance of finding that niche, obscure, just-perfect image needed.
Service - Alamy provides superior customer service, including fast response time - from answering each customer call in less than 5 seconds, to providing each price quote in under 20 minutes.

How Alamy Stands Out for Contributors:

Commissions - Though Alamy does not ask contributors for exclusivity, it pays 60% commission for sales through alamy.com, 50% for Novel Use sales, and 40% for sales through their distributors. (briefly comparing this with photog's % at 3 big micros: ISP: 15-20% for nonexclusives and 25-45% for exclusives. SS: 25-38%. DT: 30-55% for nonexclusives, and 60% for exclusives.)
And James West stated that Alamy will NOT be cutting commissions, including when they open new offices.
Control - Contributors may choose whether to make their files available in certain ways that earn smaller licensing fees, such as Novel Use and UK newspaper scheme. BTW, each year you have the option to opt-out of Novel Use in April.

How Alamy is Growing, Improving its Business:

Alamy is a UK based company with its development and operations center in India. Opening a Brooklyn office last February helped lead to significantly increased sales in the US. Next, Alamy will open an office in Germany.
Alamy is going to license video clips.
Alamy is looking into adding one or more server sites strategically located to improve connection speed to Customers currently far away from servers.
Alamy iPad app - rather than being a tool for direct sales, it's a free app to increase awareness of the agency, by displaying a growing, varied stream of Alamy's images.

Info for Contributors:

James West said Alamy is working toward a lower payout threshold, which currently is at $250. This should motivate more submitters to contribute - including those from remote areas of the world that are not covered much, if at all, by stock images. Exciting!
Alamy may be changing how Alamy Rank works and affects search results, so that it is based on specific image rank, rather than pseudonym rank
Natural lifestyle photography is becoming more popular than the studio look in many regions (the flickr effect)
Alamy will be licensing videos. They’ll generally be short video clips (around 10-60 seconds). Keep natural lifestyle in mind for them, too.

FAQ for New Contributors:

JPG File Size: Minimum uncompressed file sizes must be more than 24 MB. An example of JPG info that works: 20110301dumbo.jpg --- 3600x2400 --- 300ppi --- aRGB --- Photoshop Compression Level 12 (that's Maximum Quality; Level 10 and above is accepted)
Quality Control (QC) - Alamy determines which files are accepted in a different way from other agencies. Briefly, all of your files waiting for QC at the same time count as one batch, even if you submitted them at different times. Don't expect each image to be checked, but if one image from that batch fails, the entire batch fails. So check images carefully at 100%, and you might want to keep batches small at first.
Sales: Images - Though some sell images right away, it can take a while for sales to start, and quantity is just part of the equation, so don't expect great results from lots of average, similar images of over-represented subjects. Cover neglected niche subjects... convey concepts in new, clear ways... take pictures that effectively tell a story.
Sales: Keywords - Keyword your images in an accurate and thorough way, making it as easy as possible for customers to find your images that fit their needs. For example, if you have an image of a girl holding a cat, and no other person or animal is in it, including the keywords: girl, holding, cat, child, pet, happy, outdoors, Singapura cat, friendship, young girl, pedigreed cat, closeup, domestic cat, feline, one person, one animal should be more effective than just: cat, girl, outdoors -- and please don't include the keywords: man, bites, dog :D

About Me:

Some of my favorite photo subjects are the local environment, autoimmune diseases Celiac and MS, air & space, concerts, and politics.
If I could keep just one of my blog posts online, it would be "If You Lose or Find a Pet." Please open your heart and home to a shelter pet.
Nikon

And, yes, I'm rooting big time for Alamy, its contributors, and its customers.

CLICK HERE to go to my Alamy lightbox of photos in this blog post.
To see more of my RM/RF Licensed Images: Ann Parry

Please feel free to leave a Comment below. Smiles - Ann

Outside My Window

2011-02-24T13:10:00.035-05:00

Had I slipped into a scene from the War of the Worlds?

Looking outside my upstairs window a couple of days ago, I found myself "face to face" with a massive demolition excavator with giant teeth on its hinged jaws - so I grabbed my Nikon D700.

CLICK HERE for editorial photos of building demolition or construction
CLICK HERE for a variety of Ann E Parry editorial photos.

The Nikkor 70-200mm/f2.8 zoom was my lens of choice because it flattens perspective, conveying not only the up close and personal nature of this encounter with crushing metal jaws (barely) the other side of our fence, but also showing the other densely-packed heavy construction equipment needed to turn the next door property into an empty lot.

And the Photoshop CS5 "Poster Edges" filter used for this blog image reflects how this all didn't feel quite real, despite the fine cloud of debris wafting to my window, even despite the abrupt, harsh gnashes and booms.

But it most certainly was real - and during the most profound blows, our house shook with empathy for its neighbor of over a half century.

CLICK HERE for editorial photos of building demolition or construction
CLICK HERE for a variety of Ann E Parry editorial photos.
*Editorial photos may be used only for truthful news or educational purposes.

"The only thing constant in life is change" François de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680)

Hats Off to Capitol Quartet!

2011-02-18T04:50:00.037-05:00

Last weekend Capitol Quartet performed for the third concert of Merrick Bellmore Community Concert Association's season (MBCCA.org) at Calhoun High School. The group's lively and soulful saxophonists are Christopher Creviston, Joseph Lulloff, David B. Stambler, and Andrew Dahlke.

I particularly enjoyed Stambler's introduction to each piece, including his often wildly improbable information about composers. And when he started introducing "It Don't Mean a Thing..." he finished it with "If It Ain't Got That... certain Je Ne Sais Quoi."

After capturing a few performance shots from front row seats a bit too-off-center (my fault for arriving early, rather than very early), I photographed Capitol Quartet; their fans; and Perry Goldstein, who CQ commissioned to compose "Flex" which they played for us that afternoon.

Hats are among my favorite photo props, and one of Capitol Quartet's biggest fans - Christopher Creveston's daughter Victoria - certainly wore her hat with a certain je ne sais quoi.

CLICK HERE or on any photo in this post to see after-concert photos of Capitol Quartet, their fans, and composer Perry Goldstsein, in my Capitol Quartet album at Ann Parry Photography.

Total Lunar Eclipse of 2010-12-21

2011-02-12T18:07:00.028-05:00

Clouds stayed away from Long Island during much of the Total Lunar Eclipse on December 21, 2010, so starting around 2:43 AM I videotaped it.

First, here's a composite of several screenshots of the video:


© 2010 Ann Parry - Night of Total Lunar Eclipse over Long Island, NY

Since it was freezing out, I would tape awhile and then go inside to defrost my fingers and warm the camcorder batteries, repeating until the moon was too dim and far away for my camcorder, a Sony HDR-XR550V. And now I've finally figured out how to convert the Sony .MTS video files to ones compatible with Mac.

CLICK HERE to go to my website to see the high-resolution HD video of the night of the Total Lunar Eclipse over Long Island, NY.

I want to learn how to play Satie's Gymnopédies Lent 1 and 2, but until then, the video has no soundtrack:

Above video doesn't appear? Click here to see HD version on my website.

And now my brother Lou, an astronomer buff in North Carolina, can see what the Total Lunar Eclipse looked like from backyard Long Island, New York. smiles - Ann

The January It Kept Snowing

2011-01-31T18:26:00.058-05:00

Unless something amazing happens in the next few hours, I expect to remember this as The January It Kept Snowing.

I'm a big cold weather fan, but all this lovely snow has become too much of a good thing - and an out-and-out safety hazard.

Long stretches of Long Island roads - such as Hempstead Turnpike and Sunrise Highway - have lost a half or full lane in each direction due to plowed snow that has nowhere else to go, and many sidewalks have disappeared altogether.

Happily, lots of Long Islanders are extremely kind during this extreme winter....

Our next-door neighbor uses his snowblower to touch-up our shoveled sidewalk and driveway exit when town snowplows cover them leaving the cul-de-sac across the street, and another neighbor fetches our newspaper out of the snow and puts it on our stoop when she walks her dog early each morning.

And the "Medal for Courtesy in the Face of Snowy Gridlock" goes to the drivers at Elmont Memorial Library's parking lot when I went to see Broadhollow Theatre Company's lively production of Noël Coward play Blythe Spirit yesterday.

Last Thursday, the early dusk sky was particularly beautiful blues. So I grabbed my Nikon D700 and 14-24mm/2.8 ultra wide lens, and drove to the parking lot at Merrick's LIRR train station. Thanks to the snowfall that ended around the same time that morning's rush hour should have begun, there were more puddles and fewer trains than usual.

To see some of my snowy editorial photos, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/4f7c7l6. (An editorial photo may be used, once one purchases an RM license, only for truthful news or educational purposes.)

To see more photos of N. Merrick, either click on one of the above - the Gazebo area or downtown Merrick seen from that snowy, wet elevated train platform - or visit: AnnParryPhotography.com/Long-Island/North-Merrick.

What about February, which starts tomorrow? Well, snow is due after midnight, and snow, sleet and then freezing rain and sleet are due in the afternoon!

Northeast Blizzard of 2010

2010-12-27T20:24:00.101-05:00

Last night, while the Blizzard of 2010 was in full force here in Merrick and beyond, I used a kitchen broom to sweep off the top two steps of our stoop, and around 3 AM, bundled up and headed outside with my Nikon.


©2010 Ann Parry, All rights reserved - Blizzard of 2010, NY

Just about every surface was blanketed and buffeted by snow blasting in from the north.

When I promptly fell off the invisible curb onto the street, my Nikon D700 and 14-24mm f/2.8G wide angle zoom lens, particularly vulnerable since its domed glass doesn't support lens filters, survived just fine. Happily, I made sure to sling the camera strap around my neck before heading out. But I had just adjusted the camera settings and was still holding my gloves - and my bare right hand sank into the snow.

One car passed by the entire time I was out, and only our furballs, Minnie and Hurricane Hillary knew I was out, so if that fall onto the road had ended more dramatically, I would have been an ice sculpture long before anyone found me. Yikes!

A few minutes later, when I couldn't feel that hand any more, I went in to defrost and switch to my Sony Handycam HDR.

That's when I found out it's easier to capture a blizzard with video than still photography - especially when the camcorder is a fraction the size of the DSLR - less weight, but also less surface for the wind to slam against.

This short-short, silent video of that night is the first I created using Tanbee Studio Video Converter and iMovies (doesn't appear on iPad):

© 2010 Ann Parry, All rights reserved (.m4v) "Blizzard 2010-12"

Long Islanders shoveled out today, but, like thousands of families, our holiday plans have changed. We won't be seeing my brother Lou and his family, since they'll be going straight home to North Carolina after an unexpectedly long visit in Pennsylvania.

Visit my North Merrick gallery at AnnParryPhotography.com to see more photos of this Long Island town, with and without snow.

Did the weather change your holiday plans? smiles - Ann

Naughty or Nice?

2010-12-02T23:15:00.022-05:00

Even Santa might have trouble deciding if the young lady on my holiday cards belongs on the Naughty or Nice list.

Here Lizzie is in all her pseudo cranky glory, and Santa hat:

To see her angelic side, click on above photo, or visit my RM RF Licensed images or fun and formal portrait gallery at AnnParryPhotography.com.

Getting together around December with family and friends coming from a few blocks to many hundreds of miles away is a tip-top highlight of each year.

And what an extra bonus it will be if it snows for some night-time or time-lapse photography.

Warm and happy wishes to you and your loved ones.... smiles - Ann

Stanley Drucker Concert

2010-11-20T20:13:00.037-05:00

Last Saturday, world-famous clarinetist Stanley Drucker gave a concert presented by the Merrick-Bellmore Community Concert Association at Calhoun High School. Naomi Drucker, his wife and fellow clarinetist; and Marilyn Sherman Lehman, pianist, also performed, to the added delight of the audience.

While dropping off concert flyers at the Drucker home the week before the concert, I mentioned I'd like to take photos during concert night. Mrs. Drucker looked up, smiling. "Since you're a photographer," she said, "you might enjoy our photos." What an understatement - and suddenly I was on a fun and moving tour of photos, posters, and other artwork throughout their home, including guest bathroom - all which helped bring to life the professional musical careers of the Drucker family: dad Stanley and mom Naomi, classical musicians; son Leon, double bassist Lee Rocker for The Stray Cats; and daughter Rosanne Drucker, alternative country singer.

Naomi Drucker is an enchanting wood sprite come to life, which made me look forward to the concert not only for the music, but for the chance to photograph such warm, charismatic Long Islanders.

It's quite challenging to capture concert photos of instrumentalists, where about 95% of the photo is dark costumes, grand piano, and stage curtains and the rest is face, hands, and a tuxedo shirt that all seem to be about 9-light-stops away. I used my Nikon D200 with Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom lens, and did my best - including 1600 ISO and exposure compensation - but I have the feeling that this was the tipping point for seriously looking into the Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, so I can use my Nikon D700 for such extreme lighting situations in future.

Retired last year from his 60-year career with the New York Philharmonic, Mr. Drucker remains an active international performer. Visit MBCCA.org to find out more about the not-for-profit organization which began presenting professional concerts to Long Islanders about the same time that Mr. Drucker began his long, illustrious career.

To see more concert photos, please visit my gallery at AnnParryPhotography.com: Stanley Drucker Concert photo gallery. RM licenses are available for editorial photos taken during this concert presented by MBCCA. Questions? My Email: ann@annParryPhotography.com

Long Island Wetlands Sunset

2010-11-09T03:03:00.051-05:00

Early in the evening a couple of days ago, if you were at the top of the hill at Levy Park and Preserve - the highest point on the south shore of Long Island - this was your view facing west toward New York City:

My Nikon D700 and 14-24mm f/2.8 lens captured this ultra wide angle view of the wetlands waterway reflecting fiery sunset colors, Freeport Power Plant's two tall towers, and the night lights leading all the way to distant Manhattan, on the eve of Dad's birthday. You can see more photos taken over the seasons here on my Norman J Levy Park and Preserve gallery.

Yes, it well worth shooting on the hilltop, cold hands and all, that chilly November evening. And Happy Birthday, Dad - you're an angel!

NYC PDN PhotoPlus Expo

2010-10-31T19:06:00.392-04:00

The main reason I caught the 6:52 AM train to Penn Station on Friday was to arrive at Javits Center early enough to say hi to Lee Torrens, blogger extraordinaire of MicroStockDiaries and fresh from Australia, before he began moderating the Stock seminar at the PDN PhotoPlus Expo. Riding home that night, I happily took out my Nikon to review images of a day that had something exciting to do, to photograph, from sunrise to sunset.

Photo: The polarizing filter was essential for this detailed Dusk shot of Manhattan reflected in Javits Center's vast windowed Facade. At full-res, the Empire State Building and those in line with it have a charming Op-Art vibe:

Stock Seminar

Torrens moderated the only stock seminar at PDN PhotoPlus this year, and the panel had three heavy-hitters involved in stock photography: Ellen Boughn (with new book out, whose publisher plus Shutterstock sponsored seminar), Sarah Fix (Creative Director of Blend Images), and Jonathan Ross (Andersen Ross).

Photo - Speaking with audience members are Lee Torrens at left, and panelist Sarah Fix (what a great name) at far end of table:

During the break, when my flash wasn't blinding panel members and those from audience speaking with them, I enjoyed chatting with fellow Long Island photographer Li Mann.

The engaging panel offered solid, candid information about the current state of stock, and how it is no longer (was it ever?) "an easy way to make lots of money from photos just sitting on your computer." Ellen Boughn made a memorable play on words when discussing "thumbing down" in stock photography - referring to how crucial it is for image thumbnails to have clear messages and "pop" to grab a client's attention.

Exhibition Hall

I spent the entire afternoon in the Exhibition Hall packed with "all things photographic" - from products to software demonstrations to model shoots to expert speakers.

Jill-e microfiber cleaning cloths sewn into attractive covers make useful, economical gifts for men and women - I now have one clipped on my purse. Wacom pen tablets (sounds like "Walk-em") had an interesting demonstration using their medium Intuis4 tablet with Adobe CS5.

Nikon had speakers so extraordinary, it would have been well worth going to PhotoPlus just to see them. Jodi Cobb, a long-time National Geographic photographer and perennial major award-winner, was incredibly inspiring as she discussed the story behind three of her projects, including 21st-Century Slaves. Her message of how photography can tell stories that make the world a better place is a strong and lasting one.

And just before leaving the exhibition hall, I lingered at Sony's area to photograph World Champion skateboarder Andy Macdonald, with others, performing.

Photo: Here's the lovely dusk lighting during my chilly walk along 34rd Street to Penn Station, with Empire State Building seen at center in distance:

You may see more photos at my PDN PhotoEpo Plus Gallery, and you're always welcome to visit me at AnnParryPhotography.com.

smiles - Ann

Merrick Street Fair 2010

2010-10-15T18:06:00.062-04:00

Going to the Merrick Street Fair each fall is a great opportunity to enjoy carnival rides and food, to visit booths, and - often the most fun part for me - to run into community members I've gotten to known through Merrick's organizations, businesses, and schools. This year, I went to the fair during a cloudy Sunday afternoon, September 26.

Soon after I entered the northern end of the fair at Merrick Avenue, I saw the busy Bellmore-Merrick CHSD Hands-On Craft booth, where I had fun chatting with several friends who are also my former co-workers, including Michelle Gagnon, who's Bellmore Chamber of Commerce's 2010 Community Person of the Year. Michelle seemed to have eyes in the back of her head as she helped make sure the many activities ran smoothly. Here's a cute "cat" who had her face painted at the booth:

Our Merrick community is served by strong local media, including Merrick Herald, Merrick Life, and MerrickPatch, and at the slideshow at end of this post you can see photos of those booths and more. The Herald booth, manned by Editor Scott Brinton and others, had a big, colorful, and very popular wheel one could spin for a free chance to win a prize. While processing these photos, I took a close look at the prizes printed on the wheel, and saw they included a free subscription to the Herald and gift certificates to local businesses. Rats, I should have spun that wheel!

Stopping by The North Merrick Community Association booth, I enjoyed a quick chat with President Claudia Borecky (seen below at right), an inspiring powerhouse who leads one of Long Island's most active, productive, and respected civic associations.

At the Drobbin Chiropratic booth, I saw Dr. Doug Drobbin, the father of one of my wonderful former middle school students. What an unexpected treat it was when Dr. D dialed his cell phone and handed to me, so I could speak with his son who's away at college.

The Pony Ride was a big hit with the very young fair-goers:

The carnival area near the LIRR train overpass had just the right amount of bustling crowds and cotton candy smells. I vicariously enjoyed the colorful rides and can personally vouch for the delicious vanilla ice cream. And in the crafts and gift vendors' section, I found adorable baby gifts (adorable gifts for three adorable babies).

Here's a slideshow from Ann Parry Photography of the fair, including photos of booths and attractions mentioned in this blog post:

all photos copyright 2010 Ann Parry, All rights reserved. Merrick Street Fair 2010

In addition to the Merrick Street Fair, our area also has the Bellmore Street Fair, another great autumn fair. Though there's a friendly rivalry between the two, I enjoy and recommend both of them. Hey, I'm also a fan of both the Mets and Yankees.

Smiles - Ann

Gluten Free Vendor Fair at Long Island, NY

2010-09-05T17:34:00.062-04:00

My family had a delicious time last weekend at the Suffolk County Celiacs' 4th Gluten Free Vendor Fair - the largest gluten-free consumer event in North America.

Suffolk County Celiacs' 2010 Gluten-Free Vendor Fair

Since I must avoid gluten, it was a pleasure to see so many gluten-free products all in one place here on Long Island. My favorite GF food there included the vegetarian pizzas, multi-grain cheese puff snacks, lasagna, and pumpkin seeds seasoned with garlic and onions.

Suffolk County Celiacs 4th Gluten Free Vendor Fair, Long Island, NY

The rest of my family - both those who do and do not need to eat gluten free for health reasons - also enjoyed a wide variety of delicious bagels, muffins, cookies, and more.

Suffolk County Celiacs 2010 Gluten Free Vendor Fair, Long Island, NY

Please enjoy this Ann Parry Photography slideshow of the fair:

The Suffolk County Celiacs' 4th Gluten-Free Vendors Fair was a tasty and informative event, thanks to lots of planning and hard work by SCC members and the friendly gluten free vendors who came from throughout New York and other states.

Here are my older daughter and son-in-law with (at right) Craig Pinto - the NJ Revolution Arena football kicker - at Suffolk County Celiacs' Long Island Gluten-Free Vendor Fair:

Keith & Sue with Craig Pinto (NJ Revolution Arena football) at L. I. Gluten-Free Vendor Fair

Angel in Long Island

2010-08-20T17:51:00.085-04:00

Fishermen and joggers saw an angel on the south shore of Long Island earlier this month. Here she is close up:


The Angel ~ © 2010 Ann Parry, All rights reserved ~ RM license available.

purchase commercial RM license usage for Angel Photos on Alamy

It all started when Lizzie was in town on a promising summer day for a golden-hour photo shoot - quite the difference from our last dusk shoot, which was well below freezing. So we gathered wardrobe and packed up gear, including Nikon D700 and D200 in a Delsey Trolley Bag on Wheels, and headed out to the Norman J. Levy Park and Preserve.

A park ranger drove us and a fisherman to the long pier on the other side of "Merrick Mountain." Great! South shore breezes made the photo shoot more comfortable than we expected for August, but they also meant that Lizzie's long brown hair was up in a ponytail much of the time, tied with a gauzy green bow.

Please contact me at email: ann@annParryPhotography.com for information about photo sessions, commissioned work, and fine art photography.

And, as always, you are welcome to visit my online galleries:

general photography: AnnParryPhotography.com
editorial photography: Ann-Parry.com

If You Lose or Find a Pet

2010-07-16T00:18:00.228-04:00

What do you do when you've Lost or Found a Pet? How do you Safely check for news, spread the news, and more?

Cat Found

Well, a friendly white and black female cat, green eyes, about 1 year old*, strolled up to our front stoop to visit our cat Hillary, who was in a cat stroller, earlier this week. Unfortunately, this kitty found near the Merrick-Bellmore border doesn't have a collar and ID tag, so we don't know her name and address.

*Update 7/25: 'Cat Found in Merrick' is Back with Family! (more info near end of post)

If this white and black kitty is a member of your family, please contact us by email at ann@annParryPhotography.com , or send a message at the Contact Me page of AnnParryPhotography.com. We will release her only to her proven owner, so emailing a photo you took of her would be a good way to help show she is your cat.

She is very affectionate, so she is, or was, part of a loving family, which she must miss.
Here is a slideshow:

Check for News - Spread the News

Sad but Important: If you lose a pet, immediately tell your neighbors, and then contact all the public/town animal shelters in a wide area around you. (For ex, I'd contact all L.I. public shelters, starting with close ones.) Because of serious overcrowding, many shelters do NOT have a No-Kill policy, so time is very important!

When we found kitty, one of the first things we did was post "Found Cat" flyers, which include her photo and basic description, in the area.

These are FREE ways to spread the news, and check for news - whether it's online posts, flyers, email, or phone calls - about a lost or found pet.:

Petfinder
Craig's List - Long Island - Lost and Found
Public Animal Shelters, such as Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter
Private Animal Shelters
Veterinarians and Animal Hospitals
News Bulletin Boards at Community Social and Sports Centers, Places of Worship
News Boards at Stores that sell Pet Supplies and more
Websites of your Community and groups you belong to (On my Facebook page, I shared this blog post with photo. North Merrick Community Association posted this on its website news.)
Online Newspaper in your area might run a free Lost Pet or Found Pet notice (Merrick Patch ran my Found Cat notice with photo)

To get your flyers as widespread as possible, contact shelters, vets, pet supply store, and ask if they'll let you Fax them a flyer, so they can print it out and hang it where visitors see it.

Your Safety

Whether you've lost or found a pet, protect your safety and guard against scams meant to get your money.

If you create a separate email account to use on flyer and online ad, you can avoid posting any personal information. Make an email address that is easy for someone to remember or copy down correctly.

Do not agree to pay to have your pet shipped back to you. In fact, if you lost your pet, do NOT send money in any form for any reason.

Some Tips from the Petfinder.com section on avoiding would-be scammers:

Anything that sounds too good to be true, probably is. (Listen to your gut feeling if something seems wrong, no matter how much you want to believe it.)
Stay local and avoid dealing with anyone who says pet needs to be shipped
Avoid playing into the cruelty of false lost pet responses. Some mean, dishonest people purposely target the sad, vulnerable owners of lost pets.
Do not wire funds, do not use cashier's checks, do not use money orders, do not give out any banking or financial information.

Pet ID Tags and more

Even the most loved and well-cared for cat may magically slip out an open door. That's one reason it's so important your pet wears a collar with an ID tag or have a pet identification tattoo. Pet ID microchips are good extra protection, especially in case a collar with ID tag comes off, but have something visible to the unaided eye also.

Kitty wasn't wearing an ID tag, so during her first visit to Merrick Veterinary Group, Dr. Allison Villa carefully ran the microchip scanner up and down her several times. Like 99% of cats, kitty is not microchiped, but it was definitely worth checking.

Health

If you already have pets in your family, and then find a lost pet, keep them separate until a vet tests for contagious parasites and infectious diseases (and then pet receives medical treatment, if necessary), and finds pet safe to be in contact with other animals.

Update: During kitty's second checkup at the Merrick Veterinary Group, Dr. Allison Villa gave her treatment and medicine for a problem, tested and found her negative for FIV, FeLV, de-wormed her, and gave her a Rabies shot update.

Indoor Cat VS Outdoor Cat

Wondering if your cat should be an indoor or outdoor cat? An indoor cat lives about 12 years, and sometimes up to 20, but an outdoor cat lives an average of only 5 years. This information came from Merrick Veterinary Group, the Humane Society of the United States, Cat World, and Catster:

Dangers for Outdoor Cats

Being hit by a car or other vehicle on street or in parking lot.
Animal Cruelty - Please visit the Humane Society of the United States and ASPCA if you are interested in learning about how to help stop animal cruelty.
Poison - anti-freeze and some types of fertilizer are two of the often fatal poison risks
Other animals (cats, dogs, wild animals) hurting or killing them - 10 wild animals that attack house pets
Infectious diseases from other cats - Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), Feline Leukemia (FeLV), and Feline Upper Respiratory Infection (URI).
Parasites such as fleas, ticks, ringworm
Getting lost and/or getting picked up by animal control.

*Update 7/25/10:

Only a small percent of lost pets are ever found by their family, but here's great news:

We found kitty's loving family - a nearby neighbor we didn't even know had a cat, let along one so precious - and she returned home today. Her name is Patches - how cute!

Patches looks young for her age, for she's around 8. The rest of Patches' story is interesting, even surprising, and I'll post a new blog entry about it. Also, I've updated the original title of this post - "Cat Found in Merrick" - to avoid giving anyone who's lost a cat false hope.

Adopt a Pet

♥ We heard about a wonderful family who wanted to adopt "Found Cat" if her family stayed lost. ♥

Adopt a Pet. Please open your heart and home to a shelter pet. You can click this text to go to Adopt-a-Pet.com which helps you find the animal shelters in your area.

For example, I went to AdoptAPet.com and entered "Massapequa, NY" + chose a distance of "within 50 miles" + selected "Any type of pet" and it listed about 500 shelters on Long Island.

~ ~ ~

Comments: Please leave a comment below, especially if you would like to share a story about a lost or found pet, or if you have info about pet safety or pet adoption.

Duelling Divas

2010-05-14T21:53:00.071-04:00

The Duelling Divas brought Humor to the High C's during their recent concert on Long Island, New York, presented by the Merrick Bellmore Community Concert Association at Calhoun High School.

Sopranos Birgit Fiorvante aka The Baroness and Wendy Reynolds aka La Bouvier, and pianist Heather Coltman aka Paige Turner are beautiful musicians and inspired comic actresses.

My mother and my brother John were opera singers, and I remember listening, from the time I was a very young child, to opera playing on the stereo with Mom singing along. Well, I enjoyed the grand opera and grand hi-jinx of the Duelling Divas in Merrick even more than many Metropolitan Opera productions I've caught in Manhattan.

What great fun it was seeing southern belle La Bouvier parry The Baroness, who went from regal to fierce to deflated as she emptied her jeweled flask, while Paige Turner valiantly, vainly refereed the Duelling Divas during their überspirited jealous rages.

photo © 2010 Ann Parry, All rights reserved. - Paige Turner Refs Duelling Divas

The Duelling Divas concert is a photographer's dream come true, thanks to the colorful costumes and scenery, and the divas' expressive faces and movement. My trusty Nikon D200 with Nikkor 18-200 AFS-VR f/3.5-5.6G zoom lens helped me capture shots from close-ups to full stage views. Before the concert, I asked for their suggestion of where to sit, but I was caught by surprise when The Baroness as viking appeared off stage, flitting from person to person in the front row, so I dialed up the ISO to 1600 and beyond, doing my best to capture her in the extreme low light condition. But I would have been better prepared had I asked about unusual position or lighting situations. Lesson learned, yet again.

SLIDESHOW below - photos © 2010 Ann Parry, All rights reserved - The Duelling Divas

The Duelling Divas have super loyal fans from throughout the country, and quite a few traveled from Manhattan and beyond to attend the concert and then chat with the Divas afterward. For audience members seeing the Duelling Divas for the first time, many said how surprised they were that the three classical musicians were so funny. Others said how they were surprised the hilarious comic actresses were such accomplished opera singers. Brava, Divas!

Jump at the chance to see the Duelling Divas when they charge into your area, but until then you can get an idea of their unique characters' personalities and performances on their website and on YouTube from opera Norma here and WPBF interview here.

© 2010 Ann Parry, All rights reserved. Duelling Divas Bloody Attack in Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor

You're invited to visit my Duelling Divas concert gallery at Ann Parry Photography - http://annparryphotography.com/Concerts/Duelling-Divas/ - to see photos taken the night of the concert.

North Merrick

2010-04-10T17:31:00.171-04:00

I grew up in North Merrick, and members of three generations of our family call it home.

© 2010 Ann Parry, All rights reserved. - Merrick Train Station area in Winter

CLICK HERE to see some of my Merrick photos you may license (RM/RF) on Alamy.com

North Merrick is rich in history, and "Merrick" - which means "peaceful" - comes from Meroke, the name of the local Indian tribe. When I was a young child, my family found Indian arrowheads in the nearby woods and cornfields that later became home and school grounds. (My goodness, I sound a million years old.) The historic Campgrounds, with its one-lane-narrow streets forming a somewhat maze-like circular pattern, was the annual summer meeting place for hundreds-to-thousands of Methodists for decades, starting in the1860s.

photo: Minister's House -
Methodist Episcopal Campgrounds' first building, operated as the Long Island Camp Meeting Association, from 1869 to 1920s.
Town of Hempstead Landmark

© 2010 Ann Parry, All rights reserved ~ Minister's House in Campgrounds, circa 1870

This south shore town of Long Island, New York, has a lot to offer, including - the high-ranking schools of Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, where I was lucky enough to spend my teaching career (mainly at Calhoun H.S., Brookside Jr. H., and Grand Ave. M.S.), and North Merrick UFSD - an easy commute to New York City by Long Island Railroad - and a short drive to famous, awesome Jones Beach.

all photos © 2010 Ann Parry, All rights reserved.

North Merrick is part of the active Merrick Chamber of Commerce, and home to annual events such as the Merrick Fall Festival.

The Historical Society of the Merricks has an annual reading of the Declaration of Independence at the Merrick Gazebo on July 4th.

There are restaurants and unique eateries such as the Mary Bill Diner (an unofficial landmark in an out-of-service train car), The Stage Theatre, the Merrick Cinemas theater, and social, religious, sports, school sports and clubs, service and social organizations, and cultural associations, such as MBCCA, a non-profit concert association my mother was one of the founders of, that has been presenting concerts by national and international artists since 1953.

The North Merrick Community Association is a dynamic organization whose president, Claudia Borecky, and members, along with area politicians who "walk the walk" - Nassau County Legislator Dave Denenberg (D-Merrick), Senator Charles Fuschillo Jr (R-Merrick), and State Assemblyman David McDonough (R-Merrick) - and First Precinct law enforcement, actively work to improve community life in a wide range of areas - such as Cell Antennas on Utility Poles, LNG Island off Long Beach, MTA Cuts, Aqua Water, Criminal Activity, Community Issues, Revitalization and Rebuilding of North Merrick, and Neighborhood Watch. It's also recently started a new tradition, the spring Egg Roll at Fraser Park. NMCA is on facebook, and meetings are held in the North Merrick Library.

© 2010 Ann Parry, All rights reserved. Downtown North Merrick in Spring

And though I love North Merrick, there's room for improvement like any real place. In addition to issues NMCA is currently addressing: (1) it lacks a significant community night life; (2) residents using the LIRR find it hard-to-impossible to find parking spaces after early rush hour in Merrick Station's Town of Hempstead parking lots; (3) it could use a recreation center, especially so teens too young to drive have additional positive, safe public options beyond school-related events.

Want more ways to keep up-to-date about North Merrick? It has award-winning local newspapers - Merrick Herald and Merrick Life , and the online Merrick Patch, in addition to coverage by Newsday, Long Island Press, Channel 1 My Long Island, and News 12 Long Island.

Also, see my hometown photos at the North Merrick gallery of AnnParryPhotography.com
and at www.NorthMerrickCivic.org.

Mohonk Mountain House

2010-03-20T22:55:00.178-04:00

Mohonk Mountain House is a Currier & Ives print come to life....

photos © 2010 Ann Parry, All rights reserved ~ Skating Through Time at Mohonk

Though the Mohonk Tower was a constant, iconic part of the scenery during my years at SUNY New Paltz, it wasn't until many years later that I visited its home on the 2,200 acres of Mohonk Mountain House, a Victorian castle built in the late 19th Century by its Quaker owners, twin brothers Albert and Alfred Smiley, whose descendants still own and operate this National Historic Landmark.

© 2010 Ann Parry, All rights reserved - Icy Lake Mohonk in the Rain

I've now been going to Mohonk Mountain House for over ten years for their mid-March murder mystery weekends, and took all the photos here with my Nikon D700 with ultra-wideangle 14-24mm f/2.8 ED Nikkor lens when I was there with my younger daughter last weekend. Click on any photo or caption to see more photos of that "murderously" rainy weekend.

CLICK HERE to see some of my RM licensed Editorial images of Mohonk

Being avid mystery fans, my friends Carolle and Diane and I started going decades ago to murder mystery dinners and weekends - including in NYC brownstones and Thayer House at West Point. So I guess it was inevitable we'd go to Mohonk's world-famous murder mystery weekends.

© 2010 Ann Parry, All rights reserve - Mohonk's Central Staircase

During my early years going to Mohonk, Joni Paci and Ron Paci presented the interactive murder mysteries. Joni wrote each campy, lively mystery - as she also wrote the successful play "Murdered by the Mob" - and she and a talented and lively group of fellow actors not only presented set pieces at Mohonk's balconied Parlor, but also stayed in character throughout the weekend, notably during the meals in Mohonk's grand dining room with curved walls of sweeping windows looking out over the lake and mountains.

© 2010 Ann Parry, All rights reserved - Parlor for Mystery Scenes

Since one or more actors stayed incognito, blending in as regular murder mystery guests, until the dénouement Sunday morning, it was an extra level of fun wondering who, if any, of our teammates were not who they claimed to be. I tended to be suspicious of everyone I didn't actually drive to Mohonk with. Happily, my hyperactive wariness didn't prevent me from becoming friends with delightful fellow guests from around the country - most especially Cindy and Mel Yoken, Carol, Bonnie - and some of the charming actors.

One of the high points of each weekend was their Authors Panel. Famous mystery authors, such as Lawrence Block, Harlan Coben, Ed McBain, and Susan Isaacs, attended the weekends with their families (Coben's young children were adorable), and on Saturday afternoon would share about their lives as writers and then answer questions in the Lake Lounge.

© 2010 Ann Parry, All rights reserved - Lake Lounge with Fireplaces and Afternoon Tea-"M" for Mohonk?

Friday afternoon during my first Mohonk mystery, an elegant, beautiful woman, with ash blond hair in a chignon, and I sat next to each other in the Lake Lounge during afternoon tea, and when she asked who my favorite author there was, I said, "Well, Susan Isaacs is the only one I'm familiar with, so I'll say her." When I asked who her favorite author there was, she explained that her husband was Lawrence Block, so she better say he is. Yikes! Anyway, I enjoyed listening to Block and Coben so much that I bought their books at Mohonk's gift store, and became a fan of Block's "The Burglar Who..." series, and Coben's sports agent character Myron Bolitar.

© 2010 Ann Parry, All rights reserved - Welcome to the Scene of the Crime

2010 mystery: (see 2011 Great News Update below)

This month, my younger daughter and I went to Mohonk's "Fangs for the Memories" murder mystery. Though she started going to Mohonk mysteries about four years ago, she never experienced the Pacis' hilarious, sparkling productions, since another group, O'Leary and Morrison's Murder Mystery, was presenting Mohonk's mysteries by then.

This year, the number of guests participating was noticeably down. In my opinion, the Detective, who appears above in the first photo, was a talented, major dynamo, while the other actors were given little to do, and he was a great sport about having my wideangle lens inches from his face more than once. Ideally, Mohonk will aim to simultaneously revamp, ramp-up the Murder Mystery Weekend while attracting more guests to participate, which would help re-energize it further.

Newest Update MARCH 21, 2011: GREAT NEWS! Ron and Joni Paci's MurderMystery Inc was back for Mohonk's Murder Mystery Weekend on March 11-13, 2011. It was the first time my older daughter came with us, and we all LOVED it!
Update May 2010: Senior Theme Program Manager for Mohonk Mountain House, Elizabeth Moroney, promptly responded to my email that shared feedback on their Murder Mystery Weekend, and agreed "the next Mystery Weekend at Mohonk needs to meet our guests with a bang!" I'll keep you posted about any good news.

© 2010 Ann Parry, All rights reserved - Mohonk's Magnificent Ice Skating Rink

Mohonk Mountain House has hiking trails, lake boats, lake and indoor swimming, tennis, golf, fine dining, cross-country skiing, ice skating, spa services, horseback riding, and much more. Guests have many options, such as staying for dinner, theme weekends, midweek specials, weddings, reunions, and meetings.

Information: Mohonk Mountain House, 845-255-1000 or 800-772-6646

About me:

Based in New York's Long Island-Manhattan area, I'm a photographer experienced in editorial, portrait, and fine art photography.

CLICK HERE to see some of my RM licensed Editorial images of Mohonk

Interested in Ann Parry Photography photos? Like to know more about my photography services?
Please use the CONTACT page of my website Ann-Parry.com or email me at ann@ann-parry.com.

smiles - Ann

Long Island's Cradle of Aviation Museum

2010-01-24T20:36:00.173-05:00

I've been a fan of the Cradle of Aviation Museum since the late 1980s, long before its transformation from an historic aircraft hanger with displays to a world class museum with its windowed atrium, sweeping stairways, and engaging rooms leading you on a trip through the history of air and space travel.

When you're in New York, be sure to spend a day at CAM on Museum Row in Garden City, Long Island. If you live here on Long Island, an Individual or Family Membership is a great investment.

© 2010 Ann Parry, All rights reserved - 1929 Fleet Biplane

The love of aviation and space is a family affair for me. My dad was in the US Army Air Force, part of the Allied RAF during WWII, and then US Air Force Staff Sergeant. My brother Lou is a physics teacher and astronomy buff. And when my older daughter was around 10, she went to the summer Space Camp held in the Cradle of Aviation's original home - one of the Mitchel Field Aircraft Hangers.

photographer unknown - CAM Space Camp

In more recent years, my younger daughter has enjoyed CAM's special events, including their Legends in Air and Space Lecture Series and shows at the museum's IMAX theater. Update 4/10: And my cousins Ellen and Fred worked for Grumman on the lunar module.

Because the vast lobby has a Grumman F-11 in Blue Angels colors, a 1929 Fleet biplane, a modern EVA astronaut in a Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), and more, it was a spectacular location for my first indoor shoot with a Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 wide angle lens on the Nikon D700.

© 2010 Ann Parry, All rights reserved - Grumman F-11

As dusk approached, casting long shadows on the vast floor, I went from the ground floor, to the 2nd, to the 3rd, to capture the airy structure with its walls of windows and the suspended aircraft from below, then alongside, and then from above.

© 2010 Ann Parry, All rights reserved - Grumman Lunar Module LM-13

The specially lit room with the Grumman Lunar Module LM-13 and astronaut on recreation of moon's surface is one of my favorite displays. Years ago, during my first visit, one of Grumman's engineers who worked on the LEM's heat-resistant material, was there as a volunteer and spoke with my daughter and me about that experience. We were so lucky to get this first-hand account of one of the ways Long Island helped USA astronauts land on the moon!

During the visit last week, I barely began capturing the magnificent exhibits, and I'm looking forward to returning, with and without my Nikon, again and again.

Please visit my Cradle of Aviation Museum photo gallery to see more photos of this awesome Long Island museum:
http://annparryphotography.com/Long-Island/Cradle-of-Aviation/

facebook for CAM: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Garden-City-NY/Cradle-of-Aviation-Museum/1
facebook CAM fan page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Garden-City-NY/Cradle-of-Aviation-Museum/163844411118?ref=ts
twitter for COAM: http://twitter.com/COAM
twitter for IMAX Long Island: http://twitter.com/IMAXLongIsland

Long Island's Norman J. Levy Park & Preserve

2009-12-31T12:23:00.155-05:00

Do you know about Merrick's marshland gem - the Normal J. Levy Park and Preserve? I can hardly believe it took me until this year to start visiting this scenic, fun, and educational park, which is right here on Long Island's south shore, and has been open to the public since October 2000.

During this weekend's 10-minute photo shoot, model Lizzie was a real trouper. She didn't let the frostbite conditions show as I tested out a new wide-angle lens, Nikon AF-S Zoom Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 ED AF, in the pre-windchill 20º winter dusk.

Starting at f/2.8 (around 15mm, 200 ISO), focusing on Lizzie, I then changed to f/8 to improve focus on the face. The Good news: Beautiful dusk colors with White Balance set on Daylight. No frostbite.

My first visit this July, and one of the highlights was seeing their Dwarf Nigerian Goats, who were then 7-months-old. These scamps are tiny - click here, or on photo below, to see them in field with a park ranger who was helping train them to eat weeds as part of the park's ecological plant control.

Update May 15, 2010: Yesterday I noticed two Park Rangers bottle feeding a kid - a tiny baby goat - and it turns out that several mothers gave birth to a total of 9 kids two weeks ago.One kid is a picky eater, so the Rangers supplement what he gets from Mom and his tiny bites of branches, They put all the does and kids inside their shed before the park closes each night, to help protect them from predators. I can't wait to take photos of these adorable tykes.

Then I hopped on a jitney with one of their knowledgeable and helpful rangers, Joanie. Even if you love walking up long, winding roads, for your first visit make sure to take a jitney ride with a ranger, so you can get a scenic, information-packed overview of the park.

As we made our way along the winding path, Ranger Joanie told me about the park & preserve's other conservation efforts, such as the solar-powered lights, including the pier lights, and the windmill at the pond on top of their "Merrick Mountain."

Click here to visit my: Norman J. Levy Park & Preserve photo gallery.

December in Manhattan, NYC

2009-12-21T16:50:00.061-05:00

Shortly before this month's snow blizzard, I spent a colorful Sunday photographing outdoor Manhattan: from ice skaters to war protesters, from Santas to a silver man, from "I Love NY" magnets to billboards as big as buildings.

Because of the millions of lights, much of the time I kept the polarizer filter on the 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 AF VR Nikkor lens, and kept my Nikon D200's ISO at 200.

My friend and I started in the Times Square area mid-afternoon, headed to the big Christmas ornaments at 6th Avenue and 48th-50th Streets, and then went to Rockefeller Center. It was so cold that it took an hour in the NBC store, where I bought a Monk T-shirt, for my feet to defrost. But it didn't matter, for Manhattan looked magnificent, and the countless thousands of fellow visitors coped with the foot-traffic jams with warm holiday good will.

I bought some delicious chocolates at Teuscher, where the salesperson was very helpful about identifying the chocolates, including chocolate dipped apricots for my younger daughter, that were gluten-free.Yum!

all photos © copyright 2009 Ann Parry, All rights reserved
Click on any photo in above Slideshow to see larger version.

Finally we passed through nighttime Times Square as we returned to Penn Station. Dad's an avid Sherlock Holmes fan, so he would have enjoyed seeing the huge billboard for the Sherlock Holmes movie with Robert Downey Jr.

By the way, yesterday I was back in the city, this time with my daughters and son-in-law. But it was the slippery, partly-snowplowed day right right the blizzard, so we saw Cirque du Soleil's Wintuk at Madison Square Garden and then took the Long Island Rail Road home.

Christmas Cats

2009-12-15T22:33:00.122-05:00

Though it can be challenging, I love taking Christmas photos of cats.

Minnie - my most experienced model - is a pedigree Singapura cat, has big green eyes, big ears, short white and sepia agouti fur, and is 7 graceful pounds of love.

The first digital photo I ever took was one of Minnie and her younger sister Daisy playing with each other while nonchalantly draped across the curtain rod of the semicircular window at the top of our cathedral ceiling. They were high, high up and happy, happy kitties.

Unfortunately, that location is no longer available. So, when I recently took Christmas photos of Minnie in her red and green jingle bell collar, I went the DIY route with two large pieces of white foam board hinged at a 90 degree angle for a floor and background, and her green pillow bed was the main prop.

Since I had to use off-camera lighting, which Minnie's not thrilled about, it was a quick photoshoot. Neither continuous nor strobe lights seemed to bother Daisy, who saw the camera as a big fun toy. She loved the camera as much as it loved this adorable 6-pound ball of fluff with BIG green round eyes and big year.

Christmas of 2007 unexpectedly ended up being Daisy's last Christmas, since lymphoma took her suddenly the next year. So her Christmas photos from that year are even more special than usual to our whole family.

Hurricane Hillary, our funny 2-year-old black-and-white American shorthair, joined our family almost a year ago. Until her Christmas photo shoot, here's one of this kitty who loves to zip around chasing after things both visible and invisible. Like Daisy, the older sister she never got the chance to meet, Hillary enjoys having me as her paparazzi.

Claremont Trio Enchants MBCCA Audience

2009-10-31T16:18:00.153-04:00

Our audience fell in love with the Claremont Trio last weekend, October 24, 2009, during their concert presented by Long Island's Merrick Bellmore Community Concert Association at Calhoun High School.

Three beautiful young women - twin sisters Julia Bruskin on cello and Emily Bruskin on violin, and Donna Kwong on piano - played, with passion and technical mastery, Beethoven's "Piano Trio in C minor, Op.1, No 3," Schoenfield's "Cafe Music," and Mendelssohn's "Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 49," and, for an encore, Paizzolla's "Primavera Portena."

Here are Julia, Emily, and Donna, during a quick rehearsal break, with MBCCA's President before the concert:

For the below photo of Emily Bruskin standing at podium as she addresses the audience, I used the Nikon D200, 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 lens at 3200 ISO, f/8, 1/10, Aperture Priority. (Click on photo to see larger image.)

Click here to see brightness brought way up in DxO Pro.

Voilà! an "in the wings" onlooker is revealed.

The Claremont Trio was an enchanting triple treat for MBCCA's Long Island audience. Click here: Claremont on Tour to visit their tour blog, which has lots of personality and lovely photos, too.

Click here: Claremont Trio concert night to see more photos. Enjoy!

Funvention 2009 Candid Photography

2009-09-27T21:40:00.470-04:00

Proof Gallery Photos no longer listed online.

Questions? Please contact me by email:
ann@annParryPhotography.com
or Contact Me page

MY GOAL
is to provide you with the best photos possible in the most pleasant and fair way possible.

Enjoy my quick VIDEO of Funvention. (Click on video to start.)

For More Info
Please send me a message - Contact Me page - for info and help on:

quantity discounts
ordering prints and Canvases in sizes up to 30"x40"
portrait enhancement
cropping photos
ordering in general
Portrait sessions; Event and Party photography

See my photos of children's writer Hilda Principe, at L.I. Funvention 2009, at her official website here:
Magic Hat Grandma

Thank you to fellow photographer Anita Welden for taking photo (at top of post) of me with Nikon, L.I. Hilton, Sept.

Fire Island Lighthouse Photowalk

2009-09-25T03:58:00.029-04:00

Last weekend, our Long Island Photowalk group went to the Fire Island lighthouse and beach.

© 2009 Ann Parry, All rights reserved - Fire Island Lighthouse

We met by 3 PM, walked to the lighthouse, and most of us climbed up the tower. Though fine with heights and climbing, I didn't like the spiral staircase involved (go figure), so I stayed, chatting and photographing, in the museum.

© 2009 Ann Parry, All rights reserved - Fire Island Lighthouse

Then we walked to the beach, and, as sunset approached, headed back to the lighthouse. By the time we detoured to the Observation Deck, where we discussed the upcoming Harvest Moon, stars were overhead. I had a great time talking with, and learning from, fellow photographers, walking in the fresh ocean air, and taking lots of photos.

Above is a short Animoto video to give you a glimpse of the day. At Animoto, you can create videos with your photos and short video clips, and music. It's a fun, intuitive way to make creative videos.

10 Concert Photography Tips

2009-09-19T18:26:00.204-04:00

For concert photography, first things first - check out a Nikon. Because concert photography often involves a challenging combination of lighting and motion, I use Nikon's D200 and D700, which have outstanding high ISO capabilities

10 Concert Photography Tips

1. Plan

Before the event, research the performers if you're not familiar with them, so you have idea of what to expect.

Also, if you must stay in one place, pick the one with best viewpoint possible. Being right in front of a main microphone could mean lots of shots with mouth hidden by mike. If performer has side mainly to audience (seated at piano...), you want to be on the side face is pointing toward.

2. Fellow Photographers

Photographers are learning from, and helping, each other all the time.

Notice where other serious photographers are positioning themselves. If you're shooting digital and are not getting results you like, ask someone for advice, especially if you're using similar cameras. "I'm shooting ISO 1600, f/8...., spot metering on face..., but lots of motion blur," might work better than, "Help! My photos are a mess."

3. Shoot Raw

You want to capture and work with the maximum, best quality digital info possible.

Shoot in RAW
After you drag and drop NEF or DNG files to storage device, import at 16-bit TIFF or whatever the highest, lossless format file is. (I Review in CS4 Bridge and import with DxO Pro more often than LR2.)
Work with the 16-bit TIF, and then after final TIF save, save a 100% JPG.

4. If JPGs

If you're (also) saving JPGS

Set White Balance on Daylight - this way it will retain stage lighting colors, similar to shooting a sunset
If colorful costumes are involved, consider setting color on Vivid

5. Spot Meter

Spot meter on face or light clothing - this will help avoid blowing them out to a white blur.

6. Bracket
Bracketing may help you get right speed + ISO + aperture combo. Aperture Priority is good when close to stage.

Make sure to complete the whole bracket set, to avoid poor exposure for next shots. When bracketing, I generally use small sets of 3 if entire concert is one performer or group.

7. Exposure Compensation

Try Exposure Compensation if you're still getting blown highlights. Remember, though, that Exposure Compensation does not work (has no effect) in Manual Mode, since no automatic setting is involved.

8. High ISO
For camera with strong high ISO capabilities, if 640-1600 ISO simply doesn't do the trick, try higher, even if you normally avoid that because of noise.

9. Listen

Especially when you want to avoid motion blur, pay attention to the rhythm of the music to better anticipate when performer will pause. Plus, performers will tend to hold one or more poses at end of each piece.

10. No Flash (I know you already know this.)

When our friends point and shoot at stage with flash, it could be a kindness to tell them that turning off the flash will help avoid wasting battery power, when flash doesn't reach stage, or getting blah photos because the flash overpowers the mood and color of the stage lighting.

About Me and MBCCA:

The best part of being in charge of publicity for the Merrick-Bellmore Community Concert Association is photographing world-class musicians, singers and dancers, at times starting during rehearsal through to Front Row Photography. They're often with us at Calhoun High School the same week they're in New York to perform at Carnegie Hall or Lincoln Center.

Piers Adams, Red Priest rehearsal ~ ~ ~ © 2008 Ann Parry, All rights reserved

Last year, the electrifying early music group Red Priest presented "Pirates of the Baroque" with dashing, virtuoso recorder player Piers Adams, cellist Angela East, harpsichordist Howard Beach, and violinist David Greenberg.

Click to: my photos on official Red Priest site
Click to: my gallery: Piers Adams' Red Priest.

Last weekend, MBCCA presented the Massenkoff Russian Folk Festival, with charismatic star Nikolai Massenkoff, a soulful baritone, and its talented musicians and dancers, and popular acts included a gigantic dancing Russian bear, and acrobatic dancers with bottles or lit candles on their heads.

Click to: my gallery: Massenkoff Russian Folk Festival
Click to: my gallery: Dancers

Long Island Photowalk - Old Westbury Gardens

2009-09-01T18:40:00.070-04:00

We have a new Long Island Photowalk group! Members and friends from the Wantagh/Jones Beach Photo Walk and Northport Photo Walk groups for Scott Kelby's 2nd Annual Worldwide Photo Walk were all invited. We went to Old Westbury Gardens for our first outing.

© 2009 Ann Parry, All rights reserved ~ Ricky at Pond with Geese

Because rain and lightning were forecast - what else was new this summer? - we considered rescheduling to the raindate, but our co-founder Anita's optimism won out, happily, and the day was dry, hot when the sun came out from the clouds, and quite photogenic. The intricately landscaped grounds were gorgeous with the bright blue skies, with interesting, starlike clouds.

When we arrived back at the pond, we were in a world of magical green light, thanks to the leafy canopy of healthy trees and the emerald water of the pond with geese. To get some idea of how I felt, imagine yourself in the first photo, and then imagine the water, leaves, and light stretching out all around and above you.

© 2009 Ann Parry, All rights reserved ~ Trellis

Little signs identifying nearby plants were scattered throughout the gardens. It can save a lot of research time if you photograph a sign right before or after photographing the plant it identifies. You can include your finger pointing to left if it's referring to plant in photo immediately beforehand, and include finger pointing to right if sign will refer to your next shot.

Unfortunately, I didn't take a shot of any sign identifying stunning purple flowers with colorful, fuzzy, plump bulbs, so I visited any number of botanical and photography sites, and was close to dropping it when a google search of "violet + flower + '5 petals'" finally brought me to: "Would love to identify this Blue Purple Flower with double jointed stamen and slightly furry petals" on Flowers Forum, where ymfoster posted that it was Lasiandra, also known as Tibouchina. Yay!

I was surprised at how sparse the August rose garden was. Then a fellow visitor told us the roses were heavy hit by our summer of endless rain, but were starting to make a come-back.

As for future photowalks, having one during golden hour (p.m.) would be lovely, but many of Long Island's scenic parks and preserves close around 4:00 p.m., so that's for another season. We're open to suggestions.

Updates:
1 - Looks like September's Long Island Photowalk will be at Fire Island Lighthouse!
2 - September 20: we had an fun, eventful LI Photowalk - even for those of us who did not climb the 192 steps of the lighthouse tower. Toward the end of our walk back to the parking lot, the sky was sprinkled with clear, bright stars..

(Not) Speaking Candidly about Lighting

2009-08-25T23:48:00.014-04:00

Here are my plans for off-camera, portable lighting equipment.

Though I'm strongly drawn to candid photography, it's time to deal with how limiting and risky it can be to rely on natural light and on-camera flash for portraits and certain events.

So I've been doing online research on sites such as Strobist, Digital Photography School, The LooneyBin Forum, and my favorite A-B-C photography equipment stores: Adorama, BHphoto, Calumet, and, to double-check, Amazon.

My photo below shows photographers shooting a wedding party in a Manhattan park on a recent cloudy, summer day - with a 9' lightstand supporting their flash and lighting umbrella.

Anyway, this scene shows the kind of portable lighting I could use. I have the Nikon SB-800 Flash, and a 9' umbrella stand that's fine for toting in a car, but a light 6' one would be great for times I don't need more height and do need to get to location by train or subway without tipping over or poking a fellow rider.

This is the equipment I've selected, and now it's time to make sure it will all work together, and then order it.

Photogenic 45" Eclipse Plus Umbrella, Removable Black Cover, with Reflective Silver Backing and Internal White Satin Panel
Manfrotto 6' Retractable 5 Section Lightstand with 5/8" Mounting Stud, Black Anodized
Manfrotto Swivel Umbrella Adapter (Lite-tite)
Stroboframe Bracket Shoe Mount
FOR LATER: Pocketwizard is coming out later this year with new Radio Slaves that offer TTL Flash Control - MiniTT1 Transmitter, and FlexTT5 Transceiver for Nikon cameras - so I plan to wait for them. The ones for Canons are already out.

By the way, a few minutes after I took the above shot, the cloudy skies made good on their threat, and it rained big time for about a half hour. We ran over to a group of small, round tables, each with a big, open umbrella, and pulled chairs as close to the center as possible. Having personal space was no priority at all, and each table had up to a dozen people, all feeling lucky to be seated or huddled under it.

Holding my pocket-umbrella vertically along my side, against the rain slamming in at a strong slant, I looked over to the gently scattered empty chairs where the wedding party had been, and hoped everyone had time to dash in to the nearby restaurant before their hair, finery, and equipment got a bridal shower.

Update, 2009-09: The equipment's arrived, and I'm very happy with it!

A photo that I didn't take

2009-08-24T23:59:00.003-04:00

Now you know what I look like (on a good day) behind my Nikon D200 or D700 digital SLR.

This blog will be a companion for my photography website: AnnParryPhotography.com - and if you got here from there - YAY! That means I did link that site and this blog!

smiles - Ann

thank you to fellow-photographer Bob Chinsky for taking this photo of me last year