Musings from Brooklyn

Back in November 2011, I picked up my Nikon D5000 User’s Manual for the first time. To say I read it would be an overstatement. I recall glazing over the black Arial text; my mind was boggled by the manual’s instructions. At the time, the concepts made no sense to me, the functions sounded complicated; the verbiage may well have been written in a different language. In short, I needed something akin to Google Translate for Amateur Photographers.

A butterfly fluttered around the East Village on a steamy Saturday. It wouldn’t sit still until I snapped this shot.

Now, a few months later, I am happy to share that although there’s plenty yet to learn, I’m much more comfortable operating my DSLR. I don’t think I have looked at my well-tattered manual since early 2012. Instead, I am leaning on the advice of my fellow bloggers.

There are plenty of fire escapes in the East Village. It pays to look up!

A few lovely bloggers have nominated me for awards. I’d like to congratulate them on their awards, and in turn, say thank you for sharing such kind words about mine:

Sandstone and amber for the Versatile/ABC Blogger Award; The Sasu Post for Blog on Fire Award; miramiandmog for the Lovely Blog Award; and Paula Turner (mom)ents for The Inspiring Blog Award

As I am not following the rules per se, I have listed a few more excellent blogs.

VERSATILE BLOGGER AWARD

I’m so excited, and I just can’t hide it…. | Camerahols / Food, Photography & France. This blog makes me laugh, inspires me with its wit, and make me want to take a photography course in the French countryside.

After The Rain « A Certain Slant of Light Photography. The recent series of photos from Sydney are some of the best I have seen.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Movement | Creativity Aroused A beautiful image always accompanies equally beautiful haiku. “…wisps of elegant swirls…”

Stormy Weather « Cornwall – A Photographic Journey. Meticulous with details, this blogger inspires with his photographic perspectives. I love this shot.

BLOG ON FIRE AWARD

Happy Independence Day « 2 Rivers Photos. The HDR shots are always so well done on this blog. This post is an homage to California – a state I also love.

Wimbledon and Coffee Cocoa Cookies | mondomulia. Food shots on this blog are always excellent – so well composed, so light and bright. PS This blogger won a competition by Lavazza and is going to Turin. Congrats!

LOVELY BLOG AWARD

COLOUR ❤ « Arhitektura+. Tastefully curated colourful images. Though the colour wheel has been used to its full extent, the final result is harmonious.

One Shot: By the Water Pump | WITH A HOPE. Beauty and happiness captured during an expected moment in Uganda.

Simplicity… | Helen’s Journal. The pairing of a DaVinci quote with a monochrome photograph is really lovely.

Joy ! « Light touch. Beauty is always captured on this blog. This post is dedicated to a blooming bougainvillea.

Bolsena « paolapandolfini. This photo will make you want to switch on a Cafe del Mar CD, pour a glass of wine, and just look into the horizon.

Beautiful Day in Bangkok « Johnny Wanderlust. I was looking at this photo for a while. There’s so much detail when you look at the clusters of buildings. I really enjoy that about photography. It’s all about the details.

INSPIRING BLOG AWARD

5 Top Tips for Photographing Gardens and Flowers | Random Sights and Diversions. There are always tips and interesting perspectives shared on this blog. This post may be why I took so many photos of insects and flowers over the weekend. (See my top shot)

Daisy – Oh Dai-i-aisy! « Nature’s Place. AMAZING macro shots of winged insects.

stowaway « Strange Bird. The words match the images so well, making this blog always inspiring.

9/11 Memorial: A Taste of Travel. A sensitive post about a part of New York that I have yet to visit. Thank you.