In New York: Sunday in the park

Today I felt Central Park measured up to my beloved Lazienki Park in Warsaw. It was a day of play and promenades, always against the saffron banners.

Certainly there are critics who feel compelled to knock down the Gates art project. One reader wrote to me and said: "but it's sooo last century!" Maybe. But my reaction is closer to that of a New Yorker, an older woman who stood next to me on the Terrace of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and said: "This is a real happening! I cannot remember when we have had one of those, it's been so long. The measure of its success? That people came and got engaged. Just look at the crowds that are filling the park!"

Swinging up to an orange gate 

In the far northern corner of the park, mud football against a sea of orange

everyone is climbing rocks to get a better view 

Shadows... 

monster shadows! 

gray and yellow 

flying! 

From the Terrace of the Met: orange troop formations. 

In New York: instant makeover!

I am deeply appreciative of emails that came following my Gates posts of the last two days. Hearing from those who are professionally engaged with the arts was especially cool.

I should admit that I am a very basic poster. I do not work with the photos at all (except to crop out some irrelevant edging). And though I toyed with the idea of doing serious photography back in college years and even took a darkroom class or two, to learn what the hell happens behind closed photo-printing doors, photography went the way of so many other careers I have considered and put aside for one reason or another.

So I was thrilled to get an immensely kind pat on the back from someone who has made a career of photography for several decades now and who liked my photos enough to do some basic tricks to improve their lighting*.

I feel like I’ve just gone to a spa for a professional makeover. I like the results so much, that I decided to do a “before” and “after” post. As you can see, it’s worth getting into basic photo-shop technology. I’m sold.

* The makeover was done by Rick Lee. Many thanks!

BEFORE No.1 

AFTER 

BEFORE no.2 

AFTER