I’ve envied other photographers for way too long.
There they are in Hawaii, or some far-off Caribbean island, or the French Riviera. They’ve taken the most romantic, amazing, wish-I-were-there sunsets. Of course, I say to myself. Of course these are fabulous. If I were in Hawaii, or the Caribbean, or France, or Italy … my imaginary travel list goes on … I could easily capture the brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows on sand and water that instantly warm our souls. Especially during New York City falls and winters.
Alas, New York is on the east coast. Coney Island, Riis Park, Jones Beach — they all FACE THE WRONG WAY!!!!! They get SUNRISE over the water. It’s too cold. It’s too early. It’s too NOT sunset.
Then a couple of weeks ago, I headed for Red Hook in Brooklyn, planning to test out a new lens and then get necessary dinner shopping done at Fairway.
Have you been to this Fairway? It’s could be a tourist destination. The store is located in a beautiful old late nineteenth-century building that must have been a warehouse, and sits right on the Upper Bay (I looked it up when I realized I was geographically challenged and didn’t know exactly what water I was looking at). In summer, you can sit and eat outside, listening to the waves, watching the boats and birds and ferries. In the distance you can see Staten Island, New Jersey, and the Statue of Liberty. There’s even a cool abandoned trolley and the remains of tracks.
But I digress. We were talking about sunsets and lack thereof on east coast beaches.
It was mid-afternoon, late November, which meant the sun was already heading down. And where was it? OMG, it was over the water, not behind me as I, the directionally challenged one, expected.
Nineteenth-century buildings. Old trolley. Beautiful water. Sinking sun. Who needs Europe or California or Hawaii? We have Brooklyn!
Ellen