PBerge Photography

As a photographer, I am always on the lookout for the next great photo opportunity, but I don’t always have my gear with me. Having an SLR with multiple lenses is the best choice for quality and flexibility, but not when it comes to convenience. I have considered purchasing a small point-and-shoot camera that I could always carry with me, but never got around to it. The 3 megapixel camera on the iPhone 3GS just didn’t cut it, but the iPhone 4 steps up it’s game with 5 megapixels, a built-in LED flash, and even an HDR (high dynamic range) mode. Suddenly, the point an shoot camera that I have always wanted is in my pocket, ready to shoot at all times.

We know the hardware is up to par, but as usual, Apple put only the most basic features into it’s native camera app. Luckily, there are some pretty nice camera apps available in the app store, and one that was recently pulled from the store due to a violation of Apple’s crazy requirements, which I will explain later.

First, lets talk about the built in camera app. Just the basics here. Buttons across the top allow you to turn the flash on or off, enable HDR, and flip to the forward facing camera. Tap anywhere else on the screen to focus and set metering. Once focus is achieved, a zoom slider will appear at the bottom of the screen. And below that is access to your camera roll, the shutter button, and the video switch.

Standard Camera App

Like I wrote a few weeks ago, the abandoned Yonkers Power Station was the setting for some of my all time favorite photos and I knew I would eventually make it back there. When I re-posted those pics, I got Heidi’s interest and she really wanted to get into the plant to see it for herself. After starting out like an ordinary lazy Sunday, the itch to get out of the house was hitting us hard and we decided that today was the perfect day to head over to the power plant. Less than 10 minutes in the car and we were there. The view of the plant from the parking lot only gives hints of it’s massive size, but I was eager to take the photo of the outside of the building, which I somehow completely missed on my first trip here.

I waited 3 years to take this shot

The second stop on our Saturday BioBlitz outing was the Cliff Park Trail. Even after hiking half way up the wrong trail, backtracking, and doing it all over again, the panoramic view from the top of the ridge was well worth the effort. The beautiful clear weather made for some amazing views.

Panoramic view of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

This past weekend, as part of a BioBlitz, I had the opportunity to spend some time on the Zimmerman Estate, a few miles south of Milford, PA. I was doing my part to help Heidi and the rest of the BioBlitz team… photographing a few plants, trees, insects and frogs. But my mission was to get some photos of the abandoned buildings on the property.

Area Closed

Sometimes the coolest places are right under our noses. My girlfriend Heidi and I are always on the lookout for the next great place to eat (and drink). When we are at my place, this calling leads us into NYC more often than not. After making her way the almost 2 hours from PA last Friday night, the last thing Heidi wanted to do was get back in the car and head into the city, so I sought out a place that was close to home. From the moment I read about the Popcorn cooked in bacon fat served at the bar, I knew The Tap House, in Tuckahoe was the answer to our problems. Less than 2 miles from my house, I have probably passed this place a few hundred times on my way to and from the gym over the last few years, but have never set foot inside.

After a short wait, 2 seats opened up at the bar and we sat right in front of a beautiful, shiny, chrome bar tap that I knew would make for some great photos. Whether for a self portrait…

Smile for the camera

The day started with a relatively easy drive to midtown, a brief hunt for a parking garage and a short walk to Vintage, our destination for the next couple of hours. Where better to kill some time, than an awesome little bar serving brunch and unlimited Bloody Mary’s and Mimosa’s?

The Bar at Vintage, NYC

It’s been 3 years, almost to the day, since I set foot in the abandoned Yonkers Power Station. My photography style has come quite a long way in the last three years, but some of my all time favorite photos were taken inside that massive crumbling plant, so I thought it was time to revisit some of those shots.

I read about the power plant on a urban exploring photography website and instantly knew that an opportunity like this, so close to home, could not be passed up. I had no idea how accessible it would be, but my friend Bill and I decided to give it a shot on a Sunday afternoon figuring there would be nobody around. We could not have been more wrong. The parking lot adjacent to the plant also happens to be the lot used by a nearby boat launch and the weather was perfect that day. We parked the car and casually walked towards the plant which appeared to be completely fenced off.

As we got closer, I spotted our way in through a large gap in a section of fence that had obviously been used as an entrance for quite a few people before us. The moment I saw it, I knew I was going to be in a photographers heaven. The scale of the plant has to be seen in person to be fully appreciated. Even the ultra wide angle of my 10mm lens could not capture the entire space in a single shot.

Yonkers Power Station

Continue reading

It was my first weekend in Pennsylvania with Heidi. We had explored Yonkers the week before, and now it was her turn to show me around the woods of PA. With cameras in hand we set out to find some fun places to shoot. What could be a better location than some abandoned buildings on a long defunct farm?

Continue reading

I had the pleasure of attending and also being a part of this amazing fundraiser, hosted by the Pocono Environmental Education Center (PEEC), last weekend. From the unorthodox dress code (as the name implies), jalapeno infused tequila shooters, gazpacho which was slurped with a straw, all the way to the iced brownies topped with Pop Rocks, this was not your average boring dinner event.

A little peek behind the scenes.

Continue reading

The time has come for my dragon to be brought to life with some color. I have gotten so used to seeing the outline perched on my shoulder, but I just knew it would be completely transformed once the color was added. Heidi and I were making our way from PA to the city and were sitting in traffic in the Holland Tunnel just 10 minutes before we were supposed to be at the shop. After what felt like hours of traffic, we finally arrived just barely 10 minutes late and it was time to begin again.

After some setup time, the buzz of the machine started up. How quickly we forget what the needles feel like. Multiple needles piercing my skin, hundreds, if not thousands of times per minute. It hurts, but that’s why I’m in the shop. The pain is all part of the process and in reality isn’t that bad at all. The color process for me is far less painful than the outline. It is not a pleasant experience by any stretch of the imagination, and of course the are a few very sensitive spots. The area around the armpit and the breastbone seem to be my most painful areas. It is only fitting that my dragon happens to be gripping into my flesh with it’s claws in those exact areas.

He began on my back, in an area that I couldn’t see. I tried to turn and look, but my head just doesn’t turn that far. I knew what colors he was using, but could not see anything but Heidi’s reaction. Her eyes would light up and she would grab the camera and shoot as Darren worked on me.

Continue reading