A recent traumatic experience had me reassess my commute to work; more specifically, how I transport my dSLR. Instead of carrying my dSLR in a bag designed for cameras, and manufactured for the purpose of protecting that which I so cherish, I kept my camera at the bottom of my company knapsack.

I am hoping to avoid the same setback with the purchase of a camera bag designed especially for laptops/camera; which leads me to my dilemma: With so many brands of camera bags on the market, which is right for me?

Between this Saturday and the opening of the last Star Wars movie on May 19, there will be fans sitting in line in shifts outside of the Ziegfeld Theater on W. 54th Street to secure tickets for opening night and to raise money for charity.

NY Line

There are a number of events planned so read the schedule and you may get the chance to photograph some cosplay (fan-made costumes) action as people walk by on their way to and from work in midtown offices.

They'll be out there day and night for the next three weeks so you have plenty of time to see this dedicated band of film goers for yourself.

The Black Kat collective is hosting the 19th Annual Squatters Mayday Celebration in Tompkins Square Park which will feature a number of performers of all sorts.

Black Kat has been hosting the Mayday event for the past seven years and is planning to use a vegetable oil powered bus to move their equipment around and will use solar power to partially power the amps.

Past years have primarily featured Hip Hop and Dance DJ but this year they are planning more live music acts, political speakers, circus acts, and other performers.

Maria Ferrari, a commercial still life photographer in NYC for over 20 years is offering a four day course on Photoshop Workflow. For those looking to improve upon their post-processing techniques or perhaps learn something new, this course may be right up your alley.

From the site:

What is Workflow?

A step by step procedure to adjust & improve your images in a timely & efficient matter while preserving the integrity of the original whether it be a scan or digital capture.

Learn how to use the power of Photoshop to correct & enhance your images from start to finish. This is not just another seminar about tips & tricks. This class will give you a solid understanding about how to evaluate your image and how and when to use various Photoshop tools.

These classes will be invaluable to anyone from beginner level to advance intermediate, whether working on a PC or MAC. If you want to enhance your images for your portfolio, for your power point presentations at work, or for your own personal family album, this class is for you.

More info on May and June courses can be found at: http://mariaferrari.com/classes/

On Thursday, May 12th we will be gathering for what we hope is the first of many NYC Photobloggers meetups. This will be a great opportunity to meet fellow NYC photobloggers as well as those responsible for getting our site off the ground.

Mark this date in your calendar!

Location: The Magician
Address: 118 Rivingston Street
Date: Thursday, May 12th
Time: 6:30PM ~ whenever

For maps and to RSVP, please visit the event entry at Upcoming.org.

The Harlem Open Artist Studio Tour is a new program that brings you into the studios and galleries of 95 diverse artists in Harlem.

The HOAST is going on Saturday the 30th from 10 to 4 and Sunday the 1st from 1 to 5. There are shuttle busses between the various galleries as the stops go across the entire island east to west and stretch from 106th to 158th. If you just want to walk, there are several clusters of galleries which are fairly close to the subway.

The artists range from painters to video and yes, there are a number of photographers. It can also be a great walking tour of the area.

Information is here:
http://www.hoast.org

A map of the tour (PDF) is here:
http://www.hoast.org/HOASTmapDownload.pdf

If the Acela put the brakes on your DC plans, not to worry. There are several varieties of cherry blossoms abounding here in the heart of Brooklyn. This weekend, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden will open the Cherry Blossom Festival: Sakura Matsuri, with performances including Taiko, Haiku and Folk Dancing, exhibits in Ikebana and contemporary art ("From Nature to Abstraction: Contemporary Views From Japanese Artists") as well as workshops for both adults and children including go, origami and Japanese woodblock carving. Although the cherry blossoms will last much longer, the cherry blossom festival will only last this weekend.

P.S.1, affiliated with the MoMA, is hosting a symposium entitled, The Death of Photography and Other Modern Fables on the Visual Arts. Scheduled for Wednesday May 4, 2005 from 7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m., the symposium is free and open to the general public. Featuring Bill Beckley, Samuel Jamier, Siri Hustvedt, Winfried Noeth, Max Kozloff and Renee Cox, the symposium will discuss the role of the photography in digital society, among other issues. From the press release:

The Death of Photography and Other Modern Fables on the Visual Arts is an anthology of writings that at different points call into question the role of the photographic image in our day to day life, in the media, in digital society, in books, in magazines, in art and journalism, in exhibitions, on billboards, in posters and to a lesser degree, in film.

P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center (map)
7/G to Court Square, E/V 23rd St/Ely Ave
22-25 Jackson Avenue
Long Island City, NY 11101

Continuing our tour of interesting regional locations, we come to Storm King Art Center in Mountainville, NY one hour north of New York City. Located on the Hudson highlands, Storm King hosts works of sculpture on 500 acres of land, ranging from Alexander Calder to Isamu Noguchi to Richard Serra - see the full list of artists. There are trails crisscrossing the center, with ample places to picnic and rest. Photography is encouraged, with the caveat restricting commercial photography. It reportedly takes about two hours to view the works of art, but there is a tram for those who get tired.

Admission to the art center, one of the world's largest open air museums, is $10 and operating hours are Wednesday through Sunday, from 11:00 am - 5:30 pm. On the way back from Storm King, why not stop at Stone Barns in Westchester to dine at Blue Hill @ Stone Barn - I hear the food is fantastic.

Previous Photography trips include Dia:Beacon, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and the Fulton Fish Market.

More Information
Admission: $10
Hours: 11:00 am - 5:30 pm Wed - Sun
Directions