Stop the World, I’m Getting Off

Today’s Post by Mildred Alpern

Beyond the blue horizon

Waits a beautiful day

Goodbye to things that bore me—Joy is waiting for me – lyrics by Leo Robin, Richard A. Whiting, and W. Franke Harling.

“Stop the car, stop here!” I repeated to my husband. On a side street in Hoboken, New Jersey, heading home I caught sight peripherally of a figure in mid air. Was that possible? If so, it was a photo opportunity not to be missed. Yes, indeed, with the Hudson River and the New York skyline as a gorgeous backdrop, a freestyle bicyclist flew off of a ramp in Castle Point skatepark.

I had spent the earlier part of the day photographing the river and the skyline, amazed at how tiny the mighty skyscrapers appeared sandwiched between river and massive cloud-filled sky. Even the Empire State building spire failed to make a dent in the cloud cover. The biker’s feat would be icing on the cake if I could capture him for his skill and derring-do. I watched for a few seconds, then called out, asking to photograph him. A high chain link fence blocking clear views encloses this skatepark, but the rider pointed to a close-by entrance to invite me in.

I set a fast shutter speed for his several bike runs, and we checked them together for sharpness, clarity, and background. He even switched ramps so that I could include the NYC skyline. We discussed his love for this sport and the thrills he experiences in spite of bruises sustained in learning and practice. I promised to send him the images including his winning thumbs-up portrait. And I did. But I do worry about him riding helmetless in the blue yonder.

All images were taken with the Olympus E-M5 Mark II and the M. Zuiko 12-100 f/4.0 PRO lens; the skyline at 12mm, 1/200 sec at f/11, -1/3 EV, ISO 400; flight thru air at 25mm. 1/500 at f/4.5, +1/3 EV, ISO 400; portrait at 12mm, 1/160 at f/11, -1/3 EV, ISO 400