The Fauna of Central Park

I've been kinda going mad with my new camera lens. It allows me to take pictures of skittish subjects to which I might not otherwise be able to get very close.

Some of them are prettier than others.

This one was fascinating to me. It was just about the only one of the thirty or so rapid fire shots I took that actually came out well enough that I could — if the urge overtook me, which I doubt it will — actually print and frame. This little guy came out of nowhere and caught me unawares, so I didn't have the chance to set the camera to the automatic "action" mode. Otherwise I might have been able to catch a few more good shots. Still, it was fascinating to see this side of what we otherwise think of as sweet, twittering songbirds. Not so nice to the bugs, are they?

Here's one I never would have gotten with my old lens. This guy had just finished having a little tete a tete with a family that ended up being teases: They kept making like they were going to feed him something, but they never came up with the goods. Imagine his disappointment. Still, he was cool enough to hold still for me while I adjusted my shutter speed and aperture settings. Go figure.

This little fella was just lounging on the grass with his dad, a portly older fellow who, truth be told, looked a lot like this guy, only with a lot less hair. Remind me to get a handsome dog that never looks old, would you?

I spent a good minute, maybe a minute and a half setting up what I thought was going to be a great shot of this empty tunnel along the horse path, near the W. 72nd Street exit, and outta nowhere, this particular park species came flat-footing it past me. So I snapped her anyway. If she wants to sue me for exposing her big fat butt to the world, she's welcome to it. I'll sue her for ruining my shot.

I'm calling this one "Watching the Watcher." I was perched on a rock overlooking the newly renovated playground just south of Sheep Meadow when this guy came up, gave me a collegial nod upon seeing my camera, and then proceeded to snap away. So I did the same to him. Afterward, he came over to me and said, "Since you look like you know what you're doing, would you take a couple of me with the skyline in the background?" Fooled him! Nice Aussie accent though.

This denizen of Sheep Meadow was waiting for his friend to throw him a frisbee. I have absolutely no idea what's up with the meditation hands. Maybe it's some sort of Zen practice. What the heck, right? If Zen can be applied to motorcycle maintenance, why not Frisbees?

Here's something that amazes me about New Yorkers: The packs we carry. Every day, something like 8 million people leave their apartments carrying everything they're likely to need for the day on their backs, since getting home again is going to be such a pain in the ass. Unless, of course, you're rich, or you actually live in midtown. So make that, oh, I don't know, 7 million people.

Okay, I admit it. I just thought this guy was cute. Sue me. Actually, I hung around and watched him and his friends practice their capoeira routines. That's some fascinating stuff. And it reminds me just how out of shape I am, too.

Thanks, guys.