breakfast on the patio
I had come here to Wave Hill this one last time during my spring vacation in hopes to get a better shot of the Dyer’s broom blossoming in the herb gardens, than I had on my last trip here a few weeks ago or so. And to maximize the chance for the best lighting I left the house early enough to get there as early as I reasonably could. This would give me access to sunlight from earlier in the day before the harsh lighting of the midday sun beat down on the flowers from straight above them.
I did leave the house early enough to catch the 9:20 out Grand Central to accomplish this goal. Doing so meant not being able to have breakfast at home before leaving the house. Par for the course, as most all day shooting affairs have me leaving the house before I can eat breakfast.
I was hoping to leave early enough to stop off at Bella's quaint little luncheonette across from City Hall on St. Marks and get some breakfast, but I left out the door too late for that, especially lugging all the camera gear I was in my backpack.
So I decided to catch the bus instead of walking, and maybe stop and grab some b’fast at one of the shops in the ferry terminal. Left too late for that as well, as I had only enough time to stand and wait for the door to open and let us on the boat.
Maybe I’ll have enough time to grab something at one of the eateries in Grand Central Station before the train leaves, especially if the train departs from one of the tracks on the lower level. Nope it was on one of the tracks on the upper level and I had just enough time to purchase my ticket and hop on board. Getting off at Riverdale, I waited for the free shuttle to come pick me up and take me to Wave Hill.
When it came I asked the driver if they served breakfast at the restaurant in the main building. He responded “Yes it opens at ten, and you should try the bacon egg & cheese on an English muffin, it’s delicious.” (He was right).
After purchasing my ticket to enter the grounds, I walked straight to the Wave Hill house & cafe, taking careful notice of flowers and plants along the way for potential subjects to come back to after I had something to eat.
Once I ordered breakfast I picked a table and waited for them to bring me my meal. The last time I was here I ate lunch inside the cafe, as it was damp and little chilly. Those conditions however directly led to me getting that wonderfully sensuous shot in my nature gallery, of that pair of red and yellow flowers in the flower bed right here on this patio a month ago.
Today the weather was the exact opposite, a simply beautiful morning. With only a tiny number of other guests out here with me I had my pick of tables to choose from, and more or less lazily picked one centrally located. As I looked around I noticed sparrows everywhere looking for scraps. But I didn’t want to capture any of them. I saw a cardinal that tickled my fancy, but he never came close or stayed long enough.
After awhile of bird chasing with my eyes I switched to looking around just at the landscape instead. I liked the pansy filled flower pot with the Palisades and GW bridge off in the distance behind it. I just needed the best aperture to create the right mood setting blur to the background, as well as the correct angle to create the best composition.
After I finished my breakfast, which was as tasty as anything I would have had outside of Wave Hill this morning, I turned my attention to getting this shot. I didn’t need to change camera’s, my D500 would do just fine. I didn’t need to change lenses, the 70-300mm I had on there now was perfect. I didn’t have to change tables, this is where I would move to to compose this shot anyway. I didn’t even need to change seats, this one was ideal, talk about the lazy man’s special!
After taking a few shots I thought how great it would be if some birds, even a few boring sparrows that I saw earlier, entered the shot for some added foreground interest – oh now this is too much. Seems there’s nothing they aren’t serving up to their guests at Wave Hill today.
