New York Daily Photo Analytics

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Back to Our Main Feature


Please understand that I, like most New Yorkers, do love Mother Nature, but the gifts nature bestows and the power she wields often feel secondary in a city like New York.

Additionally, unlike California, the Rocky Mountains, the Pacific Northwest, the coast of Maine, Florida, or the southwest, where someone might move for quality of life and nature's bounty, people live in New York City for culture, work and all the things and opportunities that are man-made.

Often, nature feels like a corporate perk or, at times, even like an irritant, standing between us and what we want. This is a city on the move, and nothing will stop a New Yorker from getting what he or she wants. Or at least trying until his or her tank is clearly empty.

Most New York City residents use a combination of walking and public transportation to get around town. Few of us do more to adapt to changing seasons or weather than change wardrobe - this is one of many reasons why the impact of nature is mitigated. We typically do not shovel snow, salt our own walkways, put on snow tires, rake leaves, mow lawns, water the grass or clean gutters - all the activities that connect humans with nature.

Unfortunately, New York City is not ideally suited for those who want a comfortable ride in a roomy vehicle. That's OK - not everyone is a driven Type A or has the need to be. There are many days when I question the prudence of the self inflicted wounds from voluntary immersion in America's biggest rat race.

Last night there was a brief lightning storm dramatic enough to make many of us look up and say wow. But unlike our country brethren, who may spend a pleasant evening watching shooting stars, we rarely indulge these natural phenomenon for very long. Glancing up to the sky, seeing a spectacular display of lightning complemented by a waxing moon, we acknowledge when nature has spoken. Yes, like any great commercial, we hear you, but now, back to our main feature :)

12 comments:

René said...

Woah! That's some shot!
No post-production tweaking?

naomi said...

I was just heat lightening. Man I miss real weather, sigh.

Unknown said...

Out-frickin-standing! You and Mother Nature both!! Amazing! I could go on and on and on!!! THANK YOU for taking yourself away from the main feature and snapping that moment in time from New York! Totally inspired!

Leslie said...

Really gorgeous, wish I had seen this from my window!

Lynette said...

Wow! That's such a great photo!

Hilda said...

LOL! Love the dramatic sky, but I have to say that I like what you wrote even more. Maybe because I'm such a city girl too. ;)

Jay Wilson said...

Really nice shot - where was this taken from? Keep up the great work!

Mirela said...

Fantastic shot! I've been trying to take photos of lighting, but I usually run away to the safety of my apartment... :)

Annie said...

amazing. well done!

definitely the main event!

Brian Dubé said...

René - I really did catch this - no faking. I quickly realized that no reflexes are fast enough to catch a lightning bolt once seen. So it was just lots of random shots until I got lucky.

Scooter, this too, Leslie, Lynette, Mirela, Annie - thanks much!

Mirela - I'm glad the writing is appreciated. The larger effort is in the writing and story.

Charlestonjoan said...

Wowza! Great photo catch!

Penguin Five said...

Wow, great shot!