Stella!

"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds"
Canon 5D Mark III, EF40mm f/2.8, f/8, 1/500sec, 1600ISO, 40mm

Winter storm Stella hit NYC yesterday. I had to go to work in the afternoon. The train was deserted. Manhattan was empty of cars and people, very few people were out. I grabbed my camera and threw the 40mm pancake lens on with the intention of capturing some snowy images on my commute. 

Long Island Rail Road M7 pulling in
Canon 5D Mark III, EF40mm f/2.8, f/10, 1/320sec, 640ISO, 40mm

I didn't take my camera out of the bag until I got to the train station. The snow was falling, it was cold and breezy. My camera worked fine, I tried to keep it dry, but it did get a little wet. Putting it in my bag or jacket pocket after use caused it to fog up the viewfinder a bit, so some of the photos I was shooting were basically done blind, hoping that the composition and focused was spot on, and hoping the exposure wasn't blown out or too dark. 

Older style MTA Logo on the rear door of the F-350
Canon 5D Mark III, EF40mm f/2.8, f/8, 1/320sec, 1600ISO, 40mm

The Joyce Theater
Canon 5D Mark III, EF40mm f/2.8, f/8, 1/640sec, 1600ISO, 40mm

Graffiti and Greek Food
Canon 5D Mark III, EF40mm f/2.8, f/8, 1/320sec, 1600ISO, 40mm

Clearing the streets
Canon 5D Mark III, EF40mm f/2.8, f/8, 1/500sec, 1600ISO, 40mm

Penn station was empty for a weekday rush hour time. I wish it was always so empty. 

Tuesday at 5:36p, usually very limited space to walk around the waiting people in the area
Canon 5D Mark III, EF40mm f/2.8, f/5.6, 1/100sec, 320ISO, 40mm

When I got off the train at my station, the lens got some condensation on it, and I failed to notice until I reviewed the photograph of the station and train.  Oops.

condensation on the lens
Canon 5D Mark III, EF40mm f/2.8, f/5.6, 1/160sec, 1250ISO, 40mm

My wife had sent me a text stating that the lights were flickering in the house and half the wall circuits around the house weren't working. And when I got close to home, I noticed a burning electrical smell, with lots of FDNY trucks present. Black smoke was pouring out of a subway grate (not for a subway though). FDNY left, then ConEd showed up with their emergency service vehicles. A manhole cover near the grating popped a short time later, I hear it as I was trying to shovel the sidewalk and driveway. Flames started shooting up, and a couple more pops. We ended up loosing all power a little while later, but ConEd was able to get it restored around 3am. 

Smoking!
Canon 5D Mark III, EF40mm f/2.8, f/8, 1/100sec, 2000ISO, 40mm

Winter Advisory in Effect!

Plow on the Move
Canon 5D Mark III, EF40mm f/2.8, f/8, 1/400sec, 400ISO, 40mm

Here in New York City, we are bracing for the arrival of a blizzard. This winter has been pretty mild, with very little snow overall. The last time we had a lot of snow, well, really the only time we got a lot of snow this winter, was February 9th, though we got a bit on Friday, the roads were warm so it wasn't a mess. 

Confused Blossoms?
Canon 5D Mark III, EF40mm f/2.8, f/8, 1/250sec, 400ISO, 40mm

I was home for the first part of the day on the 9th, so I decided to grab my camera, with the shorty forty lens, and head into the elements to get some snaps of the neighborhood.

Ornate FDNY Call Box
Canon 5D Mark III, EF40mm f/2.8, f/4.5, 1/1250sec, 400ISO, 40mm

All around NYC, there are FDNY call boxes, some also have a NYPD call button, but the majority of them around northeastern Queens are strictly FDNY. There are a few different varieties, I was able to shoot one of the older, more ornate boxes, as well as a more modern one.

More Modern FDNY Call Box
Canon 5D Mark III, EF40mm f/2.8, f/8, 1/400sec, 400ISO, 40mm

Most people were staying indoors, there were very few cars on the road, and the people out and about were mostly working on clearing snow. 

Snow Blower Jealousy from afar
Canon 5D Mark III, EF40mm f/2.8, f/8, 1/500sec, 400ISO, 40mm

Some shops were open, such as the Bagel Club, and as the day wore on, the snow stopped falling and roads were cleared as people resumed their normal lives. 

Greek Food and Butcher Shop Open for Business
Canon 5D Mark III, EF40mm f/2.8, f/8, 1/250sec, 400ISO, 40mm

Hope you stocked up on liquor before the storm!!
Canon 5D Mark III, EF40mm f/2.8, f/8, 1/250sec, 400ISO, 40mm

I have a big event that loads in tomorrow morning, so I really am not looking forward to this storm. NYC Department of Education has already closed schools for tomorrow, but the event is still on! So hoping my commute in the morning will be uneventful and I get where I need to go.