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December, 2005 - One hundred and thirty-nine dollars each. That's what Foxy Travel's deal
was. Included were transportation, two nights at the Trump Plaza,
two buffets, $30 each to gamble with, all tips and gratuities. Such a deal! We've never
gotten excited about putting money into slot machines, it hurts too
much! But, we had a gift certificate and I had my
new Nikon D200 to shoot with. Why not??
On December 27th, Bob and I headed to Linwood to complete the 55
total on the coach that day. Our hostess, Janet, and driver, Josef, laid
out the trip plan. Since I grew up in Linwood and we
hadn't ventured far in our lives, it was not surprising that we knew
others on the bus. It promised to be a fun trip.
I'd never been to Atlantic City and it had been 40 years since Bob
had been there. In those days, there were no casinos. I was looking
forward to some boardwalk, sunrise shots over the Atlantic and night
glitter shots!
The trip was enjoyable on the comfortable coach. I caught up on the
latest Photoshop magazine and pondered my new camera manual. I'd elected
to bring 2 of the 4 lenses, the 17-55 mm and the 70-200 2.8 VR. The best way
to get used to equipment is to get out there and use it! |
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We arrived at 2:00p.m. The Trump Plaza Hotel is impressive with
lots of mirror and marble in the lobby, but Caesar's Palace lobby was
much more photogenic with great statues everywhere and a ceiling that
resembled the night sky. Back to the Trump, our room had a fantastic
view of the ocean. |
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It was cold and breezy outside and we bundled up. The boardwalk was pretty
deserted. As you walk out of the Trump onto the boardwalk and look to
the right, you see the most colorful section. The fake
wild west storefronts, the Safari Cafe theme, the intricate wooden
boardwalk, the modern architecture of the tall hotel buildings framed
with the artistic lower buildings made very interesting compositions.
Seagulls and pigeons were everywhere, as you can imagine, and they also
added to some of the more interesting shots I got that weekend. There
were several warmly dressed homeless that tugged at our heartstrings yet provided
another interesting element. One man, in a wheelchair, had a beautiful
gray cat dressed in a pink sweater, on his lap. She just sat on his lap
and watched the world go by. We put a little something in his bucket and
struck up a conversation with him. He was very congenial and
affectionate towards his feline friend. They seemed to share a mutual
bond. |
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I was excited about being near the ocean. Somehow, the beach itself
wasn't as pretty as Old Orchard or the Cape beaches, but the way the
boardwalk opened onto the beach provided a nice foreground
to some shots. The sunrise also provided me one of the best shots of the
weekend, a shot of the sun rising from the water and gulls silhouetted
against the orange sky.
Coming back from the edge of the beach, I saw the man in the shot above sleeping at the base of a
building on the boardwalk. Thinking about how cold it was and how this
man was braving the elements every night was depressing. We also saw a
young girl sitting near a building who appeared homeless. A young woman
approached her and gave her some money and began asking her how she came
to be there. She encouraged her to try again.. I admire people who try
to help. I admit to being one who is more
comfortable ignoring these depressing scenes. There is also the element
of belief. Are they really in distress or is this a way to collect some
money so they can go on to enjoy their 'hobbies'.
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As we walked the boardwalk and passed the time away with the slot
machines and eating, in the back of my mind I was thinking about the
next morning's sunrise. I didn't see anywhere on the beach that was a
better vantage point than the one I had used that morning. The sky,
the ocean, the seagulls, the boardwalk had all come together nicely.
It was going to be a challenge to find better shots than I already had
but I had to try. We all know new opportunities always present
themselves! |
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And the new opportunity surely did present itself. As I awoke early the next morning it was raining. Not only raining,
it was pouring! I laid down again and almost decided not to go
out. Then I thought, "wait just a minute!" My best shots have
always been in fog, in snowstorms, in rain... I had purchased rain gear
for my camera and knew this was the perfect time to test it out! The
plastic covering totally encased the camera and lens with hand holes for
me to manipulate the camera. I
bundled up, put my 70-200 VR lens on the D200 so I didn't need a tripod.
It was dark outside, even at 7a.m. and without a tripod the VR was going
to be very necessary. My first real test with this set-up! Bundled up, I
headed out the door of the Trump Plaza Lobby. It was pouring!! As I
looked to my right towards the false Wild West colorful storefronts and
saw the very shiny buildings and reflective boardwalk, I was SO happy!
The sky was very dark and all the lights were still on. The colors were
marvelous!! I walked to the middle of the boardwalk. This is the best
shot of that dark morning and it was well worth it! Click on it to see
larger.. I do have the RAW version as well. My camera was set to JPEG
fine and RAW. This is the JPEG version. |
Aperture Priority, ISO 250, 70mm focal length, JPEG
fine, 7a.m. - pouring rain!
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Were we lucky? At the slot machines we broke even. We enjoyed some very
good food at the Safari Cafe and the Trump Plaza buffets. We enjoyed
walking the boardwalk together. Mostly, I was very lucky getting at
least two competitive worthy shots. So, yes, I would say this trip to
Atlantic City was a winner! |
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Michelle
Fontaine |
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