Flushing Meadows Corona Park is one of my go-to destinations when I am bike riding in Queens. I recently trooped it out there during a stormy night with hopes that the weather would cooperate just enough to photograph the Queens Museum. Upon arriving and scouting the location for a few minutes, a security guard was not happy to see me for some reason. He yelled, "What are you doing?!" repeatedly, as I walked towards him to assure him that I was only there to appreciate and photograph the museum. He then said, "You are being recorded on camera right now". To which I said, "Ok, that's fine and fair to be honest" as I walked back to my camera undeterred. Why do some security guards treat photographers with such distain? Is it wrong to stop and take a moment to admire architecture?
Another road block was soon to appear, when I realized my camera mounting plate was missing as I began to set up my camera. So I fashioned a semi-level platform by wrapping the top of my tripod with a microfiber cloth I usually carry around. This worked somewhat, but I would essentially have to hand hold the camera with the cumbersome tilt shift lens attached. Luckily my nerves were pretty steady up to about a 6 second shutter as the rain hit me in the face because I no longer had a free hand to hold my umbrella. Finally I was ready to take a photo!
Hope you enjoy the results, let me know in the comments below! And if you have family, or loved ones that work in the security field, please let them know I'm a good guy and mean them no harm. Give them a hug too if they look stressed out.
Designed by Grimshaw Architects, grimshaw.global/projects/queens-museum
For more information and to visit the museum visit www.queensmuseum.org