"Daniel" - Settings: ISO 200, f/3.5, 1/60 sec, 50mm lens

This is Daniel.  He’s so cute right?  I met Daniel yesterday on my way home from Barnyard, where I was picking up some delicious cheeses for my cheese post.  Barnyard is on Avenue C between 9th and 10th streets and my favorite tree in all of Manhattan is located right on the corner in the little garden on Avenue C and 9th.  It is actually two trees I think… two weeping willows that are so massive, they create this amazing canopy of droopy green dreaminess in the middle of the gritty east village.

After my awesome shopping experience at Barnyard, I walked over to say hello to my tree and to take some photos (which didn’t come out well), when I ran into little Daniel and his dad. I told Daniel this is my favorite tree in all of New York and he told me (in a funny little child-language), “it’s like fireworks – boom! boom!”,  he said as he made big firework gestures in the air with his arms.  I totally get it – they do resemble fireworks – at least when you tap into your imagination.  It was really quite adorable – and added to the magic of the tree for me.

It was hard to reproduce the essence of the tree with my 50mm lens.  A wide-angle lens would be a much better choice for capturing its size and impressiveness.  I’ll have to go back before winter starts with a better lens!  Now I’m signing off… let the weekend begin baby!