The Many Wonders Of Yankee Stadium

Sure, if you're a baseball fan you're likely heading to Yankee Stadium to watch the best team on Earth play ball (the Yankees, of course -- accept no substitutes). But if you're a true Yankee fan, you know that there's more to love about the stadium apart from the fact that it's Yankee headquarters. Need convincing? Try these reasons on for size:

SOURCE: wikipedia.org

i) There are some excellent eats at the stadium - Crackerjacks and hotdogs are all fine and dandy but there's nothing quite like Parm's delectable and filling chicken parm, Brother Jimmy's BBQ's truly wonderful pulled pork sandwiches, or the dry-aged steaks of NYY Steak.

ii) You can hope to be the next Freddy Schuman - Until he passed in 2010, fan and legend Freddy "Freddy Sez" Schuman was the Yankees' unofficial promoter. He was known for banging on a frying pan with a shamrock on it to bring the team luck and for encouraging the team and fellow fans with handpainted signs.

SOURCE: esquire.com

iii) Yankee Stadium was pretty innovative - The old stadium was the first ever three-tiered sports stadium in the country. It was also the first to take advantage of an electronic scoreboard and instant replay monitor (the latter came much later).

iv) Sinatra's "New York, New York" is a bit of an anthem in the stadium - It used to be that Frank Sinatra's iconic song was played over the speakers whenever the home team won and Liza Minnelli's when they lost. Naturally, Minnelli took umbrage and told them to play hers after the Yankees won or not at all. These days Sinatra's version is played, win or lose.

v) It's a gorgeous example of architecture. - The original was an icon of post-modern construction. After its redesign by architectural firm, Populous, the new Yankee stadium pays tribute to the original with a beautiful limestone and granite façade and by retaining the old stadium's recognizable frieze, while being outfitted with the most modern amenities.

These are just some reasons why Yankee Stadium is one of the most amazing places in the planet but perhaps you should really just check it out for yourself to confirm!

Retired photographer Judd Bergman divvies up his time between photography and baseball, specifically New York Yankees baseball. If that's also up your alley, follow this Twitter account to get quick updates on his interests.

Rekindle Your Love For Photography With These Project Ideas

Image source: Dailyherald.com

I understand that there are times in a photographer’s life when creativity won’t seem to flow. There are days when it seems like we’re too slow to capture a good moment or we just can’t see it. When these things happen, I have learned to not let it get to me. To bring back my fiery passion for photography, I make sure to have a personal project on the side. If you want your own project, here are some ideas: 

A photo a day challenge

 

Nothing gets you out of a rut than knowing that you have to get a photo daily. With this project, the possibilities are endless. There’s no running theme and you’re not really required to come out with a photo worthy of a spread in a magazine. Just take a photo of something that catches your interest to fulfill your challenge for the day. 

Pictures of home project

 

Whether you’re living in a suitcase or have set some well-made roots in a city, taking pictures of what makes your current home interesting will give you lots of material to play with. You could take photos of a part of your house, your neighbors, what happens in the streets, and more. You’ll never run out of interesting details to discover. 

Image source: Dreamstime.com

Interesting strangers project

 

Taking photos of seemingly ordinary people while letting them tell their story is a good challenge. I tried this for a few times and the results came out great. I guess photographers work better when they know the depth of the person or the event they’re documenting. This project just brings out the heart behind the art of photography.

What do you think? If you’re up for the challenge, I guarantee that you’ll be inspired to go on and keep taking good photos. 

Judd Bergman’s the name. I’m a full-fledged New York City dweller and dad of three. Now that I have already retired from my job as a travel photographer, I can take my grandkids to see the Yankees play live because I know that the blood of blue and gray runs deep within them, too. This blog has more of my thoughts on baseball and photography.

No More Love? Yankees Jerseys No Longer Popular

For the first time in history, the New York Yankees jersey is no longer a top-selling item at the League’s official online shop for the first half of 2016. Experts say the iconic blue stripes uniform has become less popular because of the team’s recent lackluster performances; a sharp contrast to how the team performed when Derek Jeter was still on their roster. Several other players – mostly from the Mets and Red Sox – made the list, with David Wright, Noah Syndergaard, and Jacob deGram scoring relatively high.

 Image Source: shop.mlb.com

However discouraging this seems, many New York Yankees fans are not worried. Every team suffers its highs and lows, and these last few years have not been our best.

 Image Source: hotstovemlb.com

This doesn’t mean that the Yankees haven’t been playing well; by all means, they are still a superior team. Yet this media-driven society yearns for a superstar. Team cohesion is not as visually exciting as a star player.

It sounds cynical, but all sports go through some sort of media onceover. I am not going to deny that the Yankees are not as great as they once were, but any sports fan would see how rigorous their training is and the quality of their players. There is just something lacking, I suppose. There is no spark, no fire. From my point of view, the Yankees are more a team now with equally performing players. This, I feel, is another factor why no Yankee jersey made the list.

I believe that in a few years and gentle patience, we will once again see the Yankees rise to its former glory.

Hi! I am Judd Bergman, an avid Yankees fan. I am now a retired photographer and spend most of my time writing about my hobbies and passions; most of which I share on this YouTube account.

Monochrome photographs: Tips for black and white photography

Black and white photographs are known for being ageless. They add decadence and dramatic effect to shooting subjects. Here are some tips to achieve staggering black and white photographs:

Contrast, lines, and shapes: The perfect blend of luminance is one of the keys to a good black and white photo. High-contrast lighting can usually boost the boldness of shapes and overall composition. When choosing a subject, choose something that has simple yet strong lines and shapes. The blend of shadows and light makes the shapes and lines stronger.

Image source: techradar.com

Mood and impact: Choose a subject that will be impactful even without their normal hues. For example, a sunflower field scene usually relies on colors to convey happiness to viewers. Shooting it in a monochromatic mode may cause it to lose its vibrant mood.

Use RAW: Shooting in JPEG format causes image information to be compressed which makes it hard to correct problems in the images after shooting. On the contrary, no information is compressed in shooting with RAW which means the photographer has more control over the image's quality later on.

Image source: photopoly.net

ISO and grain: Shoot at a lower ISO (100 or 200) because some cameras generate aesthetically unappealing noise at high ISOs. The desirable film grain effect can be added later on.

Hello there! I’mJud Bergman, a Big Apple resident, a huge NY Yankees fan, and a proud dad and grandfather. I’m a retired travel photographer but I still adore capturing the beauty that life has to offer. For photography and Yankees-related articles, visit my blog.

Captured: How to be a Good Photographer

Image source: Artsatl.com

It’s so easy to be a photographer in this highly digitized world we live in. But to be frank, it’s difficult to be a good one. The competition in the industry is so high that it’s not enough to have just passion. As a photographer, you also need to have an eye for what would sell without compromising your creativity. There are days when I would travel and not really enjoy the places or the pieces that I’m shooting. It’s like being a zombie with a camera. In-demand photographers sometimes operate without sleep and pitchers of caffeine. Does that sound grim? I’m just being realistic.

Realities aside, let’s go back to the ideal. I’ve asked my friends about what makes a good photographer and they said that above all technical skills, he or she must have a keen eye for detail and perspective. Whatever the gadget, a keen photographer will always make a shot work-- even when the subjects are not as cooperative. Another quality they pointed out is pleasantness. We know that some of us are brooding artists, the type who wouldn’t be the first to approach an interesting character at a party, but sometimes we just need to swallow our shyness in order to make others feel comfortable around us. When taking photographs of people, it’s always good to let them feel that the camera loves them. When they feel good about themselves, they loosen up and let their true colors show. That makes for really great shots especially when you’re trying to show a certain country’s unique culture.

Professionalism is also an invaluable trait. The greatest photographers I know are always on top of their game. They have a grasp of the new trends in the field but have their own style. They’re nice to the other people working on set or on the field with them. They know how to set up and take down their own gear. What else? Even if they’re really irritable or tired, they still make it seem as if they’ve got it together.

So...where can I find this guy? This guy’s impossible. Kidding aside, these are the qualities photographers like me are trying to develop. Even if I’m retired, I try my best to keep up with my craft. For me, retirement just means that I am no longer bound to my schedules and clients. This means I have more time to take shots of the scenes that I love.

Image source: Pinterest.com

Welcome! Judd Bergman here, a retired travel photographer. I have already travelled to a lot of different places around the planet. Throughout my stint in this industry, I realized how vast the world is and how small human beings are. All these musings aside, I am a huge follower of the MLB. As a New Yorker, the NY Yankees are my absolute favorites. Follow me on Twitter for more photos and baseball.