Member Monday Featuring Deborah Monastero
This picture from DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) caught our eye immediately. We love the leading lines and pop of color from the car. It looks like such a quiet scene, but we’re so curious to know more!
Let’s hear from Deborah about the magical moment behind this photo!
About the Photographer
- Hometown: I am from Bohemia, NY, which is located on the south shore of Long Island.
- Years in Photography: I have enjoyed photography for about 15 years and began to take it more seriously about ten years ago once my kids were grown. I am an attorney by trade but truly love photography. I remember reading one of Scott’s books on digital photography about ten years ago and at that point, I was able to take my camera out of automatic and start shooting manually.
- Years as a KO Member: I’ve been a KelbyOne member since January 2018 but a Scott Kelby fan since I read my first Kelby book over a decade ago.
About the Photo:
- Title: The title of my photograph is “Bronco Joe under the Bridge.”
- Location: The location of my photograph is DUMBO “Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass,” which is in Brooklyn.
- Any additional description of the photograph: My husband and I took a spur of the moment drive after dinner to DUMBO during the Pandemic. We took his Bronco, which is featured in the picture and has been in the family for over 4 decades. It’s a 1979 Bronco, which he takes great pride in and has restored many times since his brother originally purchased it in 79. We decided to take Bronco Joe for a ride to Brooklyn and photograph the NYC skyline from DUMBO. However, after we parked the truck and as we were walking to the water, I thought it would be nice to capture an image of Bronco Joe parked where it was, under the Brooklyn Bridge. It was very unusual that we were able to park where we did and, also very unusual that the location was absent of people and traffic. This was completely due to the pandemic—the streets were empty!
- Gear/Software Used: I used my Nikon Z7 and my 14-24 f2.8 lens and tripod to capture this scene. I think it was the first time I tried night photography with the mirrorless. I usually use my D5 for low light situations but thought I would give the mirrorless a try and was happy with the results. I use Lightroom CC to edit my photos.
Describe your creative style in 3 words.
Creative Style—landscape, wildlife, and family.
Tell us about a time you struggled or failed with your photography, and how you overcame it.
I struggle with critiquing my work and am my harshest critic. But I truly enjoy grabbing my camera and venturing out to take in some of nature’s beauty and hopefully being able to capture it in my camera.
What sparked your love of photography?
What sparked my love for photography was getting out and enjoying the journey it has led me on. It has brought me to see so many places and things I would have never visited but for photography, and I have met some amazing people along the way. I love learning and there is so much to learn with photography.
What’s your favorite class on KelbyOne and why?
I don’t think there is any one class on KelbyOne that is my favorite. I have enjoyed watching so many. If I am traveling, I will watch classes on landscape courses. When my grandchildren were born, I watched classes on newborn photography, I thoroughly enjoy classes on lighting techniques, as that applies to all types of photography, if I get a new piece of equipment, I watch classes on that. There are so many classes I enjoy, I cannot pinpoint it down to one favorite.
Connect with Deborah
You can catch up with Deborah and all of her photography-related antics on her Instagram page!
Thank you for joining us for another Member Monday! If you haven’t yet, be sure to submit your photos for a chance to receive a Member Monday feature of your own.
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