Collection Launch: Urban Exploration
This launch collects three of my passions - the city I live in, the places I’ve been lucky enough to visit and the creatures who have become a linking thread between the two. I've categorized the images into Urban, Nature and Birds though there is cross over amongst all of it. A shot of the invasive Tree of Heaven reflecting in the sparkling coal tar of the Gowanus Canal could happily sit in Urban or Nature. Nearly all of my bird images were taken in major metropolitan areas, many at Green-Wood, a historic cemetery whose layout was an inspiration for the design of Central Park. The wonders of a city, I can be a 20 minute train ride from one of the busiest transit terminals in the country, yet take a moment with a Great Blue Heron, perched atop a cyprus tree.
I hope you enjoy these photos, a glimpse of how I see the places I’ve visited, my city and the creatures in it.
Nicole Vergalla
Work brought me to New York, a city I never thought I’d live in. Too many people, too many skyscrapers, too much rush-rush-rush. Yet in the middle of the bustle there are still surprisingly quiet pockets. Nature persists, survives, thrives.
I live in an area of Brooklyn named after our most recognizable feature - the toxic Gowanus Canal. A super-fund designated site, its industrial past has shaped the neighborhood. Paddling among the coal tar blooms, a night heron might eye you down. Mussels seed in the old wooden bulkheads, doing their best to filter the toxic water before their homes are torn down by progress. I never knew these pockets existed, and now I can’t stop seeking them out.
Your purchase helps these organizations:
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View Bird ImagesI will be donating 10% of the profit from images in the Bird collection to the Wild Bird Fund, NYC's only wildlife rehabilitation and education center, caring for injured, sick and orphaned birds and small mammals 7 days a week.
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View Nature ImagesI will be donating 10% of the profit from images in the Nature and Urban collections to the Gowanus Dredgers.
The Gowanus Dredgers promote waterfront stewardship and engagement through advocacy, conservation, and education. They encourage an understanding of the NY-NJ harbor as a resource for recreation and education as well as a waterway for commuters, tourists and goods.
