Back to Snoqualmie Falls

I continued my trip to Washington state with a return visit to Snoqualmie Falls - about 20 miles east of Seattle. I was last there in 1994. Then you could take a walk down near the bottom of the falls. But these days, it's only viewable from up top. And it's not a bad vantage point. As you can imagine, the site is magnet for families - young and old. And everybody had a camera of some kind. I hadn't noticed the fancy fingernail polish on the lady in the middle picture until I was looking at the shots on the computer.

Scenes From Seattle

It's my first visit to Seattle, Washington since 2004 and I got out and about as soon as I landed from New York. These are just some of the many photos I made in and around downtown Seattle. Water - coming from the sky - or out on Puget Sound are favorite subjects. And the Cascade Mountain range - still snow capped - was not to be missed. My space needle shot was invaded by a seagull. But it turned out to be a good shot. Good thing I wore my rain jacket equipped with a hoodie. And the turtleneck shirt came in handy as well. It rained three or four different times in a three hour period but the showers didn't stop us tourists from snapping pictures.

Finally a Nice Day in New York

It was an 80 degree day with no rain in New York (for a change) and the Yankees' Mariano Rivera became the first pitcher in Major League history to record 1,000 apperances for the same team. Mo is a lock to be a first ballot Hall of Famer. But he still has plenty of pitching to do over the next two or three seasons.

I put my camera on the Pinhole setting (available when you turn the select dial to SCENE or SCN on Panasonic cameras) and took some shots on the Brooklyn Bridge and in the park in downtown Brooklyn. That's where the rose image comes from. The lady in yellow brought her toe shoes for her ballet pose and from the Brooklyn Bridge, you can see the Manhattan Bridge off to the left as people and cyclists enjoyed themselves on the historic span.

Collision of Talent

Upon first glance, this looks bad. Three Yankee players coming together in the outfield. But this is not what it might seem. Instead, it's a celebration. With Brett Gardner (L) Chris Dickerson (M) and Curtis Granderson (obscured) jumping to cap off a Yankees' victory. In fact, most outfielders in the Majors (and at the college, high school and youth league levels as well) have taken to this kind of celebration at the end of victories.

Models, Models Everywhere

Every once in a while, I like to shoot models. And recently here in New York I had that chance. I signed up for The American Photo Magazine model series last year and the nationwide caravan came to NY last weekend. You had all day to shoot different professional models to build your portfolio. Big time pro studio lighting was set up for us - so all we had to do was press the shutter button over and over again. I like shooting tight - aiming at the cosmetics, jewelry and model head shot industry. And I also like to get creative with cropping. Break the rules and have fun with how you crop your photos. There's no wrong way to crop - just the way that appeals to your tastes ... that particular day.

Things To Do On A Motorcycle

This is a series of photos from my files. The event was staged in California a few years ago, but it's still amazing to watch this guys perform their acrobatics at anytime. As you can guess, not all of the riders made clean landings. However the crashes were quickly brushed off and the riders were soon at it again - after a few moments of reflection about what went wrong.

A Spring Day in Bryant Park

After another day of rain and cold, Thursday was much different. It was sunny and warm and those conditions led to plenty of activity in New York's midtown jewel called Bryant Park. And since it's spring, the ice skating rink there has been put away and the grass on the great lawn is nearly ready to be occupied by lunch time sun bathers. On this day - from the top - the twice weekly free yoga sessions are underway. The position in the first photo is called "happy baby." The second picture shows how life continues for the lady walking thru the frame while yoga is happening near her feet. The free table tennis and chess tables were thriving and the spring flowers are in full bloom.