Four Letter Names For Three Things - Ford - Betts - Diva

All of these shots are as a result of my wanderings around the borough of Manhattan.

The first one is of the legendary guitar player, Dickie Betts, who was capping off a three night gig at City Winery in Soho. He played loud enough that I could actually stand on the sidewalk outside the club and hear him - and shoot the picture. The former longtime Allman Brothers Band member sounded in his usual great form.

The middle shot was taken at Diva - a restaurant on West Broadway (which is actually the name of the street. Since Broadway - itself runs north and south. I learned this the hard way).

I was having dinner there and watching the Yankees beat the Red Sox when I noticed all these artists setting up their easels and starting to paint. Turns out - each Tuesday night is open night for painters and after you sign up, you too can go to town. And you get free drinks and can sell whatever you paint right on the spot if anyone is interested.

And the last shot - again in Soho - reminded me of photos I've seen from Cuba. They don't allow many new model cars there so old cars from the 50's and 60's are all over the place and kept in good running order out of necessity. This Ford Galaxie would be quite a prize in Cuba.

The Day in Brooklyn

I didn't start out to photograph different parts and places in Brooklyn and beyond.

My first trip was to the post office. Then to Guitar Center to pick up a song book and some other accessories. Then it was into the Fort Greene neighborhood to eat - a nice plate of brown rice and blackened catfish with candied yams plus a cup of Mexican Coffee all for about $24. Then since in really I needed to walk off that meal - the camera came out.

Picture one is the latest look at the future home of the NBA's Nets who have been in New Jersey for many years. They'll move to Brooklyn's Barclay's Center next year. Seats are being put in place and the glass facade is going up. And yes ... they will put a roof on the joint. Then, as clouds moved in, I took a shot of one of the hundreds of water towers that are all over - in use - in New York City. Next it was a walk down to water front - the Brooklyn Heights Promenade -for a nice sunset shot of the Statue of Liberty. Then, within the space of 10 minutes, the people who light the Empire State Building decided they had the wrong color lamps on and switched from green to red and white to go along with the blue lights on the antennae.

I really only planned to be out of the house for about 20 minutes. But, plans change and in my case, nice pictures are the by-product.

Getting Strangers to Talk

It looks like New York City has come up with giant - air conditioned - salad bowls for people in Times Square to enjoy. Close - they're actually called Meeting Bowls and the installation is designed to promote conversation among strangers - getting people's noses out of their mobile telephone screens for a few minutes. Nothing wrong with that. The bowls are on a spring-loaded base so they move around when you sit in them.

Getting ready for We Win!

Getting these type of sports pictures - called "Jubi" shots (short for jubilation) calls for the photographer to be thinking about being in the right place at the right time AHEAD of time. I was doing the public address announcing near homeplate at Yankee Stadium for this Northeast RBI Senior Boys regional championship game between the Jersey City Yankees and the winners here in blue - the Greater New York Sandlot team. Greater NY came from behind with two runs in the last inning to win 2-1. Just before the game-winning hit, I hoped for this very scene and made sure my camera was ready with the proper setting and that the "burst" feature to fire rapid shots was switched on. I was using my beat-up and soon-to-be-retired little Panasonic point and shoot camera. My vision of this end-of-game scene came true and I think these shots truly show the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat - as the losing pitcher is shown in the second frame standing with his hand to his face in shock. His Jersey City team was just one out away from the title when the rally started for Greater NY.