TAKING SHOTS

People At Work

2012-02-09T05:39:00.004-05:00

The watch repairman and the ice creme lady.

Inspired by a recent article in Photo District News - a major photography industry magazine - about people at work. I've selected two of these environmental portraits.

The top photo is of a watch repairman who has street-side vending stand in downtown Brooklyn. He was so intent on fixing that timepiece that he didn't notice me quietly firing off a few frames.

My camera is always set on "silent" shutter anyway so he didn't hear me pressing the button as I tried to get the perfect shot with the watch face showing.

The ice creme lady photo is from my files - I shot this a few years ago - but, like ice creme, it's a timeless image. I actually bought the delectable cone she's holding.

But I thought it was such a colorful scene that she gladly posed for a picture ... before collecting my money.

Lenny Kravitz in Concert

2012-01-29T05:49:00.006-05:00

Lenny Kravitz and his longtime guitarist, Craig Ross, put on a show at New York's Radio City Music Hall. It's a homecoming for Kravitz who was born in Brooklyn. This is his first U.S. tour in five years.

From my fifth row seat, I was able to shoot a variety of photos since the lighting was always changing.

Lenny Kravitz made it easy for all of us who were shooting pictures (seemingly every one in attendance!) as he made many broad gestures like this one throughout his two hour performance. It wasn't that long ago that each and every ticket proclaimed: NO CAMERAS ALLOWED.

It was fun to try to take advantage of the multi-media aspects of the concert when Kravitz took certain positions on the stage.

This is one of the risky shots I tried as shooting into that bright light made the auto-focus on my camera go nuts and fight to find a lock-in point. This is one of those pictures that I'll keep trying to make until I get it right!

Me And Our Shadow

2012-01-25T00:10:00.002-05:00

With my camera in the seat-back holder, I looked out the window on approach to JFK and I saw a circular rainbow-like image on the clouds. By the time I was ready to shoot, the image - much to my surprise - changed for the better. The shadow OF THE JET appeared inside the rings. I've flown many a mile in my life and I've never seen this type of pattern on clouds. I have photographed a similar image upon landing. But never have the conditions been right for a cloud reflection - at least, with me gazing out of a window with a camera a few inches away from my hands. ALWAYS have your camera ready for the one-of-a-kind shot.

Coffee With A Flash

2012-01-22T00:23:00.005-05:00

Here are two versions of the same picture. I was recently urged by my college photography teacher to try more black and white. So, in addition to my typical color shot, the black and white picture does - to me- add a new angle to my work. More B&W in the future from me!

I shot five frames of me pouring cream into my cup of coffee. In fact, I was warned by a friend that I might end up with too much cream if I didn't stop taking pictures. But it was worth it when I lucked into a detailed shot of the cream-stream breaking up into three separate balls of liquid as it neared the surface of the coffee.

Up In The Sky

2012-01-16T00:54:00.007-05:00

Big time kite flying was on display in Florida over the weekend at the 15th annual Treasure Island Kite Festival & Competition. Kites of all sizes (including one rumored $5,000 model - the big dog below) were in the sky easily on a very windy day at the beach.

Yes ... this huge dog kite costs $5,000 and as you might have guessed, it was one of the more popular kites at the fest. It might be a better fit at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade because of its size. BTW, that yellow kite is a sting ray.

Since blue is my favorite color, I picked this kite as my "best in show" simply because of its sky-matching hue.

Treasure Island is close to St Petersburg, Florida where I used to live for seven years while I was with the Rays baseball team. Here is a look at the vast variety of kites at the fest.

The strong wind actually made the wrangling the smaller kites a tough job. So it was amazing to watch the kite dancing competition that's staged to the accompaniment of popular music tracks and is judged as one would judge a gymnastics or ice skating competition.

I wanted to make it seem as if a tiny kite was coming out of this guy's camera lens. I just got the right angle and shot quickly.

Passing Time With A Blonde

2012-01-12T01:43:00.005-05:00

In this case - blonde coffee. That's what Starbucks is pushing these days. I passed a Starbucks stand in the Tampa, Florida airport and I wanted to see how the latest, milder blend was being displayed. I don't drink Starbucks coffee, but I was still interested in the hype. I do own stock in the company so perhaps this new choice for devotees will put some extra jingle in my pocket.

Not sure if the name - BLONDE - and the type of coffee - WILLOW BLEND - will attract the biker crowd. Plus, it's decaf. Not the kind of coffee that suggests it's great for all-night study sessions.

I flew to Tampa of an airline I don't normally use. Thus, no TV to help kill time. So here are my magazine choices for the two and a half-hour flight from New York. I didn't get much reading in because my overhead light kept flickering on and off. Very frustrating. But sleep was a good second choice.

Apple's Newest Store ... Location.

2012-01-10T01:32:00.005-05:00

A large amount of space and plenty of potential customers ... here is where Apple has opened its latest store. It's the famous, iconic, tourist mecca that's also known as New York's Grand Central Station. I made this image about 8pm on a Saturday night, so there's not that much traffic on the floor, but the Apple Store (I know ... where's the picture? I didn't take one) was pretty busy nonetheless. Click on the pics for a larger view.

By the way (BTW) here's what the ceiling of Grand Central Station looks like. A few years ago - in 1996 - the sky ceiling cleansing was part of a two year renovation project that brought new life to one of New York's most important locations.

Random Shots From California

2011-12-19T22:07:00.007-05:00

The surface of the downtown Los Angeles Disney Concert Hall reflects light in different ways depending on the time of day. After a brief, but intense rain shower, dark block-like moisture stains - remnants from the rain - remain until they dry.

Here's a wider loook at the stainless steel exterior of the Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles. The Frank Gehry designed building opened in 2003 at a cost of $274 million dollars.

Salt and pepper shakers stand at attention - waiting to spring into action to help people enjoy their food even more.

I don't think this plate would be allowed in many places. But in California it's OK.

I should do a book of the photos I've taken while waiting for a light to change. I actually have found that as soon as I grab for my camera, the light seems to go in my favor much quicker. Try it when you're in a hurry.

Beauty and the Beast

2011-12-16T05:23:00.005-05:00

My first shot is the "beauty" view of this fountain across from the downtown Los Angeles Music Center complex. Great colors - reminds me of frozen pop bars. But when you look at the photo below, you'll see I had to crop out a less-than-attractive parts of the image.

The fountain is located above the ugly "beast -like" parking garage and leaving that part of the image in the frame detracts from the scene created in one's mind when you look at any water display. Whatever that picture is in your head, I'm sure parking structures are not included.

This has nothing to do with the fountain matter but it could fit the "beauty' theme. These ladies were headed to a party in downtown Los Angeles with a 1920's motif. I guess even women had facial hair in those days. They were happy to pose for a portrait.

A Night In Bryant Park

2011-12-13T21:53:00.006-05:00

On my way to Bryant Park to do some Christmas shopping, I stopped to photograph the front of the Main Library that borders the park on its eastern side. The iconic building - opened in 1911 - is a vast repository of learning and one of New York City's most visited landmarks. I wanted something a little different and totally lucked into this shot with the pedi-cab driver and his rig being in the shot. I had put the camera on its 10 second timer and just before the shutter tripped, this guy wheeled into the frame. It's better to be lucky than good! The street light on the left helps add balance to the picture.

The Christmas tree and ice-skating rink at Bryant Park - along with the many pop-up shops that open for the hoiliday season - are big attractions. That's the Main Library in the background.

The Bank of America tower overlooks Bryant Park to the northwest. I like the way the shape of the building reflects light in different ways depending on where one is standing and the time of day.

I'm Not Quite THIS Bad Off

2011-12-08T23:01:00.009-05:00

Two Lessons here: Number one - of course - is always have your camera handy to grab these once-in-a-lifetime shots when they present themselves and Number two: Playing guitar is tiring ... for some. This guy was wiped out after - I'm guessing - a long day of busking (performing in public spaces for money) in and around New York City. I was drawn to this scene by the blue guitar and the not-so-apparent devotion of its owner to it. The thing is tied by some string to his body while he naps. And - what else is new? - the two guys on the right pretty much are ignoring everything except their tiny phone screens as life goes on around them in the subway.

These are MY fingers. I started playing guitar again about three months ago and the ragged condition of my fingertips is the result of hours of practice. If I play too long I can feel some discomfort in them. But for the most part it's a pain free by-product of a new desire to express myself in a musical way.

Brooklyn's Own

2011-12-06T23:55:00.007-05:00

The Brooklyn Borough Hall Christmas tree was unveiled the other night in un-winter-like 61 degree conditions (actual winter-like snow is headed our way later this week.) Thanks to an evening rain, I took advantage of the nice reflective quality of the ground leading to the tree and its historic backdrop. Borough Hall was once the City Hall of Brooklyn when the borough was - in fact - a seperate city on its own many, many years ago.

A closer look reveals the details on the facade of Borough Hall - ribbons and wreaths adorning its face I'll go back to see what it looks like when there's snow on the ground in a few days.

In search of a different angle, I climbed the steps of Borough Hall to shoot from behind the massive Roman columns. The building in the distance is the federal bankruptcy court that we all try to avoid.

If Three's A Crowd ... Four Must Be A Parade

2011-11-27T04:33:00.004-05:00

Here is the best of the four ... yes, four boats that participated in the Third Annual New York City Lighted Boat Parade. The newspaper article I saw talking about this event suggested that up to 20 vessels would be in the water. Perhaps not everybody got the memo or text or tweet. The boats made their way around the East River between the Manhattan Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge (seen above). As usual, click on the picture for a large slide show of the images.

These boats - in terms of shooting decent pictures - are moving pretty fast. So I'm going for the abstract look. The blue lights help to define its basic shape.

Southern California Sights From The Car

2011-11-22T03:54:00.006-05:00

You spend a lot of time in your car in southern California because places are so spread out. It takes plenty of minutes off the clock just to get to where you're going. So out comes the camera to pass the time during traffic jams and this first shot is of an evening at sunset from the Hollywood Freeway.

Cars are a necessary part of the culture out here. Some owners are serious about making a statement while making their way to a destination. This classic Pontiac was zipping along the 405 freeway and I was lucky to get a clear shot on an otherwise crowded roadway on a Saturday afternoon. This car is clean!

Driving on the Harbor Freeway heading east to take the I-5 off ramp (which is on the left), I noticed Cal Trans installed very bright lane markers to help drivers know where the I-5 lane is located.

While waiting for a street light to change, the light in the sky changed and the filtered sun provided the backdrop to the many hundreds of power poles in and around the Los Angeles area.

From and In the Air

2011-11-18T14:10:00.007-05:00

On the ground in Burbank after flying from New York. Palm trees on the left, the sun and blue skies ... yep, California.

Maybe I like the color blue a little too much. Now, my food choices must feature something blue? Who's heard of "naturally blue potatoes?"

The airline graveyard in Tucson, Arizona where retired passenger planes go to sit and wait for a call to get back into action. Or at least provide some parts for other jets.

I'm not sure where this is. Either Utah or Arizona. Anyway, this part of the west looks different from the other Grand Canyon-like types of typography one can see from the air due to its circular appearance.

This looks like the land in and around the Grand Canyon. The angle of sun helps to give this photo - taken from my seat (21A) - some texture. I think this is somewhere over Utah.

The Best of the Week in Florida

2011-11-13T21:14:00.011-05:00

I like variety when it comes to making pictures and it was a good week for that in Florida. This is one of my favorites from the past seven days. I took it in a restaurant while waiting for my food to arrive. This window scene looks like a painting, but it's the view of the side of a house next to where I was dining.

Rolling Stone Magazine's selection of Kaki King as one of their living "Guitar Gods" is right on the mark. She put on a great show in Clearwater, Florida on Wednesday. I'm in the front row of the balcony but thanks to the zoom lens on my little point and shoot camera, I was able to get in close. Check out the length of the nail on her right thumb. I'm pretty sure is a glue-on.

We arrived in the New York area early but thanks to lots of ground congestion, we circled near JFK airport for almost 45 minutes. This is the Atlantic Ocean coast line. The sea looks pretty churned up.

Just before I went downstairs from my 8th floor Tampa, Florida hotel room, I took a time-exposure of I-275. I wanted to get the streaks of lights from the cars while getting some of the golden light on Tampa Bay itself at the top of the frame.

If you continued on I-275 and wanted to head over to St Petersburg, Florida, the freeway leads onto the Howard Franklin Expressway that slices through Tampa Bay.

There was a wedding at the hotel and these ladies were leaving the reception. I caught one of them waving good-bye to the folks downstairs.

While shopping at Target to get some razor blades, I visited a pond in back of the near-by Whole Foods to check on the wildlife. I lucked out a caught this Heron zeroing in on dinner.

From that same pond-side parking lot, this Heron is preening its plumage as it gets ready for our photo shoot.

The week began with the AirFest at MacDill Air Force Base. The Air Force Thunderbirds precision flying team put on a great show.

"One Hot Guitarist"

2011-11-10T02:42:00.007-05:00

Rolling Stone Magazine calls Kaki King a "Guitar God" (the only female on their list to earn such a title.) King - a former New York City subway performer with a unique, percussive, finger-style - played in Clearwater, Florida at the Capitol Theater.

Towards the end of her performance, the fire alarm went off in the Capitol Theater and we had to evacuate to the street - all of us including the star of the show, Kaki King, waited out the surprise delay. One usher said King must be "one hot guitarist" in order for the fire department to show up.

Since photos of guitar players are plentiful, you look for something to make the pictures stand apart from the pack. Any kind of gesture is welcome and Kaki King provided plenty of those moments because she liked speaking to the audience between sets in her aminated fashion.

Kaki King play seven different guitars. Here's a look as three of them - each with a different tuning and sound. The one on the left has 12 strings. The one in the middle has slated frets.

Adding some variety to her show, Kaki King's sound tech, Dan Brantigan, played trumpet while she acompanied on one of her many guitars.

In The Sky

2011-11-07T02:24:00.005-05:00

My latest trip to Tampa, Florida coincided with the annual Airfest at MacDill Air Force Base. My timing couldn't have been better. This show - in past years - had been held in March and when I was here at the time, I was disappointed to learn the show had been moved to November. The show draws big crowds and the highlight - for me - featured the United States Air Force Thunderbirds precision flying team. I put this photo through my special post-production soup (not Photoshop - I don't use it) and came up with something I like very much. Click on the pic to see a larger version - that goes for all the pictures.

A lot of Top-Gun dreams of flying fighter jets are born at airshows like the annual Airfest at MacDill AFB in Tampa, Florida. The start of the show was delayed 35 minutes because the F-16's had to wait until a flock of turkey buzzards cleared the area.

It's awesome to see these F-16 fighter jets fly in formation. These jets - the Fighting Falcon/Viper - can attain a top speed of 1500 miles per hour. Over 4,000 of these jets have been made and 25 countries have stocked their respective air forces with this model.

On The Way To JFK

2011-11-06T01:34:00.003-04:00

As I was - rushing to catch my plane (for the first time in my lengthy flying life, I was the last passenger to board. Thanks to the electric cart lady for "speeding") I stopped for 20 seconds or so to take this shot of the JFK airport control tower and the tarmac activity. Because different types of lights show up differently in photographs. The blue, green and amber/yellow hues lend a painterly air to the scene. Click the pic for a larger version.

On my way - in the airport tram - to the Delta terminal at JFK airport, I was able to see all the way back into New York City and the ongoing construction of the new World Trade Center successor - The Freedom Tower (R). The setting sun provides the colorful background to the Manhattan skyline. Click the pic to see a larger version of this image.

We Could Be In For A Long Winter

2011-10-30T01:41:00.004-04:00

The latter days of October have brought record snowfall to the New York Tri-State area. This calamity comes on the heels of having to deal with an earthquake and a hurricane this year which followed a brutal winter.

I'm really looking forward to an upcoming Florida trip - it'll help me to prepare for the next weather surprise!

The Celebration Before The Storm

2011-10-29T00:11:00.006-04:00

A lot of us in New York were happy to get out of the house tonight to see the fireworks show in honor of the 125th anniversary of the famed Statue of Liberty. Saturday our first - and about eight weeks early - snowfall is due. In the city, about one inch of the slushy stuff - but in the outer reaches of the tri-state area up to 10 inches of snow is expected.

The Empire State building displays my favorite shade of blue. This time tomorrow night, there no way I'll be able to even see the landmark because of the expected snowfall which is heading this way and is just hours away.

What Would You Write?

2011-10-26T23:55:00.005-04:00

The Pop-Up Art installation craze is sweeping the nation ... or, at least in New York. This chalk board was put up for a few hours on a downtown Brooklyn street corner. And, as you can see, people responded with mostly legit answers to the statement: BEFORE I DIE .... (Click on the picture itself to enlarge it and read what passersby wrote.)

Here's a woman who is looking for a publisher. The entry next to her is a sentiment many of us have: To Die Happy. Time will tell about that :-)

Always Look For Pictures

2011-10-25T05:25:00.006-04:00

Even when I have to get dressed up to Emcee a great event like the 20th anniversary of New York's Harlem RBI youth baseball - softball and education organization, I'm still on the look out for pictures. It helps to arrive early before the guests to scout out the scene.

We were located on the upper floors of a building in Tribeca that afforded 360 degree views of lower Manhattan and the Hudson River. I liked the yellowish lights coming from the windows of the nearby buildings. And the water towers are always nice. This is another shot on a 10 second timer with the camera placed on a flat surface.

While at the bar for my ... ginger ale ... I put the camera on the flat surface, put the timer on 10 seconds and got this shot of the array of wine glasses waiting to be used.

And just before we broke up for the evening, this confection was delivered to our tables. I took one bite and one shot!

Guitar Show in Jersey

2011-10-21T05:15:00.009-04:00

One of the great guitar players of all time, The King of the Surf Guitar, Dick Dale, visits Maxwell's in Hoboken, New Jersey and the 74-year-old cancer survivor put on a strong and varied show. Being at the front of the stage provided many of us with ample chances to get great shots. The downside is those of us who didn't buy ear plugs are suffering. Thank goodness for the closed-captioning setting on my TV

A slower shutter speed produced this abstract version of the guitar great, Dick Dale.

Here's my favorite of this grouping of Dick Dale photos. Just enough motion blur on this right hand and the rest of him in sharp focus.

Dick Dale has been performing since the late 1950's and he showed he can put down the guitar and entertain his audience with the harmonica here ...

And the drums later in the set. That's his 19-year-old-son, Jimmy, on the kit. Dale's 40-year-old wife, Lana, travels with him and helps coordinate the post-concert meet and greets with fans who line up to get a T-shirt or buy CD's, DVD's and posters.

Lookout!

2011-10-19T05:47:00.004-04:00

Earlier this summer on a trip to Coney Island, I got off the subway at the giant end-of-the line train station that accomdates several trains. In the main rotunda various artists were commissioned to make the glass-walled place look ... interesting. Here's the result in one part of the vast area. Interesting? I guess. Odd? No question. But at least the place is safe with all those cops around. And the fact that the policeman and the green thing are gesturing with their right hand could have some deep meaning if you give it a lot of thought.

Ghost In The Window

2011-10-17T00:04:00.004-04:00

It was a rainy, muggy night in Brooklyn and as I drove past this clothing store. The mannequin in the moisture-laden window was draped in some unusual light. In fact, this light - and the existing pattern - only existed from a certain angle. The shadow on the right and the actual arm of the mannequin provide an interesting point and counter-point. The flood light is coming from inside the store. Once again, bad weather often leads to good pictures.

Letting Their "Geek" Flags Fly

2011-10-15T05:29:00.005-04:00

It's always fun and a photographic festival when the annual New York Comic Con comes to town at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. As I understand - not being a big comic fan (but they DO produce make some nice graphic T-shirts) - that only San Diego's version of Comic Con attracts more fans and vendors.

Comic fans of all ages, gender and color were out in force for the three day event. After taking in the highly entertaining movie REAL STEEL (it's the story of boxing robots) I showed up near closing time for Friday's session and didn't have to pay to roam around the convention floors.

I bought some T-shirts, nearly lost my wallet and was reminded that people need to have some escape from the sometimes mundane everyday lives by dressing-up as their favorite fantasy characters and hanging out with like-minded folks.

Colorful New York City

2011-10-06T05:08:00.007-04:00

Another time exposure of about six seconds of the fountain across the street from historic Radio City Music Hall.

I really enjoyed ... taking this picture. I did not order this one. But the one in back ...

I'm always looking to put something in front of the moon.

Here is a 10 second time exposure (at ISO 100 on Aperture Priority) of my fork and knife and wine glass stem. They didn't move but the man preparing my roasted beet salad did at just the right time to give the image some life.

Catching a Taxi can be a source of frustration - especially if the car is still moving.

Looking For Pictures In The Air

2011-09-10T03:59:00.004-04:00

VH1 Classic ran four hours of Iron Maiden concerts. I tried to include the TV screen and the window of the plane to include just a hint of the setting sun - if you look hard enough you can see it. That's Steve Harris of The Maiden on guitar. 1/25 secs at 800 ISO f/3.3 program mode.

The control tower at JFK in the late afternoon. I'm sitting in my seat on the plane waiting to take off. 1/200 secs f/ 6.3 100 ISO program mode

Condensation on the inside of my coffee cup. I was able to include the shadow to add to the composition of the frame. 1/5 secs ISO 100 f/3.3 program mode

Looking On With Mixed Reactions

2011-09-05T22:32:00.004-04:00

On the streets of Manhattan I guess you can't expect your audience - a couple and their pink baby carriage for instance - to go wild over your skateboard tricks. Good thing this guy didn't seem to care about onlooker reaction as he worked on his skills while his pal recorded the video evidence. But in the Bronx earlier in the day ...

... there was a much different reaction at Yankee Stadium to the team's top catching prospect -Jesus Montero who joined the team this week - as he hit the first two homers of his career and then took TWO curtain calls to acknowledge the fans' approval. The rookie was acting a veteran as he enjoyed the spotlight in only his third big league game after a successful season in the developmental league at the AAA level.

A Winning Weekend Of Shots At Yankee Stadium

2011-09-04T21:02:00.011-04:00

Lots of people want that ball! Especially the Yankees' Andrew Jones who ran over from right-field in a failed attempt to catch the foul pop-up. If the guy in the middle backs off - Jones makes the play with ease. Oh ... Andrew was running pretty fast and ...

... And he goes over the low padded concrete wall after he failed to win the battle for the ball (he survived his tumble and stayed in the game.) BTW since the foul ball was over the seating area, fans have as much right to the ball as much as the player. Of course, if you prevent your home team from GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES you might not ever live down your lust for a free baseball!

One of my favorite umpires is Tom Hallion. His home plate work especially stands out when he rings up a batter for excessive window shopping (caught looking at a called third strike - the "window shopping" line was a pet phrase of the late Tigers' announcer Ernie Harwell.) Tom twists his upper body violently and yells "strike three!" Last season he forgot the count and went through his strike three gyrations on strike TWO to the Yanks' Jorge Posada who was not pleased the plate umpire lost track of the count.

And after working up a lather calling balls and strikes, Hallion needed to get some sweet relief from a cold towel administered by Yankees' assistant trainer Steve Donohue. It was pretty muggy at Yankee Stadium in addition to being hot.

This is a favorite shot when I can get the ball just before it's caught while the runner is about to touch the second-base bag. The Yanks' Brett Gardner - who leads the majors with 42 stolen bases - is in well ahead of Kelly Johnson's potential tag. The Yankees swept a three game series from the Blue Jays to keep their AL East first place lead

PHOTO INFORMATION: All pictures were shot at 800 ISO (the sun was ducking in and out of the clouds and I wanted to make sure I froze the action with no chance of blur since I sit pretty far from the field.) The aperture/shutter speed combination is F8 at 1/2000

Shooting The Moon

2011-09-02T05:26:00.002-04:00

I was heading to the grocery store when I saw this crescent moon rising about 7 p.m. so I took a couple of quick shots. But the moon can be a "so what" subject without adding something else to the frame to add interest. And when I saw this building with its perfect frame of an opening, I just positioned myself so the moon was in the right spot and I took the shot. Always look to add a twist to subjects that are constantly being photographed

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

2011-08-31T00:47:00.005-04:00

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

2011-08-23T07:00:00.007-04:00

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

2011-08-18T01:15:00.007-04:00

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!

2011-08-02T00:51:00.007-04:00

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.

More McCartney

2011-07-19T20:58:00.003-04:00

Paul McCartney performed in New York at Yankee Stadium last Friday and Saturday and during his nearly three hour long concerts, his drummer, Abe Laboriel Jr., kept the beat with his well known physicality. Abe is a big man and one can't help but admire his ability and enthusiasm. Abe, of course, is no Ringo Starr, but he's been playing behind McCartney (and Sting, Steve Vai and many other heavyweight artists) for many years. And he's carved out his own identity as a top performer in his own right.

Paul McCartney at Yankee Stadium

2011-07-18T21:48:00.004-04:00

Yankee Stadium was the site of two Paul McCartney concerts over the weekend. I last saw him perform at a Super Bowl Halftime Show several years ago and I knew - even from that brief performance at the football game - that he'd put on an outstanding full scale gig. And did he ever! Almost three hours on stage each night and the second night, he invited music legend Billie Joel, to join him for the first of two encores. Sir Paul is 69 years old but he still is vital and vibrant on stage - and he's getting ready to be married for a third time so there's no reason to stop putting on shows.

Cooling Off

2011-07-18T10:46:00.005-04:00

I found this scene at the Lincoln Center fountain on Saturday during the mid-day. It was about 87 degrees but it felt much cooler in front of the water. I liked the photo in sepia tone better than color.

Not A Jumper

2011-07-11T01:52:00.002-04:00

Some people just are not happy with standing on the ground and posing for a photo on New York's iconic Brooklyn Bridge. This young woman thought it was a good idea to actually climb onto the steel ledge and hang among the support wires to create a unique picture. I have no idea what the man is doing.

4th of July Fireworks

2011-07-05T01:51:00.007-04:00

We were treated to a great sunset about one hour before the giant Macy's fireworks show - the largest in the USA - fired off its first colorful blast. We walked the streets of Manhattan's west side to get to one of the many viewing areas open to the general public. All together there were five barges of fireworks spread out on the Hudson River and we were treated to a vast array of fireworks in different colors, shapes and sizes.

The Fly

2011-06-29T02:50:00.004-04:00

As I was preparing for my game - going over the script of announcements for the Yanks-Brewers contest - this fly landed and simply started walking around. It must have been tired because it refused to fly off even though I waved my hand at it very closely. So ... I took a photo. The first picture is a cropped version of the second one. If you've ever wondered what a fly looks like up close then here ya go.

On Display

2011-06-25T01:44:00.007-04:00

This bike - parked at the base of the staircase leading up to the walking path under the Brooklyn Bridge - is covered in a colorful kind of crochet. It must have taken hours to get the shapes right because it appears to be a custom fit. The bike sits there day after day and no one touches it because it's art and you don't mess with art. The white lights that look like they're shooting out of the seat and handlebars are actually a lighting sculpture on the ceiling of the overpass. This is a time exposure - no flash was used - of 8 seconds on aperture-priority with the camera sitting on the ground.

2011-06-24T01:25:00.004-04:00

More wet weather in New York led to a very low ceiling of clouds over Manhattan and the iconic Empire State Building. I'm miles away on the Brooklyn Promenade which faces lower Manhattan from across the Hudson River. But with my trusty Panasonic point and shoot camera and the solid surface of a railing, I was able to make some 7 to 10 second time exposures of the unusual sky over the Midtown. Those are the Brooklyn Bridge lights in the foreground of all three pictures. They show up in photographs with a green color cast.

Windows 1

2011-06-23T00:26:00.005-04:00

When I walk around New York - and other places - I like to look at windows (not in them ... but at them.) The shape of the window and how it's dressed for the outside world is often interesting. This is the first in my new series called ... "Windows." It's in Brooklyn Heights which is near where I live.

The Barclays Center in Brooklyn

2011-06-22T00:49:00.012-04:00

I was going to update the construction of Brooklyn's new Barclays Center - the future home of the New Jersey Nets - once a month. I started back in April but found that the place - due to open in September of 2012 - didn't look much different in May.

So here on the first day of Summer 2011, I went back and walked around the entire construction site to get different looks.

The 2nd and 3rd photos show they are preparing the seating foundation in the upper section of the arena. It's right there in picture two under the water tower. The 3rd shot - from across the street upstairs in the mall through glass, shows the seating foundation even better.

Back on the street in picture 4, I wanted to get the overall perspective from Atlantic Avenue with the lights from traffic whizzing by.

Most of these photos were taken on a 5 to 8 second timer and the camera was placed on anything flat and solid I could find (I really should start carrying my small tripod again) so I could use my lowest ISO of 80 to get a steady shot.

In two of the lower photos you can clearly see the famous landmarked One Hanson Place clock tower. The art-deco style building has been around since 1927.

In a couple of months I'll be back to follow the progress of the construction. September 2012 is still a long way off.

In Search of Color

2011-06-19T01:36:00.010-04:00

Out for a walk in Brooklyn and I was looking for colorful things to shoot. I didn't have to go far to find interesting subjects. The ceiling of a DUMBO (which stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) restaurant was very ornate. And light fixtures always catch my eye.

The subway sign is a vintage model that's rarely seen in and around New York these days.

On a warm summer-like night, the steps of Borough Hall are a good place to take a break from the fast-pace of the city. This is about a six second exposure and I'm glad those people didn't move.

The last two shots go together in their amber sort of way. The window light stood out at dusk and the beer tasted good after walking around looking for pictures.

Flag Day: Red, White and Blue

2011-06-15T02:51:00.005-04:00

June 14th was Flag Day in the United States. It was back in 1777 that the powers that be decided we needed our own flag so a resolution was passed. The colors Red, White and Blue were seen all over New York on Tuesday.

In the top image, Brooklyn Borough Hall is bathed in the patriotic light. This landmark has been around since 1834.

In the second shot, the All American image of Babe Ruth of the Yankees is pictured overlooking fans on another rainy day at Yankee Stadium. Thanks to the guy in the blue cap, I'm counting this photo in my Flag Day theme.

And of course, The Empire State Building was the picture of Americana in observance of Flag Day. Only in Pennsylvania is it a state holiday. But Wisconsin is the official birthplace of Flag Day.

New York Scenes

2011-06-14T01:33:00.006-04:00

The first photo is what happens when you grab your camera and move it after 28 seconds of what supposed to be a 30 second exposure of the Empire State Building. I placed the camera on a wide railing on the Brooklyn Bridge and shot back into Manhattan. It looks like an earthquake is going on.

The second shot is of how the Brooklyn Bridge looks (for the next several months) with a portion of the span being refurbished with tin temporary walls and canvas coverings on part of the bridge. This is another 30 second timer exposure. The picture was taken about 11:15 pm.

And the third shot is the moon. It is easy to get this picture hand held because the moon is bright as it is reflecting the sun light. I had to shoot on the low ISO of 80 and two stops under exposed to cut down on the light in order to bring out the detail of the surface of the moon

Found Objects

2011-06-11T21:40:00.007-04:00

If you look for interesting things you can find them in New York ... or wherever you live. In the first and second photos, what you're seeing are expressions of commitment from various couples. The deal is to affix a lock to the Brooklyn Bridge and then toss the keys into the river as a sign of being "locked" together in your relationship. Apparently the trend started in Italy and was popularized in a movie a few years back. It's illegal to place these locks anywhere on the bridge but I don't think any arrests have been made.

In the third photo a colorful umbrella has given its life.

New York at Night

2011-06-09T02:08:00.006-04:00

It was a hot night in New York City with the game time temperature at 90 degrees. In the first picture, Derek Jeter get a little help with his slide from Alex Rodriguez (#13). In the other photos I shot timer scenes (3 to 8 seconds each) on my way home as I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. The famous Empire State Building - decked out in purple and blue for the United Nations World Ocean Day. The still-under-construction Freedom Tower (L) in the footprint of the destroyed World Trade Center and traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge.

Looking for Pictures in New York

2011-06-04T02:50:00.009-04:00

You can always find a vast variety of photos in New York. On this night, I found many different subjects to my liking. The first picture is from an A train subway station in lower Manhattan. The colorful tile eye caught my eye.

In the second photo, I'm standing on the New York side of the Hudson River and shooting towards New Jersey. I don't know the name of the building but I like its red and blue top and the crescent moon is a nice addition.

The third photo is a look at the new Freedom Tower (also known as One Word Trade Center). The tower - on the left - still has about 60 more stories to be built. It's located where the destroyed twin towers of the World Trade Center once stood until September 11, 2001.

Here in picture four is another look at New Jersey from the New York side of the Hudson River. I wanted to use one of the many blue lights along the esplanade as an anchor for the image. And since that shade of blue is my favorite color it was perfect for me to use as an element in the composition.

I had dinner in one place this desert in another. Picture five is a chocolate mousse and a cup of coffee. And the confection tasted as good as it looks.

The famed 4th street basketball courts always have a spirited game going on and here - in the last photo - I isolated the two players as they did battle in the late afternoon sun.

A Visit to the Mount St. Helens Volcano

2011-06-01T03:10:00.006-04:00

I returned to see the Mount St. Helens volcano after last visiting the area in the mid 1990's. The mountain peak was shrouded in clouds for most of the day, but suddenly the sun came out the clouds parted enough to see what's left of the top of the mountain. Most of it was blown off during the eruption of May 18, 1980.

The second photo shows Spirit Lake which amazingly still has thousands of trees clogging its north end. The light colored mass you see in the water are all logs. Those trees were blown into the lake during the eruption.

The third photo is what the mountain looks like from the theater at the Johnston Ridge Observatory which is about six miles from the volcano.

The fourth photo tells the story of the millions of board feet of lumber that were blown to bits during the 1980 eruption. 31 years later, some of those dead trees are still on the ground but new growth is evident in the areas surrounding the mass devastation.

The last photo before the video shows is what happens to a tree when a super-heated volcano blast hits it. The background use to be full of thousands of trees. But as you can see, it's still a pretty bare landscape close to the mountain.

Here's a short video of my helicopter flight to see the still active lava dome at Mount St. Helens. It's hard to see, but there was steam coming out of its top.

Back to Snoqualmie Falls

2011-05-30T04:47:00.009-04:00

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

2011-05-27T03:41:00.010-04:00

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

2011-05-25T22:17:00.006-04:00

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

2011-05-22T20:35:00.005-04:00

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

2011-05-17T23:41:00.015-04:00

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

2011-05-09T04:01:00.005-04:00

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

2011-05-06T02:10:00.007-04:00

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.

One And The Same

2011-04-23T01:03:00.005-04:00

Little did I know that when I took Oakland A's outfielder Coco Crisp's picture - with his son Caden - at a Los Angeles Clippers basketball game last November that I would have a reason to use it here on the photo blog. But recently, the Associated Press ran some shots of Crisp who gave his hair a break when he took his braids out. The result is giant afro that got plenty of attention.

Yankee Stadium Fixture

2011-04-19T01:31:00.003-04:00

Since 1995, this Yankee fan has been coming to games in the Bronx with his hand puppet he calls Jackie "Rabbitson." He entertains kids and adults alike with his creation and lends an innocent air to the sometimes rough and tumble image of baseball at Yankee Stadium. I saw the both of them on the number 4 subway platform located outside the entrance to the ballpark and I just had to take a picture.

Jackie Robinson Night in New York

2011-04-16T02:00:00.005-04:00

The annual Jackie Robinson Day - held to honor the breaking of baseball's color barrier on April 15, 1947 by the late Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers - was held at New York's Yankee Stadium and every other Major League stadium on Friday. All players, coaches, managers and umpires wore Robinson's uniform number 42. The middle photo features (L to R) Andrew Jones, Curtis Granderson and Nick Swisher of the Yankees standing at attention during the national anthem. The bottom photo shows - among others - Robinson's widow, Rachel (R in yellow), his daughter, Sharon Robinson to Mrs. Robinson's right and five members of the famed Tuskegee Airmen who were the first African-American pilots, bombardiers, navigators and support personnel during World War II. The Yankee players are Mariano Rivera - in the center- with the big smile (he's the only player who's allowed to wear #42 during the season since he was wearing the number before it was retired by MLB), Curtis Granderson and on the far right, Robinson Cano whose parents named him after Jackie Robinson.

Rainy Night in New York

2011-04-12T23:04:00.005-04:00

No baseball in the Bronx thanks to a lingering storm that could last for another day. So when there is bad weather that means good photos can be made. The top picture is from the subway platform across the street from Yankee Stadium. The middle and bottom shots are from downtown Brooklyn after I got off the #4 train.

Movie Star

2011-04-08T00:06:00.002-04:00

I took this shot of pro surfer Bethany Hamilton a few years ago when I was based in southern California. I finally have a good reason to showcase it here - she's the subject of a new movie about her life and triumph over having a shark bite off her left arm. Soul Surfer is the story of Hamilton's recovery and return to the professional ranks.

Pretty Shots From The Stadium

2011-04-06T00:45:00.004-04:00

It's early in the season - it's cold - and the light is not the best for action shots from the Stadium. So I looked for something else to shoot and found these two images. The rain clouds are on their way out of the area but they helped turn the skies in the Bronx into an interesting backdrop.

Brooklyn's Latest Project

2011-04-01T23:49:00.003-04:00

You're looking at the future home of the New Jersey Nets NBA basketball team. This is an early peak at the new Barclays Center near downtown Brooklyn. It won't be completed until the summer of 2012 - with the Nets moving in for the start of the 2012-13 season. It will mark the return of the first big time professional sports team to the borough since the Dodgers moved from here to Los Angeles in 1958. We'll have an pictorial update on the first of each month until the Barclays Center is built and ready for games.

Opening Day in the Bronx

2011-03-31T22:21:00.003-04:00

The game time temp was 40 degrees and it got colder and wetter as the game went along, but the Yankees beat the Tigers 6-3 to open the 2011 baseball season. Check out my pre-season (RE: last week in Tampa) baseball segment with the talented Ryan Ruocco.

Mirror Image?

2011-03-26T00:45:00.002-04:00

Whenever I'm St Petersburg, Florida I try to get over to Pass-A-Grille beach to get a shot of the Don Ce Sar Hotel. And - as always - I strive to dress up the scene with people, birds and much to my surprise - a really good sand castle that looks as if it could have been a classic hotel in its day. Thanks to the long zoom lens on my camera all the major elements of the scene are compressed into a tight composition. The sand castle and the hotel are actually about a mile apart.

The Butterfly and The Birds

2011-03-25T00:58:00.003-04:00

It's not every day that I can get a good shot of a Monarch butterfly, but this was my day. It's one of two butterflies that were flitting around the garden where I was walking. Neither stayed in one place very long, but when this one took a brief rest, I was ready. As for the second shot, it looks like the gull is swooping down on the white duck - like it was a possible meal to be taken back to the nest. But it really is a case of the bird flying into the frame just as I was taking a picture of the ducks and suddenly the photo - to the uninformed - takes on an ominous tone.

The Ibis And The Fly

2011-03-24T00:09:00.004-04:00

These two very different subjects were kind enough to hold still for their portraits. The fly landed on a table setting of yellow flowers during lunch at Whole Foods. I was able to get several shots as I kept getting closer and closer without the fly batting an eye. The ibis was on a wall outside of Whole Foods. Its white feathers and curved probing beak stood out nicely from the background of pond water and Lilly pads.

The Sunshine Bridge: Far Away And Up Close

2011-03-21T00:44:00.004-04:00

The Florida Sunshine Bridge is a favorite subject of mine. When I lived in St Petersburg several years ago I traveled across the span many times. It's officially a cable stayed-bridge and replaced a bridge that was knocked apart by a ship. The far away version (top photo) was taken from a rest stop. The close up was taken out my car window at about 80 mph.

"Super" Full Moon

2011-03-19T22:24:00.003-04:00

I went hunting for a full moon tonight - the first of its kind in a while - and I ended up with the moon and a church spire and an emergency runway light at Tampa International Airport to add a different twist. This is the closest the moon has been to earth in 18 years. The rare occurance is called a "Super" moon. As such the moon appears 14% larger and 30% brighter than other full moons. Since the moon is photographed often - a MATURE SUBJECT is what we call such popular targets - it was up to me to find something different and hopefully interesting to place in front of it to make the shots standout.

Double Dip

2011-03-18T03:16:00.004-04:00

The setting sun gives the Tampa Bay Rays' Manny Ramirez a larger than life shadow as he prepared for a game against the Yankees in Tampa. Ramirez is in his first season with the Rays after a rocky 2010 season with the Dodgers and White Sox. Meanwhile in downtown Tampa the UCLA Bruins scored a two point win over Michigan State in a second round NCAA tournament game at the St Pete Times Forum. UCLA's Reeves Nelson (L) attempts a shot over a Spartan defender on the same floor where the Bruins will play the University of Florida Saturday for the right to advance in the tournament.

Rare Sights

2011-03-15T23:25:00.003-04:00

A gull with the moon on its head and a man walking his cat. That's a combo you won't find very often. The bird-moon shot was simply a case of me lining up the duo at just the right spot and the plus was the gull calling out to its buddies at the moment I pressed the shutter button. As for the man and the cat ... he and his wife who are visiting Florida from West Virginia decided to walk their cats near the break water across from a fishing pier. They said they started harnessing the leash to the cats when they were kittens and that the animals are comfortable being walked with it on.

Overhead Art

2011-03-15T01:15:00.002-04:00

I'm a big fan of restaurant lighting fixtures and this photo is the latest in an series on the topic. While having a birthday dinner with friends at Tampa's Kona Grill, I had to get a shot of the giant yellow parasol-like lights that seem to float throughout the space.

Backyard Wildlife

2011-03-13T23:04:00.002-04:00

I'd like to say I traveled to the Florida Everglades to get this shot of a snowy egret who is relaxing by the water. But, in fact, I made this picture in the heart of Tampa at a pond behind the supermarket where I was shopping. What elevates this picture about the norm is that I walked around until I found an element to give the photo a unique quality. That wavey black line in the water is actually the reflection of a telephone pole that was bent out of shape by movement of the surface of the water.

A Day At The Races

2011-03-12T23:32:00.006-05:00

If you're looking for action and colorful scenes it's hard to beat taking photographs at the race track. Here is a series of pictures I made at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Florida. Finding great vantage points from which to get shots is fairly easy at a smaller track like TBD. On this day many upsets occurred resulting in close finishes. The #4 horse in the second photo was able to nose out the horse on the rail. Wyomia beat Devilish Lady to pay $15.20 to its backers. I was not one of them. The jockey in the last picture - wearing braces - looks like he's about 15 years old. The horse in picture three seems to know how to pose for a portrait.

Where's The Fire?

2011-03-11T23:33:00.003-05:00

Here is another entry in my intermittent series on fire hydrants. This one is found on the campus of the University of Tampa in downtown Florida. Had it just been painted all yellow I probably would have passed it up. But the blue cap attracted me to it. However it still needed something to make it stand out. So I got lower and was able to see a frame of flowers and trees that helped elevate the image beyond the ordinary.

All In A Row

2011-03-07T22:37:00.002-05:00

This is the result of a good guess on my part - I had just one shot - and great work by the umpire (Dan Iassogna) and the Yankess' third base coach (Rob Thompson #59) who are both in perfect position to do their respective jobs. Thompson is properly directing the base runner, Curtis Granderson, to slide into the base since Granderson's back was to where the throw was coming from (right field.) The ump, Iassogna, is right over the shoulder of the Phillies' Placido Polanco who was late with his tag on Granderson who shows - by the way - perfect sliding form. So many guys are diving head first (including at home plate as well!) that the art of the proper foot first slide is becoming a lost skill at the Major League level.

A Bug, Two Birds, A Flower And A Smoker

2011-03-07T01:16:00.004-05:00

If you take your time and walk around with a camera, you'll discover a lot of things. That's what I did on a breezy day in Tampa, Florida and I came up with a nice variety of images. The guy below was taking a smoking break while holding up the colorful south wall of the Tampa Museum of Art. The other pictures are a dragonfly at a pond on the University of Tampa campus, a flower from that same pond and a couple of gulls taking in the sights.

Tight Fit

2011-03-06T00:00:00.002-05:00

This Carnival cruise ship is heading out to sea by traversing Tampa Bay in Florida and sailing under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. From this photo it looks like the ship is barely able to fit under the span. And you're right. Check out the video from the top deck as the vessel cruises the underside of the bridge.

The Shadow Knows

2011-03-03T23:35:00.002-05:00

Matt Downs of the Astros (L) and Eduardo Nunez of the Yankees need only to look at the shadow cast by umpire Mark Wegner to know the outcome of an attempted pick-off throw to first base. Wegner is signaling "safe!" This was a lucky shot that I didn't notice until several hours after the game. It pays sometimes to shoot first and ask questions later. You never know what you might get.

Year Three Begins

2011-02-28T23:43:00.003-05:00

This is the start of year three of this photo blog. And I've returned my old neighborhood in St Petersburg, Florida. But this place wasn't there when I moved in 2005. It's the new Salvador Dali Museum. I always like to include people in my pictures of this nature to provide scale to the image and to give some insight into how the surrounding space is used by the public.

Here is a sunset shot of downtown St Petersburg. It's not a big town and this skyline is relatively new. But the big brown pelicans have been around the many years.

The Pier in St Petersburg has always been a favorite subject for me. But this is a different angle from the grounds of the community airport. It took a while for a bird to fly through the frame however I just had to wait a few minutes until the picture became what I wanted.

Baseball's Back

2011-02-27T00:41:00.002-05:00

It's the first baseball photo of the new season and there's a lot going on - by baseball standards that is - as the first baseman of the Phillies, Robb Quinlan, thinks he's tagged out the Yankees' Greg Golson only to be told by the umpire that the pitcher made an illegal move and the runner is awarded second base. The more important news is it was near 80 degrees in Tampa, Florida and baseball is back until late October.

Two Cats - One Head

2011-02-21T03:03:00.003-05:00

Sometimes you can come up with a different kind of photograph by shooting blindly at a moving target. In this case, the cat on the left, Tutt, was frolicking with, Ziggy, the other cat in the picture. I was trying to keep up with them ... to no avail. So I just kept clicking the shutter in their general direction with the hope of getting something. The result is this odd looking picture. Ziggy's body looks like it's attached to Tutt's head. I assure you that's not the case. Thanks to Penny for allowing me to feature two of her "little darlings."

L.A. At Its Best

2011-02-17T22:21:00.003-05:00

Thanks to the use the zoom lens on my Panasonic camera (model DMC-FZ35 check - out the video) I was able to make the San Gabriel mountains far behind downtown Los Angeles appear a lot closer. Zooms compress distance and can mislead the viewer into thinking objects are closer together than they really are. But for my purposes, that's the image I wanted to create. It's so rare to see the mountains behind downtown in the first place given L.A.'s history of smoggy days. So I zoomed in real tight to play up the relationship between the glass and steel of the buildings and the natural beauty of the mountains.

It's Art. Any Objections?

2011-02-17T04:29:00.004-05:00

I visited my most recent former college - Los Angeles Valley College - in time for the opening of an on-campus art exhibit by several members of the school's faculty. Professor Annie Buckley (L) is getting another close look at her creation called FORTUNE COAT. She glued several hundred fortune cookie messages to a coat. Front and back.

Here's a closer look at some of the fortune messages. Buckley said she thought about using staples to affix the strips of paper to the coat, but she said plain old Elmer's Glue was best for the job after all.

Movie Making In Brooklyn

2011-02-13T00:05:00.004-05:00

Many TV shows and movies are filmed in Brooklyn, New York. But this is the first time since I moved to my present location last June that I've seen a crew set up its lights for a production. This is right across the street from my upstairs window and the lights we see here are to illuminate background shots for the main camera and lights that were across the street. I rendered this in black and white because the scene reminded me of those hundreds of film noir movies set in New York from the 40's, 50's and 60's.

Here's what it looks like on the ground and from behind the lights with real - not actors - people and cars going about their business while the filming went on up the street to the left. Those big windows in front of the lights are color correction filters - a light orange - to help balance the light so the camera records mostly white light from the various elements here: street lights, car headlights and exterior lights on buildings.

Scrumptious

2011-02-05T20:56:00.003-05:00

On a cold Brooklyn night, this dessert was a perfect antidote to the chilly conditions outside. It's a hot bread pudding concoction with a side of vanilla ice cream on a bed of cinnamon and caramel. It was served up at the Chocolate Room on Court Street.

What Do You See?

2011-02-03T00:14:00.002-05:00

At first look, it's ice on a tree limb. But after messing with the tint, I turned it into a small frozen aligator.

U.T. Times Three

2011-02-01T02:21:00.005-05:00

If you're a member of the University of Texas Longhorn marching band you have to often wear this outfit when performing. This blog entry again looks at creative editing and I wanted to feature the Texas hats and the contrast of the traditional Longhorn colors and one band member in particular.

Here's the wide group shot - all hats and no cattle - to borrow and old Texas phrase.

But the second photo narrows down the picture to the elements I'm interested in. The hats and the young man on the right who stands out in the sea of burnt orange and white. The fact I can see his entire face and he's looking off-camera adds to the composition.

The third shot zeros in on him. There's no doubt what school he attends thanks to the TEXAS script to his right and the partial S in front of him. Their instruments are down on the ground next to them as they cheered on the Longhorn football team at a bowl game in San Diego.

So one picture can produce three or more distinct photos.

Don't Be Afraid To Crop Your Photos

2011-01-29T21:17:00.005-05:00

This is a throw-back photo from my 2008 files when I was living in Los Angeles. Like many of the pictures on this blog, this was a quick, grab shot: see it - shoot it - and go eat.

But this finished product - after editing - is a great example of how an ordinary picture can be improved with the right crop. The relationship between the dog and his/her owner is much more apparent - and dramatic - in the cropped version (I like her gaze) as opposed to the original shot that shows how much I actually cut out.

I'm not sure what got the doggy's attention - maybe a cop was yelling for it to get from behind the wheel. And this is a story telling photo as well because it looks like the dog actually has its right paw on the steering wheel. But I wanted to play up the relationship between the animal and it doting owner who seems to be saying with her expression that, "You can do no wrong."

Making The Most Of What You Have

2011-01-29T00:55:00.004-05:00

The title of this blog entry refers to trying to create something useful when conditions are against you. In this case I'm talking about the poor lighting inside New York's Madison Square Garden (it's poor for MY purposes - making pictures.) After having trouble getting decent pictures from the recent pro rodeo event there, I was hoping for better conditions for the 104th running of the Milrose Games. Sadly, no such luck. So - as with this shot - my panning skills (moving the camera at the same speed as the moving object) were called upon in order to get at least a portion of the picture in focus while much of the rest of the photo is blurry - due to lack of light.

The top picture is from the evening's very last event, the prestigious Wanamaker Mile. The second place finisher - Bernard Lagat (purple singlet) - was the favorite since he'd won the race 8 times, but he was topped by Deresse Mekonnen.

The middle photo features another second place finisher - pole vaulter Jenn Suhr. I shot about 50 pole vaulting shots and this one was the sharpest and one of the few where I can see her face. In sports photography, if you can't see the face of the competitor you've failed to convey the emotion of the effort. Her position is perfect: the arms are spread just right and her torso and legs are extended showing the strain of trying to vault over 15 feet.

The third picture shows the emotion I like to convey: triumph! Sara Hall is clearly pleased to be winning the women's 1500 meter run. Again, I moved my camera on a horizontal plane as she ran and I hoped my speed matched hers resulting in a clear photo for the most part. And while her left hand and left lower leg are blurry - her face, with that winning smile, is in perfect focus.

19 Inches Of New Snow!

2011-01-27T11:09:00.006-05:00

The weather forecast said we'd get nine inches of new snow - we got 19 instead! These are some scenes taken from the living room window of my home here in Brooklyn. The snow started sooner than expected and lasted longer than expected.

It's been a record setting month of January for the New York City region never before has so much snow fallen in January around here and we're not even halfway through the Winter season which has seen 36 inches of snowfall so far.

Frozen Fountain

2011-01-24T21:55:00.005-05:00

The low in New York City was 6 degrees - the lowest it's been in several years around here. And the Bryant Park fountain in mid-town became a frozen treat that attracted photographers and onlookers from all around town.

Here's a close up of the water that's been turned into a delicate curtain of ice formations. It reminded me of my summer of 2009 trip deep into the under ground caverns in Missouri where giant columns of water and mineral formations -100's of years old - hang from the ceilings.

I overheard one woman - who apparently is a longtime New York City resident - say that even she was impressed by the natural beauty of the frozen fountain. She said she's been e-mailing photos of the icy marvel to friends and family all day long.

Back In Florida

2011-01-21T00:05:00.003-05:00

The new statue of the late New York Yankees' owner George M. Steinbrenner III was recently unveiled in Tampa, Florida. It stands in front of Steinbrenner Field as a memorial to the man who revived the Yankee franchise in the 1970's and - after moving his family and team headquarters to Tampa in the 1980's - helped many local charities with his donations - quite often made without anyone knowing where the money came from. I took this shot late in the day and the shadows on the staircase add a graphic dimension to the scene and nicely frame the bronze statue.

Meanwhile the duck pond next to the stadium offers a visual respite from the day to day pressures of watching baseball for a living.

Light Up

2011-01-17T00:30:00.002-05:00

Ever wonder what it looks like when a cigar is lit? Here's a close-up view at the pretty colors and shapes. BTW - This blog does not condone smoking cigars ... or anything else for that matter.

Snow Dog

2011-01-12T20:02:00.002-05:00

Actually this dog has nothing to do with our latest snow fall. He was waiting for his master in the dry cleaners while I was picking up my clothes.

I like the look - one eye doing the work of two - a calm, but steely glint in his eye. I think this is one of my best dog portraits.

The "Snow Bomb" Is Here

2011-01-12T03:12:00.003-05:00

Our latest snowstorm here in New York - described as a "snow bomb" because of its size, arrived about 1am and is supposed to last thru the morning rush hour and be done by noon. 9 to 12 inches of snow are expected. This shot is from inside my warm apartment looking out across the street to the red door condo.

There weren't too many people on the streets since we had plenty of warning about the impending snow fall, so this guy is on his own.