I commuted to New York City on and off for about five years when I lived in Pennsylvania (a long train ride) and then again when I moved to Connecticut. All of my visits there never took me to the location of the famous Flatiron Building. I always wanted to visit and photograph it but never had the chance. My first opportunity was this past March when I headed to the Big Apple with friends to catch a Bruce Springsteen concert. The plans were to visit Eataly (an incredible Italian market) for an afternoon lunch. Eataly is located right across the street from the Flatiron Building. When I got there I knew that whatever I shot was going to be a challenge as the mid-day sun was harsh and anything I shot would be barely passable. My only thought was to place the sun behind the building and shoot a hand-held 7-shot bracket to bring out the features of the building. While the resulting image is not perfect, the building reminded be of the shape of a spaceship readying for take-off.
Side Street
A quick post and run today as I am headed off to a sunflower farm in New Jersey. This image was taken in Portland, Maine last September after we had visited the Victoria Mansion. Located on the southern part of the city, we were headed down to the main drag and I spotted these row homes. Their unique colors just jumped out at me. Have a great weekend everyone.
Venetian Gothic
On any visit to Venice, one can't help being captivated by it's architecture, especially the ones that were built during the Gothic Period in the 14th century. This architecture was unique from the rest of Europe in that it was far more intricate in style and design. One of the other distinguishing characteristics was how lightweight the buildings were constructed. This was done to better provide stability the instability of the city due the canals. This image is of St Mark's Basilica in the Piazza San Marco. The details in the Basilica are very indicative of the Gothic style.
Remembrance
Our week long photo tour of New England takes us to it's biggest city, Boston, Massachusetts. I have spent a lot of time in Boston as it is only two hours from my house and have visited it often, especially when my son attended Boston University. One way to take in the history of the city is to walk the Freedom Trail which takes you past many of the historical sites of the Revolutionary War. While walking the Freedom Trail, you encounter one of the most sobering memorials that pertains to a different war, namely the New England Holocaust Memorial. The memorial consists of six glass towers with each tower symbolizing a different major concentration camp. Engraved on the towers are six million numbers which represent the Jews killed during the Holocaust.
This photo was taken very early in the morning to catch the light and shadows as well as to beat the many tourists that visit it. In order to try to capture the numbers inscribed on the panels, I shot a hand-held bracket with the intent of processing an HDR image. I had posted this image last year but was unhappy with the result. As a result, I have re-edited it to better reflect the scene and am much happier with it.
Chessboard
The Achilleion Palace on the island of Corfu, Greece is our destination for today. The palace was built in 1890 and was named after the Greek mythical hero, Achilles. This image is of the patio in the rear of the palace. The patio's black and white marble squares reminded me of a life-sized chess board. The numerous large marble statues were lined up in similar manner as the start of a game. The early morning light and shadows enhanced the scene.
City Patterns
On my recent trip to photograph Grand Central Terminal, I caught an earlier train to New York than I had planned and had about an hour to kill. I decided to walk around and take a few photographs of the surrounding area. I didn't have to walk that far before I spotted these two buildings across the street from the Terminal. I was attracted by the patterns and textures in the buildings as well as the blue sky reflected in the windows. It can be challenging to get vertical lines when shooting so close to architecture but I was able to do a pretty good job with Photoshop 6's new filter, Adaptive Wide Angle. Pretty awesome tool.
Money, Money, Money...Money
Walking around the city of Monte Carlo, Monaco is quite the experience. It is known as a playground for the rich, it's famous casino and Grand Prix race. The amount of visible wealth is on display wherever you go. The old saying, "If you have to ask how much it costs, you can't afford it" certainly applies there. All I could think of when walking around was the Pink Floyd song, "Money". This image was taken from the grounds of the Prince's Palace which started life as a Genoese fortress and is one of the city's most famous landmarks. The yachts, buildings and even small "parks" on the rooftops say it all.
Vanishing Point
I grew up in the Philadelphia area and spent my early career there. I thought I knew most places in the area, so when I heard about it's Graffiti Underground, I was perplexed that I never heard of it. Turns out that it is an abandoned pier jutting out into the Delaware River just a few minutes north of downtown. You have to know where it is in order to find it as there are no signs. My first impression of it was that it was pretty big and colorful (it is also used by paintballers). It seemed that every direction I looked, there were great leading lines creating very cool vanishing points like the one in this image. The light was overcast and from the north on this shot. I am sure on a sunny day, there would be some more interesting plays of light and shadows. I will have to head back to see if I am right.
Saturday Hustle and Bustle
This is an image of the Main Concourse of Grand Central Terminal looking east. The terminal's official name is "Grand Central Terminal", although many people continue to refer to it as "Grand Central Station", the name of the previous rail station located on the same site. The Main Concourse (shown in this image) is the star of the Terminal. The space is quite large (275 feet long, 120 feet wide and 125 feet high). During the weekdays it is filled with crowds on their way to work or home. I was expecting the Terminal to be relatively empty on this June Saturday but as can be seen in the image, I was mistaken. I am glad as the hustle and bustle of the commuters is what makes Grand Central quite the attraction.
Dammed Up
The Glen Canyon Dam is a dam located just north of Page, Arizona. The dam was built to provide hydroelectricity and control water flow from the upper Colorado River Basin to the lower. It is actually situated on Federal land (Glen Canyon National Recreation Area) and is run by the Federal Government. When it was built in 1966, it created Lake Powell which is the second largest artificial lake in the country. It took 17 years for Lake Powell to completely fill for the first time. The city of Page was created in 1957 to house workers and their families during the construction of the dam and now thrives as a tourist destination. Tours of the dam are conducted daily and I highly recommend taking the tour if you are in the area. Security measures are high at the dam for obvious reasons. This vantage point is from south of the dam looking north toward Lake Powell.
Disney's Fort
Earlier this year, we visited Disney World for the first time in 10 years. Our friends, who own a timeshare in Disney, invited us to stay a week with them at Disney's Fort Wilderness Lodge. It was our first stay at the lodge and I was quite amazed on how big the lobby (pictured in this image) was. Even though it is one of the original resorts (opening in November 1971 -- a month after Disney World officially opened), the lodge was meticulous and so well maintained. I was determined to get a photograph of the lobby without the crowds of people that seem to be there night and day. I knew the only way to get a shot of a vacant lobby was to get up before dawn, set up my tripod and shoot away. As you can see in the image, I was the only guest up except for one other person. I left him in for readers of my blog to see if they could "Find Waldo".
Commuting Ramp
Living in Connecticut, I have often visited New York City for various reasons such as work related trips; meeting friends and family; going to concerts; or just spending the day. Driving into the city is not only challenging but can also be quite expensive. As a result, I take the train from New Haven to Grand Central Terminal. All of the the many times I have been through the terminal, I have never stopped to take photos. That all changed a couple of weeks ago when I had the opportunity to join Denise Ippolito's workshop where we had the full run of the terminal for four hours with our tripods and gear. This image is of one of the commuter ramps from the main level of the terminal to the gates below. Shown prominently are the beautiful chandeliers that illuminate the terminal.
Pueblo Glass
The Taos Pueblo is an ancient pueblo belonging to the Taos Pueblo Native American tribe. Most archeologists believe that the Taos Pueblo Indians settled along the Rio Grande and were descendants of the Anasazi. The Pueblo is approximately 1,000 years old and is located on a reservation of 95,000 acres with about 150 people actually living at the Pueblo. Taos Pueblo's most prominent architectural feature is a multi-storied residential complex of reddish-brown adobe. It was designated a National Historic Landmark and became a World Heritage Site in 1992. As of 2006, about 150 people live in it full-time. One of the first structures you encounter when entering the Pueblo is the San Geronimo Mission that was built in 1850. What struck me most about the Pueblo was that the only color in most of the Pueblo's structures was reddish-brown except for the light blue windows of the Mission.
Backlit Exit
Whenever I visit Europe, I am amazed at the history and architecture that has survived many centuries. Here in the United States we think of 250 years as being old as opposed to the 1,000 years of many of the structures across the pond. This particular church. Basilica Santo Stefano in Bologna, Italy was built by Saint Petronius, who was bishop of the city during the 5th century, making it 1,500 years old. The Basilica originally consisted of seven buildings. There are only four remaining after renovations made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This image was taken near the end of our tour throughout the complex. It caught my eye as the combination of the light coming through the back exit illuminated the decaying walls showing the age of the Basilica.
Ten to Twenty
This image is from the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia. It is an eerie yet compelling location. It seems to be a mecca for Urbex photography although it isn't an abandoned building but rather an old prison that is now a historical site and museum. Tours are conducted daily and visitors are invited to wander throughout most of the prison. The prison was built in 1829 and was the largest and most expensive public structure in the country. The penitentiary resembles a hub-and-spoke consisting of an octagonal center connected by corridors to seven cell blocks. Each block contains cells that were 8 x 12 feet. As I walked through the penitentiary, I thought about the convicts that were sentenced for 10-20 years and how terrifying it was. I'd probably go bonkers after 10-20 minutes.
This particular image was a cell block of the non-public part of the penitentiary. We were able to get a tour of this section as part of Denise Ippolito's excellent Philadelphia workshop.
Mirror, Mirror
Just a quick post and run today. This is the mirror that sits outside the famous Monte Carlo Casino in Monaco. I thought I would just give a quick set of random facts (courtesy of Wikipedia) about the casino. - The citizens of Monaco are forbidden to enter the gaming rooms of the casino. - Aristotle Onassis had a controlling stake in the Monte Carlo Casino until he was forced out by Rainier III - The Monte Carlo methods, a class of random sampling algorithms, were named for the casino. - The route of the Monaco Grand Prix (the Circuit de Monaco) goes past the casino. - Monte Carlo and its casino were the location for a number of James Bond movies - A beer in the casino costs the equivalent of $29
Have a great weekend everyone!
Under the Sails
Quick post and run today. One of the iconic images in Vancouver, British Columbia are the famous sails on the roof of Canada Place. On our last visit to Vancouver, we stayed at the Pan Pacific Hotel which is part of the Canada Place complex. Ever wonder what the inside looks Like? Well now, you don't have to. This image was captured looking up through the skylights of the roof. Have a great weekend everyone!
The Miraculous Staircase
This past trip was my first into New Mexico and I was able to get some great advance scouting from fellow photographer Jim Nix. Thanks Jim for all of your help. I think my favorite stop in New Mexico was Santa Fe. The architecture and surrounding landscapes made it a wonderfully attractive location. One of the neatest things we saw when touring the town was the mysterious staircase in the Loretto Chapel. Completed in 1878, there was no way to access the choir loft twenty-two feet above. Carpenters were called in to address the challenge but the only solution seemed to be a ladder given the small size of the chapel. The Sisters of the Chapel prayed to St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters. As legend would have it, a man appeared at the Chapel with a donkey and a toolbox looking for work. He built this staircase which has two 360 degree turns and no visible means of support. Once completed, the carpenter disappeared without pay or thanks and many concluded that he was St. Joseph himself, having come in answer to the sisters' prayers. Even today, experts are perplexed and amazed at its construction and design. Whether you believe the legend or not, it is an amazing staircase.
The Boat Workshop
Sometimes when you plan a vacation or photography trip, you are always at the mercy of one uncontrollable event: weather. We were spending a week in Maine with friends and we were headed from Camden to Newcastle. We had hoped to spend most of the day taking in the scenery and atmosphere of the Boothbay Peninsula. The weather forecast was for a constant rain all day. So what to do when this happens? Visit a museum to take in the history of the area. This led us to the the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath. Being on the east coast of the United States, boatbuilding was a key industry in the economic history of the state. The museum has many exhibits throughout the main building and also has many outbuildings where the boats were (and still are) built. One of the cooler outbuildings was the boat workshop. All of the old tools were on display as well as boats that were built there. I took this shot of the workshop wall with the windows overlooking the river outside. Since tripods were not allowed in the museum, I shot a 7-shot hand held bracket.
Looking Up
I always am surprised what other photographers see when shooting the same subject. I always seem to say to myself, "I didn't see that." This simple question has trained me to continue to work a subject from as many angles and perspectives as I can think of. I try to shoot high and low; left and right; and close and far. Depending on the subject, I always make sure I look up. On our trip to Alaska last year, we stayed at a wonderful lodge in the wilderness, The McKinley Lodge. I wanted to photograph the lodge and realized that the only way to shoot it was to get up before dawn as it was crowded throughout the day and night. I was able to get some great shots of the lodge and it's enormous windows looking out at the famous mountain. As I was finishing up, I started to look up at the ceiling and discovered this great view of the lodge's cupola and it's light. It is probably my favorite image of the lodge and was not even on my list of shots before I started to shoot.