OLD AND NEW

I write this with only minutes left in 2009 and can't help but reflect on the things that have transpired this year and wonder what 2010 holds. This past Christmas, Mom surprised me by expressing interest in a kindle, because font size could be increased. Always an avid reader at 91 she was finding her reading choices limited to large print books. Santa didn't deliver the kindle in time for Christmas, but she got it today in time for a New Year filled with all sorts of new books. If Mom can embrace technology then I know the year ahead is filled with all kinds of possibilities. With this new year comes a new decade and with it an abiding hope that the road won't be too bumpy and that the rough patches will be eased by joyful moments and memories.

METROPOLITAN STUDY

I watched this young artist study the torso he was about to sketch. He examined the sculpture piece for a long time without ever drawing a line in his sketchbook. As I watched I thought about my blog and how it is my empty canvas. Over the past nine months I have missed the discipline of blogging. Curiously, I only realized this very recently. It is a place that is all mine and a home for photos that would never see the light of day anywhere else...especially not in a daily newspaper. It makes me a better photographer. So a promise to myself, a New Year's resolution if you will... to begin blogging on a regular basis again in 2010.

A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE

WET

A LOST SON

LAW AND ORDER

This neo-classical style courthouse in lower Manhattan was built in 1927 and is probably best known as a backdrop in the TV show law and order. It's facade has been used in that show countless times. But I kind of like a less common perspective-- from the top of the steps looking out at Foley Square and Manhattan.

ALL SMILES

This little boy had the most magical smile. His ebullience was unmistakeable and really did light up the whole room. I couldn't help but photograph him.

GIRAFFE

STORM CLOUDS

I had several outside shoots scheduled for today and given the kind of weather we have been having on Long Island I wondered just how prudent it was. I reminded myself that I don't schedule assignments, I just take the pictures as I gathered my rain gear together. When I got to the venue I walked around the field trying to figure out a good location and as I looked up saw these dark clouds gathering. I managed to get the shoot done and moments later the rain came.

PLAYING WITH LIGHT

I was fooling around with my camera's flash tonight. Momma was over for dinner and a game of Scrabble. The Scrabble game got quite competitive and Momma's glasses were knocked from the table. A lens popped out, hence the tape on the corner of her lenses! I liked the edginess of this light, but Momma wasn't thrilled with the photo. In high school when I first got interested in photograhy, my Mom was my first subject. She wasn't thrilled with his photo, but nonetheless she continues to make photo sacrifices for me!

CRYSTAL BALL

The oft talked about crystal ball that offers a glimpse into the future is a pretty concept (although I am not sure I would want to know what my future holds). One of my most treasured belongings is a different kind of crystal ball. It can't tell me the future, but this Waterford crystal baseball was given to me years ago by a very dear friend. The faceted baseball graces my coffee table, plays with the light and reminds me of my boys of summer, the New York Yankees.

MOVING ON

There's something about attending a commencement which always engenders in me an odd combination of hope and melancholy. It starts with hearing the traditional Pomp and Circumstance and ends with the usual tossing of the mortarboards. I look at the happy faces full of joy and ready to run towards their future. I think of where I was the day I graduated and where I am now. No regrets, although I wonder what my life would be like if I had listened to my Mom and chosen the career path she wanted for me. Like this image, life is full of reflections.

RAINDROPS

WINDOW LIGHT

The first photography class I took was my sophomore year of high school. Of course we were shooting black and white and learning to develop film. I was at a neighbor's house and shot a picture of a plant in their window. It was backlit, but I really liked the shot and I considered it an early success. When I saw this photo forty years later it reminded me of that picture I took so many years ago. The technology has changed a lot, but it's still all about the light and the composition.

CHARACTER

The weathered look of this building caught my attention, but I was in a hurry. I knew there was a photo to be made, but I also knew I would have to hunt for it a bit. I liked the geometry of the composition, the angles and the tonal range created by the peeling paint lends interest. A little wear and tear builds character, not just in buildings but in people too!

AT LAST

It seems that summer is the season that takes the longest to get here. In the bitter cold of January as I shovel the driveway, I pin my hopes on the promise of warm summer days. Today it felt as though summer had finally arrived. Memorial Day is the traditional summer kickoff and this was a beauty....even if I was working today.

EAST END ART GALLERY

I stumbled upon this simple scene when I popped into an art gallery in Riverhead. I was shooting an assignment and cutting through the art gallery was a shortcut to where my car was parked. It was pure serendipity because I lingered looking at the exhibit and couldn't help but take a picture of this scene. Sometimes the shortcut winds up taking you a little longer, but it was worth it. Things happen for a reason.

MILK AND COOKIES

Almost every night I venture into my yard to give Pistachio some treats. It has become a ritual of sorts. He jumps onto the kitchen window ledge, a signal that he is looking for his treats. He has become so domesticated (born feral, but now just a real love bug) that I regret not bringing him inside. I tell myself, Slugger (king of the house) would never have put up with an interloper. Now I wonder and assuage my guilt, by spoiling Pistachio with "milk and cookies".

HOT STONE MASSAGE

As I watched the smooth stones that were being used for a hot stone massage I thought about the bumpy road I have been on lately. Life has been anything but smooth, but I'm trying to see the silver lining. Maybe it's time to try a hot stone massage.

EAGLE EYE

I've used the expression "eagle eye" often and like to think that because of my craft I am fairly observant. Until recently I had never seen the eye or beak of an eagle so closely. I know they are a bird of prey (check out that killer beak) but what keen eyes they have. They can see forward and to the side at the same time and can see fish in the water from several hundred feet above. No telephoto lenses needed. They are majestic birds, gorgeous and impressive up close. I am so glad Ben Franklin's wish to make the wild turkey our national symbol never took flight.

GREENE AVENUE, BUSHWICK

I was taking the side streets to try and avoid rush hour traffic today when I spotted this truck covered with graffiti. Graffiti isn't unusual in New York City, it is everywhere. However, this truck made me do a doubletake.

A YEAR

I began this blog exactly a year ago with an entry called Another Season. Of course it was baseball themed and I am still particularly fond of that photo. It seems fitting that I close out the year with a baseball photo...literally. I spent yesterday touring the new Yankee Stadium and today touring the Mets new stadium, Citi Field. In a few short weeks the season will begin again and both teams will play in new ballparks on new grass. One of my favorite quotes is by the late A. Bartlett Giamatti, who was commissioner of baseball. "The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone." Thanks for stopping by to look, thanks for all your comments too. This blog has been a good discipline for me. Frankly, I can't believe I posted daily for one year. Because of it I took pictures I might not have taken. I have learned a lot from the process. I am not jumping ship, just taking a breath and thinking about where the blog goes from here. I don't think I will be posting daily, but I will be posting.

RELAXING

After a long day it is nice to be able to sit in my kitchen and stare out at my garden. Not much in bloom yet, but sometimes the cats really perform. Pistachio seems to love sitting in the birdbath. He'll be surprised when there is water in there.

EIGHTH AVENUE PRIMARY COLORS

Lost in thought as I was walking up Eighth Avenue these bright storefronts caught my attention. Predictably one of them is for rent. I'm still wondering about the yellow store which offers "well drinks" (whatever that is) for five dollars during happy hour. I'm sure we can all use a "well drink"!

A SIGN OF SPRING

I walked around my backyard this afternoon and spotted my first sign of spring. One brave little yellow crocus had bloomed and in an instant I felt more hopeful. Ah, the promise of spring.

JUST MARRIED

Wandering around lower Manhattan this afternoon this couple that had just been married seemed oblivious to all the passersby.

ON BROADWAY

Saw a Broadway show tonight and as I walked to my car played with the light and color of Times Square at night. So often I am in here working during the day. It looks so much different at night.

MOVING ON

Today was Sonia's last day at HSBC and since she is the last one left in that particular office I stopped by to help her carry stuff out. Even though it was her decision to leave (because another bank approached her about working for them) it is hard to separate from something that has been a part of your life for several years.

WINDOW SHOPPING

You just never know what you are going to find when you go window shopping in New York.

SHADOW DANCE

IN A CROSSWALK AND AT A CROSSROAD

At work I have been shooting only video for the past week, no stills at all. Without my still camera my daily hunt for an image to post has been seriously impeded. With the year anniversary of my blog just about a week away I am at a crossroad. How do I continue a photo driven blog when I am not shooting still photos. This is really a puzzlement.

WALK THE DOG

As I walked west on 23rd Street I passed these folks walking their stuffed dog. Hummm... only in New York!

NEW AND OLD

As I was walking on Lexington Avenue I looked up to see the juxtaposition of this new building with the old one. I just really liked the interplay.

ON THE BENCH

As I walked past this scene I did a double take. I just loved the way the woman is engrossed in her book completely oblivious to the statue next to her. The statue appears equally indifferent, content to people watch. Found moments like this come easy to some photographers, sadly I am not one of them.

BROOKLYN

PAINTS

If my life is a canvas then I sure need to get a new paint color to brush on it.

NEW TRICKS

I spent the day trying to learn the ins and outs of shooting video, as well as becoming familiar with the new HD broadcast quality video camera I was issued. I will have to make some adjustments and learn to think differently in my approach to my assignments. It's visual, but a different kind of visual. When I got home I was still working with the camera, experimenting and trying to figure things out. It seemed kind of fitting to use my "still" camera.. the tool that I have used for the past thirty years to photograph my new camera. I can see that I will have to learn to think differently when I approach my assignments. In some ways life is like an elevator, you can go up or down but you can't stand still. So, I'm pushing the button for the penthouse and determined to learn some new tricks.

AHEAD IN THE END

As I waited to shoot an assignment today I saw this building across the street and it reminded me of another time, a simpler time. A time when you could embrace the belief that if you worked hard and did the right thing you would come out ahead in the end. It isn't that simple these days.

HAZEL

Hazel, one of my outdoor cats was hanging out on my patio table (I call it her porch) and enjoying today's milder temperatures. She and Pistachio seem to be relieved that the snow has melted. I'm relieved because I have worried about them all winter. Hazel still doesn't let me touch her, but I can get a lot closer than I used to.

TENACITY

This weekend I have spent trying to teach myself how to shoot video and edit it in a program called Final Cut. It is a whole new way of thinking for me. It has been a struggle. Today as I wrestled with Final Cut and berated myself for not understanding certain things, Mom was sitting by my side watching me edit. She assured me that if I persisted and was patient video shooting and editing would become easier for me. Mom, who taught hundreds of children how to read kept encouraging me to keep on trying...my own personal cheerleader. I realized that my struggle is nothing compared to what she has been through. She is out of the hospital, but she has multiple health issues and is more restricted then she was before this last hospital stay. I thought about how she has fought to live, the tenacity she has displayed throughout her life and decided that I can master video and final cut.

What's New Pussycat??

At work I am busy trying to learn new tricks (video) which is not easy for an older dog. Today was my day off, but I spent most of it trying to teach myself how to shoot with a new video camera and how to edit in Final Cut. I have a long, long way to go (no Oscars in my future), but here's my first attempt at video. Speaking of long, after watching this several times I know it needs a much tighter edit. Guess I am just too close to my subject! Be patient... the end is my favorite part!

COLORS

The clean simple lines and strong color made this photo a natural for me.

HANDS ON

Watching this woman work turn a lump of clay into a beautiful bowl made me think of Spring in the garden. There is a fundamental feeling of satisfaction when you dig in and get your hands dirty. Whether or not the payoff is a bowl created the same day or a stunning garden that blooms for months, that sense of creation, a hands on approach is a rewarding one.

A STUDY

WHITE OUT

I was up and out before seven this morning looking for weather art while navigating the slippery Long Island roads. We got hammered today. But between images of cars stuck in the snow, people digging out and kids building snowmen there was another picture. A simple beautiful scene that reminded me of Long Island's intrinsic beauty.

THE START

The old adage "March comes in like a lion..." is proving to be quite accurate tonight. Just before midnight I walked outside and looked down my street. Already about three inches. Tomorrow is going to be a tough day navigating the Long Island roads. I just hope March goes out like a lamb!

FAMILY RESEMBLANCE

AT SEA

I was sorting through some old family photos today and came across this one of my maternal grandparents who were married in 1902. This picture was taken around that time. I thought the picture was so romantic and captured a really lovely moment, so I copied it for my blog. I showed it to my Mom and she told me my grandmother hated being on the water because she got terribly seasick. So much for romance!

49

In spite of everything going on with my Mom, tonight a few friends gathered to celebrate Sonia's 49th birthday. In my world birthdays are sacrosanct and each one must be honored. Happy Birthday, Sonia!

ROSES

I brought home some roses tonight and liked the way the light and shadow played on the wall behind them. I guess I also hoped they might give me a rosier outlook. Okay.. bad joke.

REWARD

I've been getting home later recently and there are usually a myriad of errands to run after work. Tonight as I walked to my car after completing the final task I felt stressed and overwhelmed. I looked up and saw the sky's "afterglow" following the sunset. It felt like a reward at the end of my daily race.