AUTUMN LIGHT

There is something about the crisp late afternoon light in autumn that can make something ordinary look extraordinary. Of course the tree's shadow is what makes this image interesting, it adds depth and interest. I liked it better in black and white too. The only real color in the photo was the street signs which are the only elements I wish weren't there. They were less intrusive when reduced to black and white. I just like the depth of this photo created by the tree and its shadow and the balance. Maybe what I like best is the way this very ordinary moment is frozen in time. I can look at it again and again and each time I see something new or I see it a different way. I wish all situations could be revisited that way.

HOOD ORNAMENT

Today hood ornaments seem to be limited only to luxury cars, but in the early days hood ornaments were a common way that automakers disguised the cap to the car's radiator. My maternal grandparents always drove a Packard. Growing up I would hear my Mom and her brothers talk about the car, but by then the company was out of business. When I saw this "goddess of speed" hood ornament I thought it was rich in detail and design and would be an interesting photo. Imagine my surprise when I saw the name Packard on the side of the ornament!

BOO!

MERRY-GO-ROUND

Sometimes life seems a lot like a merry go round--- going around in circles, but not making any progress. I have had too many of these days lately.

A SNEAK PEAK

I had a lot of mixed feelings today as I walked into the new Yankee Stadium for the first time. Of course I was curious about the new stadium but I felt guilty as I walked past the "original" Yankee Stadium en route to its replacement. I almost felt I was doing something wrong. I watched as the sod was installed on the Yankees' new field of dreams---about 90% is done and you can see where the rest will go, along the third baseline and left field. I walked around trying to take it all in as I imagined what it will be like to go to a game there, what kind of history will be made there. I decided since I documented my last visit to the original stadium, I had to document my first visit to the new stadium. My friend and colleague Charles took the photo!

SPOOKY TABLE

While waiting in a restaurant I saw these shadows cast by light passing through blinds on the table. I liked the interplay between the shadows and the Halloween centerpiece. It has a monochromatic feel to it and I thought I might like it more in black and white. When I looked at it in "grayscale" I felt that the nuances of color actually gave the image more depth and interest. It was an interesting experiment and the result surprised me. So I guess for me it was a kind of visual treat.

AUTUMN

Although it still feels like summer with temperatures in the 70s, there are signs everywhere that Autumn is here. The temperatures are supposed to change and become chilly on Friday. As for the trees they have already begun change and put on their annual show.

MOM AND THE MOON

As I walked my Mom to her car tonight she commented on the moon and said, "It would make a good blog picture". About the last thing I felt like doing was going into the house to get my camera and take pictures of the moon. Obviously I did. In my world, Mother always knows best!

NOT SO FLAT IRON

I have driven past the legendary Flatiron building in Manhattan countless times and really not given it much of a thought. Recently, I walked past it and stopped to take a closer look. I was amazed by the detail and design in the facade. As I looked up from the sidewalk below it was so imposing, almost overpowering. It reminded me of the prow of a ship. What a beautiful building.

GOURDS

At the garden center today I spent a good deal of time looking at the colors, the form and the uniqueness of these tiny gourds. I listened as other people looked at them too. Some thought they were really ugly and "had warts". Other folks found them cute and colorful. It just reinforced that old hackneyed aphorism, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder". As for me, I love the fact that not one is the same and I bought a bunch of them!

HEADS OF STATE

If I am not mistaken I think I saw these heads spinning about the past week on Wall Street. Maybe if they put their heads together they can solve our economic crisis.

WINDOW PANE REFLECTIONS

I spent my entire day in the office and arrived home late with the sun starting to drop. I realized I hadn't found a blog picture and then saw the kitchen window reflections on this wall hanging. I have seen this so many times that it is familiar to me, but I suspect without that familiarity it might be a tough read.

COFFEE OR TEA

This picture was an accident. I shot something today and when I came home the compact flash card could not be read in my computer. The images didn't even show up on the card. I raced upstairs to my home computer where they could be read and puzzled over the variables. In the end the pictures were retrieved, but the card was not trustworthy. So I formatted the card and shot a test in my kitchen. Surprise, I liked the way the stainless tea kettle separated from the granite yet it all had a monochromatic feel to it. Funny, I am a coffee addict, a Starbucks devotee and a coffee purist. I never drink tea (unless I am sick), but I have inherited my Mom's love of teapots. I like the different styles, shapes and themes. I particularly like the short, squat ones. I really don't like this stainless one at all, but I love the way it looks in this "test" photo. That's what I love about photography... the surprises!

THE WATERFALLS

I had to see the New York City waterfalls exhibit before it closes this coming weekend. The 120 foot waterfall installed under the Brooklyn Bridge is one of four waterfalls installed in New York City harbor. This monumental scale public art installation is simply amazing.

TOP OF THE ROCK

From the Top of the Rock (70th floor observation deck of Rockefeller Center) the views are spectacular. My only regret was that the looking north the light was crisp and brilliant but the light looking south toward the Empire State Building was a rather muddy. Disappointed I tried to figure out how to make a photo that would work. A few minutes later these folks walked out on a lower observation level and their shadows added interesting elements to the photo. I like this photo, but at some point I will have to get back to shoot the Empire State Building when the light is right!

CLIMBING

I was cooling my heels on a park bench waiting to for the right moment to take a photo when I noticed this staircase. I liked the strong lines but was really concentrating on getting another image. Then this person started coming down the stairs and it looked more interesting to me. So often when I am intent on taking one picture, I see another.

BIN 220

We met some friends for a drink tonight at a wine bar in lower Manhattan. This gem of a spot not only had fine wine, but great ambiance too. I was lucky enough to see these beautifully backlit bottles from where I sat. We're definitely going back there again.

NIGHT COMES EARLY

I like autumn, but I don't like the days getting shorter and knowing that winter is just around the corner. I like wearing sweaters, crisp days and hearing leaves crunch under my feet. I don't like driving home from work in the dark and feeling like I have missed the best part of the day. Although it does make it easier to photograph the sunset!

ROOF LINES

Besides the striking way the green paint separates from the brilliant blue sky, I really liked the angle and lines of the roof. I wasn't sure this photo would work when I shot it, but I like the composition and use of space within the frame. It is a simple picture, but the more I look at it the more I see and the more I like it.

A SAD GOODBYE

I was up at Yankee Stadium today. I know it will probably be the last time I am in the stadium that has been so much a part of my life and the team that my family has embraced for longer then I can remember. As I got ready to leave, I had to go out to the field and take it in for one last time. I took my camera with a super wide lens and tried to take a picture of myself on the field. A tv cameraman I know was on the field taping. All of a sudden he yelled to me and said let me take the picture. He was kind enough to come over and take the picture. I will miss this stadium. My parents courted here and even saw a 1943 World Series game, it was here my Dad took my brother to his first Yankees game (Mantle hit a homerun but my brother was inside getting a hot dog) and I saw my first game here too. The Yankees made history here, but lots of ordinary people made their own kind of history.