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.

NEON SIGNS

Mom is hanging in there and I am eating out way too often. The color and reflections of these neon signs at a local pub (that has great burgers) caught me eye.

CANDLE LIGHT

I love candlelit dinners. Just seeing candles makes me slow down and lowers my blood pressure. We had dinner tonight at a charming French bistro with lots of little white candles on the tables. This multicolored candle was also on our table. I enjoyed watched the colorful reflections dance on the wall as I took a deep breath and sipped a pinot noir.

REFLECTIONS

As I looked at the United Nations Secretariat building I was fascinated by the the way New York's skyline was reflected on the building. I loved the geometry of this picture which almost looks like a jigsaw puzzle.

UNDER THE EL

For years I have been fascinated by the way the light passes through the elevated subway line creating a patchwork of light and shadow on the streets beneath it. I was stopped at a light and loved the way this play of light and shadow created an impressionistic feeling. The traffic (both pedestrian and vehicular) were a kind of abstracted blur and I thought this scene almost took on a watercolor or mural quality. This was another grab shot through the windshield of my car!

LATE LIGHT

This is what I love about late afternoon light... long shadows and warm, rich light. Late in the afternoon as I sit at the kitchen peninsula, editing pictures and reflecting on things that should have been done but weren't, I look at the warm tones in my kitchen cabinets and am reminded of a day well spent.

BALANCE

At first it was the light and the lines that drew me to this picture. As I spent time shooting it I was struck by the metaphor that was unfolding. The skate boarder was trying to find balance on his board and I was trying to find balance in the image. In the end I think the image balances well. I wish it were that easy to find balance in life.

SHADOW PLAY

I like it when images surprise me. This morning as I sipped a cup of coffee I watched the light come streaming in the kitchen window and dance across the countertops. I saw the pumpkin sun catcher reflected on the granite and the way the cat trivet seemed to wave at me just asking to be photographed. As I watched the light travel across the counter and the shadows get longer I wasn’t certain if what I saw firsthand would translate into an image. That’s the thing about photography there is always an element of surprise, an unknown. Sometimes I shoot something and I just know it's going to work. But the images that surprise me are the real finds and so much more rewarding.

PAINTING BY NUMBERS

Sometimes in the early morning, when light filters through the trees it creates an image that blurs the lines between photography and painting. When this happens I travel to a place where my photography almost feels like I am painting by numbers. It feels like I am cheating! This serendipitous moment happened in Brooklyn where the light and shadows danced on the facades of the brownstones.