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WARREN CONNECTICUT – A couple of images from around here in interesting light taken with my Alpa.
Warren in good light
More Warren in good light
Saturday January 28, 2012
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Author Archives: Woody
Friday January 27, 2012
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NEWARK NEW JERSEY – I landed here on my return flight from Naples. This gave me a chance to drop by the airport customs office and complete the Global Entry process, which should speed going through customs and immigration on my return from foreign travel. There was very nice light for the ride on the monorail that connects the terminals at Newark. Taken with my iPhone, not the world’s best tool to shoot landscape with very high contrast lighting.
Newark
On this day one year ago: Macaroni Beach.
Picnic on Macaroni Beach
Thursday January 26, 2012
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NAPLES FLORIDA – Another walk on the beach at sunset with my Panasonic. There’s a stretch of beach here where thousands of gulls gather to watch the sunset, along with the local residents, who bring out chairs to sit on as they literally watch the sunset. As the last rays of the sun fade they (the people) break out into applause. Really. The experience of being surrounded by a very large number of birds was pure Hitchcock. Here’s an image:
Hitchcockesque
And another sunset.
Sunset
On this day one year ago: Mustique rainbow.
Doug and Judy
Wednesday January 25, 2012
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NAPLES FLORIDA – Day two of the conference. There is a little more daylight in the schedule today so I’m carrying my Alpa TC and a 35mm Schneider lens. Toward the evening I found myself on the beach with the Alpa. Did I say that it’s hard to find an interesting photograph on the beach. Well yes and no. True. But – - – In the few minutes of the “golden hour”, which is usually not an hour – more like 20 minutes, it really doesn’t matter what you point your camera at. When the light arrives, stop what you’re doing and shoot whatever is at hand. Even a beach. I have to relearn this periodically. In landscape light is more important than landscape. Anyway here is the golden hour light etching the beach in Naples.
Magic light trumps banal subject
Earlier in the day I spotted a familiar looking steeple and indeed it was the local United Church of Christ (in round terms the Congregational Churches outside of New England), a sure sign that Naples has been colonized by New Englanders.
Evidence of New Englanders
On this day last year: rainbow in Mustique.
Grenadines rainbow
Tuesday January 24, 2012
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NAPLES FLORIDA – Back here again, on a mission that’s unrelated to last week’s board meetings: attending the annual MFDF directors’ conference. Today is the first day of the conference and is thus busy, so I’ve limited myself photo-wise to my iPhone and what I can photograph within an easy walk. I caught this from a boardwalk through a local park with my iPhone. The image is my new lock screen image on my iPhone and I’ve adapted it to serve as one of this blog’s rotating headers. The over cooked quality is what comes out of the iPhone. I could dial it down in Lightroom or Photoshop, but who said this process needs to be serious. The image looks very good on a small screen. It demonstrates (again) that great light trumps every thing else (including limited equipment) when shooting landscape.
Another iPhone image from the top of the bar where I had dinner.
Sunny Florida
On this day last year: an immense image – three Hasselblad frames stitched – of the Mustique sky. I’m using a cropped version of this as one of my rotating headers. It turns out that fabuolous skies are my theme for January 24 in whatever year.
Grenadines sky
Monday January 23, 2012
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NEW YORK NEW YORK – We’re having some painting done. It’s been a few years (actually quite a few ) since we’ve done this. Basically touch ups on trims and moldings – every thing else is fine. Here’s a shot of the work in progress taken with my Alpa Max.
Paint job
On this day one year ago: on board the Shroud Dancer.
Shroud dancer
Sunday January 22, 2012
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WARREN CONNECTICUT – It snowed yesterday and last night, for the first time in a long while. I put on my snow shoes and spent a couple of hours out in the fields around our house in poor, overcast light. This with my Alpa TC and 35mm Schneider lens.
Hay bale
On this day last year: Flying SVG, a not-quite-scheduled “airline” operating between Barbados and Mustique.
SVG
Saturday January 21, 2012
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WARREN CONNECTICUT – Last month I set my Alpa Max up to demonstrate its “tilt” capacity (the ability to tilt the focus plane to increase the appearance of depth of field) and got an somewhat poorly visualized image of our sundial. It’s snowing today (at last) so I set up trying to do a better of seeing and imagining the image:
Sundial redux
On this day one year ago: a long skinny Third Avenue from my office.
Third Avenue
Friday January 20, 2012
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NEW YORK NEW YORK – Out with my Leica and 90mm lens I caught this in the failing light.
East 86th Street in good light
On this day last year: 9-11 memorial.
9/11 memorial
Thursday January 19, 2012
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BROOKLYN NEW YORK – At last a good day of photography. I met a friend for lunch a Peter Luger, still the best steakhouse in New York (and maybe in the universe). It’s just over the Williamsburg Bridge in Brooklyn, so after lunch I explored the bridge and Williamsburg in lovely winter light. Williamsburg is an interesting melange of Lubavitchers, hipsters and young urban types – it has a very good subway connection to midtown. The day was good enough to warrant treatment as a mini-gallery in this post. All images are with my Leica M9 and a 24mm Summilux lens. Lets start with an image of a lone runner in the shadow of the bridge overpass:
Soloist
I’ve done this a lot. For a long time. The distant, solo figure is a recurring theme in my work. Here’s one from 1970 (taken with a
Rollei 2.8 F in Luxembourg):
Solist
Since 1970 the cells in my body have replacement themselves many times; I’ve had a world of experience but I still identify with the lonely, isolated figure. Another thought is captured in the comparison of these two images: my work is often symmetrical with correct prospect (which takes a certain amount of control when shooting with a wide angle lens) or is wildly askew. Anything in between just feels like a mistake to me.
One of the advantages of living in the Northeastern US is the brilliant winter light. It was very much in evidence today giving the graffiti a visual kick.
Fine winter light
Kind of mixed use real estate here, with car repair shops and the like tucked in among buildings undergoing major renovations.
Car repair shop
Here’s the bridge. It wasn’t easy to get this angle. The East River has no accessible waterfront here. I had to trespass through a bridge and tunnel authority parking lot and climb a fence. There are some excellent early 19th century warehouses along here that look like they are in early stages of being renovated.
Williamsburg Bridge
Finally, the scene under the El for the M train back to Manhattan could have been from 1954.
Under the El
On this day one year ago: parking space.
World Trade Center Boston
Wednesday January 18, 2012
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NEW YORK NEW YORK – Back in New York I met Francesca (our daughter) for dinner at a college burger joint near Columbia. They had Full Sail beer on the menu (the only time that I’ve seen it on the East Coast) so I ordered a dark one. Taken with my iPhone (what did I do before I had this thing?).
Full Sail
Because I’ve assiduously kept this blog I know that I was at the Full Sail Brewery in Hood River Oregon (a bit east of Portland) on October 27, 2009, over two years ago, when I captured this image:
Full Sail Brewery
On this day last year: a lonely guy view of a parking lot in historic Boston.
Blizzard Boston
Tuesday January 17, 2012
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NAPLES FLORIDA – In a break from meetings I ran into a friend having lunch at a casual bar on the beach. He posed as I photographed him with my iPhone. But this presents a dilemma. This guy is pretty prominent in the world that I work in; when he posed he didn’t realize this was destined for the web; I don’t necessarily want to “out” him as having fun in the middle of the day. How to handle it? Well here’s one idea: There’s an app for the iPhone that converts an image into tiles. At tile resolution he’s not recognizable:
Incognito
Another sunset. This does happen every day so I’m generally against shooting sunsets (same category as pets and cute kids). It was really, really clear and occasionally when the sun sets toward the sea and it’s very clear you see a brief green flash. I’ve actually seen it once from Basil’s Bar in Mustique. So I set up to catch it but alas it didn’t happen. Here’s the sun where there would have been a green flash had it happened.
Yet another sunset
On this day one year ago: humongous ice-sicle.
Ice Warren Connecticut
Monday January 16, 2012
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NAPLES FLORIDA – I flew down here from New York this morning for two days of client board meetings. I managed a long walk on the beach today. Beaches aren’t great for photography (at least when I’m pushing the shutter button) I suspect because they are all similar, if not the same. Here’s a sea bird admiring its shadow, taken with my Panasonic.
Naples Florida
A few hours later, a sunset from my hotel room.
Sunset Naples Florida
On this day one year ago: snow.
Warren Connecticut
Sunday January 15, 2012
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MORRIS CONNECTICUT – I drove over to Morris this morning to catch the Morris Congregational Church in good morning light. I got a late start – we had house guests so I needed to attend to breakfast. By time I got to Morris it was too late – the light was flat and dull – but I saw these school buses on the way back and they seemed unusually vivid. Taken with my Alpa Max and 72mm Schneider.
School Buses, Morris CT
On this day last year: a snow covered barn in Milton CT.
Barn Milton Connecticut
Saturday January 14, 2012
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KENT CONNECTICUT – I’m getting back on my game in Connecticut. I took my Alpa Max out with a tripod on a field trip to Kent Connecticut where I stopped at a remarkable chocolate shop called Belgique. Do click through the link – the site is over the top. So Belgique is closed today – evidently on vacation to rest after the holiday rush. Taken with the Max, a 72mm Schneider lens and my Phase One IQ 180 back.
Belgique
On this day one year ago: Lexus of Manhattan.
Lexus of Manhattan
Friday January 13, 2012
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NEW YORK NEW YORK – I’ve operated for a few days on the theory that the point of this exercise (a daily photo blog) is to document my daily life. A visual diary. Ok. So here’s a picture taken with my Panasonic while waiting for a red light. I may have to give this a bit more thought. Maybe it’s a Friday the 13th effect.
Driving to Connecticut
On this day one year ago: Hell’s Kitchen.
Hell's Kitchen
Thursday January 12, 2012
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NEW YORK NEW YORK – My photography has been feeling a bit listless post Tuesday’s lunch. I decided to shake myself up bit with a radical equipment change. I walked around the upper eastside with a small Panasonic that I had converted to infrared last year. I like IR images in the winter; when there is foliage on the trees infrared renders the leaves as white and they look phony. Here we go with an image in IR false color:
IR on Lexington
Another, converted to grayscale:
Outside of Fairway
On this day last year: a shot of the El Dorado across the frozen Central Park Reservoir.
El Dorado
Wednesday January 11, 2012
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NEW YORK NEW YORK – A day of preparing for meetings. I took a break to go out and refresh my printer supplies. This from our local Staples with my Leica and a 35mm Summilux lens.
Buying paper
On this day last year: sunset from my office.
South from 919 Third Avenue
Tuesday January 10, 2012
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – I went to a lunch sponsored by the ICP that included a panel discussion by a number of photojournalism luminaries. Discouraging. They all said that its easy to produce good or even very good pictures. It’s the brilliant ones that are hard to come by. Everyone has long term projects and takes assignments in hell-holes at the ends of the earth. What’s the point of my daily photo blog from cosy New York and Connecticut (and various one-percenter hang outs)? What’s the narrative? What (if anything) makes my pictures interesting?
Tough issues. Maybe the narrative is my life; but wouldn’t that require me to get closer (photographically) to the people around me – family and friends? That’s difficult because they didn’t volunteer for this (another issue discussed by the panel) – I’ve had one situation where the subject of a photo asked me to take it down; for now I’ve resolved the issue by designating the post as “private” (if you look back carefully you’ll see one day gap in the public record) – I’ll figure out what to do with it at some later date. The lunch was in Tribeca; I had my Alpa with me (not much good at the lunch) and the light in the streets was flat and poor later in the afternoon. I finally settled on this.
A vacant lot
On this day one year ago: breakfast at Kitchenette.
Kitchenette
Monday January 9, 2012
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NEW YORK NEW YORK – Out on the street on a bright day between meetings with my iPhone. This image has been altered; I took a number of images in rapid succession; I added the shadow to the image of the walking man.
Park Avenue Pedestrian
On this day one year ago: snow drifts. This seems odd, now. This winter we haven’t had any real snow since the end of October.
Wind blown snow, Warren Connecitcut
Sunday January 8, 2012
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WARREN CONNECTICUT – So . . . . still relying on my little bitty Ricoh GRD 4. There was some splendid light this afternoon. This image (and some others) prove that good light trumps poor equipment choice. Three frames stitched.
Good light
On this day one year ago: winter in Warren. Another tree line, no more than 200 yards from where this year’s image was taken, but with a radically different angle and lens choice, and radically different light.
Warren Connecticut
Saturday January 7, 2011
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KENT CONNECTICUT – We took a walk today along a segment of the Appalachian Trail that runs through here. I thought that I had left my Alpa in Connecticut; it turns out that it was in New York, so I only had the camera that travels in my pocket, my Ricoh GRD 4. Not the best tool for landscape. Here’s a branch off of Ten Mile River taken with the GRD 4, three frames stitched.
Ten Mile River
On this day one year ago: a really crappy day.
1185 Park Avenue in snow storm
Friday January 6, 2012
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WARREN CONNECTICUT – Well here we are in Connecticut a day earlier that usual. Blah light on the landscape end of things. The secret of great landscape photography is to be there ready to shoot when the light is brilliant, novel or moving and shoot whatever is at hand; otherwise keep your camera in the bag. This was a camera in bag day. So I shot dinner (risotto all a Milanese) made with a goose stock left over from Christmas – very rich and satisfying). Shot with my iPhone.
Risotto alla Milanese
Asparagus with beurre noir
On this day one year ago: four images of the Chrysler building in sensational light.
Chrysler Building III
Thursday January 5, 2012
Wednesday January 4, 2012
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TAOS NEW MEXICO – It’s become clear to me that occasional ski lessons aren’t going get me to a reasonable level so I decided to focus elsewhere. One of the nice things about Taos is that there are other things to see and do within a reasonable driving distance. Today I visited Earthship homes outside of Taos. According to Wikipedia:
Earthship homes are primarily constructed to work as autonomous buildings and are generally made of earth-filled tires, using thermal mass construction to naturally regulate indoor temperature. They also usually have their own special natural ventilation system. Earthships are generally Off-the-grid homes, minimizing their reliance on public utilities and fossil fuels.
Here are some images, again taken with my Panasonic:
Earthship 1
Earthship 2
Earthship 3
On this day on year ago: my office.
Office at Debevoise & Plimpton
Tuesday January 3, 2012
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TAOS SKI VALLEY AND TAOS NEW MEXICO – Maria, Alexander, Laura and I snowmobiled in the morning, guided by a local legend and egregious name dropper called “Big Al”. Really fun racing up and down the mountains in two-cycle engine exhaust miasma. Here’s the village in good light and Maria.
Taos ski village
Maria does a snowmobile
Later in the day Laura and I drove down to Taos and visited the Taos Pueblo, one of the most photographed and painted sites on the face of the earth. From an editorial standpoint I’ve had failure of self control here.
Horse
Sagebrush
Taos pueblo
Cemetery Taos Pueblo
On this day last year: a clear day in Connecticut.
Tanner farm, Warren Connecticut
Monday January 2, 2012
Sunday January 1, 2012
Saturday December 31, 2011
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TAOS SKI VALLEY NEW MEXICO – We’re staying at the Bavarian where we celebrated New Years Eve with some friends who have built a house here. A family party image with my Panasonic.
New Years Eve
On this day last year: Maria in a nun costume. The scary thing about this was that Maria went to convent school and actually knows how to act like a nun.
Friday December 30, 2011
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TAOS SKI VALLEY NEW MEXICO – We made it to Taos. Our children, Alexander and Francesca, are excellent skiers. They started at age 3 and are at a very high level at this point. In most ski resorts they disdain actual runs, preferring off piste with a guide or instructor. Taos is a little different – there’s a bumper sticker that says “Taos – a four letter word for steep”. That pretty much summarizes it. They are in heaven. Maria is also a terrific skier. Laura is a beginner and is tackling lessons with great spirit. I haven’t skied that much since my knee replacements – I’m taking lessons to see what I can recover. At my current state there’s actually not a way off the mountain that I can ski.
The great thing about Taos is that it has snow, and spring skiing conditions in December. Midday it’s in the low 40s (F). Here’s lunch at the St. Bernard. All images from the trip are with my Panasonic – my travel kit when I’m concerned about size and weight (I actually thought that I might shoot on skis) or iPhone.
Lunch at St Bernard
On this day last year: wind carved snow. Shot with my Hasselblad.
Windswept snow, Warren Connecticut
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