NEW YORK NEW YORK – At the beginning of a very busy week my firm gave a party for me and one of my partners at the Four Seasons Restaurant here. I won’t say, here at least, what the event was celebrating. I carried my Rikoh but was distracted from photography. I managed to take this looking up from the bar before things got into full swing. I’ve included a shot that Francesca took of me speaking just to document that there was a party.
The Four SeasonsFrancesca's shot
NEW YORK NEW YORK – I stayed in town this weekend for an number of reasons – the best one of which was a birthday party for Francesca, our daughter, given by some friends. Here they are shot with my Ricoh GRD IV. The on camera flash on this thing isn’t all that bad.
Party
Here’s the last of the self variations that I’m going to post. Here I divided the print plane into quarters and placed a quarter of an image from each of four different times, and blended them.
NEW YORK NEW YORK – We went to Mas, a new locavore restaurant on Downing Street in the Village, to celebrate Francesca’s Birthday. Here she is blowing out a candle, taken with my ever-ready Ricoh GRD IV.
I mention the equipment that I’m using in most posts. Why? Well it’s because it helps bring traffic to this site as people search specific camera brands that they are considering.
Happy Birthday Francesca
So . . . back to the 24 hour self-portrait series taken in 1999. I have experimented with theses images at some length, for example by exploring the grid. (You may remember that the background is a grid “appropriated” from a Chuck Close image.) I divided the print plane into a grid, and then for each square I selected at random the corresponding square in one of the 24 self portraits. The result is a self portrait assembled from randomized bits of me taken over a 24 hour period. The finished work includes a title and caption. ad is printed 24×36 inches.
WARREN CONNECTICUT – A friend had a birthday celebration at has house under construction in Warren. There was no heating so we build a large fire in the fireplace. There were no kitchen appliances so we grilled the food. the wine selection was over the top with a 2000 Ch. la Conseillante (one of my favorite Pomerols) and 1996 Pichon and Latour. Not bad. Pictures taken with my Leica M9 and 24mm Summicron lens.
Construction site partyThe wines are ok
Here’s my boring self, from my hourly series, at 10:03 PM on February 13, 1999. Again taken with an Arca Swiss 8×10. This is the only image in the series where I’m wearing glasses, which we will see as we display some of the variants on these pictures (probably in mid-November at the pace we are moving at) has odd consequences.
NEW YORK NEW YORK – The James Beard Foundation had its annual two day food policy conference starting today. Good Housekeeping Magazine was our host – we held this year’s event in the Hearst Building in New York. Here’s a view of a break, taken with my Leica M9 and 24mm Summilux lens.
Hearst Building
On this day last year: One Oak. For some reason I didn’t like this last year. I’m a bit more positive on it now – the image exudes pheromones.
NEW YORK NEW YOK – Well today is the big day for Alexander (our son) and Laura. I was a participant and had little energy/focus for photography. Here’s a quote on the event from a note from a friend:
I thought that Laura’s and Alexander’s wedding ceremony was beautiful, touching, and memorable. I was entranced by the rich and majestic setting (St. Ignatius Loyola was truly gorgeous), and charmed by the priest, whom I found interesting and compelling.
And then there was the wonderful, joyous, energetic, and sumptuous cocktails and dinner and dancing at the Yale Club. What a perfect setting! The hors d’oeuvres and dinner were delicious (I was the fellow who ate 8 pounds of the grilled sausage) and the dancing was amazing. Why didn’t you warn me that Francesca (senior) is a whirling dervish? She is a sensational dancer. I danced with Francesca for a song or two and, as I walked exhausted back to my table, concluded that she has the aerobic capacity of a Navy seal. And, of course, Patrizia was amazing to watch as she moved across the dance floor. Francesca (junior) was stunning (as always) and looked fabulous on the dance floor herself.
But, most important, I was touched to see Laura and Alexander so obviously happy and in love. They make a handsome couple. I was moved by their closeness, and I know that they will be very good to and for each other.
Anyway, a couple of images with my M9 and 50 mm Summilux lens:
NEW YOK NEW YORK – This is rehearsal day for Laura and Alexander’s wedding. Thankfully I’m not serving in any official role as a photographer for the event. Wedding photograph is grueling business – I have tremendous admiration for the team that is shooting the wedding. I managed a few shots with my Panasonic GH2 at the rehearsal at St. Ignatius.
Alexander and his best man, Karim:
Alexander and KarimThe families watchMaria practices her readingAlexander and Laura sit patiently
