Friday December 9, 2011

NEW YOEK NEW YORK – I spent some time this afternoon at Yancey Richardson looking at photographs, primarily by Andrew Moore. The experience was energizing. When I started this daily photo effort over two years ago I expected that a number of longer term projects would emerge. Looking at Andrew’s work and paging back through mine I’ve decided to push on the churches of Litchfield County project. I see a couple of phases, starting with taking an inventory of facades, making high quality prints as a means to get closer to the ministers/rectors/priests, doing more in depth studies (which I’ve only done at the Washington Congregational Church at this point), teasing out the narrative (which I have some ideas on but need further work to refine) and then more follow through studies.

But today I’m not in Litchfield County so I point my Alpa Max out our window into good light. I’m working to achieve technical mastery with this tool – it’s the key to creating the kinds of images that I’m looking for in Litchfield County. By “technical mastery” I mean that my hands do the right things without an need to think about anything but composition.

Out my window in good light
Out my window in good light

On this date one year ago: Urban landscape.

Riverside Drive South

Thursday December 8, 2011

NEW YORK NEW YORK – A friend, Bill Beekman, has collected a treasure trove of Virginia Woolf first editions, letters, manuscripts, autographs and photos. It’s all on display at the Forbes Galleries, starting with an opening tonight. Here’s Bill and his wife, Bunny, being photographed by a friend, and the same friend trying to photograph me with a very pretty white Nikon point and shoot. Taken with my Ricoh GRD IV, aka the “party animal”.

Bill and Bunny
Bill and Bunny
Good luck shooting me
Good luck shooting me

On this day one year ago: Interior at St. John the Devine. One of my favorites from last year.

St. John the Devine

Tuesday December 6, 2011

NEW YORK NEW YORK – I meet monthly for breakfast with a group of college classmates. One member of our group is the headmaster of an independent boys’ school – we meet in his office, which seems kind of appropriate on many levels. Here’s a picture of Andy, captured with my iPhone in video mode, using an app called Video Stills as a frame grabber to sort out individual video frames as stills.

Andy
Andy

On this day one year ago:

Questar Duplex Telescope

Saturday December 3, 2011

WASHINGTON DC – So today I’m presenting an iPhone gallery. We spent the weekend here, having a memorable lunch at Zaytinya, Jose Andres’ remarkable Lebanese/Turkish/Greek restaurant, visiting the National Gallery for the Harry Callahan show, and going to a musical in Arlington that was written by a friend. Altogether a fabulous weekend. I decided to travel only with my iPhone, but at the last minute I chickened out and brought my Leica and three lens kit (a 35, 50 and 90 – the Leica holly trinity). It turned out that I managed just fine with the iPhone. Here’s a selection:

Lafayette Park
Lafayette Park
Bank
Bank
Lunch
Lunch
Smoker
Smoker

And finally, not an iPhone – take with my Leica M9. It was too dark and too far away for the iPhone.

Rick and Candace
Rick and Candace

On this day one year ago: Delancey Street

Delancey Street