The Warm Glow of Electronic Screens

I was standing in the line for the coat check to retrieve my jacket, when I saw the young woman's face brightly lit by her phone.  Then I noticed the guy next to her whose face was illuminated by the screen on the back of his camera.  I grabbed my toy camera, on my belt, and started shooting.  The problem was that this was in the lobby of the museum, and  there were people walking back and forth between me and the people on the bench.  Also, I didn't have the ISO set high enough, so I was at a slow shutter speed.  I managed to shoot about 6 or 7 frames in between people.  Only ONE was sharp!  Whew!  It was only then that I notice the third man, on the right, also illuminated by a screen.  I won the trifecta!

The Magic City at Dusk

I went to the city today, to see some more exhibits at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  I had lunch with my friend Stan, and then spent the rest of the afternoon looking at the Carleton Watkins photographs of Yosemite, from1866, and then an amazing collection of early Cubist works in the Lauter collection.  Once again I was exhausted and crawled out of the museum at 5:30 and started walking back down Fifth avenue.  And what a beautiful time of day it was.  The lights begin to show in the office windows, there is still light in the sky, and the stream of tail lights illuminates Fifth Avenue.  It was a magical time of day in the city

Snow & Sunshine!

I am really beating these faded flowers to death, aren't I?  But they have such interesting shapes and as the light and the background change, I keep finding different photographs of the same thing.  I was thrilled when the sun finally came out.  The sunlight just makes me feel good, after days of overcast.  And because it is winter, the Sun travels a lower path through the sky, in this case, giving me long shadows on the snow.  There is a small hill at the back of the side yard, and that is why the long shadows curve in this photograph.  I think that this is one of the more beautiful photographs I have done lately.  Be sure and click on this to see it larger.  It is stunning!

The Setting of the Sun, the Rising of the Moon

I spent part of the day clearing the last of the snow off of the driveway.  It was nice shoveling snow when the sun was out.  It sparkles, and the shadows on the snow were really pretty.  I wanted to post a photograph of the snow, but though that you are probably tired of seeing snow.  Maybe tomorrow.  I happened to notice the first quarter moon rising above the tree tops, tinged with the warm light of the setting sun.  So here you go.

After the Snowstorm

So we lucked out, and only ended up with 12" of snow, instead of the 24" to 36" forecast.  It was still a lot of snow, though.  I have been shoveling all day, taking breaks in between by reading or using the computer.  I thought that just for fun, I would start by showing you how the weeds in yesterday's photograph looked after the storm.  Then I saw the patio furniture by the garage, and thought that would make an interesting photo as well.

Waiting for the Blizzard

It has been snowing lightly all day, and very windy.  Three inches or so is just a preview of what is to come.  Late in the afternoon, I was sitting at the dining room table, and looked out at the herb garden.  I was immediately taken by the delicate shapes of these plants.  Back in 1962 when I was an R.I.T. student I did a photo essay on winter for the student newspaper.  I found a poem by South African poet Roy Campbell,  and used it for the text of my photo essay.  It began: 

"I love to see, when leaves depart, 

The clear anatomy arrive, 

Winter, the paragon of art, 

That kills all forms of life and feeling 

Save what is pure and will survive." 

                     I thought of these words today, when taking this photograph.

Another New View

They have finally taken all the bricks off the west side of the power plant.  I am fascinated by the fact that there is structural steel that is painted blue.  Perhaps that part of the plant had the steel out in the open, and the rest of the plant surround that steel with brick, thus obscuring it.  The plant is so much more interesting with the outer walls removed.  It is fascinating to see how it is built.  In the bottom foreground are two of the barges that take the remains of the plant away.