Monday, November 29, 2010

Saturday, November 27, 2010

New York Again this Weekend

New York, New York


We spent most of the day in Midtown Manhattan with Tina's French cousin, Vero, who was in transit from visiting other relatives, and off to JFK for her flight home.


What was once the Huntington/Hartford museum has devolved into a weird sort of mall called "The Shops at Columbus Circle." There are apparently a couple restaurants with astronomical prices, a couple places where you can get some coffee if willing to wait forever on Saturday after Black Friday, and precious little else. On the top accessible floor, a bunch of, one supposes, dance students, were playing games and trying to get a picture of themselves leaping. They may have gotten it.

As always, a click in the picture will bring you a much larger and more legible view. Use your browser back button to return.

Library Lion

New York, New York

68 St. Station

New York, New York

You can always get a larger view of the pictures posted here by clicking on the picture. Use your browser back button to return.

Friday, November 26, 2010

More Ads

New York, New York

New York, New York

The ad on the street side of this bus shelter is reflecting back from the windows of a parked SUV.

Friday/Saturday

New York, New York

New York, New York

Thursday, November 25, 2010

...And No Customers

Union City, Connecticut

I'm intrigued by closed, gone out of business, storefronts. This property is in a sort of out of the way location, right near a highway ramp, but with just about zero nearby—by which I mean within what typical Americans consider walking distance—residential properties. So any potential customers would have to get in their cars to shop along this strip of storefronts. At which point they can go there, or to competitors in the center of town, less than a mile away. Once your customer is in the car, there's no convenience advantage to being a mile closer.

detail

So maybe we know why this business didn't last.

Fancy Displays

New York, New York

I haven't been to New York since July, and in that short time these new-fangled flat-panel advertising screens seem to have spread everywhere. Every bus stop shelter and phone booth from 30th to 92nd streets (the range of my walking commute during the workshop) now glows garishly in the dark with advertising messages. Illuminated ads like these have been around forever using the old tech approach of back-lighted transparency material, but these are much more vivid and bright, holding their own against late afternoon daylight or the illumination of floodlights and spotlights in store window displays.

New York, New York

Which Holiday?

New York, New York

Halloween didn't quite seem to be over last weekend in New York.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

(Formerly) Zagat Rated

New York, New York

Bureau of Training

New York, New York

The "Introduction to Platinum" workshop I taught this weekend was at CAP, located at 36 E. 30th, west of Park Avenue. I stayed at a friend's apartment on 92nd, east of 3rd Avenue. So I had four walks before and after the teaching sessions, each about 3.5 miles, to look around and make pictures with a small camera. Saturday morning I spotted this view of some interesting "urban trees." As I was framing up the shot, I saw some figures moving down the stairs. The EVF (electronic viewfinder) for the Pany GF1 camera I was using lets you frame shots accurately at eye level, but doesn't have enough resolution to see small details with any clarity.

detail


So I was surprised when I lowered the camera and saw what was going on. Some kind of emergency services or disaster rescue drill.

New York, New York

Then I spotted the "Bureau of Training" truck with firemen unloading the stretchers and dummies. Just a slightly surreal start to the day.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Victoria's Backhoe

New York, New York

Spa and Laser Center

New York, New York

If the notion of spa and laser center sounds a bit off-putting, the wide screen video display of the services on offer might send anyone scurrying away. As always, you can click on the picture for a larger and more legible version...if you really want to.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Grand Central Station

New York, New York

6:48 last evening, returning from teaching a weekend workshop at The Center for Alternative Photography.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Monday, November 15, 2010

Athletic Field Rules

Winsted, Connecticut

A whole lot of "no." As always, you can click on the picture to see a larger and more legible version.

Late Autumn Leaves

Naugatuck, Connecticut