Happy New Year !!

Weekly Email 12-31-10 Stranded Taxi

Certainly the week was dominated by the tons of snow covering the city.  We had all sorts of issues going on with the removal of snow and the finger pointing involved in that.  If you are in the area you know what I mean.

For photographers the snow is a welcome change in scenery and gives us unlimited shooting opportunities.  I have posted a bunch of entries on the blog - but for today I picked a set of images which show the power of perception based on the direction of light.

The taxi got stuck in the middle of Seventh Ave and the plows went around it even hours after the snow stopped.  Facing south and north yield much different photos.  Have a favorite ??  Let me know.

Have a great 2011!

Snow Storm in the City

There are just too many shots I'd like to share from my walks around NYC.  Here are a few favorites.

I Love Irony

I know it's not a big deal - but it is a bit ironic to see these two notices posted next to each other in the bathroom.

The Price of Living in NYC

I have always preached the benefits of going to NJ to shop for groceries and such.  Today I saw a blatant example of how much more it can cost to live in NYC.   Dry cleaning a shirt in NJ is about $1.45 and it is about $3.00 here.  I was shopping today and noticed Clorox wipes are $6.99.  Meanwhile in NJ a week ago I bought them for $2.85 each.  Wow! 

Snow Storm Holiday 2010

By now most everyone knows we got hit with a big storm.  The City is a quieter place because of it and I kind of like that. 
I shot so many fun photos over the past two days so I'll share a few now and see what others pop up in this week as things clear.
Here are photos of the snow on Sixth Avenue.  The winds blowing snow across Seventh Avenue.  A taxi stranded in the middle of Seventh Ave and plowed around.  And my possible favorite - the snow on the 14th Street subway platform that blew in from above.

Car Almost Buried in the Snowstorm

I was lucky that I had a good corner spot for the after storm dig out.  It was great exercise to shovel the car the next day.  Check out the before and after.

Christmas Presents from Nerf

I guess it is inevitable that boys will at some point play with guns.  Best be it safe guns when indoors.
Christmas eve I had to take on my two nephews in an epic gun battle with the Nerf guns.  They clearly out-gunned me but I held my own and pushed back the assault several times to maintain the playroom security.

Weekly Email 12-24-10 Holiday Blur

That day has finally come again.  The crush of Christmas eve is felt by many as we rush to get last minute things done or deal with the traffic of holiday travels.  Life in NYC is super-charged with the crush of people seeing the city and scurrying to sales and holiday events.

There is so much to photograph that it's hard to pick out which image to use - so I'll go with the holiday tree theme in two different perspectives.  It's always good to challenge yourself to shoot differently than you usually do.  So I looked up and loosened up and here are the images.

Have a great holiday!

Santa and Me

While at the Plaza recently I took a moment to pose with Santa.  Thanks to Neal for grabbing a snap as the jolly St Nick whisked by!

Holiday at Bryant Park

This is one of the greatest areas to visit during the holidays.  Check out Bryant Park sometime soon if you can!

Blythedale Children's Hospital WPLJ Concert

This week I was part of the annual holiday benefit for the Blythedale Children's Hospital.  It is truly a life-changing event to share time with the children at this facility.  Their life challenges are enormous and this event brings them joy during the holiday season.  Rock stars such as Rob Thomas and John Mayer spend a lot of time with the kids and it means the world to them.  Think about the families who have to experience these traumatic illnesses during the holiday season and be thankful for all you have.

Dog Walking Woops

Today while I was down on the Hudson shooting some pics I noticed a dog barking and seemingly alone with the leash stuck in the planks.  I looked around and it was very quiet and few folks walking by so it was odd.  I even looked over the edge for a body.  I found a ranger and mentioned it to her but then a woman was coming back up the path and said something like who's dog is barking and looked over.  She said hmm that looks like my dog  -OH MY that is my dog!  She then proceeded to tell me how her mother is sick and she was talking on the phone and didn't realize the leash had dropped.  She had walked down the river and was on her way back when she noticed her missing dog.  The dog was very happy to see her and was jumping on its back legs - and clearly recognized her before she recognized the dog.

Wine shopping

The wine aisles at Costco are really great. I love seeing all the selections and filling the cart! You have to experience it.

Weekly Email 12-17-10

There are certain things in photography we don't see that often - one of them is the moment of the flash captured when you are not planning to or trying to.  It's not hard to do if you try - but when it just happens it's more fun.  In this scenario at the Foto Care holiday party Cliff and I just happened to be in sync and I kinda like this shot.  He was at 1/16th a second and I happened to shoot at 1/40th.

Afternoon Delight

Today at Eataly the tasty treats were abound.  There are so many awesome foods to chose from and the cheese is awesome with the special sauces.  Check out the fig with hot pepper specs.

Some Scenes Ask for a Photo

The other night after the APA party I saw Sari, her bike and the door at the base of the Maritime.  They just scream out for an image.  So this is what was made in the freezing cold that night.  NYC commuting.

Weekly Email 12-10-10

As I walked up Sixth Avenue I noticed a police officer in full battle gear standing on the corner.  At first like anyone I was like wow what happened - but he was just standing there so I had to get a photo.  Of course I was not about to engage him and ask since his look wasn't a chatty one.  So I just walked by then walked back and snapped one from the side and not to sneak up on him snapped another and said hi - hope things are well.  He looked and that was it. 
Certainly I don't know if you've had the experience of seeing the police in full battle gear but it's a unique feeling.  The machine gun is quite noticeable from a distance and they are covered in other intimidating gear as well.  This is what our safety looks like on the streets.   I can't imagine what would have to happen to be able to use the machine gun in NYC and I certainly don't want to see that.

Something in the Chairs

I just like this image.

Flatiron Admiration

To me there is just something special about the flatiron building.  No matter how you slice it - that thing is an amazing site to see.

What a Drunk Can Do

We really could not stop laughing.  We didn't know at first how a friend of ours stumbled out of the party with his pants all a mess.  How the heck did that happen.  Then someone remembered there was a big cookie tray at the party and the colors matched up.  How classic is that???