What's in a Blue Sky

I've always enjoyed a clear blue sky.  This photo from the Central Park castle just makes you want to relax and enjoy the summer.

Weekly Email 8-27-10

Last night I hopped into a cab and the music was cranking and the driver was ecstatic to see me.  Not what I expected!

He proclaimed he was the Happy Cabby and he would bring joy to my ride.  Then turned the stereo up to 10 and floored it.  It was quite an experience.  At each stop light he would turn down the music and tell me I am a unique person.  Certainly I am happy and a terrific human being.  It was like riding the affirmation express.  Perhaps you've bumped into him one night?  I found a bunch of videos of him on youtube and if you want to hear him tell it - the link is below. 

Of course I pulled out my instant camera and shot a photo of him which he kissed and praised me as a great man.  When we got to my apt I asked how much  - he said whatever you want is fine - you're a fantastic human being.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcooamaEMR8&feature=related

The meter was for $7.10 and I gave him a $20.

NYC at Night

Even a basic point and shoot camera can capture great scenes.  As everyone knows I always have my camera with me and when this scene presented itself I shot it with my FinePix F70 - 2 seconds @ f/3.3.

Weekly Email 8-20-10

This week I was lucky enough to spend a night in The American Museum of Natural History.  After watching the movie it's hard not to think about all these creatures coming alive and I'm sure anyone who has seen the movie knows what I mean.

Blue and Yellow Work Well

Sunflowers always seem to intrigue me.  There is something about the harmony between the colors of the sky and the flower.  Hope you enjoy this one.

Weekly Email 8-13-10

This week I got to spend some time at Yankee Stadium at a corporate event when there wasn't a game so access was granted to all areas including the locker room and on the field.  A neat experience.  They also brought out the World Series Trophy which you'll see below from above.

Woodstock Festival Before and After

Back in 1999 I was lucky enough to photograph the Woodstock Festival reunion concert in Rome, NY.  One of my favorite shots was done with a Fujifilm GX617 and Velvia which shows the before and after scene of the stage area. 

The stage image was created by Peter Max.  http://www.petermax.com/

Stream Wanderings

This week I hung out with my nephews for a day and we explored the stream in the backyard.  A favorite place to wander and enjoy - especially when the water level drops in mid-summer.

Weekly Email 8-6-10

This week I found myself out one night when one of the more obvious personas of the NYC nightlife popped in.  I really didn't have any idea of who or what she/he has gone through but a quick check led to some intense history - such as -

Amanda Lepore (born Armand)

Her first surgical operation was a rhinoplasty, which occurred at the age of fifteen, a gift from her then-boyfriend, a plastic surgeon. Lepore has had three breast augmentations, her eyes slanted twice, her forehead lifted, her hairline pulled down, and her brow bone reduced. She has also had her forehead, buttocks, and hips enlarged with liquid silicone injections. Most notably, she had her lips enlarged with liquid silicone injections (and subsequently reduced) and has had her lower rib broken and pushed in.  In an interview for "The Insider" in 2006, she acknowledged that she spent a lot of money on that transformation.

I can't even imagine some of the pain and healing times involved in all that.  To see it all live is a unique experience.

NYC Artists

This week I visited two amazing and talented artist friends. 
Tom Sachs and Casey Neistat are both creative geniuses.  You can see their work at their websites -

http://neistatbrothers.com/neistat-movies?fade=1

http://tomsachs.org/

Here I am in the Neistat Studio and then Tom and some assistants playing with the Instax close-up feature in the Sachs creative bunker.  Casey is below.