Maine

                                                                                                   Cadillac Mountain Sunrise 

Good to be home. Finished the John Paul Caponigro workshop n Monday and drove back yesterday. And quite the week it was with the long days and the early sunrise (4:30AM first light). Never really got to a sunset as it was definitely early to bed and early to rise.....

                                                                                                             Cadillac Mountain

Went to Monhegan for the first time and not withstanding being seasick it is truly a magical place. We were out there most of the day, returning to the mainland at 530PM....Next morning we hit sunrise up in Acadia on Cadillac Mountain - only 1527 feet but the light was spectacular - went to Clark Island, Jordan Pond and Bath, Maine. Allot or work but it kept you on your toes...

                                                                               Storm Clouds -Monhegan Island Ferry

I was totally blocked  when I got to Maine and challenged myself to shoot without a tripod, only use a wide angle lens and work on foreground placement. I was making the same images over and over again and needed to break out of the slump - even my IPhone images were beginning to all look the same. Challenging yourself with these types of 'out of comfort zone' exercises are a good way to break through and as my friend David said, 'make imperfectly perfect' images - leaving flaws in the captures.

                                                                                                   Sunrise, Rockland Harbor

I believe this exercise led me to a few of those magical moments - not having to worry about a cumbersome tripod of heavy lens I was able to move quickly when an image peaked my curiosity.  Workshops are great for learning from others and this week proved to hammer that point home -

                                                                                   Carnival, Bath, Maine

The three images posted today are a result of last weeks challenge.

Adam Lambert - Nokia

Yeah I know, another quick post today....running off to Maine in a few minutes but wanted to get these up today. I really need to get back to the Mermaid Images.....oh well...

Your honor, I am here to defend the 'Yutes' of rock and roll - oh, I think someone already said that - sort of - years ago....         

                                                                               Allison Iraheta and Orianthi

Anyway went to see two idols and an amazing guitar player last night at the Nokia Theater in Times Square - and I was not disappointed.

Not that I am a music critic but I admit publicly that I do watch American Idol and liked Allison Iraheta from the first show....on the show it was fairly obvious she was so young (16) but there was something about that girl..... maybe it was her somewhat similarity to Janis that got me.....

Adam Lambert is all that I thought he would be - the heir-apparent to Mr. Mercury of Queen...I was only able to stay for three or four songs but I was impressed -

And Orianthi is an amazing guitar player, man or woman - she can flat out play.

Off to Maine - stay tuned....I wonder if one ever really catches up to the work...

IPhone Blurb Book

                                                                                          Times Square - New York

Put the finishing touches on my first self-published book last night - actually my first ever book of photographic images. The book contains IPhone images captured over the past year in various locations; Death Valley, Scotland, Yosemite, Martha's Vineyard and New York City.

                                                                              Carousel Horse - London

I started using the IPhone 18 month ago and have since fell in love with the many ways color can be manipulated using the camera and in-phone applications - a diary, camera and darkroom in your pocket. One now has the ability to shoot, process and communicate with a global community instantly from anywhere in the world.

                                                                        Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, CA

OK, I am happy that the first one is over and done with (only one small spelling mistake noted so far) so on to the next one...check out the book - there is a link below or click on the widget on the left front page of the blog.


http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1430709?ce=blurb_ew&utm_source=widget

PS: Off to Maine tomorrow for a week of shooting along the coastline...Stay tuned...

Willamsburg Waterfront

                                                       View looking out from the stage


No Mermaids today - was out late Sunday at a new venue in Brooklyn.

The new venue is Williamsburg Waterfront -  located right on the East River in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, The outdoor venue opened with a sold out (7500 tickets) show featuring Karen Elson, Grizzly Bear and Band of Horses.

                                                           Band of Horses - Ben Bridwell

With great views of the East River and Manhattan the 'Waterfront' is a great place to see a concert. Check it out.......

                                                            Sound Check in Willimasburg

Look for shows with Faith No More, Weezer, Modest Mouse, Nas and Damian Marley, Spoon and Pavement.....

Mermaid Parade, part 2

The Mermaid Parade and Coney Island were all I thought it would be. Captured over 1400 images which will take at least a day or so to work through. S0 today you get a few selects - tomorrow there will be more with a bit more dialog.....Happy Fathers Day..........

Also added an image into the header.......

Mermaid Parade

OK, today is the day - the Mermaid Parade in Coney Island. My first one by the way - have talked about this for years but was always somewhere else in the world when the parade happened.The weather is cooperating - they say it will be 90 plus degrees....should be a hoot at Coney...

This week I bought a new camera that uses film - yes, old fashioned film. The camera is small, compact and has one lens - 28MM. I really miss the look of film - the grain in 35mm can not be duplicated and adds that special texture to a well exposed image. I'm just saying!!!  The other advantage is the amount of weight one has to deal with - reducing it to one camera and one lens really lightens the load, and on a hot day like today that will be golden...I will, of course, bring one digital camera as back up...

OK, off to the parade - check this space out tomorrow for some Mermaids...

The image above was captured in Jamaica, circa 1975....on film by the way!

Coney Island

Certainly feeling like a Coney Island month around here - all this leading up to the Mermaid Parade this weekend. All in all I am building up a portfolio of Coney Island images and am quite happy that a good deal of them are images of people - other then music landscapes were prevalent most of this year.

Also been experimenting with how to best portray these images, particularly the color. To this end I have been using various software to enhance, hopefully without going over the top, the color that exists at Coney Island. I am using both high resolution capture and the low resolution IPhone...

Today I post two of those test color images - both of these are high resolution.

Coney Island Black and White

Here are a few more images from Coney Island in Black and White............

Coney Island Revisit

Just returned from another day making images at Coney Island - hot dogs and all. Speaking of hot dogs a friend turned me on to Ruby's hot dogs. Ruby's is on the boardwalk just beyond Wonder Wheel...better then Nathan's - but then I never knew Nathan's was sold and the quality has gone way down. Ruby's apparently has a 'bubba burger' which is the burger with cheese put into the center of a potato knish...maybe next week!!!!!! I have taken to hanging at at Ruby's with a few photographer friends - quite the place.

At any rate photographing in Coney Island is quite the trip - you simply never know 'what or who' you might stumble on next. the more I go out there - the more the regulars know me - the more they tell me about some hidden gem to check out.

Today was all about a Haitian festival on the beach, and, as the Mermaid Parade is next week there appears to be a Mermaid sand castle competition in the works. The gentlemen above is the first....very cool art..

The image in the header is also from Coney Island.

Correction: I mistakenly gave credit to Judy Collins for the lyrics to 'In My Life' a few blogs back - it is actually a Lennon-McCartney song. I was listening to the Judy Collins version when I posted...

AR Rahman

Quick post today - off to Coney Island for the day...And next week is the Mermaid Parade -

Last night I went to Nassau Coliseum to see the AR Rahman (Slum Dog Millionaire score) touring show. Had a few friends who were working on the show so thought it a good idea to check it out.

I was not dis-appointed - fabulous show - great visuals, dancing and production. Amy Tinkham directed, Butch Allen designed the set and Peter Morse did the lighting design.

Check it out if you get the chance -

In My Life

There are places, I remember,
all my life though some have changed
some forever, not for better
some are gone, and some remain
all these places have their meanings
with lovers and friends I still can recall,
some are dead and some are living...
in my life, I've loved them all....Lennon and McCartney

Not much more to say about this painting. Old friends - good times - fond memories......They just keep coming....

Adobe

A while back I was approached by Adobe to be one of five amateur photographers to be showcased with the release of Lightroom 3.

Well, the release happened yesterday at midnight and today my short piece has been posted on the Adobe website.

The two images used are posted today......

Coney Island

When I was in 7th grade in the Bronx we used to cut school and take the D Train to Coney Island. At that time you could take $2.00 and have a blast riding the Steeplechase Horses and the Cyclone ot to mention lunch at Nathan's. All this and one could get back home around 4PM as if you just got out of school.

Took a trip to Coney Island yesterday and the Cyclone is still there but Steeplechase is long gone. I can remember riding these mechanical horses around the outside of Steeplechase for maybe 5 cents a ride..mind you this was in 1956. The Cyclone has been around for 90 some odd years and is appears as daunting as ever - not a chance you get me back on....

Coney Island seems to be alive and well these days - check out the link<<<<...and if that is not enough Coney Island Lou reed and Laurie Anderson are King Neptune and Queen Mermaid for the upcoming Mermaid Parade on June 19th - they even have a Mermaid Ball following the parade held at the Aquarium.

They seem to be creating a 21st Century Coney Island - let's hope they can keep this bit of American alive......

Souvenirs

 Memories they can't be boughten,
They can't be won at carnivals for free.
Well it took me years to get those souvenirs
And i don't know how they slipped away from me.....Steve Goodman

After I learned of that my old friend Bobby Finkel passed it was almost impossible not to start looking back at that period of my life.  I started thinking of all the times we spent together which of course led to thinking about more friends that I had not seen or heard from in years. And of course my iTunes seemed to reinforce this sentiment by coming up with Jeff and Tim Buckley versions of 'Hallelujah' and Steve Goodman's 'Souvenirs' (the John Prine and Goodman versions).
 
A lot if my time with Bobby was spent in and around Spring valley, PA just  outside of New Hope, Pennsylvania. Mostly we gathered at Armond and Anita's house to play poker and backgammon, eat, listen to music and generally indulge in the peculiarities of that time period. Poker and backgammon seemed to take center stage but the conversation was always lively.

There was a music room where we spent most of our time - the painting above is my impression of this room.

Bobby Finkel

'I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though it all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah'.......Leonard Cohen

Was surfing My Space looking for old friends when I came across the page for Bobby Finkel, a friend from the old days in Philadelphia. I left Bobby a message on his My Space page and two-three days later heard back from his wife that he had passed away in January....I was saddened by this - Our paths had crossed several times over the years and whenever my travels took me back to Philadelphia I always made an attempt to contact him - I knew he was playing bass in various groups - something he always talked about during those early years.

What you have to know is that Bobby and I shared many a good time hanging out in Philadelphia during the 60's, listening to, playing and going to see music at the Electric Factory, The Trauma, Second of Autumn and a few other places that slip my mind at the moment.

I can vividly remember many fun nights spent in Rittenhouse Square talking and listening to music, walking along the river behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Bobby lived with his parents across the street) or staring at the statues inside the Rodan Museum.

He loved his family and loved his work - he will be missed.

The top photo is Bobby in Bucks County and the one below is myself and Bobby during our Edison Electric Band days. I have posted this one before and he is the second from the left - top row - I am on his right.