Leonard Cohen

'Like a bird on the wire,
like a drunk in the midnight choir,
I have tried in my way to be free'........Leonard Cohen

On the way to New Orleans today for Jazz Fest.....Thought I would post one of my favorite musicians...Always wanted these three lines on my gravestone....

Captured at The Beacon Theater a year or so back when he first started touring again...

Badwater, Death Valley

Badwater, Basin, Death Valley, 2010

'Forget not that  the earth delights  to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair' ....Khalil Gibran

Mumbai, India

Mumbai, India, 2008

Cruisng the archive this morning and came across this image from Mumbai, India a few years back. At the time I was simply not able to correctly process the image mostly because I simply had not mastered the tools. Finally today I arrived at something I liked.....

If memory serves me well I captured this through a car window....

Maine

'Photography records the gamut of feelings written on the human face, the beauty of the earth and skies that man has inherited, and the wealth and confusion man has created. It is a major force in explaining man to man'.....Edward Steichen

Captured with a Canon5DMKII, 24-105MM lens


I added a link to a friend and talented photographer, John Barclay on the left side of this blog. Well worth checking out his work.....

Albeit short, I also posted a short piece on the connection of the iPhone Technology to the Pictorial Photographers at the turn of the 20th century on my iPhone blog.

Old Hotel - Hudson Valley

Hotel, Hudson Valley 

OK, it must have been my weekend for old hotels in the Hudson Valley.


Captured with a Canon 5DMKII, 21MM Zeiss Lens

Twilight Ridge

Twilight Ridge, Hudson River Valley

Another image from last weekend in the Hudson River Valley. It had rained most of the day and in the evening mother nature put a fog over most of the Hudson River Valley - a perfect storm for photographers - specifically those who like Edward Steichen and Alfred Stieglitz.

Captured with a Canon 5DMKII, 21mm Zeiss lens

Iceland

This from last summer in Iceland. If my memory serves me well this was shot one morning about 3AM....

Captured with a Mamiya 645DF, Phase One P65+, 47MM lens

Coney Island

Coney Island Carousel

April 15th was the official opening of Coney Island for the season. Yesterday the vendors were all working on painting their structures for the season and children were all over Nathan's on Spring Break. And, yes, I had two Nathan's Hot Dogs and french fries for lunch...Does not get much better then that.

Coney Island Carousel

I, for one, am looking forward to spending a good deal of time out there this summer.

The images (could not decide which way to go) posted here are from my iPhone4.....Captured and processed using TrueHDR, Filterstorm, Autopainter and Iris....Also Photoforge for sharpening...

Coney Island

Brooklyn, Coney Island, 2010

Taking my first trip of this season to Coney Island today with two of my friends, Al Hernandez and Mindy Veissid. My mind is already on the Mermaid Parade, June 18th....

Coney Island, 2010

Here is a link to information about Coney Island....

Caddo Lake

Egret, Caddo Lake, Uncertain, Texas

 

'When we try to pick out anything by itself, 

we find it hitched to everything else in the universe'...........John Muir

Gullfoss_Iceland

On the final day in Iceland last July I decided to rent a car and drive 90 minutes/120KM to see Gullfoss (Golden Falls). I had heard so much about this place all week that I simply had to see it for myself. And I was not at all disappointed.

From reading Wikipedia and a few other sources the story goes that a woman named 'Sigriour Tomasdottir' marched 120KM from Gullfoss to Reykjavik in bare feet to protest the building of a power plant at Gullfoss. Apparently she was successful and the power plant was never built. In many ways Gullfoss reminds me of Niagra Falls....

I have worked on this image since last year due to bad original captures and finally like the one posted today. Look for  several other views of Gullfoss to be posted in future blogs...

Captured with a Mamiya 645DF, 45MM Lens, Phase One P65+

The Who

The Who, Madison Square Garden, 1975

Another archival image from back in the film days. Workflow was an old studio trick in that I triggered the flash and painted with a long shutter speed - learned in the old days of film when I was a first assistant to a few NY advertising photographers, circa 1970. There was no way to see the image so you went completely by the seat of your pants.

There were artifacts but that was all part of my vision of live music imagery.Check out Keith Moon in the lower right of the image - quite the character.


Image shot with a Nikon F3, 35mm Ektachrome film, scanned into the digital world using an Imacon/Hasselblad scanner

Neon Boneyard

Neon Boneyard, Las Vegas

And one more time....Can not get my mind off of the Boneyard this week.....

Captured with the Canon 5DMKII, 85MM lens

Neon Boneyard

Neon Boneyard, Las Vegas

So many choices on how to present these Boneyard images - horizontal-vertical etc....I keep moving them around looking for what feels best. This one felt right in this position this morning.

Have to run off to class - in Main this week in a compositing class.

Captured with a Canon 5DMKII, 85MM lens

Neon Boneyard

Neon Boneyard - Las Vegas - Nevada

Image captured with a Canon 5DMKII, 24-105MM lens

Shark Attack

Shark Attack, Neon Boneyard

Grungey shark attack at the Neon Boneyard in Las Vegas. So much to find in these old relics of Vegas past...

Captured with a Canon 5DMKII, 85MM Lens

Caddo Lake - Texture

Caddo Lake

It appears I captured over 2800 images last week in Caddo Lake last week. I was not going to post another Caddo Lake today but when I saw this on the screen I quickly changed my mind.

As truth be told we had passed this spot where you could actually see the lower part of the tree when Angie, our guide asked if we wanted to back up - of course Angie was right and we backed up until the tree came into full view - I for one am happy she made that suggestion. In my opinion, this image comes to life being able to see a bit deeper into the murky areas.

Captured with a Canon 5DMKII using a 24-105MM lens

Caddo Reflection

Caddo Lake Reflection

Captured with a Canon 5DMKII, 24-105MM lens

Caddo Lake

Caddo Lake, Uncertain, Texas

I guess it is true that you do not feel the character of a place until you have been back several times. As many times as that has happened, Death Valley being one of them, I seem to always misplace this piece of information. Well, this is exactly what happened to me on this trip back to Caddo Lake. I saw the lake in a totally different light (no pun intended).

The first time through about 18 months ago I only saw an overview of the lake and not the details that make this place so special. Also, the more you go back the more you get to talk to the locals and feel their perspective and how much this lake is part of their everyday lives. If one listens carefully there is so much to learn from those who spend everyday on the lake and they seem to know what makes it tick, right down to where a particular alligator will be sunning on any given day, or when and where the White Lillie's will open when the sun crosses the horizon. This was my experience this last time at the lake.

Not sure what particular time of day this image was captured but what attracted me was the play of the color in the foreground against the somewhat eerie monochromatic background. The color was not evident last time through in November 2009. The locals all told me that I need to come back in June or July when the color is even more alive. I just might try to do just that - I am completely intoxicated with this place and need to learn more.

Check out my iPhone-Antics blog for more images of Caddo Lake:

Iphone-antics.blogspot.com

Image captured with a Canon 5DMKII, 24-105MM Lens

Jefferson, Texas

Jefferson General Store, Jefferson, Texas

 After being rained out of Caddo Lake on Monday morning I spent part of the early afternoon with my buddy AL Hernandez looking for images in Jefferson, Texas.

Jefferson is quite the town - mostly antiques and collectibles. Originally founded in 1841 Jefferson was one of the most important port towns and at one point was the 6th largest city in Texas.

I had the best key lime pie in Jefferson on Monday - not to mention several decent photo opportunities.

Image above captured with a Canon 5DMKII, 85MM lens - uploaded to my blog from an airplane over West Virginia...

Coots - Caddo Lake

Coots, Caddo Lake

Sunday was the first night on the lake and the boat captain spotted about 200 Coots siting approximately 200 yards ahead of our boat. We sped up and it naturally chased the birds off in many different directions - hence today's rather eerie image.

Sunrise Tuesday morning then back to Dallas to catch a flight to NY.

Image captured with a Canon 5DMKII using a  24-105mm f4 lens

Caddo Lake

Caddo Lake, Uncertain, Texas

Running out for the sunrise on the lake this morning. The lake is absolutely beautiful in the spring, albeit we are a little bit early for the real color. Here is a quick one from yesterday.

Stay tuned.

Coney Island

Summer, Coney Island

Captured with a Nikon F3, Tri-X black and white film, scanned into the digital world by JS Scans, Chicago, Illinois.

The Cotswolds, Wales, Great Britain

There was a change of plans the last day in Wales. Instead of the 140 mile drive to Snowdonia we opted to drive back to London through the rolling hills of the  'Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Beauty'. And they are not wrong about that.

There are rolling hills, large farms and the prerequisite castles and churches some dating back to the 14th century. Additionally there are quite a few Topiaries that dot the hillside. Spent some time meandering at the Cotswold Topiary and Gate in Gloucestershire and managed to capture a few images to post over the next few days.

Today's image is indicative of the soft light one sees in the Cotswolds this time of year.

Captured with a Phase One p65+ on an Alpa 12-SWA using a Schneider 47MM lens