Tickertape 2012

I had my third opportunity to observe a tickertape parade up the Canyon of Heroes winding its way up Broadway (which is by the way counter to the way cars travel).  The New York Giant Super Bowl heroes (who play in New Jersey) were once again honored for their victory (last time had been 2008, one of the other times I saw the tickertape).  I also saw the Yankees in 2009.  

The crowd was fully assembled along the parade route as early as 8:30am in preparation for the 11am start to the event.  I made the mistake of trying to get some of the early setup shots up near City Hall, the eventual site of the ceremony.  It took me about 15 minutes to travel only one block amongst the blue and white jerseys and turned back to a side street.  Barriers were up since the night before and people began aligning themselves against the obstructions, even in those spots that were back from the street.

Giant Shadows

As the parade came, the battle for prime viewing positions began.  This mob was on the roof of this car (which looked like an unmarked police car, as there was a police sticker in the window).  The roof start denting, and they all ran off.  Realizing that they couldn't see anything from the ground, and the roof was already dented, they all climbed back on.  

Dented Car

I was able to work my way into a building that had a sunken glass lobby.  It was below street level, but they eventually opened up the doors to let people move into a secondary area not far from the street.

Below the Crowd

The people were everywhere, as people waited for the players, as the video from my iPhone shows.

As a photographer, one of the first subjects that caught my eye was a girl hanging on a bus stop sign raising a "we are number one" finger.  

Number One

There heroes began passing, I couldn't really see much but did grab some photos of the players as they passed between bodies as they were elevated.  Here is the obligatory shot of quarterback hero Eli Manning.  Also on the truck is Mayor Bloomberg, the team owner, and the Lombardi Trophy.

Eli the Hero

Then the crowd began to disperse.  The layers upon layers of shredded paper was everywhere.  And, the people were everywhere.  Happy crowds of Giant fans clad in Giants uniforms with not much room to go anywhere, but they slowly started to make their way away.  I focused on the people and went into Street Photographer mode, capturing what I saw.  

Dorothy in Tickertape LandTickertapeThe Party's OverGiving the ThumbSunburnTalk to the HandPizza FanThe Manning Brothers

And, in the end there was only the tickertape and the swirling wind.  I got this video from my iPhone of the wind whirling the paper into the air.

Top 10 Photographs of 2011

StreetObservations.com - Time for my annual discipline of selecting the Top 10 Photographs I have taken over the course of the year.  In this case, we will select the year 2011 as it is fresh.  As always it is difficult to decide on only 10 shots, I had about 25 finalists as candidates.  And, this year my selection of "descent" shots, ones I've posted somewhere, was over 300.  I am pleased and feel productive this year.

This is the seventh year that I've done this exercise of selection (that would go back to 2005), although certainly I took many photos during the prior years as well, I just didn't do the annual review.  

Like last year, there are two iPhone pictures that have made the cut.  I will point them out below.  Those two pictures would not have been taken without the accessibility of the device.  I saw the subject and then looked for a camera and there the iPhone was.  For Christmas this year (2011), I bought myself the new iPhone 4s.  The camera on the 4s is a major upgrade over my iPhone 3GS, so we will hope there is some added appeal to the pictures for next year.  

While last year I made an effort to travel to a photogenic vacation spot (that was via a cruise from Venice, Italy to Greece).  This year's trip was coincidentally to Venice again (but this time it was Venice Beach, California).  So, there were the sunset shots and some California culture shots you can see in the overall series viewed by the link.  

Also, this year I've embraced using Google+ for my primary online photography posts.  While I still upload my shots to Flickr, the major activity is now over on the Google+ page which has a growing community of photographers.  Also, I've been posting more to Facebook since they upgraded the size to which the pictures are displayed.  

During the year, I was selected to be interviewed in the Streets in Colo(u)r interview on Flickr, where I got an opportunity to discuss how I go about capturing and processing my images.  

So, here are the Top 10 presented chronologically as taken over the course of the year. (Click each picture to see it larger). Some of the photos have been previously discussed in my StreetObservations.com blog. Clicking (More...) when you see it will take you back to those entries.

1. Reflecting on Rain - This is one of the iPhone shots, taken in Harrison, NJ, a site where there is a lot of construction taking place.  The buildings behind are to be a new residential housing complex and the land in front is a parking lot that is primarily used when the Red Bull soccer team has games at the nearby arena.  I saw the girl coming and rushed to get my iPhone out, and happened to get her in full stride with my only shot.  

Reflecting on Rain

2. Watching a Crumb Disappear - I was up in Greenwich Village and was drawn to the brick background.  The girl was primarily listening on her phone call and occupied herself watching the birds eating some crumbs on the street below.  I like the pose and posture of the girl, also the pink dress is a nice match to the wall behind.

Watching a Crumb Disappear

3. Breakfast Break -  This building at 195 Broadway is a popular spot for the workers who are building the new skyscrapers at the World Trade Center site to sit and have their breakfast.  The columns gave a nice framework for the construction workers.  (More...)   

Breakfast Break

4. To the Light and Beyond - This is an atrium area next to the Federal Reserve building (which is behind).  On another occasion I took a picture from within (where the people are in this shot) and I was told to vacate as photography was not allowed since it is private property.   I did get this shot though before leaving which is an interesting reverse angle.   I also liked that complementary shot and also considered it for the Top 10.  

To the Light and Beyond

5. Caffeine on the Edge - This is the second iPhone shot.  I was taking a coffee break at work and had just finished filling my cup.  As I was reaching for some sugar, I noticed that the cup was positioned right on the edge of the counter and bordering the sink.  The composition really appealed to me and I grabbed my phone and got this shot.  I like photo so much that I framed it and put on the wall of the dining area at home.

Caffeine on the Edge

6. Tentacles - With my new interest in posting pictures to Google+, I became involved with a group of photographers who like to band together and take photographs in groups.  I learned about a photowalk that took place in Greenwich Village.  A number of us took shots of the basketball court on Sixth Avenue and I was pleased with this particular shot of one of the players.  I got a number of other photowalk shots I was pleased with, as I was inspired by the other talented photographers.   

Tentacles

7. Sunset Heartbreaker - Venice Beach, California... I got a number of sunset shots, but this one tells a story.  Whether it is a true story is another matter.

Sunset Heartbreaker

8. Bicyclist - After daylight savings time went away, I found it was just a bit too dark to take stop action street shots during the evening commute.  In this case, I took the opportunity to work on my panning technique.  That's a slow shutter speed while following the subject with the camera.  This bicyclist came out a bit surreal.  I talked about other shots taken at the same time on my StreetObservations blog.  (more...) 

Bicyclist

9. The View - This one is a bit personal.  I've written before about the Farmhouse that we used to go to when I was a kid up in the Catskills mountains.    Generally, whenever I returned for a nostalgia visit, the view that I remembered so well as a child was obscured by fog, but for the trip this year everything was crystal clear.  

The View

10. Using Your Weight - I've had a birdseye view of the new construction taking place at the World Trade Center site as my office is directly across the street.  I've posted a number of pictures taken at various times of the action below in my WTC Down Below, 9/11 View and Three Hundred Feet Above the President posts.  The immediate view out of my office of the Hudson River has now been replaced by the skyscraper rising called Four World Trade Center.  Each day I would track the progress and the installation of the windows finally got to the 32nd floor where I sit.  As they placed the large plates of glass, the technique called for the construction worker to hop up and down to pound the glass into place.  I caught him in mid-hop here.  

Using Your Weight

Those are the Top 10 photos for this year.  For reference, my previous selections go back to six years and can be found here:  2010, 2009, 2008, 2007,2006, and 2005.   

If you'd like to follow my work this year, either subscribe to my StreetObservations.com blog, add me to a circle on Google+, or bookmark my Flickr page.  I think it's going to be a great year.  

Happy New Year!

Passing the Garage

The downtown Post Office's garage exits right next to the entrance to the PATH train station.  So, there is a lot of traffic passing by.  On this particular evening, I setup opposite the garage entrance and watched the pedestrian silhouettes.  I was waiting for a certain pattern or pace or posture or something that seemed remarkable since the background was so extraordinary.  In all, I took 84 pictures.  Here are the ones that I liked best.  The last one is what I will say was the my favorite selection.  

The Panning Technique in the Night

I was out shooting in the evening and it got a little darker than I was ready for.  I prefer not to use flash when doing street photography so to get enough light, I was shooting with a slow shutter speed.  The long exposure leads to blurred action but when combined with panning in synch with the subject it can provide a nice focal point with a streaky background.   I like the impressionistic sense of the subject this creates. 

Here's the first shot.

Here's another.

Then there is this series of a bicyclist quickly going uptown moving faster than the taxis around him.  The third one is my favorite.  

And then this was the final one which is the best one.

Streets in Colo(u)r Interview

I'm excited that I am the featured Street Photographer in this week's "Streets in Colo(u)r" Flickr group. 

Dan Alexander interviewed me about how I shoot, what I shoot, why I shoot... well, you get the idea. 

The questions helped me think a bit more deeply as to why I take pictures and what I'm trying to get out of it.  Also I go through the mechanics of how I shoot. 

You can read the interview and see some of the shots he selected, as well some of my favorites here.

First street shot....

It was around 1980 and I was just starting to understand the mechanics behind taking pictures.  I was taking a photography class where we developed our own film and I started experimenting with different types of shots.  I remember that I had just figured out that a smaller aperture meant a greater depth of field.  And, that a greater depth of field meant I didn't have to concentrate as much on focusing.  This led me to begin walking the streets with a camera that was pre-set for what I now know was street photography.  

This was the first shot that I took that I would classify as a street photography shot.  I developed it and printed it... and scanned it.  It's called "Brick Woman".

Mailbox Dominos

Not sure if the mail was going to be coming... or going.  Maybe the box was full already?  Could there have built multiple stacks, instead of wrapping the bins across the top of the mail boxes?  How much mail would fill up this many bins?  Lots of questions...  Lots of questions...

Art in everyday Life

I've been using the slogan for my photography profile pages of "Looking to capture the Art in everyday life". But, I didn't really literally mean that until I saw this....

Foot Adjustment Stop

I noticed this guy standing dominantly on the steps of the former AT&T building in lower Manhattan. Nice balance considering the architecture. 

Then to fill out the composition of the scene, this guy filled the void:

As soon as he was gone, another person came in to take advantage of this location for a foot adjustment.  

Almost as if they are Greek forms in statuesque positions.

Sold!

The "Wall Street Bull" has been my most marketable picture (sold the most prints online).  I wish there were more sales of my street photography shots, but this one has sold five times more.  To me, it's kind of a commercial, almost touristy shot.  It makes me wonder who is buying it.  Is it tourists, fans of sculpture or... (as I suspect), Investment Bankers who have it on their walls?   

See what else is available on my NEW YORK gallery.  

Unposed

I'm attracted to how certain people on the street may be standing or gesturing.  It occured to me that these poses are actually tried and true positions that are frequently used by models.  Crossed legs, arms behind the head, and props make a picture more interesting.  Here are some pictures I've taken that may look posed but they weren't.  

Here was a smoker on a break.

This woman was waiting for a bus.  

The arm behind the head pose.  

This one is more like a commercial but was totally unposed.

Construction Workers

StreetObservations.com - I am constantly surrounded by construction workers.  It seems the building and rebuilding of New York City never stops.  There are huge holes in the ground for foundations, walls just right for billboards that surround them, cranes, bulldozers and construction workers.  They aren't hard to miss, with their colorful vests and hardhats.  They can even be spotted high above the city as I spoke about in my post Fear of Heights.

Just be careful not to stand behind one on line at a coffee truck at breakfast time.  That worker (I almost said "that guy", but there are more and more women as well)... that worker may be ordering for 10 people.  

My first construction worker shot was taken more than 20 years ago up around 57th street and Lexington.  That building is long finished, as capturing a construction site is a temporary moment in time.

This is the shot.  At one point, an Australian woman spotted the photo on the Internet and wanted to purchase it to market a men's skincare product.  She said, "...it is the intimacy between the two men that you have captured that I want to exploit, as I want to challenge men to cross their comfort zone and come and see me for concerns with their skin, so what I envisaged would have speech bubbles between the two men talking about their concerns with their skin health, and of course reference to me as the person/business to help them."  I'm not sure I see the intimacy, but I can understand they are supervising the job as well as being concerned about their skin.   

Here are few other construction worker shots.  This photo seemed rather musical to me, I called it "Construction Conductor".   

These guys were camped out at breakfast, taking a break from work on the World Trade Center site.  

This is a similar shot, at another historical building, but a later meal since now it's lunch time.  Or, as I called it "It's Only Lunch time..."

I'm not sure if these guys are bonafide construction workers, but they all seem to have an opinion on what to do next.  It seemed to me like they were from the 1920s so I gave them a sepia look.  

I called the shot "Digging Buddies".  It's like they are a bunch of little kids talking about the best way to dig a hole to China.  

Three hundred feet above the President

StreetObservations.com - With the excitement of the elimination of Bin Laden, President Obama made a visit to Ground Zero to greet the families of those stricken on 9/11.  As it happens, my workplace happens to overlook this landmark.  It is a fantastic view of the site, but is 32 floors above, which is pretty high up.  

Here what the view generally looks like (FYI - this series of pictures is best viewed large, just click it for the big version).   This shot was taken in March.  The primary building here is One World Trade Center (originally called the Freedom Tower) which will eventually be 1776 high, that is about 3 to 4 times the height which it was here.  As I write this it is a bit higher (about 63 stories). 

A group of workers from our office stood along the windows waiting for Obama to arrive.  The time wasn't completely certain so it took a couple of visits amidst other work before there was activity. 

Even if the President was down there, I wasn't certain that I would be able to clearly identify which one might him.  I recall a visit to Ground Zero by Queen Elizabeth.  I rattled off 50 photos focused on a woman in pink, certain that I had captured her, until I watched the Nightly News and saw that she was clad in yellow.  

The first signs of pre-Presidential activity was an awareness of sharpshooters setting up on the nearby roofs.    

It was helpful that there was a live feed of the President's motorcade on CNN visible on the computers in our office, so we were able to correlate the real events with the "perceived".  Eventually, the roads grew still and the cars appeared on the West Side highway.  It is believed that Obama was in the big black van here at the very far right of the picture.  

Meanwhile down below, some bleachers had been constructed the day before for the seating of the families.  The main event was the laying of a special wreath.  The families waited.  

The car moved into the center of the plaza.  This gave the appearance that he would emerge from there.  Everyone up on the 32nd floor focused on this car, snapping away with our cameras. 

But we had been fooled, as a minute later, this group of dignitaries was spotted further down. The CNN feed confirmed that this was the President here.  Besides Obama, the group behind was NJ Governor Christie, NY Governor Cuomo, NYC Mayor Bloomberg, and the head of the MTA (I think that's who he was).  Even though my Canon 40D is a decent camera, my zoom 135mm lens was overmatched and even after cropping the picture, the 32 floors proved to be a bit much for getting an upclose shot.   

He approached the reception line.

Then he began shaking hands individually.   

He walked the wreath over to place on a pedestal.  

At this point, we had been waiting/watching the tiny little folks below for about 45 minutes.  I had delayed a business meeting to watch, but it became slightly boring.  And, it was time to leave for the meeting.  I assume he got out of there okay.

Heroes

There was a dramatic moment. So, I heard the woman saying, "Are you lost?"  I turned and saw the little girl who was crying.  The woman said stay with me.  A crowd gathered to help look for her family. 

This was the moment the man spotted her father at the other end of the park. The woman asked, "Are you sure that's your daddy?".  She said yes, and then slow started running to her waiting family. I was very impressed by how nicely the strangers handled this... remaining calm and being responsible. A very nice moment. They were really heroes.

 

Steam Heat

StreetObservations.com - I should have known this... having worked in Manhattan for more than 20 years, but it just occurred to me that in New York City frequently there is smoke, or steam, rising from the earth.  This is particularly true in the winter.  

It makes for good photographs, but I was suddenly curious about what causes this phenomenon.  There is a detailed explanation on Wikipedia which reveals this is caused by an underground steam heat system.  There are plants that create the steam and it travels the many blocks underneath the New York City streets generating heating, cooling and power.  This all started way back in 1882. 

The steam does provide a bit of drama to the street scene, kind of apocalyptic in some ways.  There are spouts, grates, and unplanned leak spots where the smoke escapes.  Here are some looks:

I parked at the spot below for 5 minutes or so with my iPhone as people walked by.  This one kind of looked to me like the smoke from a sprinter starter out of the blocks.  

Below is another one where I waited for a bit.  This guy was skating by. 

Looks like this guy got a "hot foot". 

I spent some time playing around with effects on this one below. 

Looks like heaven below. 

Lamp silhouette.

Traffic steam.

Venice from the Sea

StreetObservations.com - I assembled a series of photographs taken from the cruise ship as we departed Venice a few months ago.  I was surprised that the path leaving the city took us directly past San Marco and the other prime sites.  

It was near dusk, so the lights were just starting to come out.  You can see the progression of the darkness from one picture to another.  The picture of the plaza at San Marco seems to me like it could have been taken 100 years ago or more and still look the same.  

Also, now disconnected from the ship, it strikes me how high up the view from the ship is, almost like we're flying over the city.   

Vantage Point

Parking

Up the Canal

Cafe

Gondolier at Dusk

San Marco

Moving Out

Yacht

Just a bit of snow...

I know there has been more snow than people care for in this part of the country lately.  While my commute in to Manhattan from the suburbs has been slippery and challenging, once in the city it actually is not that bad.  The ground is clean (although not dry) and it's not bad getting around.  

That doesn't mean that the snow hasn't impacted other people.  There are a number of cars that were not so fortunate and found themselves trapped, buried behind the snow.  

Buried Car

Buried Auto

Below is Stone Street.  Cars are always absent and generally this is a cobblestoned pedestrian mall filled with cafe tables.  Since it lacked a purpose in the snow, no effort was made to clear the street. 

 Street of No Cafes

But life continues on.  This woman was camped out at a table in Zuccotti Park sipping a Smoothie.  Her seat may have been colder than her drink. 

Desperate for a Smoothie

These guys had their priorities straight, and running out to get a coffee was top of their list.  

Coffee Run

The Wall Street area was also covered, as was the statue of George Washington in front of the Federal Hall national monument where he took the oath of office.  Somehow, the snow gave him a bit of a flair as he looked rather stylish.  

Frosted Washington

And behind the very same building, there was a cleanup effort in place although those steps are not used much.

National Monument Cleanup

That's it but there is more snow on the way.   

Mykonos Compositions

The island of Mykonos in Greece is one of the most inspiring photographic locations I have ever been.  The white buildings are accented by colorful banisters and shutters.  The narrow streets are mostly without cars.  You are in the middle of everything and very close to your surroundings.  This leads to a different type of composition than the street photography I usually do.  

Here are some of the Mykonos closeups:

Centered BanisterRed Door with KeyWeathered StepsTrophy DoorBlue BanistersWelcome

Laundry Line Photography

When looking for photographic subjects, it seems to me that laundry lines make a colorful and interesting composition. It is also like getting a personal look at those who do the hanging.   Here are some Italian, Croatian and Greek laundry hangings.  It is a unifying characteristic across the globe (although not so much in New York City, except in old movies, or the outer boroughs).

Venice Laundry

Greek Laundry

Croatian Laundry

Clothes Pins

An American Cat in Split Croatia

Top 10 Photographs of 2010

StreetObservations.com - Ah, the Top 10 Photographs I've taken in the year 2010, what were they?  I continue my annual exercise of using the extra days off at the end of the year (and then some) to go through all the pictures I've taken from January to December and select my top 10.  Only 10, no more, no less.  This leads to some tough decisions, as I've come to know and admire many of the shots over the course of the year (as well as some of the people in the photos... known or unknown).  But, because I am a disciplined person, somewhat obsessively detailed and stubborn, and because now it's a ritual, I must continue the tradition. 

There are two developments this year in the equipment category.  First off, I have a new wide angle lens (F2.8 17-55mm... for those who care) that has added a broader dimension to some of the photos (particularly #5 and #6 below). I purchased this in preparation for a trip I took in Venice and Greece.  Secondly, there are two shots that were taken with an iPhone.  These are photos I never would have been able to take, because I wouldn't have had a camera with me. 

Here they are presented in sequence as taken over the course of the year. (Click to picture to see it larger). Some of the pictures have been previously discussed in my StreetObservations.com blog. Clicking (More...) will take you back to those entries.

1. Free Colonial Concert - This is one of the iPhone shots.  I was walking up Wall Street and noticed the "orchestra" at the foot of the George Washington statue.  I rattled off about six shots, but this one captured a sense of irony as the red coats below nonchalantly pass by.  This shot was "short listed" for the EYE'EM awards presented for mobile device photography.  (More...)

Free Colonial Concert

2. Crossroads - This was taken from the steps of the TKTS office in Times Square looking south.  I patiently waited as the news zipper moved along.  I was looking for key words to freeze upon.  I think the word "NEWS" was appropriate.  This picture was included in a slideshow about the "World's Worst Traffic Jams" on the TravelandLeisure.com website.  It was selected to represent New York City.   (More...)

Crossroads - Times Square traffic chaos

3. Thirty Years Later - A bus passes and a young woman transitions to her future self (her umbrella does become more stylish as she ages).  A slow shutter speed made the bus blur.  The thought is that this is a comparison of two women at different times in their life.  

Thirty Years Later

4. Crossing with Twins - Another iPhone shot. My wife noticed them as they prepared to cross Sixth Avenue.  It was Fleet Week in New York. 

Cross with Twins - Fleet Week Marine with twin daughters

5. Brooklyn Bound - From the walkway of the Brooklyn Bridge. Someone thought this was an HDR photograph, which is a technical technique that merges multiple photos to even out the light.  But, it was a cloudy day which made everything balanced (not HDR).  I did do some work to bring out the detail in the clouds though. 

Brooklyn Bound - Brooklyn Bridge taxi below the New York City skyline

6. Determined - I was attracted to the corner of the building and the lighting.  I took about 20 pictures of different combinations of people.  The conviction of this guy's walk and the bright color of his shirt made this one memorable.  It was one of my most popular pictures on Flickr this year. 

Determined

 7. Gondolier Glimpse - Walking the alleys in Venice.  A quick reaction as the boat passed by under the bridge.  Three shots and this one was just right.   (More...)

Gondolier Glimpse - Venice gondola

8. Venice Alley - Something about the way laundry is hung within alleys brings out the old world feeling in this remote part of Venice. 

Venice Alley

9. Returning Home - On the Greek island of Mykonos, there is a mix of tourists and locals.  Those who are residents live above in the alleys that wind up the hill.  They are generally protected from those who are in for the day.  But, they do come down for shopping.  This woman attracted my eye, and I was pleased with the framing on this. 

 Returning Home - Mykonos woman

10. Beckoning Cafe - Also in Mykonos, I was focused on the tables but got an extra dimension when the two people came into view up the road. 

Beckoning Cafe - Mykonos street photography

For reference, my previous selections go back to five years and can be found here:  2009, 2008, 2007,2006, and 2005.