Tag: photos

Just Looking

Posted at Daily Kos and as “My Views from Last Week” at Star Hollow Gazette.

I have a few pleasant photography stories to tell from a week ago. Between the autumn color and the desperation of one last warm weather week, it was a good week for a photo buff. Now don’t go busting my bubble by just looking at the photos because you can learn a lot from a photographer. We see things.

Below you will find a Third Rock from the Sun brief encounter during an evening walk in the Village. I have several memories from a lecture I attended on photojournalism. There is a pleasant Veterans Day walk under the George Washington Bridge on the New Jersey side followed by a sunset from the New York side. Then a Friday afternoon walk in Central Park with some music videos I made and all day Saturday there too. There is even a little taste of Florence, Italy.  

My Views This Week

Cross-posted at Progressive Blue, Star Hallow and even the Big O.

What a tough week this has been, the Yankees were out of it and the Jets had a buy week. To make matters even worse the right wing corporate home team got the great shellacking by the visitors from beyond the right field wall. But I was walking around with the old camera and taking photos. Plenty of photos, plenty of back lighting.

I spent the week with a familiar song locked in my head, the lyric “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.” After the past two years I could never again come up with a reason to support a Dem but without the tradition of photography I would be a shaky as a fiddler on a roof. So during that fabulous Jets win, I slapped together a few photos from the week.  

Sunset Week in Review

Cross-posted at Progressive Blue.

Good evening and happy Sunday to you. Working too much I’ve missed most of the news this week. I do have a logical rant over something I did hear. I would guess that most NPR listeners vote Democrat and well that’s good for the Party. I would also guess that defending NPR against right wingers would be like shooting fish in a barrel. If I was in the Democratic leadership I would have had some fun comparing the transcripts of NPR with the crap Americans hear on talk radio. Comparing the support for public broadcasting with other industrialized nations I would love to have heard some Democrat say “Hey wait, didn’t the Republicans already defund NPR in the name of Rush Limbaugh?”

But then this diary is not about politics. This is a little celestial seasonings and some pleasant views to start your week. I wasn’t home for too many sunsets this week but I still have some good views to share.

Before the views I have a question. Is there any fun left in politics?    

Vásquez Rocks



I’m Ready for my Close-up, Mr. DeMille

On our last day in Hesperia, one of the things we decided to do was visit a lighthouse down in San Pedro.  By the time we left it was rush hour, so we took an alternate route home, in the forlorn hope of avoiding as much traffic as we could.

We ended up driving past Vásquez Rocks, so we stopped in for a brief visit.  I would have liked more time.

This area is a county park in Agua Dulce, between Antelope Valley and Santa Clarita Valley.  Vasquez Rocks is named for the last great California bandit, Tiburcio Vásquez.  The area was one of his hideouts.

In 1852, Vásquez was present at the slaying of Constable William Hardmount in a fight with Vásquez’s cousin at a fandango. Vásquez denied any involvement, but fearing arrest, he became an outlaw. Vásquez would later claim his crimes were the result of discrimination by the norteamericanos and insist that he was a defender of Mexican-American rights.

Red Rock Canyon



Upthrust

On our last day in Las Vegas, our plane wasn’t scheduled to depart until 9:50 pm, so we checked out of our room and checked our bags with the bell desk, and took a tour with Pink Jeep Tours of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

We didn’t see much wildlife on this trip, but it is there if one looks far and long enough.  Both a chipmunk and a squirrel ran across the road in front of the jeep and one of our party spotted a small thin lizard.  But there is often more…as you can see by visiting this site.

What we did see were awe-inspiring panoramas of hills, mountains and side canyons…and vegetation.  The words “dead stinking desert” should not be used together…unless maybe one is referring to Death Valley.

And we saw an Anasazi campsite.

Boulder Dam



Approach

When I grew up, we almost always referred to the dam as Boulder Dam, rather than Hoover Dam.  Maybe that had to do with the fact that I grew up in a democratic, union household.

Actually, it shouldn’t be the Boulder Dam either.  While Boulder Canyon was the original site selected, it turned out there was a geologic fault right down the middle of that canyon, so they kept looking until settling on Black Canyon.

This is a continuation of a series of photo-journals of things to see near Las Vegas.  

Next up will be Red Rock Canyon.

The New Lion Cubs at the Bronx Zoo

Sort of cross-posted at DKos as Friday Evening Photo Blogging: Lion Cubs Today!

I took a little trip to the African veldt today.

Oh okay, I never made it out of the Bronx. Today I went to see the three new lion cubs that were born on January 27th and made their public début this week. So give a roaring welcome to Nala, Adamma and Shani as they get used to their new digs. Their big sister Moxie is a very good baby sitter for these 25 pound kittens.  

Friday Evening Photo Blogging: Wave Hill Edition

This diary is for curmudgeon who asked in last week’s post of FEPB “are there other gardens that you’d include in a must-see list for visitors to your fair city?” As a matter of fact there is.

A few here who enjoy my flower fluff from the New York Botanical Garden might be surprised to learn that I live just a couple of blocks from another Botanical Garden. Wave Hill has a view that is similar to my many sunset diaries. Wave Hill is a truly fascinating legacy and this is a good time to remember some American who once held a deep respect for nature.  

The Wave Hill grounds were not opened to the public until 1960 but before becoming the newcomer to public gardens, this New York City oasis had a long and very rich history as a private garden. The perfect location, rolling hills down to the Hudson River and vistas of the Palisades also holds two historic houses. Wave Hill was once the residence of “Darwin’s Bulldog” Thomas Henry Huxley and Theodore Roosevelt spent summers there in his teen years. Both Mark Twain and Arturo Toscanini lived and were inspired by the sights and sounds of Wave Hill.

Below are some photos from this spring at Wave Hill and a few little stories about this New York City respite that seems so far from New York City.      

Friday Evening Photo Blogging, on Saturday?

Cross-posted at DailyKos and Firefly-Dreaming.

Some flower photographers claim that bright sunny days are not good for capturing flowers. Some go out with reflectors, diffusers and big honking strobe lights on sunny days to get that perfect shot. For me it’s a game, go out and find that flower at that moment that the bright sunshine works to the advantage of the observer.

Thursday was a glorious blue sky day wedged between two that were murky and dim, so I took both my trusty Cannon G-10 and Nikon Coolpix P90 to the New York Botanical Garden to find a flower where the strong direct sunlight was just right.

Spending the entire day looking for that perfect flower I thought that perhaps now I can articulate what I’ve learned about flower photography so far. I’m not meaning to blow my own horn but I’ve been running that play for a while now and I’ve developed a few skills in composition and dramatic effect.  

I got a little too involved it this diary. That’s why it’s a day late.  

Mother’s Day Sunset

Cross-posted at firefly-dreaming.

There was no sunset tonight in New York. Well the sun set but it could not be seen around here. The photo below is 7:59 PM, sundown this time of year. At least the green of the Palisades can be seen for a change.

There was still some views worth recording. I don’t know if others will enjoy tonight’s view but I really like seeing the cloud formations change at the end of the day.  

Change is good, so my usual start to finish is below the fold.  

Changing Seasons: Van Cortlandt Park Photos

Cross-posted at Firefly and deleted from DailyKos.

I have posted fourteen Van Cortlandt Park photo diaries at DKos and a few might think I’m posting photos over and over. These photos from yesterday may look the same but sadly after a harsh winter there are many trees missing from my favorite walk.

But my favorite for photos and probably the most abused tree in the park still stands. This is Van Cortlandt Park (last stop on the Broadway local) in transition from spring to summer.

I had not taken my lakeside walk and forest stroll there for over two weeks, a long time for me. Surprised by how rapidly the transition from spring to summer views occurred the forest is shady and the last of spring flowers can be seen floating on the surface of the lake. Everything went so green and lush so quickly.

Below the fold is another photo walking tour of my favorite slice of nature in New York City. Just a walk in the park.  

Saturday Sundown

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