Whoa!
Sometimes?! We are at the Christmas chorale and the choir lines up in the right and left aisle to sing the finale. The auditorium is dim. I glance right and do a double take. Did my eyes deceive me? Ok! I’m impressed. I’m puzzled. What is it? A speaker? Some device for hearing? What!? The internet says it can be done but give no comparable example. I would guess it is a wooden ring. Ok! To each his own.
Street photography. I got a shot. I never saw the guy on stage. I do not know if there is a matching disc on the other side.
Street photography
The streets are not exactly teeming with folks. But there are subjects in view and fair game for my camera. People? Animal? Life, activity, bustle and hustle? Ummm, well, maybe a bit laid back and less hustle, but colorful and interesting, nonetheless. It is a glimpse into daily life. Mundane it ain’t.
Incomplete
Information? What? I have a Lightroom catalog titled Images 2016 – meaning 2016 onward. This is distinguished from “all digital images” “slides” and so forth. It is a rough divider to allow for easier search of the many many images in each catalog. This catalog has nearly 500k images. Repeats? There are not supposed to be any. It is a one way – forward – catalog.
So, the beginning of the catalog is anything but 2016.
It seems that I took stray photos/slides/images and just mashed them into this catalog. Logic? I do not know what logic. The end of the catalog – now – is current images, digital, of course.
What?
My first digital camera – Canon G3. The Nikon D70, my first digital DSLR, and a pictrure of the digital clock; I was working late (neurosurgeon) and got home to open the new box and shoot the clock among the first. I dropped Dave off in college long before 2016. Jules helped build the slide cabinet I would not need. Drawers – we built a lot of drawers on the deck. Of course, with digital, who needs drawers to store slides any more? The drawers are full. But more than half are not slides.
Julia and dad at her track meet; gee I was a good attentive dad. The rope swing was lost when the tree trimmers cut down the branch above it. We never spoke about it (the swing) again after that. Face painting – they were but kids. A dramatic graphic of tulips – striking against the tile floor of the Long Island kitchen. Nice. Iconic for me! … English child, street photography in the ‘70’s.
It was, this is, a hodge podge of a collection of photos digital and scanned. I suppose they followed me from computer to computer on each successive hard drive to form a core of what I could store given the supplied hard drive memory with each laptop.
I am so organized. And not! All the images slide and digital reside on multiple redundant hard drives. I wonder who will sort thru them when I am gone? Will anyone bother? Historical. But worth preserving? Ah! An external drive is so small nowadays. Who knows? I won’t.
Fog of War
There was no outright Republican victory. No sweep. No decisive win. Nada! None!
Up yours, Trump! (Ahem, your ass is grass – and I’m gonna mow it.)
I would like to say I told you so.
All politics is local. – Tip O’Neill
The nightmare Colleen envisioned did not materialize. Since more than half of us did not vote for asshole (trump) in 2020… it stands to reason 2022 elections would not be so different despite the dirty tricks and cheating by the republicans.
It was a gathering of cousins at the poll. And no, they would not stand in front of the trump flag, even as a joke! We all voted. That’s what counts at the end of the day.
Yes, there were assholes present, too. You just can’t teach stupid. It seems a natural talent.
Canceled
Our boat tour of three Scottish islands was canceled for wind and inclement weather. The tour took off from Oban which as you can see was bright sunny and without much wind to see. Lemons? Make lemonade.
Oban is a lovely town to walk and explore and eat a meal. Cullen skink. Don’t ask. We found it in the guidebook and Edinburgh and then we chased it all over Scotland. I just photograph it. We did have an excellent time on a very pleasant sunny afternoon.
The tower is “McCaig’s Tower, also known as McCaig’s Folly, is a prominent tower on Battery Hill overlooking the town of Oban in Argyll,” And yes, we walked to it.
Spin doctor
It came to me as I awoke – idea!! I would be in costume – well, not exactly, but scrubs. My (personal) PJ’s, working gear. We were to demonstrate at the local fiber show. Ok! I am not a volunteer. Colleen volunteered me/us. A local newspaper came by to get a pic and a story. We will be in it – the news. (WITSEC) Witness protection beware. Ha ha. And of course, pizza and a beer for dinner. Colleen had seafood lasagna. Note: be careful what you wear in public, especially if you don’t have the figure for it. She took mine (pic); I took hers.
It’s confusion
He she it they… I am confused enough by gender already. Now, we are back to braless. Does it matter if you are a guy. Anything goes! But is it kind? Really?! Your mother always told you to wear “clean underwear” when going out? Can you really go out wearing anything? Should you? Perhaps it would be kinder… but then again… You wear it I shoot it. Spectacle? People have the right to be seen. I suppose beach photography goes (is OK). What happened to cute? From this point, anything I write will be inconsiderate or not PC.
I know when I see it:
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigationJump to search
The phrase “I know it when I see it” is a colloquial expression by which a speaker attempts to categorize an observable fact or event, although the category is subjective or lacks clearly defined parameters. The phrase was used in 1964 by United States Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart
What is street photography?
Street photography at its essence means candid photography of people and humanity. A street photograph has to be a real, unposed moment.
My bad
street photography | Definition, History, Types, & Facts …https://www.britannica.com › Visual Arts › PhotographyStreet photography, a genre of photography that records everyday life in a public place. The very publicness of the setting enables the photographer to take candid pictures of strangers, often without their knowledge.
As a street photographer, the obvious thing in your possession is your camera. … In New South Wales you are not under a legal obligation to explain or justify your photographic activities or to answer any questions, even if the police arrest you.
Perfect spring day. Happy ending in Krazy Cat restaurant. This is the famous March Bank at the DuPont estate Winterthur. March Bank? Henry DuPont created a natural garden that blooms with millions of bulbs in the spring – timed, wave after wave of flowers bloom in the most tranquil setting. Wandering the beauty, we came upon a painter. I got a couple shots. I was speculating whether she was a man or a fat woman. Her sharp glance and admonition were, to “not” take her picture. It’s street photography in a public space. Sorry to say: her painting was not very good. So, I guess, she had good reason to be shy. Nonetheless, we had a standoff. I never argue. I just did not take another.
Now, the March Bank. I shot around 1500 images. Yeah, nuts! The first-round edit was disappointing. Not a single standout shot. I think I may be too harsh a critic of my work. Second glance – it was not so bad. It’s a fine line between average and good. Sometimes a little (time) distance helps.
Street photography – it’s legal. Confrontation is never comfortable. For me, it remains a challenge.
Way back
All the way back in 2011. September. 13th. My cousin Amy suggested I do a blog featuring my photos. It would be an outlet. I could showcase images. Photography was a hobby. It remains so. I would be professional but I had a day job that I did well enough to keep photography as an interest. I had a camera that worked and I knew how to shoot pictures. i had been in the right place a few times. I had seen some nice things. This is the first photo I posted. Why? It was current (at the time). A bit of cheesecake would perk interest? This was in my street photography phase. I attended events around NYC that afforded a street photography opportunity. And, so off we go. This was my first posted picture of three very nice gals who posed at my request. I am shy and not prone to approaching strangers. We sort of just ran into each other and I spontaneously asked them to pose for me. Graciously, they agreed. The rest is history. Would you believe I have been posting for ten years?
Push pull
The Amish are odd because of their habits – no buttons or zippers on their clothes. And they do not use electricity or machine power. The hay baler is not powered, I guess. We all live amonst one another in peace. No pictures please. You know me. There’s never been a rule I didn’t try to break. Sorry. The rule in “Street photography” is that in “public” you are fair game for photography. It doesn’t mean I will photograph if you are in an embarrassing position. But otherwise…. that weaving device was one of the few I did not buy. What is it? Dunno. It would’ve been a good conversation starter.
Rollergirl
What can I say? Skate around the streets of Manhattan in practically no clothes. It might not stand out on the beach. But, really! Killer outfit!. I was stopped at the traffic light. My camera was on the seat. I lifted it and got off a single shot. Somehow, she sensed I was there. She rolled on past the van and took refuge in the doorway of the next apartment building. She looked warily at my car but my camera was already down on the seat once more. Spooky. Some weird guy shooting you while you exercise (in practically no clothes). How weird?
Folks
I walk around and observe people. As a physician I would do so and speculate on disease based upon how people walked – Alzheimer’s, alcohol, hydrocephalus, well, you know (or not). Since retirement I still observe people. I keep it to myself, of course. But… fashion. Sometimes you just gotta speculate. Whoa! Does your mother know how you went out? Remember mom’s admonition, “Wear clean underwear.” Trust me, in the ER, there are no secrets. Wear clean underwear. In the dead of winter, I just gotta say this is a fashion statement.
I noticed this poor man’s wife as we sat drinking coffee. She had the worst case of calf cellulite and calf varicose veins. No, I missed her pic. But his face… must have had some fair reconstruction. Cancer, trauma? Who knows. They did a reasonable job. In the extreme I remember pics of the woman who had the face transplant. Unfortunately, you never look normal.
Cute
Germs. Tons of germs. Ha ha. Germs are not necessarily harmful. Yeah, I would not be a fan of letting my toddler crawl around the airport rug. But, home is where all your regular germs reside. Sanitizer? I fear we are killing benign germs and allowing resistant bacteria to grow up. Then what? Meanwhile this is a cute kid. Very.
Entertainment
It’s the streets. Anything goes. It’s Scotland. Bag pipes! Statues have been done elsewhere. They are still fun. Harry Who? Owls are there on the street for the public to see and touch. After all it’s Harry Potter land. Fun.
Spooked
… not Halloween. I took this pic of the kids. It spooked them. I take pics of kids and groups all the time, no harm done and none intended. But it was the moment and the glance that says it all. The girls quickly moved along immediately thereafter. Sorry kids, I did not mean to spook you guys.
Shutterfly
Here’s a shout out to Shutterfly. They took over Kodak a while ago. And my photos have been preserved with them. Of course, I did not load pictures without keeping the originals myself. But where? I could no doubt find them in a little bit. Or, I can be tempted by their solicitous email. They send me memories from years back and I am supposed to respond by getting prints. For some reason the idea works counter-intuitively for me. Nice. They post my pics as a tiny file. I can’t take the file and actually use it. Is that right? Thank you. I can post them. No harm no foul. The issues open for discussion are too numerous to count.
Kids! Mine! They visited Jeddah five years ago. Hence, the abaya. How time flies! It was a special trip, the last I had with both my kids alone. Jules is married now and almost a new mom. Saudi Arabia does not allow tourists. They make their millions from the penitent to Mecca. So, it was unusual that my kids were allowed to visit me, pretty much a one time deal. So, this is a memory on many levels. A few years, only a few.
And street photography. It seems that my camera was a magnet. This group of kids was perfectly happy to ham it up while I took their picture. It was a request. Theirs! Thank you too.
Covered
Well…what a nice segue! (see yesterday). Back in October I posted the picture of an old building and its old signs that would soon be covered up forever. Now it is/has been… The old signs will not likely be seen again. Maybe a hundred years on, it will be repurposed and we might see beneath the veneer again. It’s another instance where I got a picture that will not be available to be recreated again. Different place, different time. No one spoke up. The signs were covered up without fanfare. It happens all the time. History is lost…but not forgotten.
They sold like hot cakes…
Sheep and wool? Ostensibly it’s all about the fiber? The market baskets – fair trade – sold like hot cakes. Everywhere you looked someone was carrying one. We got one. They have great utilitarian use. Plus, they are good for you and for the makers. Win win. Bonus. I got a good image. This lady was just dressed this way. She wasn’t there to be picturesque.
Still There
The naked cowboy owns this corner. He’s been there forever – through snow and rain. Really! (He was dressed like this in blowing snow!) I don’t recall this one. I think the original one left. Maybe he wore out his welcome? Look at all the commercials on his guitar. Tacky!! Nowadays there are hordes of costumed figures angling for a tip – Mickey, Statue of Liberty, Mario… It’s too clean to be sleazy. There are still plenty of undercover cops I presume. The pedestrian space has shrunk under the new mayor. They made more room for traffic. And Broadway shows start an hour earlier – 7PM – on Tuesday. Who thought of that?
Melting Pot
With the current events one pauses to look at what’s out there on the street. NYC has been a melting pot and about anything goes. Pigs don’t fly. This one has been there for years. I’ve never been in the bar. It doesn’t appeal. But, it’s still in business. And then there are the Halal guys. Anywhere else? They just blend into the New York street scene. Imagine? Where are the Nazis? You don’t see any. I can’t find any. I’m not looking. But there is no hate on the street. It’s just not there. Do they come out at night? Freedom of speech, statues, plaques, it’s complicated. So many questions, so few answers. It seems there is a “yes” for every “no.”
Traffic Light
You carry a camera around; you get these shots. I don’t know whether you want one, but I got this. I just looked out and saw the juxtaposition. Neat! Stop at McD? Your call.
James Buchanon
According to an editorial in the NYT, James is the most unpopular president residing at eh bottom of the popularity list for the past 150 years. His supporters are ecstatic. donnie may take his spot. How can that be!? I like it when I’m around to see someone break records. Did I spell his name right?
Twice a Day
A broken clock has the right time twice a day. My sad tale begins with that grandfather clock (see previous post) gaining an hour a day. My friend adjusted the pendulum. That failed. The next thing you know – “boing…” – as in cogs and wheels all over the place. Be careful what you unscrew. I have no lack of ego or confidence. Wrong! Bad! The “cat is outta the bag.” I got a lot of parts like an impossible puzzle that needs to be put together. Online – the replacement is $649. No way! Ebay! The choices were poor. And the prices were high too. Ebay auction – the price started at .99 cents. One week later I won the auction at $10.50. Let’s see if the part fits and works. Otherwise my bargain clock is now a very large paperweight.
Scene
Among the observers on the sideline were these too kids. Aren’t homonyms confusing? It certainly is a confusing time for many. We keep talking about the future. What will it be like for our children and our grandchildren? Can you think that far down the road? Well, here in this picture is the now and they are the future. Go with it as you will. They are watching.
photobackstory 