Take a look around

Smoke Stack

2012-01-27T08:21:00.000-05:00

While on a job Tuesday, I came across this and had to photograph it.

This window is dressed with some sort of mechanical shade that darkens the room to allow you to view projections. The best part is that it also allows you to still look out the window. (Built special for day dreamers like me?)

How cool is that! I see the old smoke stack and the years of billowing smoke that darkened the atmosphere.

Blue Thursday

2012-01-26T08:30:00.000-05:00

Same scene as yesterday.

Yesterday's image was processed from a RAW file, this came from a jepg. Since I still don't know how to get the color I want from the RAW image, I converted it to a grey scale image. For the color version I followed the basic instructions and proceeded from there.

I know there's more inferred light in the summer months and that my results will look different then, I just need to fool around with it.

Getting there...

2012-01-25T20:24:00.001-05:00

This is an inferred photo the Peconic River that almost there! Looks ok this size but it's lacking sharpness and there's more noise that I'm comfortable with. But I'm getting there. Tomorrow I'll post the color version.

The old mill

2012-01-24T17:54:00.001-05:00

This is my second attempt at inferred photography.

I converted this to grey scale.

I'm not happy with it at all.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
Back to the ~~drawing board~~ camera!

Curled up

2012-01-22T12:48:00.000-05:00

Sasha say's it's the best way to spend a cold day! I have to agree it's in the top five, but someone has to shovel the driveway.

Hope everyone is staying warm.

First real snow

2012-01-21T09:16:00.000-05:00

It's snowing.

It started sometime in the night.

I'm not looking forward to clearing it.

My post today is a scene from an East Quogue beach club I made last week.

Nice view!

Winter on Shinnecock Bay

2012-01-18T20:39:00.001-05:00

A bayman emptying pots in Shinnecock Bay.

It was a beautiful day Monday, maybe in the forties. Still there's no place to get out of the wind.

My interest in baymen go back a number of years. I started documenting them and everything about them one cold November day when I saw a scene similar to this in Captree Bay. It was frigid that day and I couldn't stand being out on the car for as long as it took to expose eight or so frames of film. He was long raking for clams, probably for the holiday season.

I sent the collection around to publishers, but there was no interest. I still think there's a niche market, I did alright with print sales at shows, and a book would sell for a lot less that the price of a hand printed fiber print.

I should give self publishing a serious consideration.

Here's two photos I've posted before, scanned from the series.

Digging for soft shell clams

&
Captain Erik Bender

Crushed on the side of the road.

2012-01-17T20:28:00.001-05:00

Whenever I go for a walk, I have my camera. I'm amazed at how much litter I come across. I am a little embarrassed to say that Long Island is about the worst place I've ever seen when it comes to litter. We have a five cent deposit law on carbonated drink, beer and water containers. It doesn't seem to help. Go figure. Sometime last year I decided to put together a collage of cans that I found.

Stick in the Sand

2012-01-16T20:22:00.000-05:00

Came across this stick in the sand.

Looks like it's sticking in a heart.

Beach Dune

2012-01-15T17:54:00.000-05:00

This is a beach dune photographed with an old Canon 20D that's been converted to an inferred camera. I was too cold to take a walk down the beach, so I exposed 6 or 8 frames and went off to work. I'm still learning how to adjust the files to make something interesting.

Looking East

2012-01-14T19:37:00.001-05:00

The past two days have been frigid. I was at the ocean today, but only was able to walk along the shore line for a short period of time. I made some images with a Canon 20D that was converted to an inferred camera. Maybe I'll post one of those photos tomorrow. I'm still learning how to process the image. This photo was made earlier in the week, when the temperature was a bit more friendly.

The Path

2012-01-12T21:00:00.000-05:00

I just love the light.

You can't see me!

2012-01-11T20:52:00.000-05:00

Sasha sunning herself on the window sill.

She hates being photographed.

Not now, I'm eating...

2012-01-10T09:54:00.000-05:00

A doe in the evening sun at

Smiths Point County Park.

She only looked my way to see if I had anything better to offer.

Vapor Trails 2

2012-01-07T20:18:00.000-05:00

I made this photo yesterday right before yesterday's post. This view looking north, made me pull off the highway to get the shot.

But after I saw the foreground and moon, I liked yesterday's post photo better. I worked both images in Photoshop and Photomatix Pro to enhance the color and make the trails pop!

Vapor Trails

2012-01-06T21:16:00.001-05:00

The cold sky is great for vapor trails.

Sorry about my absence,

I've been busy with work, and the weather and temperature has kept me from venturing out doors.

Agawam Beach

2012-01-02T17:35:00.000-05:00

Morning breaks at Agawam Beach, Southampton Friday.

This is the beach that appeared on my very first blog post. It's a great place to walk in the morning.

Reflect

2011-12-31T12:07:00.000-05:00

May your reflections

of the past year

be bright,

and the tides of life bring you

health and happiness in the New Year.

Recover

2011-12-28T23:22:00.000-05:00

Recover is the last word of the year for the One Word at a Time Blog Carnival. I decided to participate, because I feel guilty for always visiting the site and never contributing and after my knee surgery four weeks ago, recover is something I really want.

I've been fortunate in that I don't know what it is to recover from anything except for a broken collar bone as a child and the usual bouts with the common cold. In my 54 years of life, a torn meniscus is my biggest problem. I will recover.

I can say that because I want to walk and kneel and maybe even run again. I have the desire and drive to see that it will happen. It was just two days ago I started going down steps one leg at a time. It wasn't pretty, but it was one leg at a time.

I know that in order to recover, you need support. Family has picked up the slack around the house. Co-workers have given their words of encouragement and understanding. Most of all, I'm sure I've been the subject of a prayer or two. It's funny how I can feel some other force (not the right word) helping me along.

That's how I plan to recover; support, desire and prayer.

It will all be alright, I will recover.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T13:13:00.000-05:00

“I am the light of the world.

Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12

Well decorated

2011-12-24T08:15:00.000-05:00

I can't help but thinking of those serving in the military around the holidays.

How lonely it must be for anyone not to be with the ones they love at such a special time.

January fourth, Jackie, a friend of mine is being deployed for her fourth tour of duty.

Special prayers for all those who put on a uniform with the aim of protecting and serving.

Where has the time gone!

2011-12-21T09:46:00.001-05:00

Sorry about the long hiatus from blogging. I never realized how much time a photographer spends on his knees, or using his knees or just plan needed working knees.

Last week I went for a walk along the beach. Actually, I should say I took a feeble attempt at walking on the beach. Even though the good doctor has said my recovery is "a head of where it should be," I'm still disappointed with progress on steps (down) and kneeling. Soon I guess.

Today's post is from last Thursday. This is a group of photographers that volunteered their time to make family portraits for the less fortunate . This happened through an organized effort Help-Portrait and a great team leader, Joanne Henig (Standing second form left).

Yes, that me, kneeling down on my good knee. I really needed this to feel the spirit of the holiday this year. I recommend it to all of my blogging friends; with and without cameras. There's so much that needs to get done the more help the better.

P.S. Photo credit belongs to Mr. Henig.

Evening drive home

2011-12-11T19:38:00.000-05:00

First, it was the color of the sky that I wanted to photograph, but the power lines were in the way. Then I pulled up to the intersection and the light turned red.

So I made the photo and used

the lights

and

lines and sky.

Just fun.

Trains and Christmas

2011-12-07T20:36:00.000-05:00

I had to photograph a toy train display at the Town of Babylon Museum. They expanded an exhibit for the holiday season.

When my boys were younger, we always set-up a train at the base of our Christmas tree.

We haven't set it up in a few years, space, time and the boys being older all take a little of what makes it special, away.

I also had to photograph a USO dance at a senior center. Many of the seniors wore uniforms and brought memorabilia from the wars. It was awesome.

Fog

2011-12-05T19:41:00.000-05:00

Alcotts Pond in the fog.

The unseasonably warm weather gave us fog this evening. As I passed Alcotts Pond I had to turn the car around to make this photo.

Jet fuel

2011-12-04T17:31:00.000-05:00

I passed this carrier truck and had to slow up to grab the photo as he passed me. I was really wondering what the driver behind me was thinking.

Well, there's no jet fuel for me, but a friend of mine tells me to eat my greens... it will speed up my recovery. So greens will be my jet fuel.

700

2011-12-03T16:47:00.000-05:00

I'm finding it difficult to bend to make the kind of photographs I like to make. And with stitches in my left knee, there's no kneeling.

I went back to work on Monday, and of course I would get a job for Thursday to tour the local waterways by boat. I went out to photograph canals that are in need for dredging, The ride wasn't too bad. The water was calm and the weather was mild. I tried to sit on as much of the ride as possible. Yesterday I had a tree lighting which was all on my feet.

I'm feeling a little less ok than I was yesterday morning, so I decided to take it easy today. So with my leg up and iced, college football on the tube and a good book to read; I'm all set for the rest of the day.

I can't believe that today's post makes number 700.

Flying again

2011-11-27T18:43:00.000-05:00

My crutches have been put away. I'm still hobbling, but my hobble doesn't look so sad.

I was able to get some reading done and finished, Woman Warrior, Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts by Maxine Hong Kingston.

In the book Kingston writes, “ It's mirrors not aches and pains that turns a person old.” After this week of recovery, I can agree. I hurt, especially Monday night, but the aches and pains only slowed me down.

I had a photograph selected for the

2011 Juried Photography Show at the Islip Arts Council.

It will hang at Seatuck in Islip for the month of December.

So thanks for all the prayers and get well wishes. I do appreciate them all.

I hope all my blogging friends had a great Thanksgiving. I spent mine healing and with family, both of which I am thankful for.

Red Horse

2011-11-20T15:10:00.000-05:00

Went to the Bolton Theater in Bay Shore this past Friday to see Red House recording artists, Red Horse. The Bolton is a converted 200 seat movie theater and is somehow part of the YMCA. It's a great place to see a show, it is personal and has great sound.

John Gorka

We been to this theater four times. We've seen Lucy Kaplansky three times and this show. Singer songwriters are more likely to tell stories between songs and this small theater is perfect to hear.

Lucy Kaplansky

There was plenty of stories and joking between the three performers who have a rich history of recording with each other. For those that don't know, they are three independent artists that recorded a record together.

Eliza Gilkyson

The show was great. As expected they played the whole album plus some of their own material. They had a lot of fun on stage and I believe the audience had just as much fun. I linked a You-Tube video of each of the performers if you are interested in checking them out.

Pylon reflection

2011-11-17T19:06:00.000-05:00

Two days of cold rain have kept me from going out. I made this photo at the Ponquogue Bridge in Hampton Bays. The color of the pylons, the water and the reflection were perfect one morning last week.

Shinnecock Fleet

2011-11-15T21:08:00.000-05:00

Part of the fishing fleet at the

Shinnecock boat basin.

Who knew those captains were so

color coordinated?

I'm guessing it was blue, white, blue, white day or else I just got lucky.

Shell in the sand

2011-11-14T18:43:00.000-05:00

I took a few moments today to walk along

the ocean.

The day was beautiful.

All my tests came back and my doctor gave me clearance for my knee surgery.

One week to go.

Plenty of pain these past few days.

I still have mixed emotions.

Leaves in Beaverdam Pond

2011-11-13T19:33:00.000-05:00

Oak leaves and Maple leaves

in Beaverdam Pond.

The shapes and colors

against the dark water caught my eye.

More Fall Colors

2011-11-12T14:23:00.000-05:00

More fall colors.

This photo is from the forest floor.

Looking down, you can find some gems.

The Red Maple

2011-11-10T16:11:00.001-05:00

We have this little Red Maple in the backyard that really came out in color this fall.

In the past, the leaves just shrivel up and died.

Sandpipers

2011-11-09T07:39:00.000-05:00

I tried to photograph these Sandpipers as they feed from a puddle the incoming tide made on the beach. I was very warm yesterday and I took a few minutes to go to the ocean before a hard night.

It's gonna be a long one....

2011-11-08T10:40:00.000-05:00

Today is Election Day here in the USA.

In Suffolk County as with most of New York State, we have new voting machines. They have caused problems in the way we get information from them and so we've had a couple of contested races. Today we have a few heated races and it's already being said we might not know the results for a while.

I made this photo about two weeks ago at Jones Beach. The beach seems to go on forever. I'm sure tonight will seem the same way.

First Frost

2011-11-07T17:06:00.000-05:00

Well there it is, our first frost here on Long Island.

Reaching for the light

2011-11-03T09:14:00.000-04:00

I always find fascination

with how

nature finds a way to adapt.

Something more of us need to learn.

On November 21, I am having my Meniscus repaired by Orthopedic Surgery.

I'm concerned about the length of time it will take to heal.

My Doctor says all people heal differently...

I need to be like that vine and find a way to adapt.

Short walk

2011-11-02T09:02:00.000-04:00

I went for a short walk yesterday. My Meniscus prevents me from longer treks. I came across these little white flowers and as I got close I noticed their orange centers.

Possibly Wild Aster.

Fall Ferns

2011-11-01T08:22:00.000-04:00

Well, we had some sunshine yesterday after a cold and wet weekend.

I spent a few minutes looking for color along the Peconic River and found some beautiful back-lit ferns.

Autumn is when leaves get to play the part of flowers.

Sunday, my foster brother and his new girlfriend came out to visit. We haven't seen each other in fourteen years.

Way too long a time not to see family.

It was a great visit.

Lifeguard Shack, Jones Beach

2011-10-28T09:49:00.000-04:00

The Lifeguard Shack at Jones Beach.

The place sure looks different in October.

My wife and I were originally planning to hold our wedding reception a few hundred yards from this place. We left a deposit and everything.

A few days later, we received a phone call telling us a mistake was made and there was a fire department diner scheduled for that same night. They tried hard to get us to switch our date. We were disappointed and found another place.

The day before our wedding, Hurricane Gloria came and destroyed the catering hall. We had our reception elsewhere...

funny how things work out sometimes.

Peconic River in Autumn

2011-10-27T15:52:00.000-04:00

This image and Autumn Flames were made on the same hike.

Some people have seen deer swim across this river.

I haven't been so lucky.

Butterflies

2011-10-26T19:40:00.000-04:00

I thought these two Monarchs would be a good subject on a

cold morning.

They took off after I snapped two photos.

Autumn Flames

2011-10-25T19:09:00.000-04:00

A branch of Greenbriar

along the Peconic River

imitates flames in the evening sunlight.

Shell

2011-10-24T09:21:00.000-04:00

I was fooling around with Topaz Black and White Effects, a plug-in for photoshop, and came up with this.

I'm still new to the program, but I'm having fun.

I once was a darkroom rat, never wanting to come out into the light.

But digital changed all that for me.

I still love black and white photography.

I just don't see in black and white

the way I once did.

Rays over the Atlantic

2011-10-22T10:57:00.001-04:00

I took a walk along the ocean after work yesterday.

Walking in the sand didn't do my torn meniscus any good.

But, it was good for the rest of me.

Textures

2011-10-21T14:54:00.000-04:00

This is another image from the Cranberry Bogs visit.

Red Maple Leaves

2011-10-20T16:19:00.000-04:00

Why are the first leaves to change color

always by the stream?

Under the cloak of night,

autumn flows in on the current and

creates her masterpiece.

When daylight breaks

colors explode and sing

before falling to the ground.

Fall on East Pond, Eastport

2011-10-19T08:11:00.000-04:00

Morning light on East Pond.

The colors are starting.

They look surreal.

XC at Brown

2011-10-18T08:23:00.001-04:00

We had a beautiful day for a Cross Country meet in Rhode Island.

The Southampton Lady Runners.

The men. My son Evan is on the far right. Only some of the team were able to make the Invitational. We do have a very small team.

They're off !

Evan

At the finish line.

You keep watch, I'll eat.

2011-10-16T07:16:00.001-04:00

We just spent two day at the Brown's University Cross Country Invitational. Evan did great, we are looking forward to him breaking his older brother's personal best of 17:36 for the 5K. Evan's a year younger that Brain and his coach says it is possible. He has moved up from the seventh spot on the team to the second spot in one season. Cross country track is a better match for Evan that football was.
Today's photo is from Thursday. Deer at the Fire Island National Seashore are a lot more curious about people. I guess it's because of the amount of people that feed them.

What a smile!

2011-10-13T20:44:00.000-04:00

A white-tail deer

smiling

for the silly human with the camera.

The Old Cranberry Bogs

2011-10-12T18:38:00.000-04:00

I've been visiting and photographing this place for over thirty years.

Where I'm standing, stood a large barn.

Years ago, it was hit by lightening. All that's left is the small shed that stood behind the barn.

I thought the HDR treatment would serve it well. I'll have to look through my 35mm stuff for old images.

Maple Seeds

2011-10-11T21:15:00.000-04:00

I made this image August 23

and never posted it.

I love the combination of colors.

Looking for Surf

2011-10-09T18:11:00.001-04:00

I made this photo a week or so ago. I just wasn't happy with the way it looked.

I'm happy with it now.

We had a beautiful weekend weather-wise. I spent yesterday doing chores and picking the remaining basil in the garden. I was able to make four cups of pesto. Today, I worked a surf fishing contest. Hopefully tomorrow will be beautiful and I can get out to do some new photography.

Leaves on Trout Pond

2011-10-06T21:38:00.000-04:00

Still not much happening

in the way of explosive fall colors

here on Long Island.

I went over to Trout Pond

to find some color.

This is what I found.

Autumn Yellow

2011-10-05T20:20:00.000-04:00

I am sad from learning of the passing of Steve Jobs.

Big October Sky

2011-10-04T20:23:00.000-04:00

This is another view from my ride home yesterday. There's a highway guardrail and a chain link fence along the dark green Cedar trees. Pretty annoying, but nothing I can do about it.

Cedar Silhouettes

2011-10-03T20:01:00.000-04:00

On the drive home tonight the sky was awesome. I couldn't wait to find someplace and photograph it, so I just pulled off the highway.

It stayed cool all day, autumn temperatures are here.

Trout Pond

2011-10-02T16:22:00.000-04:00

I went up to Trout Pond looking for fall, but I was too early. There was some colors, but not much.
I purchased a new black and white plug-in for photoshop from Topaz. Today's post is my first with it.

Sag Harbor

2011-10-01T09:10:00.000-04:00

Panoramic view of Sag Harbor. This late in the season, and with a major storm past, the harbor is fairly empty.

Indian summer

2011-09-30T20:37:00.000-04:00

After rust, green is my favorite color.

Photo Enforced

2011-09-28T21:31:00.000-04:00

Back in the days of film, few people thought about the legitimacy of a photograph. Things were retouched, but usually at a great expense. Then along came digital photography and the need to question every picture we see. Was it retouched or was someone photoshoped out or maybe photoshoped it?

The new fad here on Long Island and I do believe in New Your City are Red -Light Cameras. Digital cameras with motion detection are set at intersections, they get triggered if you cross the stop line after the light has turned red. Talk about a full circle.

I covered a legislative meeting were we watched video of infractions. It was funny to recognize some intersections. Our county estimated they would gross twenty million dollars in the first year at $50.00 an infraction. We only grossed a little more that half that amount. Bad for the budget, but good to know drivers aren't as bad as government believes.

So... in the tradition of black and white film and hand made prints, I bring you today's digital image!

Rust

2011-09-27T21:46:00.000-04:00

A highway billboard.

There's a few with the same message.

Hey, why such a long....

2011-09-26T09:05:00.001-04:00

Shadow?

Yep, that's me.

I'm really not that tall.

Row 26

2011-09-21T14:23:00.000-04:00

I was up on the North Fork this past Sunday and found 26 for my number series. This was off the beaten trail, so maybe this is where the good grapes come from.

Laurel NY

2011-09-20T08:27:00.000-04:00

This is one one the most photographed barns on the north fork of Long Island. I was surprised when it didn't come up on google images for Laurel NY. One of my favorites was a black and white made in winter, everything was covered in snow.

I passed this place a zillion times and never wanted to make my own photo because of all of the others I saw. But when I saw the sky and the colors in the field, I knew I should make one of my own.

I've been thinking...

2011-09-17T09:50:00.000-04:00

No that's not me. I do most of my thinking as I walk. My legs need to be moving for me to do serious contemplation. Fresh air helps.

I've been thinking about all the turmoil the postal service is going through and about a friendship I made about 15 years ago.

Back in the days of film, I used slide film and Kodak shipped the slides in little Kodak orange boxes. Our mailman at the time, Joe was very concerned about leaving these little boxes in the street mail box and would carry them up our long driveway to the door. Is that personal service or what! Over the ten years we lived in that house I photographed Joe's second wedding, his daughter's wedding and is sister's wedding. We still keep in touch, but now he's behind the counter in a different location and I've moved away. I don't have the same relationship with the new mailman. Maybe Joe spoiled me.

I've always enjoyed getting a letter in the mail. As a child, it was special and fun to run down to the box and collect the mail. It's something I still enjoy.

I feel bad that the post office is not doing well. Here's another industry hurt by modernization, the internet. We don't send letters any longer. And many people pay bills on-line. This may be fine for most of the time, but what about birthday cards, Christmas cards and other holiday cards? Do you have a family tradition with cards? What if there were no longer a postal service? Will we be decorating with e-mailed card?

I'd like to help my fellow men and woman at the post office and send a note to anyone who wants one. I'll start with the folks I know and extend it to anyone who wants to join me. Just e-mail me or post your address and I'll send you a note.

2011-09-13T21:06:00.000-04:00

Sunday's 9/11 10 year Anniversary Ceremony was a beautiful memorial. I made a slide show using

Jo Ann Biviano's I'll Always Remember. It's worth checking out just for her beautiful song.

Four days of remembering.

2011-09-11T18:17:00.000-04:00

Today was the last of the 911 ceremonies I covered. It takes a toll on me for sure.

While driving home today, the clouds were beautiful. They seemed to be weaved together, and it reminded me of a photo from yesterday's 911 ceremony. Yesterday, I covered the unveiling ceremony for the 911 First Responders Memorial, the first in the country. It was a very moving ceremony. Children of lost 1^st responders, and 1^st responders that have died since 911 all took part at the end.

I wanted to put the photographs up together, maybe today's clouds was God's way of saying something about togetherness, about being unified. Not only in good time, but always.

Solemn times...

2011-09-09T10:07:00.001-04:00

Last night started the 9-11 Services I'll cover this weekend. Covering memorial services are not my favorite thing to do. I just feel it's a private time for inner reflection. I know it's part of our history and needs to be recorded, still it's difficult.

My heart goes out to the families of those who lost a loved one on 9-11-01 and in the wars that followed.

Busy as a bee.

2011-09-07T20:24:00.000-04:00

Found this little guy on a Butterfly Bush that is growing at the bottom of the steps from the back door. They are like weeks in my yard!

I've be working hard on a wedding I shot a week and a half ago. I need to get it out to the printer.

Orient Point Lighthouse

2011-09-01T09:02:00.000-04:00

In the wee hours of Monday morning, while party-goers are hoping from nightclub to bar, we took Adam back to collage. Due to Irene, the Cross-Sound Ferry was not yet running, so we drove around through the city.

We were fortunate in getting on a returning ferry that evening. This photo was made on that trip.

The Orient Point Lighthouse sits at the end of a reef that stretches one-third the distance between Orient Point and Plum Island in a mile-wide passage called Plum Gut.

Plum Gut is a boaters nightmare. At ebb tide, the currents can exceed five knots (5.6 mph). It's hard to believe that there used to be a keeper out there. You can read more about this place at the lighthouse friends web page.

Coopers Beach sandblasting

2011-08-30T08:37:00.000-04:00

Irene has past and we only lost cable TV, internet and land-line telephone service. All I missed was internet. Sunday afternoon most people were trying to get things back to normal here in Southampton. Down at Coopers Beach others were trying to look at the ocean waves. I had my running shorts on and the sand was hurting my legs and arms. Most people came and went. This young woman gave it her best.

Irene, Sunday AM

2011-08-28T07:32:00.000-04:00

Cel in the driveway.

We still have electric but the land line telephone is out. The bay is still about one and a half hours from high tide and the eye of Irene is about forty minutes away. The bay across the street looks fairly calm for a tropical storm. It looks a lot worse closer to the city. Hey Elisabeth, you guys alright in NJ? Stay safe.

Irene, the storm

2011-08-27T14:32:00.000-04:00

Three photos are from Coopers Beach, Southampton, NY taken around 10:30. It was very foggy. Many of the streets were already closed.

Structure

2011-08-26T11:11:00.000-04:00

This is the iron works attached to the legs of a water tower. Just loved the blue.

I'm picking up everything in the yard, preparing of the big storm. We are leaving tonight to bring Adam to Vermont and hopefully we'll be back home before it hits.

A prayer goes out to all in the path of this storm, stay safe.

Caution

2011-08-23T21:25:00.000-04:00

As you probably heard on the news, Virginia had an earthquake today that was felt by most of the east coast. We were no exception here on Long Island. The building I was in was evacuated. No one knew what the shaking was from. I thank God no one I know was hurt.

four more

2011-08-22T20:51:00.000-04:00

How 'bout those blue hats!

Four more from the Polish festival in Riverhead.

The Polish Festival

2011-08-21T20:36:00.001-04:00

Riverhead has a large Polish population and every year they hold a three day street fair complete with the crowning of a queen and a traditional Polish Wedding. We went today to walk the streets and see the sights.

It was all the colors that caught my eye.

Four today and four more tomorrow.

Bedell Main Road Red

2011-08-20T11:27:00.000-04:00

My favorite white wine along the tour was at Bedell Cellars, Gallery. As I said before, I'm really a red wine person, but this was something special. It is part of the artist series which features a commissioned art piece on their labels. Artists included Chuck Close, Barbara Kruger, April Gornik and Ross Bleckner to name a few. The wine was flavorful and refreshing. If I had to pick something to relate it to it would be spring. It has a taste of spring.

This is the first time my wife and I visited more that one winery. We would suggest, not hopping from one winery to another, but picking one or two and enjoying what they have to offer. By the end of our tour, Cel and I weren't enjoying the wine as much.

Today's post are some photos from Bedell Cellars.

Two more from the tour...

2011-08-19T10:28:00.000-04:00

Our first stop along our self-made North Fork Winery Tour was Vineyard 48 located on Route 48 in Cutchogue. We sampled both whites and reds here and my favorite was their Peach Wine, a sweet white sweet with a hint of peach.

Both of these images were made at Vineyard 48.

Winery Hopping

2011-08-17T21:49:00.001-04:00

My wife, her sister and I took the cousins winery hopping on the north fork of Long Island yesterday. We had a blast! This photo was made at Laurel Lake Vineyards, the last stop before returning home.

Big Sky

2011-08-17T09:15:00.000-04:00

Here's another photo from Saturday's time at the ocean. I had some time work on this image in Photomatix Pro. They upgraded the program. This is a HDR photo from six images.

A trip to the ocean

2011-08-15T21:49:00.001-04:00

Funny how I've lived on Long Island all my life, yet I can't remember the last time I swam in the ocean. Saturday my sister and brother-in-laws took the family, including cousins visiting from California for a drive and picnic on the ocean. The ocean water was crystal clear, calm and beautiful. I had a wonderful time in and out of the water.

I never knew how may 4X4's actually did this. There were about fifty vehicles there. Iw was very peaceful.

That's Entertainment

2011-08-06T15:28:00.001-04:00

For the past eight or so summers I had the opportunity to cover concerts held by local municipalities. Rick Larrimore, the Ultimate Rod Stewart Tribute has got to be one of the best shows round. His is all about great entertainment and a true to form Rod Stewart show. His band, Blondes Have More Fun, are excellent performers. Don't ya think he even looks like Rod?

Brothers

2011-08-04T15:58:00.000-04:00

A scene from the boardwalk at Tanner Park in Copiague New York.

Incredible lightening storm

2011-08-01T21:30:00.002-04:00

On the way home from work today, there was an incredible lightening storm. I detoured down to the beach and set up a tripod to make a few photos.

This is my favorite.

The Happy Flower

2011-07-31T22:14:00.000-04:00

Just a quick photo of the Sunflower growing in the garden. I really think Sunflowers are the happy flower! Today is the last day of July, tomorrow I have a golf outing to work; one of two for the year. I used to work four or five a year.

Just want to keep happy and look at the happy flower.

Dog Days

2011-07-27T07:10:00.000-04:00

It's not even August yet and we've had some scorcher days. We had a stretch of days that were in the high 90's and one day 100 or better depending on where you were on Long Island. Our high humidity makes it more uncomfortable.

Isabel took full advantage of the cool leather sofa one of those days. She knows she's not allow on the sofa, but how could you resist a face like that.

Stay cool friends, and keep hydrated.

Queen Anne's Lace

2011-07-21T07:23:00.000-04:00

This has always been one of my favorite wild flowers. Not only are Deucus carota visually attractive but they are a beneficial weed. Beneficial weed seems like an oxymoron, especially to an amateur gardener like me.

Queen Anne's Lace as it is known in North America, attracts lady bugs and other omnivorous insects. It is in the same family of plant as carrot, parsnip and dill. And is similar to poison hemlock, which was used to kill Socrates.

I often thought about cultivating a wildflower garden.

Funny Face

2011-07-18T21:00:00.001-04:00

While driving through the village Friday, I passed this life size statue of a butler holding a tray. I had to stop for a photo. I tried playing with it in photoshop, but decided to leave it like it is.

Yellow Surfboard

2011-07-14T17:10:00.000-04:00

I took a walk along the beach this morning, before the big crowds arrived. This was the closed section of the ocean beach, so no lifeguards or swimmers. There were a couple of sunbathers, but careful framing cropped them out.

The ocean was flat and there was little wind. It was beautiful.

Prints are available at my Etsy Shop.

Backlit leaves

2011-07-13T16:21:00.000-04:00

Many years ago I worked in a ma-pa camera store called Cam-Ra Fair. Fred and Greta were the ma & pa, and they were great people to work for. At the time, we lived in an apartment and I didn't have a darkroom. Fred let me build a Black and White lab in the back of the store. It was win win, we offered custom black and white printing services and I got to have a darkroom again.

One day a young lady came in and wanted me to print an 8 X10 of backlit Maple leaves from her 35mm negative.

It was a beautiful photo and I must have exposed dozens of frames trying to emulate that photo. I never came close.

I made this photo last Saturday while waiting for Evan to finish work. It's a color file and I wasn't happy with it. Today, I had the bright idea to change it to grayscale and play around with the tones a bit.

Much better. It's not Maple leaves, but it comes close to what I remember of that impressive photo.

Make mine red...

2011-07-12T18:25:00.000-04:00

actually, Merlot is my beverage, Merlot and sangria. I have yet to try and make sangria at home even though I've collected a couple of recipes. To be honest, it seems time consuming and an awful lot of work for something that's not gonna last too long.

This was from the same photo outing the May 4 post was from. I never got around to finishing it. As with the others, this is HDR.

Bridgehampton

2011-07-11T18:11:00.002-04:00

This weekend we took a ride to ArtHamptons, the largest collection of art for sale under one tent. It was hard to believe it was a tent, it was very big. Every genre and every medium was represented with a special emphasis on photography. Saturday and Sunday both included a tour “How to Invest and Collect Fine Art Photography.” There were a few items my wife and I loved and some that were very inspiring.

Today's post was made along the trek to Sayre Park. I needed to return after we were home to photograph it with the 400mm lens. Prints available at my etsy shop.

Pura Vida

2011-07-08T15:04:00.000-04:00

I came across this old fishing vessel abandoned along the Shinnecock Cannel. When I looked up the translation of Pura Vida I found it was Costa Rican for Pure Life, though it is used to say “Full of life” or “this is living.” Which made me think of something one of the baymen I photographed said to me. We were out on a beautiful summer morning; he was collection crab pots on the Great South Bay and I was photographing him. He looked at the blue sky and said, “it just doesn't get better than this.”

I'm sure this vessel has some stories to tell.

Just relaxing in the shade

2011-07-06T08:20:00.000-04:00

My mother-in-law and Isabel watching the swimmers this past 4th, as they relax in the shade. Isabel will sometimes venture into the water, but not often. She looks like she could use a tall drink!

Blue 91

2011-07-01T16:50:00.000-04:00

I came across this doorway on a walk around Babylon Village. There were two doors in this ally, both the same, number 91 and 93. I liked the shadows in this one.

I can't believe it's July already!