You snooze you loose.

Playing with depth of field, I made this image while on a walk in Rocky Point late this afternoon. I was looking for something else. I saw the sun setting through the trees and how it backlit the green Oak leaves. By the time I parked and found a path into the woods it was gone. That’s the second time this happen in the past few days.
I’ve been watching some Queen Ann’s Lace on the side of the road for a week or so and I went to make a photo of them and the highway crew cut the lawn and the flowers.
On a different note, all the blogs I was following are missing from my dashboard tonight! I think I’ve been googled.
No post processing to speak of. I adjusted contrast and exposure in photoshop.

Faded Stop

I came across this stop sign and had to add it to my sign collection. It is posted at a vacant shopping center here on Long Island.
I used Canon Digital Professional and Photomatix Tone mapping programs to process.

52

Usually in the past I’ve used numbers for post titles only when I had a photo to match. Today, I turned 52 years old.
Today’s post has nothing to do with my birthday or the number 52. This plant is next to our back door. One morning this past week I made this photo as the morning dew covered the grass plant.
This photo was processed with Canon Digital Photo Professional and Photomatix Tone Mapping programs.

Walt Whitman’s Wall

What a beautiful morning, the sun is shinning and there is no humidity. Here on Long Island we often have hot humid summer days, today is a blessing.
I’m off for the weekend but I have high hopes of accomplishing a number of things around the house. I’m sure at the end of the day I’ll have wished I were working!
Today’s picture post I made yesterday. I needed to buy a new power adapter for my PowerBook at the Apple Store. At the mall, I notices the outside walls all had verse, but it didn’t dawn on me whose or why until I recalled that I was at the Walt Whitman Mall. Silly me. There is no post production on this image.

A well needed rest.

I need to apologize to my followers for the long hiatus between posts. As a freelance photographer, I have to take work when it comes and I’ve been super busy.
I have made some personal photos but none of them are worthy of posting. I even went for a walk without a camera to try and clear my head and regain a new focus. It's not my camera as much as it is sitting at the computer and processing images.
Today’s post was made last week at the Smithtown Public Library. I was there for a legislator but came across some chalk drawings along the sidewalk.
This was processed in ACR and Photomatix Tone Mapping programs.

A day of editing.

Today I spent about seven hours going through the Wounded Warrior Soldier Ride photos I made on Friday. One of my favorites is the ride over Captree Bridge. At the beginning of the ride, soldiers change into special prosthesis or just put on their artificial limbs for the ride. They make sure all their equipment is road ready, checking air pressure brakes and gears.
One of the last photos I made was of the bottled water and helmet at the end of the 22-mile ride. At the end of the ride, most of the soldiers relaxed with supports who rode with them, some walk over the ocean. A few have never seen or been in the Atlantic. It’s very cool.

Paper Birds

I had a very busy end of the week, and next week looks like more of the same. As a freelance it’s good to be busy. My wife and I were going over the collage loans for the two boys and we just don’t know how we’re going to make ends meet. It’s a good thing we all like macaroni and cheese.
Friday, I photographed the Wounded Warrior’s Solder Ride. There are three legs to this bike ride for wounded war veterans. The first is in Manhattan, the second is mid-island called Babylon to the Beaches, and the third ironically is here where I live at the eastern end of Long Island. I photographed the Babylon to the Beaches ride.
This is the second year I’ve photographed this patriotic and emotional event. Seeing these amazing men, missing arms, legs and sometimes both pedal twenty-two miles is an awesome sight. It makes you think twice about complaining. I will post a photo from this event in the next day of two.
Today’s post is an origami window display from Southampton Village that was made on a walk through the village while waiting for my son to finish work. I processed the raw image in Canon Digital Photo Professional and Photomatix Tone mapping.

Traffic and Rain

I got my Mac back today and I’m three hundred dollars lighter. Yes it was fast, and I feel I was taken advantage of. It’s fixed and I’ll have to be more careful even though I do have a clue as to how I broke the hinge or stripped the screws.
Today’s photo was made on the way home yesterday. Traffic and rain, when there’s nothing else to do, make a photograph. This was made with the Canon G10, and I increased the contrast in Canon’s Digital Photo Professional.

Business Hours

I came across this men’s barber Sunday. Besides not being able to handle kids, he’s only there six hours a day for three days. Wow.
I broke my laptop. The hinge that holds the screen to the keyboard fell apart. I backed up everything and took it in. Hopefully I can pick it up tomorrow, and it won’t make me a whole lot lighter in the wallet. I really can’t complain, my power book is six years old and it never has acted up or caused me any problems. I very thankful for that.

Sag Harbor Flag

I came across this flag in Sag Harbor yesterday after a fundraiser I made photos at. I couldn’t resist the golden hour light on the flag.

Little Purple Flowers

I found these little purple flowers between my property and my neighbor, Sally’s property. I don’t know what there are yet but they photograph nice.

Puddle reflection

They said it would rail all weekend, but today might have been the best day of summer so far.
Today’s post is a reflection in a puddle. I rotated it so it’s right-side-up and also processed it with Photomatix Tone Mapping.

Small Bottles

Today’s photograph was made in a small antique shop in Greenport. My wife and I love to go into these shops, but we rarely make a purchase. In this shop I found a small rubber stamp that says Christmas Greetings for one dollar. I couldn’t pass it up.
The photo was made on the second floor and the small bottles caught my eye.

Morning Glory

I used to love Morning Glories, how they would vine all around the balusters and handrails on my deck. The flowers open in the morning and close later in the day.
But, after a few years of them, they have become like weeds. I have them all over the yard. This one is growing in the compost bin. It has the largest leaves I’ve every see. I guess I could have worse problems.

July 15, 2008

Sad news on the Basking Shark, it died on the beach. Marine researchers will determine what the cause of death is in the next few days.
Today’s picture post is a composite of two images, one focused and the other deliberately out of focus. I used to do this with Kodachrome 25 by making a double exposure in the camera. This is the first attempt at the same effect with digital.
It’s easier to control with the computer that it was with camera exposure alone.

Basking shark

I covered the beached shark story on Long Island’s south shore today. What a crowd! I can’t believe how many people tried to pose with the 1000 pound, 20 foot Basking Shark. One guy tried to push it back into the ocean.

Garden Gloves

Originally I planned to post this photo yesterday. But I didn’t like the angle I made it at. So, after fooling with it a while I decided to crop it, I’m still not loving it.
Saturday after gardening, I left my gloves outside. It poured rain Saturday night into Sunday morning and my gloves got soaked. I thought the leather looked cool, especially the dirty warn palms. So here’s the final version in grayscale, and the original, uncropped color version.

Greenport NY

Evan left for Boy Scout camp today. My wife Cel and I drove him to the Orient Point Ferry where they cross the Long Island Sound to Rhode Island. As in the past summers, he’ll be gone for a week.
After the ferry left, we went for a walk through the village of Greenport. That’s where I found these signs to photograph. Greenport is very much an artist’s community with all its galleries. It’s easy to be inspired as you walk along the streets.
Today’s image was made with the Canon G10 and processed with Photomatix Tone Mapping software,

Never saw the Beatles

I made today’s photo last night at the Strawberry Fields show for the Town of Babylon. For those of you who don’t know, Strawberry Fields are a Beatles tribute band. They are really good at what they do. Are there Beatle copy bands elsewhere?

July 10, 2009

Today’s photo post was made on Sunday, July 5. I was in Southampton Village and saw this flag and star hanging in a window. I had to make a photo of it. You can see my arm in the bottom right of the blue star field. I cropped out the window frame and processed it with Photomatix Tone Mapping.

Golden Grass

We had a beautiful day yesterday, and it looks like we’re gonna pay for it today. At least I cut the lawn yesterday.

Today’s photo was made with the Canon G10 of some weed grass in the yard. The setting sun added the color, but I did process it with Photomatix Tone Mapping to add a little depth.

New life and old mud pies.

We had a real hard rain last night that woke everyone up. It sounded as if the house was plunged under water and the rush of air and water was rushing past the outer walls. The sun is up this morning; everything is wet and I see no damage.
I was tied last night yet it was hard for me to fall asleep. I had just returned from a wake for a neighbor’s mom, my second wake since last week. Last Wednesday was a co-worker who actually knew my mom. Fran was a very nice lady who never seemed her age. Cancer took Franny.
So today’s photo is of my wife’s niece’s children as they played in the in-laws yard. And not unlike when I was a tot, still making dirt soup and mud pies.

Red door

This door is from a railroad car at the Long Island Train Museum in Riverhead. Like a kid in a candy store I was attracted by the bright colors.

Alfalfa

I know I shouldn’t be saying this…but wow three days in a row of great weather is fantastic. Now I hope I didn’t jinks it. Unfortunately I spent the whole day indoors today doing portraits of summer interns. They were nice enough; I just didn’t want to be there today.
Adam starts his internship in the county attorney’s office tomorrow. He’s very excited. I very excited for him also.

Main Street Main

Today’s photo is from Friday’s walk around Riverhead with my friend Perry. This man asked if we could make a photo of him, so I did. I love his tie.

22

An old friend came back to Long Island for a family reunion and we were able to go out and photograph like we did thirty years ago. It was nice catching up with him and talking about film and digital and where everyone is.
We went up to Riverhead and walked around town and then came down to Southampton Village for a while. Today’s post is from the Village for my number series.
I wish all a happy 4th of July, no matter what side of the pond you’re on.

Red white and Blue Hoop

I’ve had to photograph construction at town parks for the last two days. This basketball hoop was still standing at one and the rust caught my eye. That, the sky and the red white and blue netting was enough for me.
Processed with ACR.

Wading River Farmland

Sometimes I come across a landscape so beautiful that I don’t know how someone can doubt the existence of God.
This image is cropped slightly to straighten the horizon.

Graduation Weekend: the End

It's over. The moving up from 8th grade and the high school graduation and I survived both. There should be a celebration of the parents, except I’m really too tired to do any of the work or the celebrating.

I had an event to cover Monday, in the parking lot of the catering hall I found today’s post. I spent some time with ACR and Photomatix to bring out the glow of the paint.

Graduation Weekend

Well my youngest son, Evan graduated from junior high last night. Tuckahoe, our school district is a small kindergarten to eight-grade district. It has less than 350 students than come from an area about 11.5square miles in Southampton NY. From here he’ll go to Southampton High School, where my wife works.
It’s typical small town, in a good way. Everyone knows everyone. When we moved to this school district nine years ago, I visited my son’s class early in his first school year. As I left the classroom and walked down the hall, a teacher said, “Hello Mr. Gravano.” I didn’t know this person but she new the new student’s parent was in the building and I was the only person this teacher did not know. That’s small town to me.
Our superintendent, Linda Rossi, is also the school principal. She truly is all about children and their education. She knows every parent.
This school district was the reason we moved to this area, and in my opinion, it’s the best thing Southampton has to offer.
Today’s picture is an update on the Snow peas. The plants were blown over by the wind and the rain last week, but they’re coming back just fine.
Tomorrow, Adam graduates high school, and we’ll host most of my wife’s family. My family lives to far or are not in good health to travel. Their thoughts are with the boys, I’m sure.

Just relaxing

This is Shasa our cat.
I had to crop out all the nonsense in the frame. She only held the pose for two frames before she high-tailed it out of there. She hates being photographed.

Dancing Daisies

Pulled out the tripod and used a slow shutter speed to create this image for today’s post. Post processing in photoshop and ARC helped with the color and contrast.

Saturday Night, Southampton Village

I made this image Saturday night in Southampton Village. The rain has really put a damper on things. Usually at this time of year with better weather the streets would be crowded with people.
When I pick up Adam from his job at the candy store it’s hard to find a parking spot. I don’t know if it’s the weather or the economy, but lately I’ve been able to park right on Main Street.
This was made with the G10 at 1/5 sec at 2.8 ISO200. I’m amazed at the lack of noise this sensor in the camera has.

Pop Contradiction

I found this next to yesterday’s picture in Brookhaven. The American flag, the symbol of freedom on a chain link fence and the Antique store open seven days but all boarded up. Contradictions.
Heavy post production in Adobe Raw Converter to achieve the pop look.

Not the sunny side of the street.

I drove past this shack earlier in the week and went back Friday when we had a spot of sun and blue sky. At first, I was drawn to the chair and the disrepair of the shack; on closer inspection I thought I might include it in my series on numbers.
My bother is home and resting. It looks like the flu with a reaction to an increase in his diabetes meds that made him so sick. He sounds better today that yesterday. Thanks for your prayers, and a happy fathers day to all the fathers out there!

John

It’s hard for me to think today. My mom called and told me my younger bother John was hospitalized last night. He has flu-like symptoms, along with his hepatitis and diabetes; they wanted to keep him for observations. I called him this morning and he didn’t sound well. I fell so helpless being here in New York and him in Florida.
Today’s photo is for my bother. Like these flowers, I look up to God for his help; it is all I can do.

Peak-a-boo

On my walk this morning I came across this Eastern Box Turtle. We played peak-a-boo before I left and went on my merry way.
It poured down rain yesterday, and I couldn’t motivate myself to make any pictures. Today is overcast and all the green looks pretty. I have a campaign photo job mid-day, and maybe I’ll have time for some personal photography.

27

Here’s another image for my number series. This is the highway sign for the road I live on. Actually I live on County Road 39 which is New York State Road 27 to the east about six miles and to the west about a thousand feet. That little stretch in-between is called County road 39.
This old sign is pealing and has a lot of character. I made this image today on the way home and used the G10. I thought I’d have enough time to make another frame or two tonight, but I ran out of time.
This image wad processed in Photomatrix Tone Mapping.

Milk Thistle

I found this Thistle on my way to the bus stop with Evan yesterday. They grow all over the place but mostly I’ve only seen them with purple flowers, commonly called Milk Thistle.
This was processed with ARC and Photomatix Tone Mapping. I also cropped it vertical.

Pinecones

I’ve walked past these little pinecones for two weeks or so and keep saying I need to photograph them. Well, today was the day. Processed in ACR and Photomatix Tone Mapping program.

Lily

Today’s photo is of a Lily my wife planted in our flower box. I used the G10 again in the macro setting and processed the image with Photomatix Tonal pro. I can’t believe the sharpness in that little camera.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Busy day today. I’m taking a civil service test for a medical photography position with the county and then it off to do campaign photos for the Islip Town board slate.
The weather forecast was partly sunny but I’m calling it overcast. Twice this week people were talking about how depressed they are feeling due to the constant rain and overcast days. I’m not seeing the weather as such a depressant, I’ve worked hard to make my lawn look good, and the cooler weather and the rain has made my lawn look fantastic.
Today’s photo is a small mushroom I found on a walk I took yesterday. Possibly Astraeus pteridis, but I’m not sure. I don’t have a macro lens for my 5D, so I made this in the macro mode on the G10, not bad. I used Photomatix, Tonal mapping to process this image.

Dancing in the forest.

I went for a short walk along the Peconic River yesterday. There was a short spell in the afternoon that the rain let up. I saw this patch of grass under the pine trees and was drawn to the reflection of the sky on the two blades. I made images from a couple of angles, but this was the last image I made. I felt it showed the grace and delicacy of what was there.
I raised the contrast in post production to bright the highlights.

Snap Pea

This is the first flower on the snap peas I planted. The cool spring has got to have some affect on them; they have grown to over four feet tall. In all my years of gardening I’ve never had such large snap pea plants.
I’m sure the coolness will have an adverse affect on my peppers, which could mean no homemade salsa this year. If that’s the case, I will have to buy some Jalapeno peppers for Adam to have my salsa for his first year at college.

Rainy night drive home

While driving home from a scholarship awards ceremony last night I was looking for subject for my sorely neglected blog. With the inspiration of Patti Griffin’s “When it don’t come easy,” I made this image.
There’s a stretch of highway between that travels through the Pine Barrens that a bit scary, especially back in the days before mobile and cell phones. This image was made there with a Canon G10.
There was some reflection at the bottom of the frame from taillights reflection in my windshield that I cloned out. No other post production was used.
Thanks Patti for the inspiration. Impossible dream is an excellent CD.

Field of ferns

I came across this field of ferns along a dirt path in Manorville. I love this image for the busyness and random design patterns of the leaves. All the shades of green make me want to jump right into it and relax under the shade of the surrounding trees.
Post production included minor adjustment to contrast and brightness.

Sunny Saturday

After a week of overcast gray days and rain the sun is shinning today. I took my coffee and walked around the wet yard this morning. The garden looks good if I may say so myself. The snow peas are the tallest I’ve ever seen. I’m assuming this is due to the cool spring we are having a not something I’m doing.
Today’s photo post I made yesterday while looking out the window. It was processed using ARC and Photomatix Tonal Mapping program. Now it’s time to get some yard work.