Category: Guest City

Miami Beach Hiatus

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After a taste of warmth and then a fast return to the bitter cold…with plans to warm back up later this week again, I thought it would be fitting to remind everyone that in a few short months we’ll have our decks back…and will be able to enjoy some outdoor dining just like this inviting scene on Espanola Way in Miami.  I went for a walk during an otherwise quiet weekend, and wanted to explore this neat outdoor cafe section of town. It’s filled from block to block of art galleries, cafes, restaurants…and just had an overall relaxed feel.  I can’t wait until more of the snow retreats and we can spend more than a few minutes outside without having to wear gloves.

Be sure to check this one out in large form by clicking on the image to see the dashing looking waiter earning his title…waiting.

The Flag | After Sunrise

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Minutes after sunrise on the beach in Boynton Beach, FL, the lifeguard on duty posted this singular red flag in the sand.  This was part of their notification system to let beach visitors know that the water wasn’t swimmable.  I thought it was an awesome scene, almost like a moon landscape with the American Flag posted in the sand…and believe it or not, it was quite cold.  I think the temperature was in the mid 30s, and the ocean was fogging in the early morning light…and the cool colors of the ocean with the warm clouds in the distance and the starkly red flag made this a solid shot for me.

A Boston Landmark | The Zakim Bridge

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One of the most recent additions to the Boston skyline was the Leonard P. Zakim | Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge (named after civil rights activist Lenny Zakim), which is the widest cable stay bridge in the world.  The bridge has two prominent towers that the cable stays protrude from, which were meant to mimic the Bunker Hill Memorial nearby.  The opening of this bridge was symbolic as the infamous Big Dig project neared completion and Boston roadways were changed for what is likely to be centuries to come.  I love the modern and distinctive feel of the structure, and think it’s cool that it has become synonymous with Boston and the recent blockbuster movies that have featured it (The Departed, The Town….and the fact that any Boston interview on a news station seems to be broadcast in front of it).

In any event, I was lucky to have a ride to the airport so I could snap this shot through the sunroof on the way to my first Christmas in Florida.  More to follow on that later in the week…hope you enjoy this architectural gem.

Rockefeller Center

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Today I’d like to wish everyone who celebrates it, a very Merry Christmas!  Today’s image is of one of the most recognizable Christmas icons in all of the US – the tree in Rockefeller Center. We ventured down last weekend (yes, the last weekend before Christmas) to check it out – and it was most definitely a ridiculously crowded and unique experience.  This is using words that are really more kind than the event deserves, it was more like battle trying to dodge people trying to make their aggressive way through the immense crowd, but despite all the mayhem I was incredibly thankful for the experience and to share it with some very special loved ones.  The tree was fairly far off in the distance, but it was a pretty cool scene (and everyone else thought so too, which prompted many stop-on-the-sidewalk-and-gawk sort of looks).  Next time I think we’ll pick a weekend earlier in the year, but I’m glad to celebrate this holiday season with a trip to NYC to see the tree in Rockefeller Center.

The Iconic

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The Chrysler Building is probably my favorite structure in New York City.  Its gorgeous art deco crown and spire just blow me away….so when I was down in the city this weekend with family and friends to see the tree in Rockefeller Center, I was thrilled when we got off the train at Bryant Park and had a gorgeous unobstructed view of the building.  I thought today would be a great day to feature this shot, following up on a similar angle on Portsmouth’s very own North Church steeple.  I hope to get back sometime soon with a more dramatic sky and a better lens…but in the meantime, I’m happy to share this shot from sunset with you all.

Cocheco Falls Mills | Dover, NH

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If you travel north on the Piscataqua River, you’ll find your way to Dover, New Hampshire.  Dover is another historic New England town…and claims the title of “Oldest Permanent Settlement” in New Hampshire.  Downtown you’ll find one of the most massive mill buildings you’ll find in the seacoast.  The Cocheco Falls Mills building is a sight to behold (and served as the Dover Cotton Factory from 1812-1821).  I hope to feature some mill buildings on a more regular basis in coming months, including a glimpse of the Manchester, NH millyard.

The Grand Tetons

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Here’s another taste of our trip out to Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park.  This was taken en route to Schwabacher’s Landing, although we didn’t end up having enough time to venture all the way to the landing itself…so I had to make do with this landscape (which did the trick).  I went with a black & white processing as the late afternoon colors were pretty harsh, but the black and white seemed to get the essence of the scene without over distracting colors.  Have a great weekend!

Boston Skyline

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Digging further through the archives this week, I’ve finally had the time to process a few shots taken with the Carl Zeiss 18mm lens that I rented a few months back during the Worldwide Photo Walk, which I participated in.  The walk meandered through the Seaport District of Boston – and I had some shots that I was really excited about processing, but for one reason or another – I never made it to seeing what the finished product might look like with a few of the exposures.  Part of the problem was that each image looked so good (when I actually came up with a decent composition) thanks in large part to the high quality Zeiss lens, which seems to capture the colors straight from my brain.  This is both a blessing and a challenge for HDR processing, as any combination of multiple exposures with wonderfully represented/saturated colors in each exposure, tends to create an extreme look when I use my typical steps in post-processing.  I think once I get the hang of it, the exposures or “brackets” from each set will provide some incredible color and spatial data…than when combined will create a gorgeous shot, similar to what I’ve found with my Zeiss 100mm Hasselblad shots.  Hope you enjoy 🙂

Also – Please take a moment sometime during your day today to reflect and remember the Veterans that have served our country and protected the freedoms that we are so lucky to have here in America.  It definitely wouldn’t be the same place without the sacrifices that so many have made on our behalf.

Central Park | New York City

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Sunday was the first day I’ve spent much time in Central Park in the heart of New York City.  I was in Manhattan to cheer on my fiance and future father in law in their big adventure running the New York City marathon (which they successfully did, crossing the finish line together!).  It was a gorgeous fall day in the city, with some gorgeous light in the park late in the day.  Looking forward to getting back home to do some shooting this week…but I hope you enjoy a taste of something a little different for the day, and that you get out for a stroll in Central Park sometime soon!

The Path to the Lake

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I love a good sun flare.  I’m pretty sure all of the photography purists out there cringe at all the imperfections and how it ruins a shot – but there’s something about an image like this that just makes you squint a bit, and I think in a good way.  The morning sunlight was so rich and saturating.

This shot came out exactly how I had hoped…..after waking up to shoot the sunrise over Yellowstone Lake, I was walking back towards the lodge for breakfast when I decided to turn one last time back towards the lake.  I wanted to catch the scene after I realized how great the grass looked in front of me – and when I turned around, it was blindingly bright but the little path I took to get to the water and the lonely tree made for an interesting shot.