Archive
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Recognizes BSG’s FLAMINGO PREENING
National Geographic Recognizes BSG’s FLAMINGO PREENING….[VOTE CLOSED]: Final Tally in their Daily Dozen Editor’s favorite images for September 12, 2016.. Thanks for your support.
FLAMINGO PREENING
Addendum: Final Tally: 10 behind second place image from Saudi Arabia and 24 more votes took top billing from Singapore. Considering the images and votes were from all around the world and chosen by National Geographic, I am honored to have been a part of the competition.
BSG Featured in Photo District News September Print Issue
Photo District News (PDN), the award-winning monthly magazine for the professional photographer, has been covering the professional photographic industry for over three decades. No other brand covers professional photography like Photo District News. A trusted, unbiased 
Cab Ride in the Rain, NYC, NY 2009 (Featured in the Issue)
source of news and info on photography for over 30 years. Every month, PDN magazine delivers unbiased news and analysis, interviews, photography portfolios, and information photographers need to survive in a competitive business.
PDNonline covers breaking news stories and delivers in-depth features on the photo industry, including interviews and profiles, reports on new products, and information on useful sources for professional photographers. PDNOnline’s photo essays and galleries explore the work of photography’s masters and today’s emerging talent.
Subscribe at: http://pdnonline.com/ Additional work can be viewed at: http://www.barrystevengreff.com and http://www.adventuresfrombehindtheglass.com
U. S. National Park Service Celebrates 100 Years Today
On August 25, 2016, the U. S. National Park Service turns 100 years old. By the Act of March 1, 1872, Congress established Yellowstone National Park in the Territories of Montana and Wyoming “as a public park or pleasuring-ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people” and placed it
River of Fallen Trees, Yellowstone National Park, 2010
“under exclusive control of the Secretary of the Interior.” The founding of Yellowstone National Park began a worldwide national park movement. initially, these parks were run by various government agencies so No single agency provided unified management of the varied federal parklands. On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the act creating the National Park Service http://www.nps.gov, a federal bureau in the Department of the Interior
Bison, King of the Mountain, Yellowstone National Park, WY 2010
responsible for protecting the 35 national parks and monuments then managed by the department and those yet to be established.
Over the years I have had the privilege of visiting several of these jewels. Yellowstone has so much diversity to offer. Its variety and abundance of wildlife; steaming, colorful, prismatic springs and gushing geysers to name a few. The Visitor Center at Old Faithful actually has a clock on the wall that notifies visitors of eruption times within a few minutes either way. Now… there’s an App for that….assuming you can get service in the Park, you can time your visits to make sure you capture an eruption.
So, Happy 100th to the National Park Service. Here’s wishing it many more centennials of protecting these magnificent, natural wonders. Here’s also hoping they are still around to be enjoyed by our children and our children’s children. For this folks… is Mother Nature at her absolute finest.
NATURAL DESIGNS/ Birds of a Feather / COLOR ACCENT A PROJECT
I have been communicating and connecting on LinkedIn with many Interior Designers as of late.We have been discussing residential and commercial properties… and in my humble opinion, so often, I see a beautiful project with perfect lighting and spectacular design, yet there is
Peacock Triptych, 2015
Flamingo Triptych, 2014
something missing. To me, the pièce de résistance should be impactful Fine Art Photography that brings the space together. Images, that by themselves, evoke an unsolicited “wow” response from the viewer. Imagery that the visitor will think about well after they have left the property…and that they will long remember, as well as where they saw them.
Contact us directly at: barrystevengreff@gmail.com… to discuss your next unforgettable project, additionl images for which can be viewed at: http://www.barrystevengreff.com
After a Long Slow Burn, Time to Cool Down and for Dawn of a New Day
After a slow burn, no matter how long it takes, there must come a time to cool off and start a new cycle. It’ never easy, it’s not inevitable but it is necessary to avoid the alternative.
Tequila Sunset, 2014
So, whether actually physically ready or not, at least we must try to power the mind through… toward a new beginning. For if you don’t, you will only continue on, like the recent past, and reach a dead end…..and at least for me, I have never been good at dead ends, there’s nothing to see, nothing to photograph, nothing to create…only death and end, both too finite for my tastes.
So here it goes toward pushing through, to realizing, at least first mentally, that all bad must come to an end at some time and a new day must soon begin. …Here’s hope.
To that end, sometimes starting over, an image does not have to involve alot in order to evoke emotion. Sometimes going back to simple positioning, if not pure contrast and searing color, and nothing else, can get your point across. You don’t have to over do it…just do it right.
Cure the Blues with a long, dry walk into the Ocean / Lit Pier
For me, in the past, nothing cures the blues, or brings you right into them, like a walk out on the pier at night. No matter what time of year, there is ususally a nice breeze blowing and once out toward the end you are walking just above the ocean waves.
Lit Pier, Deerfield Beach, FL, 2014
If you are lucky during the summer months you might see some lightnining strikes out at sea, but whatever time of year you head out, you are sure to take a mental break from whatever is happening in your life at the time as the sea flows around you.
So, in order to cure the blues, head straight for them…the deep dark blues…and hopefully you can accomplish this and ..still stay dry.
_________________INDEPENDENCE DAY 2016__________________
“Whose broad stripes and bright stars, Through the perilous fight, O’er the ramparts we watched, Were so gallantly streaming”..More stars than in 1814 when Francis Scott Key wrote those words, but this is my version of the image upon which they are based.
Broad stripes and bright stars, so gallantly streaming, 2014
Here’s to independence….it cannot be overrated.
Feeling the Heat / Good Days, Bad Days
River of Grass, Florida Everglades, 2009
Towering Inferno, Florida Everglades 2007
“In the days of my youth, I was told what it means to be a man.
Now I’ve reached that age, I’ve tried to do all those things the best I can.
No matter how I try, I find my way into the same old jam”..
Good Days Bad Days,
Led Zeppelin
Says it all…I got nothin’ else.
Photo District News recognizes BSG’s Lightning, Outer Banks, NC 2005
Photo District News (PDN) is the award-winning magazine for the professional photography industry whose on-line presence is Photoserve.com http://bit.ly/1zmIcPX
The PhotoServe newsletter goes out every month to over 15,000 industry creatives. As a photographer (or creative), a subscription to PDN is essential to keeping your pulse on the photo industry.
Considering the quality of imagery in PDN on a regular basis, I’m honored to have my image “Lightning, Outer Banks, NC” chosen as one of their Top 10 images of June 2016.
Lightning, Outer Banks, NC 2005
The image, which is the most powerful bolt of lightning I have ever seen captured on film, was created under some unique circumstances. We were visiting the quaint city of New Bern http://www.visitnewbern.com/ which served as the capital of the North Carolina colonial government, then briefly as the state capital. After visiting places where historical figures such as George Washington, John Adams and Alexander Hamilton had slept, I wanted to visit the famous Outer Banks.
This being before the days of Mapquest, I thought it was going to be a quick day trip and didn’t even bring my tripod. After a two hour drive just to get there, then realizing it would take a day to drive the Banks and explore https://www.outerbanks.org/, I found a hotel on the beach. That night, a thunder storm that shook the building brought me out to the balcony to improvise in an attempt to capture some of the continuous lightning strikes. Using a cloth on the balcony railing, I set up the composition, stabilized the camera enough to leave the shutter open and watched the storm move until…bam, this incredible bolt hit beautifully composed behind the life guard stand. The fact that everything in the image is “tack” sharp, including the lightning hitting the water, as the sawgrass blows slightly in the wind, is extremely fortunate and makes this an iconic, beautiful large print for display.
So, thanks again to PDN for the recognition, and if anyone is interested in having an image on their wall…that will definitely blow everyone away, reach out through http://www.barrystevengreff.com or barrystevengreff@gmail.com
Magnum Editors recognize BSG’s jellyfish image:”Ascension” from his FLOW series in their Magnum Photos Award Competition Gallery 2016
Magnum Photos is historically, one of the most well respected names in photography. It is an international photographic cooperative owned by its photographer-members, with offices in New York, Paris, London and Tokyo. 
According to its co-founder (and one of the great photoraphers of our time), Henri Cartier-Bresson “Magnum is a community of thought, a shared human quality, a curiosity about what is going on in the world, a respect for what is going on and a desire to transcribe it visually.”
The iconic Robert Capa, Cartier-Bressson and a few other founding members created Magnum http://www.magnumphotos.com/ in Paris in 1947. Over time it has continued operating by its roster of members who are some of the greatest names in the history of photography, such as Ansel Adams, Eve Arnold, Cornell Capa, Bruce Davidson, Elliot Erwitt, Ernst Haas, Dorothea Lange, Mary Ellen Mark, Steve McCurry, James Natchwey, Martin Parr, W. Eugene Smith, Alec Soth and Sebastio Salgado, to name a few.
For the Editors of this hallowed institution, who deal with such incredible photography each day, to recognize my work and prominently display it, is a great honor for which I am truly grateful.
Meet me in St. Louis…at least my work.
St. Louis Fine Print Fair – May 6-8, 2016
CITYSCAPES
Touch the Sky, 30 Rock
Cab Ride in the Rain, NYC
This weekend, from May 6 through May 8, is the 10th annual St. Louis Fine Print Fair http://bit.ly/R5eI8K. Stop by the booth of photography addict/rep, Jeff Appel of Photography Past & Present, Missouri http://www.photographypastandpresent.com/ to see the work of some highly respected photographers as well as some terrific emerging artists.
Jeff works with many prestigious photographers such as Roger Ballen, Paul Caponigro, John Sexton, Jock Sturges, Roman Loranc and Alan Ross, who was Ansel Adam’s photographic assistant. Other artists such as Cole and Kim Weston, whose father was the famed 20th Century photographer Edward Weston, have created great work themselves. Finally, Jeff works with some talented emerging and/or mid-career artists such as Camille Seaman and…yes, Barry Steven Greff. The four images above will be available at the fair and many others can be viewed at http://www.barrystevengreff.com. So, “Meet me in St. Louis” (sort of) this weekend. Anyone interested in getting on the guest list can reach Jeff through his website or on FB at http://bit.ly/1WECQN7. Friday night is a Silent Auction and Preview Party from 6-9 pm.
So if you happen to be in Ole St. Lou, stop by and see Jeff…and tell him Barry sent you.
Diary of a Fine Art Print / Amongst other things, it’s all in the Details
Niagara, 2006
(Cropped portion of people and bird from- Niagara, 2006)
The discussion as to what makes a Fine Art photograph is one for the ages. I have long respected the genre and have worked diligently to hone my craft. Although there are various definitions of what makes a photograph fine art, I subscribe to a more tradional theory that such an image is created with an aesthetic intention, that the value lies primarily in its beauty, rather than for journalistic, editorial or commercial purposes. I also believe that the image should tell a story, be unique, iconic, powerful…or all of the above. As beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, so goes a fine art photograph which usually entails vetting by those respected in the field. Knowing this, I fearlessly spent my early years placing my work in front of some of the most well respected photographers, gallerists, curators and collectors in the business. With the help of their support, the work was widely published in fine art magazines, exhibited in galleries across the U.S. and over time, a significant resume was built.
I believe that one of my signature images, Niagara, clearly exemplifies these equalities (shot from atop a hotel two miles away to capture this angle)… It has countinously been singled out by many of those alluded to above, in that the composition juxtaposing the grandeur of the falls with the minutia of the toursists indicates just how small we humans are in comparison to the forces of Mother Nature.
After getting past the composition (and then lighting, both of which cannot be adequately discussed in a blog post, if at all), I personally take significant pride in capturing the exacting details of a scene, whether it be the people in this image or the fine feathers in one of my close-up animal portraits.
Then, finally, and consistent with the teachings of the great Ansel Adams himself, capturing the image is only one half of the process. The printing (again, not something that can be covered here), is crucial to the creation of a fine art photographic print. Being true to the process, I hand print each of my images (up to 17″ x 22″) on a professional Epson 3800 printer using Hahnemuhle Fine Art Pearl paper and I personally oversee the larger prints to make sure they are color correct (again, another significant concern for another day) and that they print without a single unexpected blemish.
Finally, I pride myself on the key details of my images being “tack” sharp, as exemplified by the enlarged cropped portion of the image above. Although some of the older images can go only so far, as a perfectionist, I have gone through an entire roll of paper (athough thankfully not often) in order to ultimately create a single large print for a collector, and to my exacting standards. When a gallerist who regularly sells the work of masters such as Ansel Adams and Edward Weston calls my prints “magic,” I know that I am doing something right.
Hence, there are many sources by which one can obtain a Fine Art print. I simply offer one that is created in my mind’s eye…and always from my heart. It is universally accepted that the first rule of collecting fine art photographyy is to actually enjoy the work. Hence, I strive to create images that make the viewer not only think…but feel, and I have been honored to have satisfied a wide array of selective collectors, and look forward to doing so for many others in the future.
Remembering Prince…Purple Rain, Purple Rain
Slanted Rain, Florida Everglades 2012
Upon hearing of the loss of Prince to the world, I thought of one image that could memorialize one great song from one great artist who gave us so much great music. So here…let there be Purple Rain, because if at no other time, certainly today would be a day… when doves cry as well.
Colors of the City / Broadway Lights
Cab Ride in the Rain, Radio City Music Hall, NYC 2009
Tonight Belongs to Phantom, NYC 2008
Don’t Let the Lights Go Out on Broadway, NYC 2012
As a photographer, even one whose first love is nature, I never could walk around the streets of Manhattan at night without a camera. The constant motion of the yellow cabs, the continuously changing mega screens in Times Square and even the lit billboards, create a canvas of possibiities to make a great image come to life. Cab Ride, shot from the back seat of a Yellow Cab as the CNN cast scrolled by, took several drives around the corner to get just what I was looking for.
Phantom was much easier to shoot as long as I avoided being run over by any one of the various forms of NYC’s transportation vehicles such as taxis, limos, or tricked out bicycle chariot/rickshaws.
Finally, being able to spread out tripod legs and use a long lens allowed me to capture an electrician repairing a single light amongst millions in the heart of Times Square. Timing the capture was critical to its composition because the images on the screens changed every few seconds. Clearly, this man’s job was to make sure… the lights don’t go out on Broadway (nod to Billy Joel).
Movin On Up to the City…
30 Rock, Touch the Sky, NYC, NY 2009
Atlas in Snow, Rockefeller Center, NYC 2009
Essex House, NYC, NY 2012
Although my first love is creating images of nature, even in the City, I can’t put my camera down. Notwithstanding, I tend to bring some nature into my Cityscapes, to contrast the natural elements with the man made subjects
Cases in point, the first two New York City images were created during some beautiful weather (fog, then snow) while the third was shot through Central Park trees after closing hours of one of my exhibitions in NYC.
Hence, whether I’m movin on out, or movin on up, there is always something to shoot when you keep your eyes open …and don’t put your camera away, no matter how bad the weather gets (just make sure it’s covered if required.)..That’s for another story
Again, It is only Black and White, But I (Really) like it
Moonlit Sailboats, Coconut Grove, FL 2010
Under the Boardwalk, Deerfield Beach, FL 2010
Power of the Sea, Tequesta, FL 2011
Staying with the Black, White and Water genre here again, this time with simpler, more direct lines, yet no less impactful. Some images are just made to be captured in Monochrome, the power of the composition mandates it and although sometimes certain scenes could be shot either way, I believe these three are clear.
Moonlit Sailbaoats is a given. The extraordinarily calm waters of Sailboat Bay in Coconut Grove against the almost perfectly vertically still sailboat masts, lit by the Moon, left no doubt how this scene should be shot. A tiny sway in the front catamaran proves that the image was (im)perfectly real and I believe, one for the ages.
Next, Under the Boardwalk, utilizes the same tripod technique allowing for the rushing water to blur against the solid pier. The glare from topside lights lit the cement braces below, creating a vanishing point design that really makes the image work.
Finally, with a mildy rough sea (on a good day the water can shoot 20 feet high), the layout at Coral Cove State Park creates an explosion of ocean as it hits the limestone shoreline. The Black and White treatment worked well considering the strangely matching cloud formations, and that is something I always consider..
As with all of these, timing was everything, so that each feature falls into place creating an image that makes the most of the moment and tells the story of that time and place as it needed to be told.
…Finally, speaking of timing, if you happen to be in the area of St. Louis, MO today, stop at the beautiful Visions of Iceland Photographic Exhibition at http://www.bullivantgallery.com/ or for later, private viewing of this and other great work…contact the guy with the great eye: Jeff Appel http://on.fb.me/1UpwnEO
It’s Not That Black and White / Moved by the Classics
Dark Descent, Niagara Falls, 2006
Milton Falls, OH 2013
Wild River, Rocky Mountains, CO 2010
As many of you who follow my blog know, my posts are generated from various forms of inspiration. Recently, I connected online with an individual who sells Fine Art Photography created by some of the true legends of the genre. Jeff Appel, who was kind enough to take the time to look at my work, has a web site at http://www.photographypastandpresent.com/ and FB page at https://www.facebook.com/jeffemilyappel. He has a working relationship with many of the masters of the art form, individuals whom I have long admired. From John Sexton, Roger Ballen, Roman Loranc to Cole Thompson and Camille Seaman. Jeff has impeccable photographic taste and seems to be the go-to guy for prints from many of the classic Fine Art Photographers. Several of his recent postings of classic black and white images, feature water scenes, often exhibiting motion.
Some of these classic images have moved me to re-post some of my own visions of the beauty of water. These are some of my favorite to create, the juxtiposition of the soft white moving water, often against hard dark rocks represent a time honored tradition of Fine Art Photography, one that I don’t take lightly.
Created by using a tripod, in muted light, the timing of the shutter release is critical to avoid blowing out the whites of the water, a talent that is honed over time and something I pride myself on capturing.
So, if you haven’t found what you ar looking for within the portfolios at http://www.barrystevengreff.com, check out Jeff’s site to view work from some of the legends as well as other great artists he works with, the images are truly ….moving.
Happy Valentines Day / Moments to Remember
A Moment to Remember, South Pointe, Miami Beach 2011
Over my lifetime, I would match those romantic moments I have created with anyone.
On these two occasions, I cannot take credit for anything other than being in the right place at the right time and capturing such moments photographically.
In the image above, I was shooting the waves crashing against the South Pointe jetty as the sun set. There are always people on the rocks fishing, taking pictures or just contemplating. On this particular evening, a young couple was standing there as a huge cruise ship passed them heading out to sea. The epic nature of the moment was not lost on them, and they turned it into a romantic moment to remember. A tripod allowed me to capture the slight movement of lights on the seaward ship while keeping there motionless embrace in focus.
Front Row Seats, Torrey Pines, CA 2008
On the opposite coast, this couple planned ahead and took the time and effort to climb up the seaside cliff to await the sunset. Meanwhile, I had been walking up a trail on the mountain behind them towards the ocean view, unaware of how far it was to the top. As I have often done in the past, racing against the setting sun, I reached the top just in time and this is what I saw in front of me. Moving to the best vantage point for this composition, it was clear to me that this couple had the best seats in the house and had created there own …moment to remember.
Missing the Mountaintops / Lofty Goals
Mountaintops Reflected, West Yellowstone, MT 2010
With all the News reports of snow around the country, I miss the endless photographic opportunities that comes with it, along with the all the chaos.
On this particular day, in a place where snow is a fabric of the landscape much of the year, I made my first and only, unsuccessful attempt at flyfishing in a Yellowstone river. When I finally realized there would be no fish this day, I looked up to see the remaining light highlighting what looked like the clouds reflecting the mountaintops below them. I quickly exchanged my fishing gear for my camera gear to capture the scene before the light was gone. Using the almost sihlouetted row of Evergreens as a foreground element, this image was the one good thing I caught all day.
Later that night I enjoyed a fresh local trout, pan fried to perfection, at a small, West Yellowstone restaurant …the next best thing to catching it myself.
And Now for Something Completely Different / Time for a Change
Fantasy Island, Ode to M.C. Escher, 2006-2010
Albert Einstein is attributed with the clever quote: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.” Although it has come into question as to whether or not he actually said it, it is still both catchy and thought-provoking.
After an absolutely awful year of health, which is still challenging me through the new year, it leads me to think it would be insane not to try something new going forward. That being said, my work has always been known for its rendition of Mother Earth’s natural beauty with very little, if any, help from post production “magic.” Notwithstanding, over the years, I have (secretly) dabbled in the creation of scenes which have been born in my mind’s eye and then generated from several composite images I have captured over time.
Hence, for the first time seen beyond my eyes, one of my more complicated compilations, Fantasy Island. Created from over a dozen images taken over several years, this is truly one that the viewer can see new things at every different turn. Produced in the mystical style of M.C. Escher, following the composition around, brings you back to the beginning…or does it? It’s enough to drive you insane.
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2016 From BARRY STEVEN GREFF PHOTOGRAPHY
HAPPY HOLIDAYS 2015 From BARRY STEVEN GREFF PHOTOGRAPHY
Note for Santa, 2013
No studio, no lights…just me, my camera and the right moment.
Probably one of the last images I had taken for some time now.
I know what is on my wishlist.
Starting to Snow / At Least That’s What I Hear
Momentary Blizzard, OH 2013
Gray Wolf in Snow, Prone, West Yellowstone, 2010
Three Horses in Snow, Colorado 2010
From my immobile position in South Florida I hear that other parts of the country are starting to see their first snow fall.
Since I won’t see any of it first hand this year, here are images from some early snows that I memorialized …in days gone past.
Rainy Night Dock / Weather or Not, Expect the Unexpected
Rainy Night Dock, Deerfield Beach, FL 2014
I haven’t posted for a while, because I have been laid up due to a couple of surgeries. When I do post, I often look for an image that relates to an event, season or mood I am in at the time. Although I actually enjoy inclement weather personally, and for photography, a dreary, rainy night sums up my situation (and has for some time).
On one of the last nights I had actually been able to go out to dinner, a casual dockside dining experience was cut short by a South Florida rain storm. Although the outdoor patio was closed to diners, I used a bit of an overhang to capture a moody image of the scene. The rain was so intense, it was blowing the door closed and I was barely able to shoot without my camera getting soaked. Notwithstanding, sometimes the worst conditions can result in the best images. Using a soft filter and shooting the scene in black and white, I like to think I created a moody, timeless image from a scene that many would avoid.
Moral of the story, don’t let some unexpected weather keep you from creating something…. unexpected.
One of a Kind / Commemorating a Very Special Young Man
Lone Tree at Sunset, 2004 WMC TICU Private Consult Room
WMC TICU Lobby / Lounge Commemorative Plaque
I have participated in more than a dozen Gallery Exhibitions around the country including a Solo Exhibition in NYC. I have been published in most of the major Fine Art Photography magazines and have enjoyed the support of some of the legends of the industry. All that means a great deal to me…but recently I had the honor of participating in a project that not only will make the lives better for the families of those that will find themselves at the Westchester Medical Center TICU (Trauma Intensive Care Unit)…but was created and dedicated to an incredibly special young man, Evan Lieberman.
That some of my work graces the walls of this beautiful, and more importantly, calm and functional space, is truly special. Built from the tireless efforts of Evan’s family through Evan’s Team which they created in his memory as a group effort committed to helping the community http://www.evansteamny.com/ they hold regular events such as mud runs, golf tournaments, poker nights and the like, raising funds so that along with the Westchester Medical Center http://www.westchestermedicalcenter.com/, they have created a comfortably practical and contemplative space for the families of TICU patients.
My image above, which is part of the project, is entitled Lone Tree at Sunset. It is especially appropriate to have been included in the project because Evan Lieberman…was truly one of a kind.
Images of WMC TICU © Ben Cotten 2015.
Blue Skies / Lightning Strikes / Following the Storm / Towering Inferno
River of Grass, Florida Everglades 2009
Strike Right, Florida Everglades 2010
Towering Inferno, Florida Everglades 2007
I don’t know how many of my 1,000 plus regular followers and 40,000 viewers to date, actually read what I post. My goal has always been to get the work out there and the text is just my way of venting…and providing some insight into the images, the process and the places.
Anyway, those that do read my words, have probably noticed some cryptic references to my health, especially over the last few years. To that end I post, what I hope will be, one of my final downward metaphors. The beautiful blue skies of the Florida Everglades (River of Grass), the oncoming electric lightning storm (Strike Right) and finally, the resulting significant burn of the Towering Inferno caused by the lightning. These subjects vaguely hint at what this one of earth’s inhabitants has been dealing with for some time.
Soon embarking toward some new roads on the map of my life, here’s hoping that the steps I take are in the right direction and lead to more blue skies in the future….even with the inevitable clouds present…. I’ll gladly take it.
In the meantime, I will continue to post from my existing body of work and hope you all enjoy it.
Twin Towers – 9/11 – Never Forgotten – Remembering and Rebuilding
Twin Towers, Never Forget
Unable to Post my usual 9/11 tribute yesterday, better late than never, I do so today. Three of my own fond memories of the Towers include this (never before published) pre-digital image I took from a New Jersey hotel room; having an elegant business dinner at the Windows on the World and a wonderful tourist visit with my buddy JC and Goddaughter Ari.
To say that the buildings, their occupants and the first responders will never be forgotten…is an understatement for the ages.
WTC Memorial, NYC 2013
Here in their place, as I have posted before, the WTC Memorial and new One World Trade Center tower rising to the Heavens, to always remind us of our loss….and our determined spirit to rebuild.
Rising to the Heavens, One World Trade Center 2013
Seen Again, but Through Different Eyes / Falling Water
Multnomah Falls, OR 2009
In my humble opinion, the Pacific Northwest in one of the most beautiful places our country has to offer. From spectacular granite cliffs, to sand dunes to majestic waterfalls cascading through dense, green foliage. Back in another lifetime, I went there when I could, to re-charge my batteries through the peaceful energy Mother Nature provided in her most spectacular locales.
The 620 foot Multnomah Falls is the most well-known of a series of 77 waterfalls that dot the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge. There are only three higher falls in the nation and Multnomah is arguably the most beautiful of those. A trail from the famous Multnomah Falls Lodge (built in 1925) climbs up the side towards the Simon Benson Bridge and then winds further towards the top. Due to 25 years of spine issues, although I have been known (on a good day) to head down a relatively level trail, this uphill battle was not one that I took on.
Instead, I tried unsuccessfully to capture the entire falls, including the zig zagging upper part, in my frame. The bright light at the top of the image is from the setting sun which also prevented me from properly exposing the entire falls. Finally, using a wide angle lens and a tripod, I cropped out the majestic lower falls and slowed down how the eyes see the water movement, which I could only do after the sun had slipped almost entirely behind the mountain. The smooth cascade and deep green surroundings transforms this visual capture of an iconic place from the usual scenic shot into a Fine Art image.
As my analogies have gone for some time, for those of you who actually read what I say, this also exemplifies the downward fall I have been experiencing with my health. After a very long battle, hopefully my future posts will begin to elicit some hope in that department. We shall see. …Either way, I have captured some serious magic in my time, in my images and in my mind.
Reign O’r Me (The WHO, Quadrophenia)
Slanted Rain, Florida Everglades 2012
With the remnants of Erika, we are seeing a great deal of rain in South Florida. It’s better than a Hurricane.
Often, we can see the storms as they approach. This one was out in the Florida Everglades a.k.a. the “River of Grass.”
Somewhere Over the Rainbow… Way Up High
Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Florida Everglades, 2013
E.Y. Harburg wrote the lyrics sung by Judy Garland in the Wizard of Oz.”Somewhere over the rainbow..Way up high. And the dreams that you dreamed of…Once in a lullaby”
I wonder if this is what he was writing about. (Graduated Neutral Density Filter/Tripod for the photographers).
Now, if I could only get out there and catch some more of them…or at least find that Pot of Gold at the end of it.
