children make the best models

Had a shoot at my old elementary school (P.S. 71, Pelham Bay section of the Bronx) for their rehearsal of the "Wizard of Oz". As soon as I walked in the door, I was flooded with memories and I got very emotional. My childhood came back to me in a flash. For most of us those were the best times of our lives and when I met all these beautiful children, the joy and happiness asserted themselves in their cherubic, radiant faces.

When children see a camera, they seem to automatically go into "modeling mode." It's rare to take a bad picture of a child. Children make a photographer look good!

It's amazing what things trigger our childhood memories. For my wife it was the antique trains in the "Parade of Trains" show at Grand Central Terminal. For me, it was my school.

Children have a way of making your day.

shooting RAW

Cloisters

This is a JPEG version of a RAW photo I shot today at the Cloisters in upper Manhattan (see link). I determined that I was going to maximize the potential of my camera by shooting in RAW mode which registers all the pixels available when exposing your camera to light versus a pre-processed version created in the camera's computer as a JPEG.

I use Adobe software called Lightroom to enhance and correct my shots. I can even draw out details from what looks like dark, black shadows! Most amateur photographers aren't aware of this or don't have cameras that have this capacity.

It's a whole new world shooting in RAW. Oh, by the way, the photo is in JPEG mode because that's what works in this blog format that I'm using. If you go to my Facebook page you can see the RAW version:  RAW version

I've re-invented myself and now I've re-invented my photographic process. A whole new world awaits.

a blast from the past

See that gentleman with the fedora. That's how men dressed in the 40's and 50's, not just going to work but even to ballgames. Very natty, some may even say debonair. If you look closely at his tie, you'll see RR logos from all over.

My wife especially wanted to go to this exhibit of antique trains called the "Parade of Trains" at Grand Central Terminal since her father used to be a train dispatcher at the Union Terminal in Cleveland Ohio.  She even had the distinction of riding in these old Pullman cars on the NY Central back in the day.

We'll never see this again - a classy way to travel, in style and relaxed - a blast from the past.

"da Bronx is in the house!"

BronxWeek is around the corner with lots and lots of activities planned. Da Bronx has always seemed to get a bad rap, the stepchild of NYC's 5 boroughs. Highest rate of poverty and obesity, the years of the S. Bronx being regarded as Fort Apache etc.

But things have turned. The Bronx River Alliance has done a notable job cleaning up the Bronx River and many new parks have opened up plus as I write this, in my neighborhood the largest shopping mall is being built. There's a renaissance in the air and it's here - in da bronx!

a day of contrasts

Today was a study of varying degrees of culture: from the dynamic visuals in "Ironman 3" to the punk fashion culture in a red carpet event at the MET ("Punk: Chaos to Couture") and finally the culture of academia in the form of a talk by Dr. Elaine Pagels speaking about "Art, music and politics in the Book of Revelation"

The movie was fictional, the celebrities are artifices constructed by their adoring fans, and theology is eternal, whether you believe or you don't. So, where was the "real", and how did all the stuff I saw and photograph reflect my own sense of what is important and what is real?

I'm not sure but when I know, I'll let you know.

showed up to shoot a bike tour then . . .

One of those beautiful spring days that ends up giving you more photographic opportunities that one doesn't expect. My assignment was to shoot the NYC Bike Tour which proved both entertaining and interesting. Then when I arrived home I noticed a large vehicle parked in front of my firehouse that was used for training purposes.

After a tragic event about 7 years ago where some firemen died for not having the necessary ropes to get out of a burning apartment, they now all have rope setups for rappelling out of dangerous areas. They let me photograph their training and I promised to send them my pics.

A truly interesting and entertaining day!

hiring people who did time

I did a Chamber of Commerce shoot today and the rep from the NYS Dept. of Labor was making an interesting proposition: hire people who did time in prison (the formerly incarcerated). For the Bronx where I live where there is a high proportion of people in this category, it makes sense and they provide the employers with sizable tax credits.

The State is even willing to provide human resource help if necessary to keep these new employees on the "straight and narrow" path. If you're willing to invest in business, shouldn't you be willing to invest in people?

Now, for the photographs. The top one is "pure happiness'. I like to take these photos. The middle photograph is a reflection of my covetousness. I want these glasses! The bottom photo is the powerpoint slide describing the positive aspects of hiring those who have been incarcerated.

We've all made mistakes, right?