Mosque at sunset
By Johna Till Johnson
Sometimes beauty just hits you like a punch in the stomach.
I was running late for dinner when I saw sunset-tinged clouds behind the neighborhood mosque. I just had to stop and take the picture.
On Fridays the haunting tones of the jumu’ah call to prayer at 1 PM reminds me the week is almost over.
This time, it was a reminder that the day was almost over.
Another summer day drawing to a close…
Posted in Architecture, New York City, Photography, Society
Evening Shoes, 1927, by Edward Steichen
By Johna Till Johnson
Photos by Johna Till Johnson and Daniel Kalman (and assorted artists)
I never intended to be at the Getty Center in Los Angeles on a sunny Sunday in July.
But as luck would have it, I was in town for a business trip, and I got a text from my friend Dan: His mother had just died (not unexpectedly). I postponed my flight home, rented a car, and headed for Dan’s mother’s house.
People grieve differently. Dan is a scientist with the soul of an artist, and throughout his life, art museums and galleries have been his places of worship. He and Vlad shared many happy hours soaking in art all over the world. Dan had happy memories of visiting the great art galleries in London with Vlad (who initially studied art history at Cambridge before changing his career to focus on science).
Baroness de Meyer in a Hat by Reboux, 1929, by Baron Adolf de Meyer
So when Dan suggested a trip to the Getty that same weekend, I was enthusiastic about accompanying him, his sons, his brother-in-law, and his eight-year-old niece.
My experience of museums had been limited to Europe and European-inflected cities like New York and Boston. So I guess subconsciously I was expecting a tall, dark, imposing building.
The Getty is imposing, all right, but in a classic California way.
Cacti at the Getty, by Johna Till Johnson
Designed by Richard Meier, the Getty looks exactly like the mental image many of us have of Heaven: White columns, lush green foliage, flowers, fountains, mountains, and sea.
It’s a campus of beautifully designed buildings, interspersed with gorgeous landscapes, perched on the top of a hill with a breathtaking view of Los Angeles, the Pacific, and Catalina Island. It’s so sprawling that the buildings are interconnected by a cable-pulled tram (which we eschewed in favor of a walk up the hill).
Trees at the Getty, by Johna Till Johnson
Dan, like Vlad, loves photography, so we went to the current photography exhibition: Icons of Style .
None of us were really that into fashion (unless it’s made by Kokotat or sold at REI). But Vlad had introduced me to Edward Steichen many years ago, and Steichen’s photographs were among those featured.
Model on Ship, about 1946, by Bill Brandt
In fact, Steichen’s 1927 photograph “Evening Shoes” was one of the first we saw. I leaned in closer to study the angles and edges of the shadows.
“Look at that!” said the woman next to me. I glanced over. She was older than I, bejeweled and made up, and her voice had a familiar intonation… Sure enough, she mentioned she was from New York.
We both admired the photo out loud, pointing out the features we liked best.
“And those are two different shoes!” she commented triumphantly. Indeed they were—and I’d missed it! (Take a closer look at the photo up top). I wasn’t the only one. Later on, I found out that a friend who had studied photography and was very familiar with the photo had also missed the fact that the shoes were from different pairs.
Kelly Stewart, New York, 2011 by Hiro
Dan and I wandered through the rest of the exhibit, both agreeing that the Chinese-born photographer Hiro had an unusually striking eye. Then we rejoined Dan’s family outside, and meandered through the grounds, enjoying the sunshine, gardens, and architecture.
On that unexpected Sunday, we reminded ourselves of something important: Art, like nature, heals.
Detail: Fountain at the Getty, by Daniel Kalman
Note: In the photos of photos, I’ve done my best to edit out extraneous reflections (including that of the photographer). But if you look carefully, you can see them…
Posted in Architecture, Art, Culture, Photography, Society
Tagged Edward Steichen, Getty Center, Hiro, Kokotat, Los Angeles, Photography, REI, Richard Meier
One of these is not like the others…
By Johna Till Johnson
On a cold winter’s day, I sip my morning coffee, scan my eyes idly across the rows of identical windows in the apartment building across the street… and squint a bit. What’s that? Apparently one of the apartment dwellers hasn’t gotten the memo.
Some people just have to be different…and I’m glad!
Unfinished span of the new Tappan Zee
By Johna Till Johnson
Photo composition by Brian Fulton-Howard
Four years ago this month, I wrote about the “New bridge over the Hudson” that was to replace the Tappan Zee. At the time, it was hard to believe the bridge would really be built; the project had been in discussions since 1999. At $3.9 billion, the new construction would represent one of the largest infrastructure investments in New York this century. And it would be the first new bridge to be constructed since the Verrazano-Narrows in 1964.
A daunting prospect; skepticism was warranted.
Guess what? It’s here! And astonishingly, it was completed on time and on budget, as governor Andrew Cuomo was quick to point out. The grand opening of the new bridge was last summer (though one span remains to be completed in 2018).
Right after it opened, on a bright summer day, Brian and I paddled up to see it. As we bounced over the slight waves, the twin peaks of the bridge’s profile (a cable-stayed design) slowly emerged from a dusting of clouds.
It looked strangely familiar…
The profile of the bridge emerges…
… Of course! It was remarkably similar to the original artist’s rendering, below:
Artist’s rendering (New York Times)
I think the actual bridge is even prettier than the original conception, but it’s hard to say, as it’s still surrounded by the original Tappan Zee, which won’t be torn down until sometime this year.
As Brian and I paddled closer to the bridge, we were struck by the sight of the unfinished span that appeared in cross-section in the middle of the combined infrastructure.
It’s not every day you get to literally see the guts of a bridge as it’s being built, so we struggled to stay stable in the strong flood current as I took shot after shot. Brian finally figured out the exact location from which the unfinished span was framed perfectly (see photo above).
You’ll notice I’ve referred throughout to “the new Tappan Zee” and “the bridge”. The official name of the bridge, as of late last year, is the “Mario Cuomo bridge”, named after the three-term governor (and the current governor’s father). However, there’s a petition circulating to keep the original name.
As the petitioners explain, it’s nothing against Mario Cuomo, who “may be deserving of having something named after him.” (Don’t you love that “may be”?)
The problem is simply esthetic, petitioners assert. It sounds cool to say, ‘I’m taking the Tappan Zee,” the petition reads. “It does not sound cool to say, ‘I’m taking the Cuomo.”
I have to give them the point—”the Tappan Zee” sounds way cooler. I doubt the petition will succeed, but I’m not sure the official name will stick, either. New Yorkers can be stubborn, and even Google Maps still refers (confusingly to out-of-towners) to the Triboro Bridge rather than its official name of RFK Bridge.
In any event, with my Tiderace now living happily at the Yonkers Paddling and Rowing Club, I look forward to many more trips to the, ahem, Tappan Zee.
Meantime, here’s a photo of Brian in the sunshine, just to remind everyone that summer will indeed return!
Brian in the sunshine (view looking north)
.
By Johna Till Johnson
Photos by Johna Till Johnson and Brian Fulton-Howard (see note)
George Washington Bridge from the north
December 3, 2017
It was to be Brian’s first winter paddle. That is, even though it wasn’t quite winter yet, the air and water temperatures told us it was time to don drysuits—something Brian had never done before.
The conditions were perfect: the forecast was for a misty overcast day, with air temperatures in the 50s and water temperatures in the 40s, with virtually no wind.
And thanks to the “supermoon”—a larger-than-usual moon due to the moon’s close orbit to Earth—we’d have king tides, bringing currents of between 2 and 3 knots in the Hudson. That meant an easy paddle in both directions, if we kept with the current. (Currents that strong and stronger are common in the East River, but more typically in the Hudson they range from 1 to 2 knots).
There was just one catch.
To travel with the current in both directions, we had two choices for our launch from Yonkers: A predawn launch heading north to the Tappan Zee bridge, or a midafternoon launch heading south to the George Washington.
Realistically, I couldn’t picture getting up early enough for a pre-dawn launch.
But if we took the latter option, we’d be spending most of the trip in darkness.
Was that really wise?
One of my good friends and coaches, Taino, likes to illustrate kayaking risks with a slot machine metaphor: Each risk may be acceptable individually… but if enough of them line up—disaster.
So what were these risks? Well, it was Brian’s first time paddling in a drysuit. And it was winter paddling (paddling in cold water is always riskier than in warm). And paddling in the dark.
But countering that were the near-perfect conditions (particularly the lack of wind). There was fact that we were two paddlers (two are always better off than one). Also, Brian is a strong paddler, with a level head and good judgment. And we both felt healthy, with no injuries or ailments.
The deciding factor was esthetic: The morning was predicted to be cloudy, with little chance of a beautiful sunrise. But if we opted for the evening paddle, there was at least the chance the clouds would part and we’d get to see the supermoon as it rose.
The evening paddle it was!
Brian arrived at my apartment around 2, and we prepared to pack. Hot, sweet tea: Check. Plenty of chocolate (Brian’s contribution): check. All the usual cold-weather gear: hats, gloves, “space blankets”: check.
Except for one thing…
As Brian pulled on his drysuit (discovering in the process that it fit perfectly), I asked, “So you brought your neoprene booties, right?”
Ahhh… nope!
Brian hadn’t realized drysuits need shoes (or some kind of foot covering) to avoid getting punctured. (Drysuits basically consist of GoreTex, zippers, and gaskets—you need to wear insulating clothing underneath, and put on some kind of foot covering.)
But Brian is nothing if not resourceful. “Got any duct tape?” he asked. I did, along with the cardboard and Sharpie he requested. And in a few minutes, he’d made himself a pair of cardboard-and-duct-tape “sandals”—not super fancy, but enough to protect the soles of his drysuit from damage.
That problem solved, we proceeded to Yonkers, where we managed to launch around 3:30 PM. Manhattan was visible in a haze of pink as the last hour of daylight slowly faded into dusk.
Manhattan in a haze of pink
We paddled south with the current (which was roughly 2 kt at that point). We stopped to have a look at the Riverdale Yacht Club, a beautiful structure on the eastern shore of the Hudson. Brian explained it had formerly been the Riverdale train station on the Metro-North line. (Apparently, there’s even a book about the Riverdale Yacht Club!)
Riverdale Yacht Club
We paddled on, and arrived at the Spuyten Duyvil swing bridge guarding the Harlem River just around sunset. We’d previously discussed taking a gander down the Harlem, so in we went. The current was with us, and growing stronger as we went forward.
We had our radios on, as a standard precautionary measure. Suddenly there was a crackle as a tugboat—the Kenny G—announced it wanted to bring a barge through the bridge.
We paddled closer to the southern shore of the Harlem, and I radioed back a message to the captain: “Securité, securité, two kayaks in the Harlem river, we know you’re there and we’re staying close to shore until you pass.”
The captain acknowledged, and we continued down the Harlem with an accelerating current.
Sure enough, the tug and barge soon passed, steaming by at 12-15 kt, or maybe even more.
We paddled on for a few more minutes, but decided that the accelerating current was just a bit too risky. So we crossed over to the north side and paddled back to the bridge, helped along by a healthy back-eddy.
We stopped at the mouth of Harlem, inside the bridge in a protected, mostly still patch of water, to have chocolate and rest. By then it was full dark, but with the lights of Manhattan all around, we could see fairly well. We turned on our deck lights and I donned a headlamp (Brian would do so later on).
When we exited the Harlem, I glanced back over my shoulder, and gasped. “Look, Brian!” I shouted. The clouds had cleared, and the supermoon was rising over the Bronx.
Supermoon rising over the Bronx
I took as many photos as I could, and then we continued south to the George Washington. Rather arbitrarily, we’d chosen the little red lighthouse as our turnaround point.
We arrived at the lighthouse right around 6:30, which was by our calculations right at slack. After several tries, I succeeded in getting a shot of the lighthouse flashing, though I couldn’t convince Brian to get in the picture.
Little Red Lighthouse (and little red kayak)
We paddled back in full darkness, glad of the extra visibility provided by our headlamps. True to prediction, the current increased slowly: 0.8 kt, 1.0 kt, 1.2 kt, 1.8 kt.
A conga line of tug-and-barges heading south on our left took us a bit by surprise, as we’d initially thought they were anchored (though there no danger as we were well out of their way). And the moon, by now high in the sky, was visible for most of the way.
We arrived back in Yonkers just past 8 PM, meaning we’d spent about 4.5 hours on the water. We’d paddled 18 statute miles (15.5 nautical miles) at an average pace of 4 mph, or 3.5 kt. –including the time we’d spent enjoying chocolate. The power of the king tides!
All in all… a very successful first winter paddle for Brian. Here’s to many more!
(Note: Regular readers of this blog may be forgiven for wondering who this mysterious “Brian” is. He was formerly one of Vlad’s grad students, and is now a post-doctoral researcher in his own right. He and I have paddled several times this year, though this is the first time I’ve been able to do a writeup. He, his wife Tyna, and I have become quite good friends.)
See slideshow below for more photos. Click on the arrows to move back or forward!
Posted in Architecture, Culture, History, Kayaking, Nature, New York City
Tagged Bronx, duct tape, George Washington Bridge, Hudson River, Manhattan, Riverdale Yacht Club, shoes, Spuyten Duyvil, Winter, Yonkers
By Johna Till Johnson
Photos by Vladimir Brezina
Crescent moon high above the Castillo San Felipe del Morro
Vlad loved Puerto Rico. One of his dreams was that we’d go there together some day, perhaps even circumnavigate the island by kayak (though he warned me about sharks).
Vlad knew the island well. For many years, he collaborated with a colleague at the Institute for Neurobiology at the University of Puerto Rico. That meant taking regular trips to Puerto Rico, at least annually, sometimes more often. And he took advantage of those trips to explore the island and its environs.
View of La Perla from the Institute of Neurobiology
Entirely aside from the exciting work he did with his colleagues, Vlad really loved the place itself: the warm, moist tropical air, the vivid colors, and most of all, the people. He often told stories about his time there. One of my favorites was about the “palmetto bugs” that scientists caught from the lab floor for experiments (apparently it was cheaper and easier to catch your own than to order them from suppliers.)
View from the Castillo San Felipe del Morro
But my all-time favorite story was when he talked about how the scientists in his lab were almost universally young, beautiful women. I didn’t believe him, so he forwarded a photo “as evidence” (as he put it). Unfortunately I can no longer find it, but the photo indeed featured a half-dozen or so mini-skirt-clad young women holding martini glasses and smiling at the camera (it was an evening outing of the lab). Not exactly the first image that comes to mind when one thinks of “a gathering of neuroscientists”–no wonder Vlad was enamored of the place!
Beyond the sheer physical beauty of the island and its inhabitants, Vlad also appreciated its many biological wonders. Among them: the bioluminescent bay
at Vieques Island, the bat caves, and the El Yunque Rain Forest.
Clouds after sunset, San Juan, Puerto Rico
I know he would be deeply saddened by the devastation that Hurricane Maria has wreaked on Puerto Rico. Fortunately the Institute for Neurobiology has reported that it has survived; but recovery will be a long, slow, painful process for them, and for everyone affected by the storm.
If you want to contribute, here is a list of charities that have been highly rated by CharityWatch and are contributing to Irma relief in Puerto Rico.
Posted in Architecture, Culture, Kayaking, Life, Nature, Society
Tagged El Yunque Rain Forest, Hurricane Irma, Institute for Neurobiology, Puerto Rico, San Juan, Vieques Island
By Johna Till Johnson
72nd St Subway Station-Q Line
What makes photography interesting is the eye invested with feelings. That was the advice I’d gotten on finding my own photographic style. Strive not for esthetic perfection, but for conveying the emotions and narrative of the moment.
Tall order for someone still figuring out how to keep the camera steady enough to focus!
I was game for the challenge, though I suspected it would be an upwards struggle. One problem presented itself when I ventured out on a recent weekend: the world outside didn’t seem to match my feelings. It was a grey day in midwinter, but I was feeling… buoyant.
How—and where—would I find something that would convey my mood?
I took several shots outdoors before I stumbled across the perfect subject: the brand-new 72nd street subway station. Readers of the blog already know that I love subways. And I’m particularly in love with the 72nd Street station, with its high, gleaming arches, still-pristine walls, and glittering, realistic, slightly larger-than-life mosaic portraits.
Yes, I decided, the subway station would be perfect. Especially since I was taking the subway anyway to run my errands.
I had just about finished up a series of photos when I noticed someone else doing the same thing: A young man in a puffy black jacket carrying a serious camera—with a long, impressive lens—was across the way, apparently preparing for a close-up of one of the mosaic portraits.
He had long hair and a distracted, somewhat hostile, expression. When he caught me looking at him, his eyes narrowed a bit, in that classic New York scowl. I could almost hear him thinking, “Whaddaya looking at?”
I leaned over the railing towards him. “We’re doing the same thing—only you’re a real photographer!” The scowl disappeared and his face lit up with an almost bashful smile. “I’m trying!” he said.
I smiled back and turned to leave.
Then it hit me: That was my shot. I turned around and steadied myself, hoping he wasn’t looking at me. No danger of that: he was leaning backwards against the railing, carefully studying his subject. Carefully, quickly, I took the picture, then stepped back to frame it again.
It wasn’t until I’d taken a couple different shots that I noticed something I hadn’t previously seen: the word Excelsior in raised lettering on a concrete bar above the staircase. It’s Latin for “ever upward”, and it’s the New York State motto. I hadn’t even known it was there until I examined my photo.
Whoever elected to put it over a staircase obviously had a sense of humor. But I was delighted to discover something new in my favorite subway station—and struck by the appropriateness of the message.
Ever upward, indeed!
Posted in Architecture, Art, Culture, New York City, Photography, Travel
Tagged 72nd st station, excelsior, New York City, Photography, Subway
By Johna Till Johnson
Pipes at Grand Central Station
Friday morning, midwinter.
O-dark-hundred, as they say in the military: early in the pre-dawn darkness. I’m at Grand Central Station, traveling north for a business event.
I pass by the track where my train is supposed to arrive in 20 minutes. The track is dark, deserted, with no sign indicating an imminent arrival. Plus the track is filled with what looks like junk. In some places there’s barely a walkway for the passengers. Could there be some mistake?
Buying my ticket I ask the booth agent: “Is this really the correct track?” He checks the monitor, nods. So I take my ticket down to the track. Still no sign, but there are now a few guys driving carts up and down, past the piles of junk.
I walk towards the end of the track, my mind and eye trying to make sense of what I’m seeing. Banks of carts. Wire containers. And is that an old office chair standing by itself? Where did it come from, and what is it doing here?
I pass by a brick building with a sign: Grand Central Station Mailroom. A mailroom, improbably located on a train track? Who knew?
The building is lit indoors, but empty. The sign on the door says it opens at 7 AM, but it’s not yet seven. I peer inside. Tables, printers, bins for sorting.
I keep going, towards the darkness of the tunnel at the far end of the track. The piles of junk thin out, replaced by banks of cables and pipes, soaring into the cavernous darkness overhead.
There’s a conductor at the far end, standing by himself. He’s a young man, trim, with a tired look on his face. I approach him, wonder in my eyes, excitement in my voice. “This is amazing! Is it always like this?”
“Like what?” he asks.
“All this… ” I gesture to the clutter, the pipes, the darkness.
He laughs. “Every day!”
“There’s so much to look at!”
“Yeah… I guess there is…” His voice takes on a wistful tone. “You don’t really notice it when you see it every day.”
I nod, understanding what he means. Then my attention is captured by a perfect arch of pipes, rising into the overhead darkness.
I reach into my backpack for the camera.
Posted in Architecture, Culture, New York City, Photography
Tagged Grand central station, mailroom, New York City, train tracks
By Johna Till Johnson
Photo by Vladimir Brezina
The city is always magical at night…
Midtown Illuminations
A contribution to today’s daily post word: Festive.
Posted in Architecture, Art, Kayaking, New York City, Photography
Tagged city lights, Manhattan skyline
By Vladimir Brezina
New York City architecture is ruled by rigid grids. But often the result is surprisingly fluid…
A contribution to this week’s Photo Challenge, Grid.
Posted in Architecture, New York City, Photography
Tagged Grid, Manhattan, New York City, Photography, postaweek, postaweek2015, Weekly Photo Challenge
... kayaked the waters around New York for more than 15 years in his red Feathercraft folding kayak. He was originally from (the former) Czechoslovakia and lived in the U.K. and California before settling down in New York. He was a neuroscientist at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. He died in 2016.
... is a kayaker and technology researcher at Nemertes Research. She's an erstwhile engineer, particle physicist, and science fiction writer. She was born in California and has lived in Italy, Norway, Hawaii, and a few other places. She currently resides in New York City.
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Wind Against Current 