Tag Archives: New York City

Express Yourself!

By Vladimir Brezina

Express yourself!… especially if there are photographers around.

Express Yourself!

A contribution to this week’s Photo Challenge, Express Yourself.

Shadows and Reflections

By Vladimir Brezina

In Winter—

Shadows and reflections in Winter 1
Shadows and reflections in Winter 2

and in the Spring—

Shadows and reflections in Spring

Where are Summer and Fall? Clearly, I have work cut out for me this year!

A second contribution to this week’s Photo Challenge, Shadowed. The first contribution was here.

Blue Shadows

By Vladimir Brezina

Seasonally appropriate: sunny days after the big snowstorm in NYC’s Central Park—

The scene in NYC's Central Park
Blue shadows 1
Blue shadows 2
Blue shadows 3
Blue shadows 4
Blue shadows 5
(More photos are here, here, and here)

A contribution to this week’s Photo Challenge, Shadowed. A second contribution is here.

Our 2015 Calendar

By Vladimir Brezina and Johna Till Johnson

Picking Vlad’s photos for our calendar is an annual ritual for us.  It’s harder than it sounds, because you’re looking both backwards and forwards at the same time: remembering the past while wondering about the future. And, like most artistic endeavors, you’re never sure how it will turn out.

This year the task was particularly challenging, for various reasons. So we were both pleased and surprised at the result. Our theme, as you can see, was “water”. But the selection of photos carried a greater-than-usual sense of whimsy. It also included some of our favorite photos (you’ll probably recognize at least one).

See what you think:

Cover

Cover(Story and more photos are here)

If I were called in
To construct a religion
I should make use of water.

Philip Larkin, Water

Continue reading

Last Days of the Year

By Vladimir Brezina

Last red leaf
.
.
.
The one red leaf, the last of its clan,
That dances as often as dance it can,
Hanging so light, and hanging so high,
On the topmost twig that looks up at the sky.
— Coleridge, Christabel
.
.
.
Sunset at the end of December 2014 in NYC’s Central Park—
.
Winter sunset
.
(Click on any photo to start slideshow)
.

Last light over the Central Park Reservoir—

Last light

It’s All About the Ideas

By Johna Till Johnson

Haitian fishermen (photo Ruth Fremson/The New York Times)

“Ya gotta have ideas,” the cab driver said, followed by an uproarious belly-laugh. “Money’s not worth nothing unless you have ideas.”

I laughed along with him. It was impossible not to: the man had the most contagious laughter I’d ever heard. And he had ideas. Boy, did he have ideas.

He wasn’t what I expected when I got into the cab on that overcast, dreary December day a few days before Christmas. All I could see of him was a dark face, beard streaked with a bit of gray. He was eating a late lunch when I got in, and didn’t return my greeting.

So I figured I wasn’t going to hear much from him—and that was fine. I had errands to get done, and worries on my mind. After I told him the destination, I figured that was the last exchange we’d have. Wrong!

Continue reading

The Turn of the Year

By Vladimir Brezina

I mean, of course, the ancient turn of the year, the Winter Solstice—not that newfangled, artificial New Year on January 1st.

The Winter Solstice occurs today, December 21st, at 6:03 PM EST (New York time).  This year, especially, we look forward to the days finally getting longer…

Winter sunset at the Central Park Reseervoir

… and we are still waiting for our first real snowstorm, which at least for a day or two makes everything brighter :-)

Happy Winter Solstice from us in NYC!

Golden

By Vladimir Brezina

Golden light in New York Harbor…

Tug silhouettes
In the Kill van Kull
Bayonne Bridge
Turning her aroundFrom the Hidden Harbor Tour, September 2013.

A contribution to Ailsa’s travel-themed photo challenge, Golden.

Gone, But Not Forgotten

By Vladimir Brezina

Gone…

Twin Towers

… but not forgotten.

Twin Towers Memorial

But memories are not enough—the new Tower has risen!

New World Trade Center tower 1
New World Trade Center tower 2

A contribution to this week’s Photo Challenge, Gone, But Not Forgotten.

Travel Theme: Colorful

By Vladimir Brezina

It’s not even winter yet—even though in the US Northeast it feels otherwise—but our thoughts are already turning toward the colors of the coming summer—

Colorful 1
Colorful 2
Colorful 3
Colorful 4
Colorful 5

All photos from one of the most colorful events of the summer, the Coney Island Mermaid Parade.

A contribution to Ailsa’s travel-themed photo challenge, Colourful.