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I'm still slowly getting all of my New York City pictures onto Flickr. It's important to me to get them posted while I still have a decent memory of the circumstances surrounding them individually. Once I get the ones I like up on the internet, I'll finish my little story about what I did on my summer vacation.

I got eighteen more posted on the way to work this morning. Here's one of them.





I like pictures that personalize a system; that put a face on something abstract.

I'm pretty awake this morning, despite not napping on the train. Something about riding with my brother encourages me to stay awake and do stuff, nevermind the fact that he's asleep next to me himself! I wore my long coat that No-LJ-James gave me before moving to Michigan; it's getting damn cold and windy out there, especially down in The Loop. I also took my camera with, as part of my serious effort to start taking it everywhere I go. Who knows when something interesting is going to happen? I think that should be a motto of mine; who knows when something interesting is going to happen?

I missed out on picture taking time on Saturday as you read, but moiracoon and I went out to Kiddieland for their last day of operation. Even though I'd never been to the park before, the experience was tinged with sadness for a place that will never be again. But that was in the background. In the foreground, my sweetie and I had a great time, and we rode the carousel together. In retrospect, it was dumb of me not to have stayed a little longer and ridden more rides with her. I was worried about finding food and then getting home early enough to not be wiped out in the morning...but maybe those things shouldn't have mattered so much. I'm sorry sweetie; I really should have taken you on more things, and I feel bad about it this morning. I love you, and thank you so much for coming with and suggesting we go despite the time.

We also found an awesomely special closeout store. In place of shopping carts, they had cardboard boxes with strings punched through them that you drag along the aisles with you. No joke. Bargains in a Box it was called. If I lived near it, I would be there every week. It was like a super-low-end Big Lots.

Finally got official approval of my time off for this coming week. I'll be leaving for St. Louis to spend the evening with the gracious faeriecat and her family! So excited about meeting everybody there and seeing cool sights!

That means, though, that I'm going to have to buy a battery charger for my camera. I can't find mine, and though I found a great deal on a charger plus two batteries plus a cleaning kit for $16 plus shipping, it won't get here in time. No biggie.

I feel a little bit of missing people this morning. Maybe it's just the changing weather; that does weird brain-things to me sometimes, I think. But I miss moiracoon and rileybear67 and many friends.

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Hawk and Riverside Church Belfry


You know, I bet the absolute best thing I could have to improve my photography is someone who was genuinely interested not only in the same subject matter I am, but also in looking at every one of my pieces that I really like and honestly critiquing them to help me make stronger images, and who has the skillset, both photographically and artistically, to do so.

I like this image, but it's got issues. For one, the belfry leans. But that's a technical execution issue. As for composition, I think I should have been even closer to the hawk, and further down and to the left. I'd like a little bit more separation horizontally between the hawk and the tower.

And beyond that, the time of day is just wrong. So very much of photography is about lighting and time. The balance of brightness between the two foci (the hawk and the tower) is actually pretty good, though the hawk is a touch dark. But the sky is too bright and is washing out toward white. I'd like to reshoot this at dawn or dusk a few times and see how the colors of the sky are picked up on the stone of the tower. Maybe just some other time of day when the sun was more directly on the subjects would be better too, so I could expose the entire frame for less time and get more detail in the sky.

Of course, I didn't have a lot of time to play with moving around to compose things since I was behind a fence that a security guard soon told me I wasn't supposed to be behind. Oops!

This hawk is one of two that stand on either side of the steps leading up to the General Ulysses S. Grant Memorial. Yes, I have now visited Grant's Tomb. C'mon; after hearing that old joke so many times, I had to! Go on; ask me who's buried there. I dare you!

The church tower in the background is the belfry of Riverside Church. It's the tallest church in the United States and is a center of progressive religious thought and activism. Go religious left! It also has one of the largest bell carrillons in the world. We have to get anarchist_nomad over there to do some ringing!

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moiracoon just made the most awesome garlic pesto tortellini for me. The fact that I have this person who will make food for me is as helpful as having someone to critique photos. I mean, you've got to eat; you might as well eat things that are nummy and make you happy and motivate you. I'm pleased and grateful to have someone who provides just such sustenance. Mmmmm.

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I would very, very much like to see Cast in Bronze in person. They play some ren faires; I'm thinking maybe a road trip is in order next year. What do you think moiracoon?

It's a travelling show featuring a four ton bell carillon. Awesome!

*wuffles* To bed now....