I like the contrast between the dark tree and the lighter vine, also the contrast between the rough bark of the tree and the smoother leaves.
Tree and Vine
A carousel
This was taken in Bryant Park (behind the NY Public Library on 42nd street) and as I recall I was practicing panning the camera.
I like the bright colors and the somewhat spooky, surrealistic look of the photograph. The head of the horse is pretty much in focus, but pretty much nothing else is. The panning seems to have not only blurred the photograph, but also distorted it in ways that reinforce the surrealistic look, as do the strong shadows.
Once I got past the fact that not much of the picture is sharp I found I that rather like it.
For those interested in the history of photography
For those interested in the history of photography I can heartily recommend Photography – The Whole Story; general editor: Juliet Hacking; foreword by David Campany; 30+ contributors; 576 pages; Prestel; 2012. The Conscientious website reviewed it and I agree whole-heartedly with the points made in the review:
Much to my delight (“delight” isn’t a word I use very often) I recently discovered Photography – The Whole Story. Edited by Juliet Hacking, the book was produced featuring over 30 contributors (art historians, curators, writers). In a nutshell, a specialist for any given period or subject matter writes about just that. On top of that, the book is organized simply around time frames, with subject matters/topics then covering those. That might just be the simplest way to do it. The writing in the book is compelling and a joy to read, avoiding tedious jargon where possible, while never being superficial or simplifying.
On top of all of this, the book presents quite a few individual photographs in detail. These sections are what makes this book stand out. The general background of the photograph is explained. The artist is – briefly – introduced. What is more, four to six sections/parts of the photograph are discussed in more detail: Technical details, historical details, poses, compositions, whatever might be of relevance. Of course, learning about photography has to involve learning how to look at photographs, and Photography – The Whole Story does a wonderful job doing just that for dozens and dozens of historical photographs, some well known, many others not.
The book thus teaches the history of photography not as a large number of facts and names, which, let’s face it, are hard to remember. Instead, it uses a large number of photographs created over the course of that history, tying those photographs to what matters. Learning the history of photography has to mean seeing and understanding a lot of photographs, both how they operate as photographs and how they’re tied to the underlying history. Photography – The Whole Story superbly does just that. Given its focus, writing and design, I think it will have a large appeal for a general audience, people interested in the history of photography. For anyone seriously interested in photography, the book is a must have, must read. Highly recommended.
Terraces
Taken at the same time and in virtually the same place as an earlier post: Topiary and for pretty much the same reasons: “I was attracted to the symmetry and stillness of the scene. Reminds a bit of something by Eugene Atget (although not as good).”
Seashore – Old Greenwich, Connecticut
Lovely early morning light on Greenwich Point Park in Old Greenwich, Connecticut. The Stanton Inn website describes it as follows:
Greenwich Point Park is known as Tod’s Point to locals (after the last private owner of the land, J. Kennedy Tod, from whose estate the town bought the land after his death in 1945) and is by far the best Greenwich beach. According to some very exuberant visitors, it’s the best beach in Fairfield County! This large park permits visitors to engage in everything from sunbathing and swimming to jogging, walking, cycling, contemplating nature, boating, water sports, fishing, sailboarding, and picnicking on its long sandy beach, extensive forest and shoreline trails, and expansive lawns. The town of Greenwich’s Tod’s Point is definitely one of the best parks in Greenwich by many accounts.
I went early in the morning in November (i.e. out of season) and didn’t have any trouble parking and walking around. However, others have had a less than pleasant experience. Apparently Greenwich is a very closed community and outsiders are not necessarily welcomed. See this article (Beaches Belong to the People, Even in Greenwich) in the Huffington Post from 2011.