2016 Favorites – Black and White

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Light Patterns.

Another year has whizzed by and it’s time to post some of my favorite pictures from 2016 – black and white first. Like last year I’m presenting my ten favorites – in no particular order.

At this point last year I said:

I’ve been trying to find a focus for my photography, which at the moment is all over the place. I had thought that my primary interest was in old buildings. However, in looking at my favorites I was surprised to discover that none of them (black and white or color) contain old buildings. While I’ve taken lots of pictures of old buildings over the year it seems that I don’t consider any of them to be favorites. Just for curiosity I looked back at 2014 favorites and found that the same was true in 2014: pretty much no buildings. Go figure!

The same is pretty much true this year too: A few abstracts; a couple of wildlife pictures; a couple of ‘people’ pictures; a still life; a landscape of sorts. No sign of a focus emerging.

Maybe I’m just interested in a lot of different things rather than being passionate about a single subject.

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Bird in a Tree.

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Moth.

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Altar. In Chapel of our Lady Restoration. Restored chapel in Cold Spring, NY

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Still life with lilacs.

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Vortex.

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Topiary.

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Self portrait with trash pile

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Make America Great Again

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Abstract composition.

Apple tart a la mode

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I liked the variety of circles in the picture: the outer rim of the plate; the inner rim of the plate; the ice cream; whatever that thing (maybe a piece of dried apple) is on top of the ice cream; and the tart itself.

I also liked the contrast in textures: the smooth plate; the less smooth ice cream; the even less smooth dried apple (?) and the not at all smooth tart.

Also the contrast in colors: whites; off whites; yellowish brown; reddish brown.

Blurred lights

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A while back went on a boat ride on the Hudson. It was a big boat, with a band, bars, dancing and food. During a lull in the festivities I was fiddling around with the camera trying to see what would happen if I threw everything out of focus. This is the result. I quite like it: the variety in the colors and the way the blurred areas seem to fan out from the bottom/center of the picture.

Glenclyffe 10 – Metal panel

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As you follow the ‘Benedict Arnold Escape Trail‘ from Route 9d you soon come across a small building with a number of metal panels on it. Over time these panels have weathered and formed the colorful shapes, which initially attracted me. I also liked the textures. I’m a sucker for rusting metal. Soon, however, I noticed that the colors of the panel seemed to reflect the colors of the autumn leaves that had fallen around the base of the panel. All in all the picture has something of an abstract quality.

Grasses

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As the numerous commuters taking the Metro North Hudson Line pass the post office at Scarborough Station I imagine many of them don’t realize that the building that now houses the post office was once the railway station itself. Right outside the post office is a small flower bed, which at certain times of year has some very imposing, tall grasses.

One night in March, 2010 I was returning home from work when I noticed these grasses illuminated by a spotlight near the roof of the post office. This is the result.