Star Flower

"Beauty is but a flower, which wrinkles will devour." Thomas Nash

Right now I am going through a phase in which I am enjoying macro photography and when it comes to macro photography what is a better subject than flowers?

I have been walking past this one flower for a few days on my way to work and I always notice the star pattern on it. Recently I just grabbed my camera and went out to get a few photos. I thought if I am going to wait any longer either someone will pick it up and it will die. Up to today it was still there and I hope it stays there as every time I see it, it always makes my day better. It's amazing how nature can be so beautiful and perfect.

This photo was difficult to get as it was windy and we all know the closer you get to your subject the more stillness you need so I just sat there waiting with the camera in hand for when the wind shows some mercy.

I shot this photo using a Canon 40D with a 60mm f/2.8 macro lens and edited/converted to black and white using Photoshop CS4.

The Blessing

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City

This piece of art right here in the photograph has to be one of my ultimate favorite sculpture. There is so much detail in it that looking at it leaves you breathless. The first time I saw it I have to be honest and say that I didn't give it much attention. I gave it a quick look and just walked by.

The second time and all the other times it has been different. Every time I go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art this is the one piece that I always have to see, together with the 'Spring' painting by Pierre-Auguste Cot. I will never tire of those two pieces and I wish I could have them in my living room but then I am afraid I will do nothing but stare at them for endless hours.

This black and white photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV.

Christmas Window

Lower East Side, New York City

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful." Norman Vincent Peale

Another year, another Christmas. I can't believe how fast time went by and then again time doesn't wait for anyone. 


This beautiful window (the photograph doesn't do it any justice) was found on the Lower West Side very close to the Highline. It's an enormous window and the wreath was wonderful made from fresh pine.


I am myself not a big fan of Christmas decorations and I try to keep it simple but when I see a nicely decorated house it always makes me question myself and I always promise myself that next Christmas I will get into decorations...only to fail year after year.

This photograph was shot using my Samsung compact camera. It was then converted to black and white using PS CS4.

The Garbage Can at Night

Upper West Side, New York City

"Night is certainly more novel and less profane than day." Henry David Thoreau

I was walking back home after a whole day of rain when I captured this photograph. To be honest it was intended to be more of a tourist photograph if you know what I mean, but I ended up with light streaks and the light from the pedestrians reflecting on the wet asphalt. It ended up being a photograph that I enjoyed looking at.

And that is one thing, as I always said before, that baffles me about New York City...that even photographing an almost empty street focusing on a trash can turn out to be beautiful. The element of surprise never seizes in New York City.

I shot this photograph with a cheap Samsung camera and I had to do it fast because it was freezing cold outside. I had no tripod and nothing to place my camera on. Considering that a lot of elements were against me I consider myself lucky to have ended up with a photograph like this.

Metal and Nature

Riverside Park, New York City

"An excellent man, like precious metal, is in every way invariable; A villain, like the beams of a balance, is always varying, upwards and downwards." John Locke

Today I am posting another photograph that was shot at Riverside Park. This is the third in the series. Love and Age vs Matter were also photographed at this beautiful park which is often over-looked because of Central Park.

This bridge can be seen somewhere around 75th Street and the last time I was walking there it caught my eye. Metal, trees and water puddles all come together to form chaotic symmetry which in my opinion is beautiful.

The color of the metal beams in the photograph are green...almost the same color as the tree on the side and that is why I converted it to black and white so it will create contrast and distinction. 

I think that Riverside Park offers more opportunity for photographs then Central Park. At Riverside Park you have that one thing that can't be beaten...water.

This photograph was shot using a cheap compact camera then converted to black and white using PS CS4.

New York Taxi

New York City Taxi

If, in New York, you arrive late for an appointment, say, "I took a taxi" Andre Maurois

Sometimes I wonder how would New York City look like if the iconic yellow cab didn't exist. Probably the streets will be less crowded and less crazy driving. But can New York City survive without these yellow hell on wheels?

This photograph was shot from the middle of the street while crossing...lights were red for cars. I didn't have time to frame the car but lucky for me it turned out to be in the exact place I wanted it to be. Being spontaneous sometimes works best.

This black and white photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV

Union at Night

Union Square, New York City

 "Night time is really the best time to work.  All the ideas are there to be yours because everyone else is asleep. " Catherine O'Hara

I believe this is the first time I am posting a photograph of Union Square. Union Square is the kind of place that changes its skin at night. In the morning it's all suited up people coming and going to work, but at night, all the weirdest people come out to play and that's exactly why I love this place.

I remember the first time I've been to Union Square at night, I went there to take some photographs but I was shocked with the difference that I just couldn't do anything but look. I fell in love instantly how free the people sitting at the square were. They were not giving a damn what anybody things of them. They were just being them!

Best day to visit is probably Friday, even though Saturday's can be good too. The area is full of good restaurants and nice shopping areas so there is plenty to do.

This  photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were John S/Kodot XGrizzled

Gothic

St.Patrick's Cathedral, New York City

"I love the description of Gothic churches before the printed word, that they were the bibles of the poor." John McGahern

Before I set foot for the first time in New York City I believed everyone who said that the USA doesn't have beautiful churches. Today, I pity everyone who says so as they are clearly wrong.

New York City has two of grandest cathedrals, St.Patrick's and St.John the Divine Cathedral. While I have never seen the St.John Cathedral, I have been to the St.Patrick's Cathedral several times and everytime I go in there it always feels like it's my first time.

My best experience was last year during Christmas time. We went in there in the evening and there was choir practice. The sound coming from the organ was so beautiful and haunting that I couldn't move. It was a total Gothic experience. Yeah I know this is Neo-Gothic but it's so well made that it's hard to believe that it wasn't build by the real Gothic masters.

iPhone photography is kind of difficult here as it's somewhat dark but with a little patience and using the praying benches as tripods I managed to get some good photographs during the last few years.

This black and white photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV

The Way of the Light

The Cloisters, New York City

"There are two kinds of light - the glow that illumines, and the glare that obscures. " James Thurber

It has been some time since I went to The Cloisters now but I can still remember it vividly as if I went yesterday. Now that doesn't happen often to me. The place has to be truly exceptional for me to remember something in such detail.

This room we see in the photography was superb, not only in matters of decoration but also the texture of the stone and the way the light was hitting everything. The room was somewhat dark but a lot of light was entering through the two windows in the photograph. It was creating dramatic shadows and contrasts. 

There was something else that caught my eye, or rather my ear but unfortunately you can't see it in the photograph. The acoustics were exceptional. Even if you whisper you could be heard.

The Cloisters is a place that a lot of tourists miss when visiting New York City and I want to be honest if I wasn't with a local I would have never found it. It's fascinating that even though it's in New York City once you get there you'd feel like you are in some enchanted forest.

This black and white photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV

Tempestous Sea

Kalkara, Malta

"The boisterous sea of liberty is never without a wave." Thomas Jefferson

This is probably one of the nicest beaches in Malta, but at the same time it feels wrong calling it a beach. Even the midst of a summer heatwave, if you go to this beach you will find it empty. So why do people avoid crystal clear waters?

This particular water area, which is found in Kalkara, Malta in an area called "Wied Ghammieq" claimed more lives than any other beach. The under water currents are too strong and even if you are the best swimmer you will still find difficulty to swim to the shore.

But as they say one man's trash is another man's treasure. In this case, the happy men are fishermen. It's the perfect spot to fish. No people scaring the fish away. They say that fishing is relaxing and I am sure that fishing in this spot, where you'd feel like you are a hundred miles away from humanity is relaxing to even the most hectic people I know.

This photograph was shot today. We have been having storms for a few days now so once the sky started to clear  I went down to the beach and snapped some photographs. Shortly after I was done, the sky turned dark again and it started raining. 

The photograph was shot using my cheap compact camera. Color processing was done using Adobe PS CS4.

Melancholy

A Hallway, Malta

"A commencement is a time of joy. It is also a time of melancholy. But then again, so is life." Peter Tsongas

Everytime I look at this picture I can't help but feel a certain degree of sadness. The empty wall at the back, the three empty chairs, the off-center table and the fake plastic flowers vase all contribute to create a rather melancholic environment.

It's like someone has been waiting for someone and they never showed up. The room is always kept top notch in case that someone, someday decides to show up but for now they are still waiting. Even the room is not empty it still gives me the much dreaded feeling of the void.

This black and white photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV

Clean City

High-Line, New York City

"Be strong in body, clean in mind, lofty in ideals." James Naismith

The newly refurbished and recently opened part of the High-Line in New York City. The designers did an excellent job and putting together textures and lines together while also incorporating some green for the environmental conscious people (which should be all of us.)

It's so very well done and clean that while you are walking here you'd forget you are actually in one of the world's biggest cities and that's another thing I love about New York City. Even though you are in the city, you can go places that will make you forget you are actually in New York. A couple of good examples are the above mentioned High-Line, the Cloisters and Central Park.

This black and white photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV

Patience is Virtue

84th Street, Columbus Avenue, New York City

"A man who is a master of patience is master of everything else" George Savile

I have always wondered about how would we be able to cross the streets in New York City if there were no traffic lights. Even with traffic lights in action, New York City is like a constant battle between pedestrians and drivers. It's like a game of survival of the fittest.

Having said that, I am sure most of us have seen that occasional man or woman being in a such a hurry that they tend to ignore the blazing red light of danger and just duck their head and cross the streets. Is it worth it? If you ask me I would say no. You are only winning a few extra seconds on top of anyone else waiting but you are greatly increasing the risk of dying. I have seen most of those impatient people everywhere but particularly in New York City.

In life we need to have patience, even when crossing the street. Being patient will not only help you think but in some cases it can also save your life.

This picture was shot on 84th Street on Columbus and I thought it was the perfect scene to capture. Lonely woman waiting for lights to change while cars are driving past her. It is also showing us that there are many taxis and buses on the opposite direction, so if you miss one it's not going to be the end of the world.

This black and white photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV

Empire State Building

The Empire State Building, New York City

"I think The Empire Strikes Back had everything." Jeremy Bulloch

I am sure almost sure that everyone in the world has heard or seen (even if it's just a picture) of The Empire State Building in New York City.

Like the Statue of Liberty, this gigantic architectural piece is one of New York City's landmarks. It is visible from a lot of areas in Manhattan but I found out that the best view is from the newly reconstructed High-Line which is a 1-mile linear park built on a 1.45 mile section of the former elevated freight railroad. It starts in the Meat Packing District and ends at 30th Street.

This picture was taken somewhere in the middle of this High Line which offers impeccable views of New York City. A note for those walking on it, make sure you keep an open eye, because at one point you can also see the Statue of Liberty clearly with the naked eye.

Back to The Empire State building...it boasts 102 floors and is situated at the intersection of 5th Avenue and West 34th Street. After the unfortunate destruction of the Twin Towers in 2001, the Empire State Building occupied the number 1 spot for the tallest building in the United States. Currently it is ranked at the third place after The Trump International Hotel and Willis Tower. In 2007 it was ranked number one as America's favorite architecture.

This black and white photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV

Lady Liberty

Statue of Liberty, New York City

"I've always had a strong feeling for the Statue of Liberty, because it became the statue of my personal liberty." David Antin

Today I am posting another picture I took from our Water Taxi ride last summer. This time we got closer to the majestic Lady Liberty and the weather was perfect to create the contrast we see in the picture. There were a couple of birds flying around her which added more drama. 

This picture was shot only a few seconds before a huge storm hit us. It was like the Statue of Liberty was holding back the storm until we got some pictures of her and I am glad and grateful towards her.

Look at the statue, it makes me wonder if New York City would still be New York City without this landmark. To me it seems that the Statue of Liberty is New York City even though it resembles liberty and freedom in all states.

This photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV

The Empire

Empire State Building, New York City

"Empire and Liberty" Marcus Tullius Cicero

Probably one of the grandest sights in all of New York City. It's simply a landmark that can't be missed. Tourists and New Yorkers alike, look at this gigantic piece of architecture with admiration. It brings with it a lot of history. 

Besides being fascinated with the architecture itself, I was always fascinated with the old pictures of the guys working on the building. The guys that are a couple of stories high acting like it's not dangerous at all. Some are lying on a beam sleeping or eating lunch. I know for a fact that I will never have the guts these brave people who built the Empire State Building in New York City had.

This picture is shot from the ever popular area that's close to Macy's. 34th Street is bustling with energy and I always thought it was actually busier than Times Square. It's an area that I will always keep close to my heart. You can feel chaos yet you can see the organization. 

This photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV

Poetic Dreamer

"But the delights of solitude don't only consist of dreaming. Next in enjoyment, I think, comes planning." Anna Neagle

Is he lonely? Does he have any friends? Maybe his parents were at work and he needed something to eat? These are all questions that I was asking myself when I sat across this boy at the BK Bar close to Times Square. The entire time he was looking out the window as if he was thinking hard, or maybe dreaming. From what I could see he was very well dressed and very well-mannered but I couldn't help the fact that he was very deep, much deeper than children his age.

By the time it was time to leave he was still sitting there looking out the window and I kept thinking about him for the rest of the day. It's not rare in New York City to see a child like him wandering the streets by him/herself but as I said before, it was the fact that this boy was deep that brought him up to my attention. 

The way he was dressed and looking made him the perfect subject for a picture. In the dark surroundings his eyes popped more and they are the main focus in the picture (you need to enlarge to see.) In my opinion the picture is almost poetic. He was enclosed in glass in an empty restaurant while the world outside was bursting with energy.

This photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV

Imagine

Imagine, Central Park, New York City

"Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans" John Lennon

I am sure that everyone, young to old has heard of The Beatles. For those who are living in a sort of dark age and never heard of them, here is a summary of The Beatles for you. The Beatles - Bringing people together since 1958.

This John Lennon Imagine monument can be found at the Strawberry Fields in Central Park in New York right on 72nd Street. John Lennon was shot on the 8th of December 1980 when he was walking into his apartment at The Dakota building. His wife Yoko Ono turned one part of Central Park into Strawberry Fields in his honor. 

Visiting the Imagine monument on a normal day can be quite challenging to get a good view of it as it is always bustling with tourists, but if you really want to see chaos you should visit on the 8th of December. Several people from every country come to pay their respects to this legendary rock star. 

This photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV

The Arches

Central Park, New York City

"Knowledge is the only fountain both of the love and the principles of human liberty." Daniel Webster

The path in the picture, is the path that leads to the Bethesda Terrace and Fountain. We have seen this terrace and fountain in numerous movies, but to stand there, physically stand there and admire it with your own eyes is something completely different. The whole area is beautiful. The stairs leading to this 'hallway' in the picture, the 'hallway', the terrace and the fountain all collaborate together to create this master class scene better known as the Bethesda Terrace.

This picture was shot early in the morning so I was lucky enough to get the picture without any people in it (except for that one woman on the right side.) 

The area is very popular with tourists and New Yorkers alike. It's very serene and I think it's considered as one of the landmarks of Manhattan, New York!

 This photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV

Alone I Stand

Financial District, New York City

"A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work." Colin Powell

The quote that's included with this photograph is a quote I came across a few years ago but stayed imprinted in my mind. I think it's very fitting with this photograph. 


This photograph was captured while I was in a New York Water Taxi on the way to the Statue of Liberty. Clouds were starting to engulf the perfect blue sky and in a matter of minutes it was storming but that made the trip more exciting. This particular skyscraper looks exceptionally good on a stormy day and that's because the exterior panels are shiny, almost mirror-like so it reflects whatever color is in the sky. I always thought it looks best when it's cloudy.


The location for this skyscraper is perfect. It's right on the edge of the water and it's the only building that's considered as a skyscraper in the area. It stands out more and whether you want it or not, your eyes will go on it while passing by.

This photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys Super Grain Film/Libatique 73 Lens.