New Year, New Hopes

It feels so good to be able to post on this blog again and continue where I had left off! My life had taken such a weird turn that I simply had to put aside all the things I love doing to be able to be with the person I love the most. He has been diagnosed with cancer and his health deteriorated fast. Juggling between taking care of him and still having my full time day job it was difficult at the end of the day to do all the extra things. 

Now it seems that life is looking a big better. He is doing better, therefore I can once again focus on the things I love.

This photo was taken on our first drive together after almost 15 months of being stuck at home as he was not able to move. It was good, it was fantastic and it was even better that I could get my Hipstamatic back out again!

Happy New Year Everyone!!

Brothers in the Sky

Columbus Circle, New York City

"The city of New York is like an enormous citadel, a modern Carcassone. Walking between the magnificient skyscrapers one feels the presence on the fringe of a howling, raging mob, a mob with empty bellies, a mob unshaven and in rags." Henry Miller

This is probably one of those pictures that is very close to my heart. It is in my top three all time favorites. It's one of those pictures that is taken in a hurry due to circumstantial events and still turns out to be great. It's one of those pictures that everyone time you look at it you discover something new. 

These two giant skyscrapers can be found at Columbus Circle, Midtown Manhattan. It's one of my favorite spots in all of New York City. The drama never seizes to exist in this part of town and even if you go there a million times you will always discover that new thing that somehow you always missed seeing.

Luckily enough for me, when I shot this picture the weather was terrible. It happens to be my favorite kind of weather and the clouds add more drama to the picture. So now you see why this picture is one of my favorites - dreary weather, Columbus circle, New York City and skyscraper...all subjects very close to my heart. Add those together and you get a picture like the one you are seeing here.

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

Left Standing in the Rain

72nd Street, New York City

"A car is useless in New York City, essential everywhere else. The same with good manners." Mignon McLaughlin

When I found the quote to go with this picture I wondering how many New Yorkers actually agree with it. The first part I am sure a lot of us agree on, but what about the second part? I haven't been to many places in the USA apart from California, Texas and New Jersey and I can honestly say that people in New York City are very well mannered compared to the states I mentioned. Now I don't want to offend anyone, I am just making a remark about the second part of the quote!

To get an idea how competitive New York City can be, try hailing a cab. You will get the picture right away especially during rush hours. You'd think that a cold rainy day it would be easier but apparently not for this woman in the picture. If you full view the picture you can see her holding up her arm to stop the cab but it was already loaded. She was there for some time before eventually her dream came true and she managed to get a ride.

The area in this picture is one of my favorites in Manhattan. It's 72nd street and I remember the very first time I saw it I fell instantly in love. Don't ask me why, because I don't have an answer. 

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

Guardian Angel

Midtown Manhattan, New York City

"Every time you hear a bell ring, it means that some angel's just got his wings." Francis Goodrich

This is the second picture of Angels around New York City. The first one is the one at the Bethesda Terrace. I can't really recall where I saw the Angel in this picture but I am sure it was somewhere in Midtown Manhattan.

This particular Angel I found to be more mesmerizing than the one at the Bethesda Terrace. I don't exactly know why but maybe it's all the details in the statue itself. The light hitting the wings from a certain direction make them seem alive and real. The texture from the stone behind the statue and the texture in the statue itself create a great contrast which make the Angel look more vivid.

Note to visitors and New Yorkers alike...when you are walking always make sure you look up.  If I hadn't looked up when I shot this picture I would have missed this Angel and would have never known that it existed. In New York City you need eyes like a hawk in order to never miss anything!

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

Walk With Me

Central Park, New York City

"A garden must combine the poetic and he mysterious with a feeling of serenity and joy." Luis Barragan

Once again I am posting a picture of Central Park in New York City as I am a firm believer that one can never have enough pictures of this majestic place.

Here we can see a couple walking their dog in an almost empty area. Now every New Yorker knows that this is very rare unless you are walking very early in the morning. When Central Park is deserted it feels so serene and peaceful and in my opinion looks more beautiful than when it's busy with crazy tourists asking for directions or commuters going in a hurry from the East to the West side or vice versa to work. 

This particular area in the picture is an area popular with skaters in the evening. It is situated right opposite the Bethesda Terrace and I always thought it was Central Park central. 

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

This is My Church

St.Lawrence Church, Vittoriosa, Malta

"But I have been in some very beautiful churches, then I've looked outside and seen people starving to death." Don Van Vliet

 

A few days ago I posted the dome of the St.Lawrence church and the St.Lawrence statue at the Victory Square. Today I am posting an exterior view of Vittoriosa's St.Lawrence church itself. As I noted in my previous post this church is the oldest church in Malta. 

Right in front of the church (not visible in this picture, but keep an eye out for future posts) there is the Freedom Monument which was erected on the 31st of March 1979 when Malta was freed from the British Colony. Right in front of the monument one can see a beautiful and modern marina. So looking at all this it's like one is looking at a time-line, with the church of St.Lawrence being the oldest and the marina being the newest.

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

Angel of Waters

Bethesda Fountain, Central Park, New York City

"Angels descending, bring from above, echoes of mercy, whispers of love." Fanny J. Crosby

Today I am posting another picture from the Bethesda Terrace series. This is a picture of the world famous fountain that has appeared in several movies and is considered as a landmark in New York City. The Bethesda Fountain is also the main focal point in the Bethesda Terrace.

The 8 foot bronze statue is also known as the Angel of Waters and it stands above four cherubim which represent temperance, purity, health and peace. Looking at the fountain alone you can sense these four things at once, even if it's surrounded by chaotic tourists all rushing to get the perfect picture. 

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 Last House

85th Street, Manhattan, New York City

"A house divided against itself cannot stand." Abraham Lincoln

Some say a lot of the houses or apartment buildings look similar in New York City. I disagree wholeheartedly. Maybe those who are always in a hurry and just walk past these architectural structures without a short glimpse will disagree.

As I said in a previous post, I just love the New York City color scheme. For some it might be too dark and dull but for me it's spectacular especially on a cloudy/rainy day. Each building I see I try to see something unique in it and that does not only make me appreciate it more, but it also helps me to remember the buildings. 

This particular street in the picture is 85th Street between Central Park and Columbus Avenue. It's where I spend most of my time and it's also the street my muse lives on. So yes, this is not a random street picture, it's a street that has a lot of significant importance to me.

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 Gate

Notre Dame Gate, Zabbar, Malta

A distant enemy is always preferable to one at the gate." Emile M. Cioran

'Bieb is-Sultan' in English Notre Dame Gate is a landmark in Zabbar, Malta. It was built my grandmaster Cotoner, where up to this day you can see a statue of him looking towards a curious direction. Many theories were developed regarding this statue, with one being more popular than others. Some people say that the direction the grandmaster is looking at leads to a well hidden treasure. Hundreds of years later no one managed to find the treasure and I doubt anyone will.

This gate always posed a mystifying effect to me. I don't know if that's because it has a rich history or if there is something really hidden behind the story. 

I also want to make it clear that this is only a small part of the gate. The whole castle (yes it's also a castle) is quite big and grand in size.

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

Victory Square

Victory Square, Vittoriosa, Malta

"Statues and pictures and verse may be grand, But they are not the Life for which they stand." James Thomson

A few days ago I posted a picture from my hometown - Vittoriosa. It was taken in the town church, the church of St.Lawrence. Today I am posting a picture of square in the town. 

In WW2 Vittoriosa suffered major damage with bombs falling from the sky relentlessly. The church of St.Lawrence suffered intense damage and so did the square. What you see in the picture here is part of the square, that is called Victory Square. In the middle you see a white statue of St.Lawrence, the patron of Vittoriosa. Behind it you can see the local band club and next to it is another club that belongs to a political party. Yes you guess right, religion and politics are a big influence in Malta.

During the day, this square is full of older people talking about this and that and frankly enough, they are the ones who add to the character that this small town offers. You can start talking with one of them, and in a matter of minutes they will tell you in the story of their life and how they fought in the war and emerged victorious.

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

Higher

St.Lawrence Church, Vittoriosa, Malta

"Love is not consolation. It is light. " Friedrich Nietzsche

No it is not something from outer space. This is a church dome, the St.Lawrence church dome. I posted another picture from this church a few days ago, so if you missed it you can go read what I wrote on the other post. This church is oldest church in Malta and it's full of interesting history.

Once again, what attracted me to this church dome is the way the light was hitting it.The sun hitting on the right hand side really brings out the texture of the old stone. The perfect circles are all textured differently and it shows how much time and effort they put into building beautiful buildings a couple of centuries ago. While I am sure they had deadlines, I am also sure that their deadlines were not fast and in result we get a building like this St.Lawrence Church in Malta. 

The nicest sight is actually walking into the church. The church is usually dark (dark drapery, dark paintings) and then you reach this dome and see a burst of light that is right above the main altar. 

 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