Things – Photography, Images and Cameras

A visit to upstate New York and Vermont – last dinner before leaving Vermont After a fairly long drive back from Ticonderoga we decided to eat in Rutland, Vermont at a restaurant called Roots. We had a great meal in a pleasant and interesting location. This was marred by only one thing. When I came to pay for the meal their machines would not accept any ...
A visit to upstate New York and Vermont – Star Trek Original Series Set Tour When I mentioned to a colleague that we would be visiting Ticonderoga, NY she suggested that we might want to check out the Star Trek Original Series Set Tour. I’ve been watching Star Trek since I was kid, and my friend’s husband was an even more devoted fan than I am (he seems to be ...
A visit to upstate New York and Vermont – Fort Ticonderoga Cannons I’ve never seen so many cannons in one place. There are French cannons, English cannons, US cannons, Spanish cannons, Dutch cannons, Swedish cannons and cannons from other countries. According to the fort’s website: Fort Ticonderoga has over 100 cannons on site, representing the largest collection of 18th-century artillery in private hands in the Western Hemisphere. These ...
A visit to upstate New York and Vermont – Overview and approaching the fort Growing up in a not terribly well-off family in a village in the North of England, I used to read a lot. I would come across places with exotic sounding names like Kathmandu, Samarkand, Heliopolis, Philippines etc. Little did I know then that I would eventually visit many of these places and that I would ...
A visit to upstate New York and Vermont – Crossing Lake Champlain On the way to Fort Ticonderoga, we drove up the Vermont side of Lake Champlain. Of course, this meant that we had to cross Lake Champlain to get to the fort, which is on the New York Side. To do so we took the Ticonderoga Ferry, which describes itself as follows: The Ticonderoga Ferry ...
A visit to upstate New York and Vermont – Calamity Jane’s We were driving through Hudson Falls on our way back to our Vermont Inn, when we passed this sign. We weren’t sure that we’d read it correctly, so we turned around and went back to take another look. It seems we did read it correctly, but the juxtaposition of “Firearms” and “fine shoes” was just ...
A visit to upstate New York and Vermont – National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Saratoga Springs According to Wikipedia: The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American Thoroughbred racehorses, jockeys, and trainers. In 1955, the museum moved to its current location on Union Avenue near Saratoga Race Course, at which time inductions into the hall of ...
A visit to upstate New York and Vermont – Saratoga National Historical Park The home page of the Park’s website contains the following: A Crucial American Victory. Here in the autumn of 1777 American forces met, defeated and forced a major British army to surrender. This crucial American victory renewed patriots’ hopes for independence, secured essential foreign recognition and support, and forever changed the face of the world. I ...
A visit to upstate New York and Vermont – Arriving at Saratoga Springs I don’t think I’ve ever seen a train station without a platform i.e. you had to climb down from the train. My friends met me at the station, and I discovered that we would not be staying in Saratoga Springs as I had thought. They had made the arrangements, and I hadn’t realized that they would ...
Lantern Revealed I’ve posted before about the stone lanterns that are scattered around the village of Briarcliff Manor. I believe there are about six of them in the village (For more information see: The Story of the Stone Lanterns on the Briarcliff Manor-Scarborough Historical Society website). This lantern (#5 on the website) was placed by Walter Law ...
Hallowe’en’s coming After my lunch at Susuru (See: A Ramen restaurant in Tarrytown) I walked through Tarrytown and into Sleepy Hollow, where the Hallowe’en preparations were well underway. Of course, Hallowe’en is a big deal around here because of the connection between the village and Washington Irving’s short story: “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, which is set there. ...
An Ice Cream Van I used to see lots of these when I was growing up in England. They played music, and when we heard them coming, we would rush in to our parents to get money to buy something. I don’t recall seeing many of them nowadays, possibly because there are no children in the immediate vicinity, and there ...
In New York City with Jasmine – In Chinatown My feet were no longer hurting (much). I wasn’t thirsty, but I was starting to get hungry. Luckily Jasmine appeared with a couple of her friends. We had a drink (or in my case another drink) and after a while one of her friends left. We went to Chinatown with the ...
In New York City with Jasmine – Around The Frederick Jasmine had a few things to do so I walked around for a while taking pictures in the area around the Frederick Hotel. I saw the picture above from the window of my room at the Frederick (See: In New York City with Jasmine – Our next hotel, The Frederick) and had to go down ...
In New York City with Jasmine – 9/11 Museum In an earlier post I mentioned that I’d visisted the 9/11 memorial back in October 2013. At that time the museum wasn’t yet open and so this was the first time I would see it. According to Sowing Seeds of Faith: Also on the site is the newly opened, National September 11 Memorial Museum which has ...
A Trailer I guess I just liked the colors and the graffiti (if that’s what it is). At first, I thought it was just an abandoned trailer. Curiously it’s right next to a fairly flashy restaurant and an equally fancy yacht club. I still wonder why it’s there, but I suspect that it’s not abandoned. ...
The boathouse I went to New England recently…well actually I didn’t but it looks like it from these pictures. They were actually taken in Ossining, New York a short walk from Sing Sing prison. I like this restaurant. It’s pretty much on the river and I like the “nautical” feel. I had a ...
A Walk through Peekskill – A Skull I hesitate to finish this short walk around Peekskill, NY with a skull seen outside Taco Dive Bar, but it was the last picture I took before boarding my train back home. And, after all, it’s not a very scary skull with all of its bright colors. Taken with a Sony RX10 IV
A Walk through Peekskill – Murals Peekskill has quite a lot of murals. In this particular location (Central Ave) there were several more. I only photographed these two. I’ve not yet been able to find any information about them (e.g. who created them, what they represent, why they’re there etc.), but while looking for such information I came ...
A Walk through Peekskill – Diver Statue Another of the interesting sculptures along the Peekskill Waterfront. I’ve taken pictures of it before (See: Peekskill Riverwalk Park – The Golden Mean) but I thought I’d revisit it because a twin of it was apparently on display at the recent Paris Olympics. According to a recent Peekskill Herald article entitled: “Peekskill’s ‘Diver’ at the ...
A Walk through Peekskill – Huygen’s Helmet The Peekskill Waterfront abounds with lots of artworks. I’ve taken pictures of most of them during earlier visits, so I didn’t bother this time. I’d taken a picture of this one before too, but that time I’d taken a picture of the full artwork with the Hudson in the background (see picture below). ...
Sunday Morning Walk Home from The Patio – Bikes Galore Some kind of “bike fest” seemed be taking place in Law Memorial Park as I passed through. Looks like it’s something to do with the Empire State Ride. Taken with a Sony RX100 III
A Donut Tire Of course I’ve heard of donut tires, even used them, but I mean…really. Taken with a Sony RX100 M3
Statuary seen during a recent walk A gathering of cherubs (or are they fairies?) A one eyed owl. Taken with a Sony RX10 III
A walk to Sparta Cemetery – Overview and a statue It’s been very hot and humid for the past several days, so I haven’t been getting out much. After a few days of this I was starting to get “cabin fever”. I decided that I would get up early and go for a walk while it was still fairly cool. My plan ...
Our Village Clock This clock stands on the west side of Pleasantville Road between a deli and a gas station. It and the pocket park in which is stands were dedicated in May 2009. Taken with a Sony DSC-H50
Macho Man Seen in a store in a local service station. It seemed so incongruous, but I loved the bright colors and the expression on his face. Taken with a Sony DSC-H50
A red car I came across this beautiful shiny, red car during one of my recent walks. For those who are not car aficionados it’s a Citroën 2CV, Citroën being the manufacturer and 2CV meaning (in French) “”two horses” or “two horse power”, or to be precise “two taxable horsepower“. It was a low-cost car introduced at the ...
Man on a motorcycle Just about a year ago I found myself in Woodstock, NY. The pictures I took will be posted shortly (I’d forgotten that I’d taken them), but in the meantime, I wanted to share this picture of a man on his motorcycle. With the cigarette in his right hand, and the coffee cup in his ...
Stained Glass in New York City (Manhattan). I came across pieces set into the wall of a building at Third Avenue and East 50th Street in New York City (Manhattan). They appear to be stained glass, set into a shiny metal surround. I have no idea why they’re there or who created them. I can’t say that I like them ...
Fireman Mural I came across this huge (take a look at the pedestrians on the sidewalk below for a sense of scale) mural during my last visit to New York City (Manhattan). It’s located at 780 Third Avenue (at 49th Street). Painted by renowned Brazilian street artist Eduardo Kobra and revealed in 2018, this mural of a fireman ...
An Exhibition Above: the cover page to the exhibition brochure. I guess that they do this exhibition annually, because although the brochure reads “2023” it seemed to work with no problems for this exhibition taking place in “2024”. In any case the brochure provides very little text, and only five examples of the over 60 exhibited works. ...
Motorcycles in Briarcliff Manor During a recent event in my village (Briarcliff Manor). I saw these three motorcycles and their riders pass by. Actually, I heard them first, which gave me a little time to prepare. Taken with a Sony RX100 M3
From Rockwood Hall to Sleepy Hollow – A couple of statues A couple of interesting looking statues seen in a garden while walking along Hemlock Drive in Sleepy Hollow. Taken with a Sony RX100 M3
Car seen in my village I needed to go to the bank and had to get myself something to eat so I walked into the Village of Briarcliff Manor. Not far from the bank I came across this cool car. I knew it was a Lotus because it had the name “Lotus” written all over it, but I ...
Hot Dog Man This rather strange figure in a shop window in Ossining, NY caught my eye. I found myself wondering if it was a one off or something that was more generally available. After a while spent browsing the internet I discovered that it’s quite common and always contained the same elements: a hot dog ...
Valhalla Crossiing After I finished my trip to the Kensico Dam I walked the short distance back to Valhalla Station to get my train back. Unfortunately, the trains don’t run that frequently at that day/time and I just missed one so I had to wait an hour for the next one. I guess the 205 ...
Kensico Dam – The Rising Above: The Rising as seen from the West Pavilion. According to The Official Website for Westchester County Government: Westchester County’s September 11th Memorial incorporates the names of all the Westchester residents who died, the communities in which they lived and a quote about them from their loved ones. These words are engraved along the outside of the ...
Kensico Dam – First sighting of “The Rising” Another view from the top of the dam. More importantly, this was my first sighting of “The Rising”, but more on that in another post. Taken with a Panasonic Lumix GX85 and Lumix G Vario 14-140 f3.5-5.6
Abstract Composition A first glance this looks a little like some kind of abstract painting. But of course, it isn’t. It’s three elaborately designed colorful door posts, which when seen from a certain angle blend together into a single image. Taken with a Panasonic GX85 and Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-42 f3.5-4.6 II
Colorful pieces I came across these pieces in a box outside a junk store in Brooklyn, NY. I have no idea what they are. Maybe badges? I just liked how colorful they are. It’s a chaotic jumble, but I can see quite a number of subjects: a dove, a wheel, an eagle, a ...
A lonely peacock I came across this peacock statue standing all by itself in the middle of a small lawn outside a house in Ossinng, NY Taken with a Panasonic Lumix GX85 and Leica DG Summilux 15mm f1.7
Mr. Law, we need a church – A US Flag Pastor Todd Farnsworth displays a flag donated by the Baroness de Luz. Taken with a Sony A7IV and Rokinon/Samyang AF 75mm f1.8 FE
Stone Lantern by Night This is one of Briarcliff Manor’s famous stone lanterns. It was long believed that W.W. Law (the founder of Briarcliff Manor) imported them by 1902 from the Far East with the assistance of some Christian missionaries. The lanterns were the “finishing touch” on several of Law’s projects. It seems that the lanterns originated in ...
36 Piece Set Seen on a table outside a junk store in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn where I was having lunch with a friend who lives there. I didn’t count them so I can’t say for sure that there were 36 pieces, but that’s what a sign on the plate said. Taken with a Panasonic Lumix GX85 and Leica DG Summilux ...
Too Late This picture was taken on 24 February so by my calculations it’s a bit late – to be specific 10 days too late. Maybe to tempt people to buy early for next year? Taken with a Panasonic Lumix GX85 and Leica DG Summilux 15mm f1.7
Scales I came across these two old scales in a coffee shop right next to where I used to work on 44th Street between second and third in New York City. It wasn’t then when I was still working. Taken with a Panasonic Lumix GX85 and Lumix G Vario 14-140 f3.5-5.6
Two Views of a Shiny Metal Sculpture This sculpture stands outside a building on East 44th Street, NY. So far, I haven’t been able to find out any other information. Taken with a Panasonic Lumix GX85 and Lumix G Vario 14-140 f3.5-5.6
White rectangle Taken in Manhattan. Somewhere in the ’50s on the East Side. I don’t remember exactly where. I first noticed this white sculpture. As I got closer, I noticed the guy the left who had apparently come outside for a smoke. Soon afterwards I saw his almost surreal reflection in the window to ...
A Toy Horse The light was nice and the poor old horse looked so forlorn. I wondered why it was there and how long it had been there. Taken with a Panasonic Lumix GX85 and Panasonic Lumix 20mm f1.7
An Oldie – Giambologna’s equestrian statue of Ferdinando I de’ Medici According to Walks in Rome (strangely because the statue isn’t in Rome. It’s in Florence): The bronze equestrian statue (1602-07) of Ferdinando I de’ Medici (r. 1587-1609), which stands in Piazza Santissima Annunziata, was created by the Flemish sculptor Jean de Boulogne (1529-1608), better known as Giambologna, and his star pupil Pietro Tacca (1577-1640). The ...
Pleasantville, NY. Waiting for the MTA Train This was taken through a window and it’s one of those pictures that I like, but which I can’t articulate exactly why. Maybe it’s the way the train tracks curve around? Maybe it’s the looming clouds? Maybe it’s the balloons (or whatever they are) in the tree to the right? Maybe all of ...
Inside the Rest Room at Black Cow Coffee in Pleasantville, NY I was waiting for a train to New York City. It wasn’t due to arrive for a while, so I decided to have a coffee at Black Cow Coffee, which is located right across from the Pleasantville, MTA Railroad Station. While there I felt the call of nature. Sorry, couldn’t resist taking a photograph ...
Skull in New York City Seen on a billboard in Manhattan – Scary!!?, particularly with the torn bits, which I don’t think were original. Taken with a Panasonic Lumix GX85 and Panasonic Lumix 20mm f1.7
Outside the DMV My friend needed to go to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in Peekskill, NY so I decided to go along. While I was waiting for her I came across these rather surreal (and somewhat spooky) mannikins just outside. Apple iPhone SE II
A Spoon Revisited Yesterday I posted a black and white picture of a spoon (See: A Spoon). When I took the picture, I had in mind that it would be good in black and white. And I still think it does. However, I’ve since warmed to the color version too. Taken with an iPhone SE II.
A Christmas Wreath Seen at my friend’s house early in the morning of New Year’s Day, 2024. I liked the way the early morning sun was streaming in through the window and illuminating the wreath. Taken with an iPhone SE II.
Lunch in New York City – Returning home On the train back home. Judging from their animated conversation my fellow passengers seem to have had a good time in the city…as did I! Taken with a Sony Nex 5n and Sony E 16mm f2.8
Lunch in New York City – Grand Central Terminal Part 2 – Down to the platform While waiting for my train to arrive I had a little time to take a few more pictures. Taken with a Sony Nex 5n and Sony E 16mm f2.8
Lunch in New York City – Brass Plaques I’ve often walked along Park Avenue, and from time to time I’ve noticed these brass plaques. But I’d never taken the time to really look at them, so I didn’t know anything about them. Now I do (see plaque above for a description) These are by no means all of them. I was rushing ...
A Spoon A friend invited me to spend New Year’s Eve with himself and his family (including a brother and his wife visiting from Boston, MA.). We had agreed that I would stay over so no-one would have to go out on the roads after midnight. I woke up early, before everyone else and went ...
Three Kings Today is Epiphany (or if you prefer it Three Kings Day), which commemorates the visit of the Magi (also known as the three wise men and the three kings). These guys started off in another part of the village and over time moved to different locations. Here they stand next to the Congregational Church. ...
Some of my favorite pictures of 2023 – Black and White Foggy Law Park. Briarcliff Manor, NY. March 2. Cornelia Cotton in her store/gallery. Croton-on-Hudson. March 4. Tomb, Old Dutch Burying Ground. Sleepy Hollow, NY. February 14. Taking a Break. Boston MA. July 22. Abstract Composition. Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton, NJ. August 16. Gnarly Tree. Briarcliff Manor, NY. October 15. Figure on Third Avenue, Manhattan. ...
Some of my favorite pictures of 2023 – Color Red Fody, Bronx Zoo, June 21 Street Photographpy. Well, it is a street, and not just any street. This is 42nd Street, Manhattan, New York City. December 11. Leaf and Stumps, Camp Andree, Briarcliff Manor, NY. November 20. Third Avenue and 55th Street, Manhattan. December 20. Abstract Composition on the Charles River. Boston, ...
A Walk through Ossining – A Colorful Storefront I was so taken by the colorful fruits that I didn’t even check to see what the store was selling. Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Sigma 18-50mm f2.8
Hat on a bookshelf It was late in the afternoon, and I was sitting, reading in my bedroom. I noticed the afternoon light streaming through the sliding door to my balcony. It looked nice, but I couldn’t quite capture it’s appeal. Taken with an Iphone SE II.
Found Still Life I found this collection of pieces’ n my friend’s basement. She had been waterproofing, cleaning and generally tidying up. I wonder what team her son supports. Taken with a Sony A7IV and Sony FE 28-70 f3.5-5.6 OSS.
Head of a Wooden African Statue A friend invited me over for Thanksgiving dinner. As we were waiting for the festivities to start, I noticed a tall, slim, wooden, African statue in the corner of her living room. I walked over to take a look and was particularly taking with the almost glowing red eyes. Taken with an Iphone SE ...
Walter W. Law Portrait Walter W. Law (November 13, 1837 – January 17, 1924), the Founder of Briarcliff Manor. Painted by Howard Russell Butler. (1856 – 1934) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_W._Law. “The first president and founder of the American Fine Arts Society, Howard Russell Butler was elected to the National Academy of Design in 1902. He was especially known for his paintings of ...
A Visit to Boston – Day Three – Final thoughts I thoroughly enjoyed my short visit to Boston and enjoyed very much seeing some old friends that I hadnt’ seen for quite some time. I really like Boston. I’d been there before, when my younger daughter was studying at Boston University. I remember meeting people, going out for meals etc., but I ...
A Visit to Boston – Day Three – A train sculpture As I was standing on the platform waiting for my train to arrive, I noticed this sculpture on the other side of the tracks. It was very dark and I wasn’t too hopeful about getting a picture. But after some manipulation in Adobe Photoshop, it turned out OK. Taken with a Sony A6000 and ...
A Visit to Boston – Day Three – Phillips Brooks Statue This statue of Phillips Brooks is installed outside the Trinity Church. The memorial is credited to sculptors Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Frances Grimes, and architects Stanford White and Charles Follen McKim. It was commissioned in 1893 by the church congregation for $80,000 and completed from 1907–1910. The bronze statues of Brooks and Jesus stand in a domed marble ...
A Visit to Boston – Day Three – Horses (and more) on Copley Place As I walked down to Copley Square, not far from Back Bay Station, I came across these two horses in a shopping area called “Copley Place“. According to the Next Phase Blog: Like many other cities, Boston has statues of horses and, like other cities, they mostly serve as mounts for famous men, like George ...
A Visit to Boston – Day Three – Back Bay Station Whenever I’m going somewhere I tend to get to the airport/station very early. As long as I can find somewhere to sit comfortably, read a book and maybe have a beer, I’m happy. When I left New York, the spanking new Monynihan Train Hall (See:In New York City – The Moynihan Train Hall) was ...
A Visit to Boston – Day Two – Cows In the background of the preceding post, you’ll see a blue cow statue. Here are a couple of closer views. Apparently, this is only one of many. They’re part of CowParade New England 2023. CowParade New England presented by Herb Chambers will bring 75 life-size cows, designed by a range of artists throughout New England, ...
A Visit to Boston – Day Two – Bus Tour Continued – on the bus And off we went on the bus tour. It was quite difficult to take pictures from the moving bus. Add to that that the driver/guide seemed more interested in telling jokes than telling us much about the things we were seeing and I didn’t take many pictures. I only vaguely remember what ...
A Visit to Boston – Day Two – Bus Tour This was our only full day in Boston, so we decided to take a bus tour. We caught the bus opposite our hotel, and just in front of the Boston Garden. The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New ...
A Visit to Boston – Day One – Around the North End Some time ago I took the train up to Boston to meet up with some Canadian friends who were visiting there. The hotel we were staying in was in the North End. None of us got there until late afternoon so these pictures were taken in the North End and along the Charles ...
Another indication that Hallow-een is coming I went to a local Mexican restaurant for lunch today and came across these figures next to entrance. Quite impressive: the eyes flashed on and off and the figures moved from side to side. That explains why the figure on the right is a little blurry. It was in motion when I ...
Shadows in the night In the preceding post I mentioned that I stayed overnight in a hotel in New York City last week. I woke up in the middle of the night and noticed this lamp, which I had earlier turned to face the wall. I liked the contrast between the light and the dark in the almost ...
Dragon on Lexington Ave Last week I went into New York City. I thought I might be staying out late (for me) so I got a hotel room. We went for dinner at Japanese restaurant on Lexington Ave and 39th street. This imposing figure was standing right next to the restaurant. I guess Hallowe’en must be ...
Art gallery in the woods Interesting installation of works by Dana Matthews along the trails to Opus 40. The installation is called “en plein air”. There were six of these works along the trail we took, and there may be more scattered around other trails, and in the woods. Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Sigma 18-50mm f2.8
A White Car and a Red Car I lived in Switzerland for most of the 1990s. Somewhere along the line I bought a Mercedes 280SL (See Above. My wife and the car outside our house). I don’t know much about cars, but after acquiring this one for a brief period of time I developed an interest in classic/vintage cars. ...
Memorials in Valhalla, NY Somehow it seemed fitting that a small hamlet called Valhalla should have a number of war memorials. Above World War I Memorial. According to Wikipedia: Valhalla (/vælhælə/) is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) within the town of Mount Pleasant, in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the New York City metropolitan area. Its population was ...
A man and his motorcycle During a recent visit to a nearby cemetery I spotted a motorcycle by the side of the road. The owner had apparently gone into the woods to find something to weigh down the banner hanging from the pole. After a couple of minutes, he returned. I walked over and asked him if could take ...
Opus 40 – Quarrymen’s tools and artifacts I love old metal objects, the more rusty the better although these weren’t all that rusty. Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Sigma 18-50mm f2.8
Opus 40 – Smaller Sculptures Although the site it one large sculpture, there are none the less, a number of smaller sculptures scattered around the quarry. Here are a couple of them. I believe that there are quite a few more in the surrounding woods. Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Sigma 18-50mm f2.8
Opus 40 – A different perspective We had entered the site from the North West. However, as we were leaving and walking back to the car we had a completely different view. We were now looking West and could see the Catskill Mountains looming up behind the monolith. It was really spectacular! Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Sigma ...
Opus 40 – Daisies I was standing high up by the monolith and looked down into the quarry. I noticed this clump of daisies all by itself, surrounded by a mass of bare rock. It was too far away to take a decent picture, so I walked down to get a closer view. The bug on this flower, was ...
Opus 40 – Trees It’s not all unrelieved bare rocks though. Scattered around the sculpture are small clumps of trees. I suspect that they were not planted by Fite, but rather he built the sculptures around them. Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Sigma 18-50mm f2.8
Opus 40 – Details A closer look at some of the pools and meandering walls. Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Sigma 18-50mm f2.8
Opus 40 – Views of the central sculpture The site is not all that large (about 0.057 km²), and I think we may have missed part of it. It’s dominated by the monolith sculpture, called “Flame”. As you wander around you see it from a variety of different perspectives. Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Sigma 18-50mm f2.8
Opus 40 – Overview According to Wikipedia: “Opus 40 is a large environmental sculpture in Saugerties, New York, created by sculptor and quarryman Harvey Fite (1903—1976). It comprises a sprawling series of dry-stone ramps, pedestals and platforms covering 6.5 acres (2.6 ha) of a bluestone quarry. Fite, then a professor of sculpture and theater at Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, ...
Kensico Cemetery – Aiken Mausoleum Bertha Marion Reese Aiken is interred here. Other than her date of birth (19 Feb 1863) and the date she died (2 Nov 1930) I’ve not so far been able to discover any additional information. She was married to Friend M. Aiken, who is also interred in this Mausoleum. Again, I’ve found little ...
A Visit to Philipsburg Manor – The Barn The title says it all: A Dutch style barn with lots of wood and straw, and some interesting objects – a cart; a yoke; a drying rack; some barrels; a milk churn; a number of wooden rakes; a plough etc. More or less what you’d expect to find. Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Fuji XC ...
A Visit to Philipsburg Manor – The Cooper’s House The Coooper’s House. You can see it in the first picture to the left of the mill. It’s attached to the mill, but serves a completely different purpose. After the corn was milled it was put into sacks and barrels, transferred to boat on the Pocantico River. From there it made a ...
A Visit to Philipsburg Manor – The Mill One of the highlights of the tour was the Mill, a working Grist Mill where you could usually see corn being turned into flour. Unfortunately not the day I was there. Apparently, the Pocantico River/Millponds were at a very low level. This, combined with silting meant that there was not enough water ...
Grounds for Sculpture – Miscellaneous Sculptures I few more sculptures that I photographed. There were many, many more that I didn’t. Above War Memorial III by Linda Cunningham. Detail of Harmony 3 by Dan Kainz. Henry Moore in a Sheep Meadow by Red Grooms. Leucantha by Philip Grausman. Space for Stone by Magdalena Abakanowicz. Part of Nature by Seward Johnson Taken with a Fuji X-E3 ...
Grounds for Sculpture – Column dripping with Ivy I’ve always liked Ivy growing over fences, old buildings, statues etc. I particularly liked this one because the Ivy itself looks dead. Maybe it would make a nice black and white image? Grounds for Sculpture was originally part of the Trenton Speedway at the former New Jersey State Fairgrounds. This column stands on what was ...
Grounds for Sculpture – Looks like Darth Vader has arrived in a new spacecraft Actually, it’s called Dorion and its creator is Bruce Beasley Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Fuji XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OSS II
Grounds for Sculpture – A Fisherman It’s another one by Seward Johnson and it’s called “Midstream”. Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Fuji XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OSS II
Grounds for Sculpture – Sculptures based on Impressionist Paintings In addition to the version of Manet’s Olympia (See: Grounds for Sculpture – Arriving at the visitor’s center) a number of statues based on Impressionist paintings were scattered around the landscape. These are just a few of them. Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Fuji XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OSS II
Grounds for Sculpture – When shall we three meet again?…. It’s actually called: “Has Anyone Seen Larry? (The Three Fates)”, but it reminds me more of Macbeth’s three witches than it does of the Morai of ancient Greek religion and mythology, often known in English as the Fates. Three sisters: Clotho (the spinner), Lachesis (the allotter) and Atropos (the unturnable, a metaphor for death), they ...
Grounds for Sculpture – Carmelita Not all of the sculptures were by Seward Johnson. Many were by other, well-known artists. This one is by Autin Wright. It’s called Carmelita and his web site describes it as follows: In Carmelita, the simplicity of forms is based on complex concepts and even more complex and elaborate execution. This ambiguity between vision ...
Grounds for Sculpture – The Survivor Statue commemorating the destruction of the World Trade Center. It’s called ‘The survivor”. Following the tragedy of 9/11, the sculpture ‘Double Check‘ was found in the wreckage, and became a makeshift memorial, which inspired this sculpture. Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Fuji XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OSS II
Grounds for Sculpture – Forever Marylin Life sized Marylin statue in the visitor’s center. There’s a much larger one (26ft) one in the grounds, but we didn’t come across it. Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Fuji XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OSS II
Grounds for Sculpture – Sculptures in or near the visitor’s center After “Confrontational Vulnerability“, I think that this was the first sculpture I saw. It’s by Seward Johnson, and it’s called “King Lear”. It’s 20 feet tall and stands just outside the Visitor’s Center. Detail of “King Lear” “Space, Conquer or Die – Swiatowid” by Andrzej Pitynski In the lobby of the Visitor’s Center. I’m afraid ...
Grounds for Sculpture – Arriving at the visitor’s center This is the sight that greeted us as we arrived at the Visitor’s Center: Seward Johnson’s take on Édouard Manet‘s famous painting Olympia. It’s called Confrontational Vulnerability and I’s huge!! (12ft x 20ft x 8ft) Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Fuji XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OSS II
Grounds for Sculpture – Overview I recently went to Grounds for Sculpture, about a two-hour drive away in new Jersey. According to its website, Grounds for Sculpture is: ” A MUSEUM, SCULPTURE GARDEN, AND ARBORETUM WHERE ART AND NATURE ARE ALWAYS AT PLAY. Outdoors, nearly 300 contemporary sculptures are sited across 42 landscaped acres. Indoors, temporary exhibitions from established and emerging ...
A pair of giant skeletons During a recent walk I came across these gigantic skeletons.They’re truly huge, at least twice the height of a normal human being. I would not have been surprised if this was around Hallowe’en, but the picture was taken in May!! I guess they’re so big that it’s hard (maybe impossible) to take them down ...
Seen at a nearby Mexican Restaurant I had a visitor staying with me a couple of weeks ago. We’d been out all day and were a little tired so we decided to go to a nearby Mexican Restaurant. It was fairly crowded and a particularly loud group of women was making a lot of noise. We asked if we ...
Memorial Day in Briarcliff Manor 2023 – That truck again As I was leaving, I came across this lovely fire truck just it was leaving too. I couldn’t resist taking a final picture of it. Taken with a Sony A7IV and Rokinon/Samyang AF 24-70 f2.8 F
Memorial Day in Briarcliff Manor 2023 – Lt. John Kelvin Koelsch Memorial Briarcliff Manor’s Own medal of honor winner. During the Korean War, Lt.John Kelvin Koelsch volunteered to take his helicopter and rescue a pilot downed in North Korea. Unfortunately, just as he was picking up the pilot his helicopter was shot down. He, his Aviation Machinist’s Mate (ADM), and the downed pilot survived ...
Memorial Day in Briarcliff Manor 2023 – BMSHS Wreaths These are the wreaths provided by the Briarcliff Manor-Scarborough Historical Society. Taken with a Sony A7IV and Rokinon/Samyang AF 24-70 f2.8 F
Memorial Day in Briarcliff Manor 2023 – Fire Trucks galore In addition to a strong turnout on the part of the firemen (firepersons?) the Fire Department also put on a good show of their various vehicles – Briarcliff Manor, Scarborough and Archville. Taken with a Sony A7IV and Rokinon/Samyang AF 24-70 f2.8 F
Memorial Day in Briarcliff Manor 2023 – An Old Fire Truck A magnificent, 1940s Fire Truck. I must go by the Fire Department and see if I can find out any additional information on this incredible vehicle. Taken with a Sony A7IV and Rokinon/Samyang AF 24-70 f2.8 FE
Memorial Day in Briarcliff Manor 2023 – Leading the Parade A couple of flag bearers and a single, lonely motorcycle led the parade. Taken with a Sony A7IV and Rokinon/Samyang AF 24-70 f2.8 FE
Memorial Day in Briarcliff Manor 2023 – Overview Memorial Day 2023 – a bit late, but I was busy with other things. For my British friends and relatives, Memorial Day is about the same as Remembrance Day. Over here they also have Veteran’s Day (November 11), which honors all veterans, not just those who died. Taken with a Sony A7IV and Rokinon/Samyang ...
In New York City – Stone Medallion I came across this rather intricate sculpture and stained glass window on the brown brick façade of what was once the Capuchin Monastery of St. John the Baptist. It was built in 1974 in the Brutalist style and was one of the buildings associated with the St. John The Baptist church on West 31st. NYC. ...
In New York City – Bird Statue Echoes of “The Maltese Falcon” anyone? Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Fuji XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OSS II
In New York City – Horace Greeley Statue According to Tulane University: “Horace Greeley, the son of a New England farmer and day laborer, was born in Amherst, New Hampshire in February 1811. The economic struggles of his family meant that Greeley received only irregular schooling, which ended when he was fourteen. He then apprenticed to a newspaper editor in Vermont, and found employment ...
In New York City – Colorful Critters When I spotted these colorful creatures in a shop window I realized that I must be near New York’s “Koreatown”. This was confirmed when I noticed a number of Korean Restaurants. Koreatown, or K-Town, is an ethnic Korean enclave in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, centered on 32nd Street between Madison Avenue and the intersection with ...
John Kelvin Koelsch – Briarcliff Manor’s own medal of honor winner If you live in, or near my village (Briarcliff Manor, N) and if you frequent the village Park, Law Park you’ve probably seen the monument above. You may also have read the text on the plaque below. For those who haven’t, It briefly tells the story of Lt. John Kelvin Koelsch, a son of Briarcliff Manor ...
Rocks I really liked the look of this rocky outcrop with its white-blossomed tree. To me it really cried out for a black and white treatment. Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Fuji XF 10-24mm f4
A little bit of excitement We had a little bit of excitement at the Historical Society (BMSHS) the other day. The BMSHS shares a building with the Briarcliff Manor Library, The Vescio Community Center and the Briarcliff Manor Recreation Department. I was sitting in the Historical Center when there was a loud bang and all the fire alarms went off. ...
A spooky picture This picture stands outside the door of the Eileen O’Connor Weber Historical Center, which houses the Briarcliff Manor-Scarborough Historical Society. We don’t quite know what to do with it. I imagine it was given to the Society at some point. I have no idea who the children are, but I find the ...
Walking Empanadas An oldie, made almost twenty years ago in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Taken with a Canon Powershot S50.
A Native American Chief I came across this statue of a Native American Chief in my friend’s garden and thought it might make a nice black and white photograph. Taken in mid April 2023 with an iPhone SE II.
A Postcard A while ago a friend of mine gave me a set up cards, each one with a different example of his wildlife photography. I was impressed by this and for some time have wanted to try something similar myself. I came up with the idea of a collection of postcards, each one showing ...
A cracked sign Seen at Scarborough Metro-North station while waiting for a train to New York City. The cracks seemed to give it an almost abstract composition. Taken with a Sony RX100 M3.
Wells Fargo Mural A while ago we (the Briarcliff Manor-Scarborough Historical Society) learned that the empty Wells Fargo bank on Pleasantville Road was to be demolished, but it wasn’t until just before the demolition was to take place that we learned the exact date. We weren’t all that interested in the bank building itself. Rather we were ...
Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again My friend, Antonio, is an Art Director and and Graphic Artist who likes to create concept art (posters, CD covers etc.) by blending photographs and other graphic elements. He usually gets the photographs from friends and then builds the graphics around them himself. Lasts night I got a message from him which read: Howard think of story, ...
An Urn This stone (or is it concrete?) urn stands on the wall of the former gatehouse (See: On my doorstep – Gatehouse to a grand estate) to a grand estate (See: A wealthy man). I find it interesting: the way its covered in vines. For much of the year (i.e. when the vines have leaves) I ...
Framed automobile pictures This post is for fans of vintage automobiles. On April 24th, 1908 and event took place, the like of which the Village of Briarcliff Manor had never seen before, and has not seen since. It was called “The First American International Road Race”, more informally known as the Briarcliff Trophy Race. It was the first ...
More Postcards In mid-February I posted pictures of some beautifully embroidered post cards (See:Embroidered Postcards). There were two other post cards, but since they were different in nature and from a different sender I didn’t include them in the earlier post. Where the earlier posts were from someone called Arthur, these are from Wilfred who ...
A cracked sign Seen at the Scarborough Metro North Station while waiting for a train into New York City. I liked the somewhat abstract look. Taken with a Sony RX100 M3
Trying out my newly acquired Pentax K10 After charging the battery I decided to take my newly acquired Pentax to nearby Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, NY to confirm that it was working and see how it handled. So how did things go. Well, the pictures weren’t bad for essentially quick snapshots. I even quite like a few of them. It ...
A visit to Merestead – The Garden House “Circa 1907. A single story frame garden pavilion with a hipped roof is located a short distance south of the mansion at the opposite side of the croquet court. Surrounded by gardens and a small rectangular pool, it has engaged columns and a paneled wainscot”. (
West Point Foundry According to the National Park Service: Of the four historic ironworks selected by President James Madison to supply artillery to the U.S. military, only West Point Foundry remains. Operating from 1818-1911, the foundry gained renown during the Civil War by producing Parrott guns, cannons whose range and accuracy gave the North a distinct advantage (prompting ...
Embroidered Postcards I was going through some things the other day when I came across these. In case it’s not apparent from the pictures they’re embroidered cards/postcards. They appear to date from the period of the First World War and, if they were mailed, they must have been in envelopes because there are no signs ...
A short walk along Route 9 in Dobbs Ferry – A Sign Can I assume from this that trespassing during school hours is OK? Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Fuji XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OSS II
A short walk along Route 9 in Dobbs Ferry – A Bell This bell stands near the Dobbs Ferry High School. The lettering on it indicates that it relates to the Dobbs Ferry Union Free School District (the name seems to have changed since then); a date (1918); and what seems to be a list of the members (trustees?) of the Board of Education. Taken with a ...
A short walk along Route 9 in Dobbs Ferry – Another Weathervane This one with a bell. Seen in Dobbs Ferry, New York. Nicely backlit. Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Fuji XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OSS II
A short walk along Route 9 in Dobbs Ferry – A weathered weather vane Seen while walking around in Dobbs Ferry, NY. Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Fuji XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OSS II
A visit to Storm King Art Center with Family – More Artwork Neruda’s Gate by Mark di Suvero. E=MC2 by Mark di Suvero. Mon Père, Mon Père by Mark di Suvero. Pyramidian and She by Mark di Suvero. Luba by Ursula von Rydingsvard. Iliad by Alexander Liberman Sea Change by George Cutts. This is probably my favorite sculpture at the Storm King Art Center. A single image cannot do it justice as ...
A visit to Storm King Art Center with Family – Around the Mansion These pictures were taken around the Mansion. Above: The Mansion and For Paul by Ursula von Rydingsvard. The nonprofit Storm King Art Center was founded and opened to the public in 1960, thanks to the efforts of the late Ralph E. Ogden and H. Peter Stern, co-owners of the Star Expansion Company, based in Mountainville, New ...
A visit to Storm King Art Center with Family – Family Fun Approaching the elevator to the mansion Granddaughter running. Father and daughter planning the tour. Granddaughter resting on Butterfly Chair by Johnny Swing. Mother and daughters by Three Legged Buddha by Zhang Huan. Three Legged Buddha, this time showing scale. Mirror Fence by Alyson Shotz. Both granddaughters loved this one. Mirror Fence Again. Both granddaughters running. Running towards Bitter Sky by Anthony Caro. (I ...
A visit to Storm King Art Center with Family – Overview Above: Clouds over the South Fields. On the right a red metal sculpture called “Mother Peace” by Mark Di Suvero (I think). On the right just barely visible is a dark sculpture also by Mark Di Suvero: Pyramidian My younger daughter and her family (husband and two granddaughters) came to visit last August. It ...
Another macro Another attempt at macro photography this time with a small (about one inch tall) sea shell. Taken with a A7IV and Venus Optics Laowa 85mm f1.8.
Found Still Life I noticed this bust standing on a window sill in the home of the Briarcliff Manor-Scarborough Historical Society (BMSHS): the Eileen O’Connor Weber Historical Center. The bust depicts the founder of Briarcliff Manor, NY – my village for the past 25 years. He’s a pretty interesting guy. Walter William Law (November 13, 1837 – January ...
Elephant Statuette macro In an earlier post (See: A New Lens: Laowa 85mm f5.6) I mentioned that I had acquired a new macro lens. Here’s a picture taken with it. I’ve included the picture below to give a sense of scale. Taken with a Sony A7IV and Venus Optics Laowa 85mm f5.6
Optical Illusion I had eaten lunch at a nearby Mexican Restaurant (Los Abuelos) and needed to use the men’s room. I was sitting there browsing on my iPhone (as you do) when I looked up. To my surprise my eyes briefly had difficulty focusing on the green tiled wall. After a second or two I ...
An Anniversary It’s now thirteen years since my younger daughter was married in the lovely Swiss village of Hermance. This picture was taken right outside the church looking towards the Town Hall in the backround. Taken with an Iphone 3GS which was ancient even then.
Happy New Year! Fireworks pictures from me, overall concept and typography from my friend Antonio Mora.
Some of my favorite pictures of 2022 – Black and White Queen Anne’s Lace. 25 January. Triple Arch Bridge, Rockefeller State Park. 17 February. Statuette in a friend’s house. August 16th. View from my bedroom. March 12. Spanish American War Memorial, Yonkers, NY. March 23. Tree across from my house. January 17. Feeding pigeons in Washington Square Park. June 3. Dandelion seeds. July 1, Chrysler Building by night. September 13. Skull light ...
Happy Christmas! Happy Christmas everyone!
Boat out of water I was walking around Irvington-on-Hudson in June of this year when I came across this boat on a side street. From the lettering it seems to be connected to the Fire Service. While it was not all that far from the river it was still a bit of a surprise to see it. ...
Strange objects in Manhattan I came across these odd objects while walking around in Manhattan one day. I don’t really know what they are, but they look like some kind of emergency communications device. The second one below looks older than the one above. After a bit more research I’ve discovered that they are indeed Police, Fire and ...
Some Stained Glass Windows Here are a few of the renowned stained glass windows in Briarcliff Manor Congregational Church. I would have liked to have taken pictures of all of them, but I was attending a concert and couldn’t get to a number of them without going through the orchestra. I tried, but after inadvertently lowering a ...
A found still life A came across this on an exterior wall of my friend’s house. I’ve categorized it as “still life” although I’m not convinced that this is the right term for it. But I can’t think of anything better at the moment. As you can see it’s made of tiles and other pieces of ...
A Visit to Olana – Finally at Olana – Some interior shots “The house contains many canvases by Church, as well as works by friends, a collection of old master paintings, and furniture and decorative arts that Frederic and Isabel Church collected over the course of their lives. Today the experience of visiting the house remains remarkably unchanged, for the rooms look much as they did in ...
Garden Object with Leaves Seen in a friend’s garden. It looks a little like a boiled egg cut in half and covered by leaves. Taken with a Sony A7IV and Samyang 45mm f1.8
An interesting discovery Last August I went for breakfast with some friends. We went to a small café in a part of Ossining, NY that I was not familiar with. As we approached the café I noticed the interesting structure above. It seemed to me that there might be something interesting there. I didn’t explore ...
A Visit to Kingston, NY – Small Steam Boat on Rondout Creek Seen as we returned to Kingston after a great boat ride on Rondout Creek and the Hudson River. Taken with a Sony A7IV and Rokinon/Samyang AF 24-70 f2.8 FE
A Visit to Kingston, NY – The Arriva “If this yacht could talk, it would probably be able to tell some amazing tales. On Monday afternoon, a luxury yacht designed to look like a pirate ship docked in Kingston, NY. If the 156-foot vessel looks familiar, it’s because the famous boat has been photographed countless times by the paparazzi. The ship was purchased by Johnny ...
A Visit to Kingston, NY – On the Boat – Waiting to Leave. Smoke stacks. Flag Rondout Creek looking vaguely South-West. Rondout Creek looking vaguely North-East. Taken with a Sony A7IV and Rokinon/Samyang AF 24-70 f2.8 FE
A Visit to Kingston, NY – Mayor T.R. Gallo Park Created by the Urban Cultural Parks System in 1984, the West Strand Park offers various amenities for visitors while showcasing the beautiful Rondout Creek. In 2003-2004, the Park was renamed in memory of the late mayor T.R. Gallo who championed Kingston’s waterfront development. The park also undertook a major expansion in 2010 with the completion ...
A gift The Briarcliff Manor-Scarborough Historical Society, where I’m currently volunteering, recently received this wonderful gift of a silver platter from Jeff and Jackie Haught of Santa Fe New Mexico. The inscription reads: “Henry Smith Tournament Low Net Winner Leon Svirsky 1963” The small shield above the inscription bears the words “Briar Hall”. “Henry Law established the Briar Hills Country Club on the site of ...
Picture of a Shop Window Spooky, somewhat surreal picture taken of a shop window in Kingston, NY. Taken with a Sony A7IV and Rokinon/Samyang AF 24-70 f2.8 FE
A Walk in Sleepy Hollow – A Portion of the River Walk Westchester County, in partnership with its 11 riverfront cities and villages, has made great strides toward creating a continuous trail along its 51.5-mile Hudson-River shoreline. Currently, more than 32 miles of RiverWalk provide recreation for pedestrians and bicyclists, reduce dependency on car trips, and increase visitor appeal — all while benefiting public health, fostering a ...
A Walk in Sleepy Hollow – An Eagle It now stands outside the Philipse Manor Metro North Station, but it was once one of 11 that graced the historic building’s monumental clock towers for 12 years at 42nd Street and Park Avenue. In 1910, as the station began renovations to become the Grand Central Terminal building we are all familiar with today, the ...
A Pair of Pumpkins I came across these cheery looking guys outside a local eatery. Taken with a Sony A7IV and Rokinon/Samyang AF 24-70 f2.8 FE
Hallowe’en Scarecrows Scarecrows in Law Park, Briarcliff Manor, NY. Happy Hallowe’en. And Happy Birthday Dad. Taken with a Sony A7IV and Rokinon/Samyang AF 24-70 f2.8 FE
A Toaster An old toaster belonging to a friend. Taken with a Sony A7IV and Samyang 45mm f1.8
Briarcliff Table Water Bottle This bottle is part of the Briarcliff Manor-Scarborough Historical Society Collection. Briarcliff Farms was a farm established in 1890 by Walter William Law in Briarcliff Manor, a village in Westchester County, New York. One of several enterprises established by Law at the turn of the 20th century, the farm was known for its milk, butter, and ...
A walk around Dobbs Ferry – Leaving Dobbs Ferry It was time to return home. Here’s one of a number of murals at the Dobbs Ferry train station. The series is called “Floating Auriculas” and its done under the auspices of the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s Art in Transit project. They were created by Nancy Blum. Her website describes them as follows: Installed in ...
A walk around Dobbs Ferry – The Fire Department Who doesn’t love a bright red fire truck (or as we call them in my native land – UK – “fire engine”. “As the Village of Dobbs Ferry was expanding during the late 19th century the need for formalized fire protection became more evident On May17,1883 the Board of Trustees led by President (Mayor) Downey held ...
A walk around Dobbs Ferry – A Table, Two Chairs, and a Flowerpot This is one of those pictures that I really like, but I can’t explain exactly why. Maybe it’s the contrast between the pure white chairs and table with the pastel orange of the background? Maybe it’s the darker orange of the flowers against the background? Maybe it’s dark color of the leaves, which is so ...
Before there was photography there was music I didn’t get interested in photography until around 1978 when my wife gave me a camera. I’m not sure why. I don’t recall every saying that I wanted one. But that was what started my passion for all things photographic: taking pictures; collecting photobooks; collecting vintage cameras etc. However, long before that I had another ...
Update on Stone Tablets Back in May 2022 I posted some pictures of stone tablets on a nearby church (See: Stone Tablets). I also posted them to Facebook and it’s that post that prompted this one. The thing is that I found them interesting, but apparently nobody else did. No likes, no comments no nothing. Now I don’t have ...
A visit to the Museum of Modern Art I recently went into New York City to meet up with a friend for drinks. My plan was to go in early and walk around taking some pictures. Unfortunately it turned out to be a very hot, humid day and I didn’t feel much like walking around. It occurred to me that I ...
Ducks You’ve got to get your ducks in a row. Seen during a short walk in Campwood Grounds, a unique, historic community in Ossining, NY. Taken with a Nikon D800 and Nikon AF Nikkor 28-80 f3.3-5.6
Lunch at La Catrina Lunch with a friend at La Catrina in Croton-on-Hudson. I had no idea what La Catrina was so the very friendly owner explained it to me. I’ve since supplemented her information with addition information found on the internet: Everywhere you look on the streets during Day of the Dead celebrations across Latin America, a familiar face ...
Woman on a motorcycle I’d just had lunch in my village when I noticed this motorcycle nearby. I had just started taking some pictures when the owner turned up and told me that it was a 2014 Yamaha Bolt. I asked her if it was OK to take pictures and she said it was. I also asked ...
A Light Fixture As you can see it’s not actually turned on. The rather nice light is coming through windows in my kitchen. Taken with a Nikon D800 and Nikon AF Nikkor 28-80 f3.3-5.6
An interesting car in the village I came across this in my village the other day. I believe it’s a Polaris Slingshot. Wikipedia describes it as follows: “The Polaris Slingshot is a three-wheeled motorcycle. The first edition of the model was introduced in 2014 as a 2015 model…The Slingshot has a tilt-adjustable steering wheel, side-by-side bucket seats, and does not ...
Lucky Cat I’ve often seen these cat figures in Japanese and Chinese restaurants, but never thought about them very much. I came across this one in the window of an insurance agent in my village. I guessed that there might be some meaning to them so I looked them up: Fortune Cat is known as Maneki ...
In Manhattan. A Mural “An internationally known graffiti artist was visiting New York City last month when he spotted the perfect place for his next mural — St. Francis Residence I. Located on East 24th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues, the six-story building provides a home for those who have a chronic mental illness and financially destitute. “Jacopo Ceccarelli ...
A figurine I came across this rather interesting figurine in my friend’s house the other day. I don’t know anything about it so I think I’ll contact him and then update this post when, hopefully he’s able to give me more information.
A couple of cars – snap! Anyone reading this who may remember me during my time in Geneva, Switzerland may recall that the car above was my car, seen here with my late wife, Eirah in front of our house in Cologny. I loved that car, but unfortunately couldn’t bring it to NY when I moved. Fast forward 20 plus ...
A visit to Dia Beacon – Artists I don’t care for, or don’t understand – Robert Smithson I first visited Dia in April 2014. When I came across these installations/displays I initially thought that they were unfinished i.e. that someone was in the process of building an installation. My tastes in art have evolved a lot since then but I still have problems understanding why a pile of broken glass, ...
A visit to Dia Beacon – Artists I don’t care for, or don’t understand – On Kawara Above museum visitors studying the work of On Kawara. Clearly I have to more studying to do too. I just don’t get it, but then I still struggle with conceptual art of all kinds. However, I seem to come across his work everywhere so apparently lots of people, gallery owners, museum owners, critics ...
A visit to Dia Beacon – Artists I neither liked nor disliked I didn’t particularly like or dislike these works. They just didn’t make much of an impression on me one way or another. Above and below. Andy Warhol. Donald Judd. Robert Ryman Melvin Edwards. Charlotte Posenenske Taken with a Sony A7IV and Samyang 45mm f1.8
A visit to Dia Beacon – Other artists I liked – Dan Flavin According to The Guggenheim: Daniel Flavin was born in Jamaica, New York, in 1933. He studied for the priesthood for a brief period of time before enlisting in the United States Air Force. During military service in 1954–55, Flavin studied art through the University of Maryland Extension Program in Korea. Upon his return to New York ...
A visit to Dia Beacon – Other artists I liked – Larry Bell According to The Guggenheim: Larry Bell was born in Chicago in 1939 and grew up Southern California. Bell attended the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles from 1957 to 1959, where he created abstract oil paintings dominated by gestural brushstrokes influenced by Abstract Expressionism. At Chouinard he met Robert Irwin, an influential arbiter of Perceptualism, who ...
A visit to Dia Beacon – Other artists I liked – Michael Heizer According to Wikipedia: Michael Heizer (born 1944) is an American land artist specializing in large-scale and site-specific sculptures. Working largely outside the confines of the traditional art spaces of galleries and museums, Heizer has redefined sculpture in terms of size, mass, gesture, and process. A pioneer of 20th-century land art or Earthworks movement, he is widely ...
A visit to Dia Beacon – Other artists I liked – Imi Knoebel According to Artnet: Imi Knoebel is a German painter and sculptor known for his contributions to and shaping of 20th century Minimalist abstract art. Often working with large-scale modular shapes, Knoebel’s work is regarded as an ongoing, elliptical investigation into formalism and the medium of painting itself. Born in Dessau, Germany in 1930, he went on ...
A visit to Dia Beacon – Mario Merz Another artist I liked was Mario Merz who The Guggenheim describes as follows: Mario Merz was born in Milan. He grew up in Turin and attended medical school for two years at the Università degli Studi di Torino. During World War II he joined the anti-Fascist group Giustizia e Libertà and was arrested in 1945 and ...
A visit to Dia Beacon – Richard Serra Another exhibit/installation I really liked was that of works of Richard Serra. According to The Guggenheim museum: Richard Serra was born in 1938 in San Francisco. While working in steel mills to support himself, Serra attended the University of California at Berkeley and Santa Barbara from 1957 to 1961, receiving a BA in English literature. ...
A visit to Dia Beacon – Louise Bourgeois I spent quite a bit of time at Dia. Some of the exhibits/installations made little impression on me. Some I positively disliked. And some I liked a lot. Perhaps my favorite was this one: of works by Louise Bourgeois. According to NY’s Museum of Modern Art: Born in Paris in 1911, Louise Bourgeois ...
A red truck This was taken from the train during a trip into New York City (Manhattan). I think I was attracted to two things. First the bright red color of the truck contrasting with the rather dour look of the buildings, and second the way that the rather large truck was dwarfed by the buildings. So much so ...
Found Still Life I went with some friends for breakfast at the excellent Tasty Table in Ossining, NY. While I was there I needed to use the rest room and in there I came across this lovely little cabinet with a number of little curios in it. So I took a picture. It wasn’t until I got back ...
A walk around Hastings-on-Hudson. Another statue. This statue is “Between Heaven and Earth” by the famous Hastings sculptor Jacques Lipchitz and it’s located on a grassy area between the Municipal Building and the Public Library (1966). A plaque on its base reads: BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH JACQUES LIPCHITZ 1891-1973 PRESENTED IN 1969 BY THE SCULPTOR TO HIS ADOPTED HOMETOWN OF HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON, NY Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Fuji ...
A walk around Hastings-on-Hudson. An Eagle A cast aluminum eagle originally perched atop the Municipal Building’s pediment. It had to be removed because of its weight. It’s now located on the terrace outside the main entrance. The plaque on the base reads: To commemorate the centennial of the village of Hastings-on-Hudson Incorporated November 18, 1879 Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Fuji XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OSS II
A walk around Hastings-on-Hudson. A Statue David Throwing Stones at Goliath by Paul Chandler, 1978. Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Fuji XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OSS II
Inspirational Rocks I came across these brightly colored rocks during one of my dog walks. They had been strategically placed right at the edge of a garden so that passers-by like myself could easily see them. In case you can’t make out the words the rocks read: Faith, Kindness, Love, Family and Joy. Taken with ...
In Manhattan. A few statues. During my walk along Lexington and Third avenues I came across a number of statues. Above: The statue of Edwin Booth in Gramercy Park, erected in 1918, is one of the most notable features of the Park. The Shakespearean actor, who is seen depicted as Hamlet, was one of the most celebrated actors of the 19th ...
In Manhattan. Two hippos and a rhinoceros I recently went into New York City to take some photographs. On the train down I found I had a bit of a dilemma. Do I go to some of the ‘sights’ that I haven’t yet visited (e.g. South Street Seaport, Ellis Island, The High Line etc.)? Or do I just walk around ...
Lunch in Yonkers, NY – A Couple of Murals Yonkers seems to have a lot of murals. Here are just two of them. Above: Detail of a mural by Dutch artist, Eelco van den Berg overlooks Mill Street Courtyard in downtown Yonkers. The public space was designed around a newly recovered portion of the Saw Mill River. A contemporary wall mural by street artist Fumero ...
Lunch in Yonkers, NY – Spanish American War Monument Sculpted marble block with a bronze plaque depicting soldiers (I missed this plaque) and topped with a bronze statue of a soldier carrying a gun. The front of the base shows an eagle and an inscription which reads: Erected by the City of Yonkers To Her Soldiers, Sailors and Marines Of the Spanish American War, The Philippine Islands Insurrection And Boxer Uprising 1928 I ...
Lunch in Yonkers, NY – Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site One of my main reasons for going into Yonkers early was to take a look at this building. I’d passed by it in a car a couple of times and was amazed to see a pre-revolutionary war building right next to the more modern buildings of today’s Yonkers. Unfortunately, I was to be ...
Lunch in Yonkers, NY – Gold Star Mothers Memorial American Gold Star Mothers Memorial is a monument in downtown Yonkers, NY, dedicated to the Gold Star Mothers. They are the mothers who lost a son or a daughter during their military service in the US Armed Forces. The initiator for the Gold Star Mothers organization was Grace Darling Seibold, who lost her son in ...
Stone tablets I spotted these stone tablets on the Parish Hall of nearby All Saints Church. I have no idea what they represent. I’ll have to go to the church when there’s someone there and ask. Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Fuji XF 55-200mm f3.5-4.8 R LM OIS
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery – Some Statues The Bronze Lady – reputedly haunted. Luther Gere Tillotson monument. He was the son of Daniel Tudor Tillotson and Jane Ann Gere; husband of Emma Pinckney. founder and partner in telegraph equipment companies. This and the five pictures, which follow are all of a monument to Daniel Delavan Monument, a general in the Revolutionary War. Maybe ...
All Saints Church, Briarcliff Manor, NY Taken just after Easter Sunday. It was the flowery cross that caught my attention. The rabbit statue didn’t appear because it was Easter. It’s been there for ages and is a regular feature in the church garden. Taken with a Fuji X-E1 and Fuji XF 55-200mm f3.5-4.8 R LM OIS
Around the Neighborhood – Briarcliff Manor’s stone lanterns I first spotted one of these lanterns (first picture) shortly after we moved to Briarcliff Manor back in 1998. Interesting, I thought – wondering why such an oriental piece was outside the Congregational Church Parish House. I didn’t think much more about it until some years later when I was walking around taking ...
Easter Sunday Dinner with friends Antonio and Marili. Impressive table setting featuring beautiful tulips from the garden. I loved the Easter bunny. Of course there have to be Easter Get Cracking The evening started with one of Marili’s wonderful cocktails. She’s a well known mixologist and her creations are always different and scrumptious. I was particularly fascinated by the ‘Guarapo de Piña’, a very refreshing drink ...
Oriental Garden Ornaments I spotted these garden ornaments clustered near the base of the mailbox of a nearby house while I was walking the dog. Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Fuji XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OSS II
Hudson view from Scarborough Metro-North Station In the foreground part of one of the six stained glass windows from the “Untitled with Sky” installation by Liliana Porter, Ana Tiscornia and Willet Hauser Architectural Glass. Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Fuji XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OSS II
Lions at the Gate This is the main entrance to an old mansion built by Walter Law, the founder of Briarcliff Manor. It’s about a five minute walk from my house. It’s fairly easy to find information online about Law, but difficult to find anything relating to the mansion other than that the estate was probably called “The Manor”. ...
In New York City – Lincoln Center – Reclining Figure “Reclining Figure” 1963–5 (LH 519) is a statue by Henry Moore. The original two-part bronze statue of a human figure was commissioned for the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, where it has been displayed outdoors since 1965 in a pool of water to the north of the new Metropolitan Opera ...
In New York City – Lincoln Center – Constellation of Voices “Constellation of Voices” by George Condo, a golden sculpture that somehow evokes deities, lowly human performers and the anxiety of life in 2019 simultaneously. The figure, which resembles a head that’s been deformed by conflicting desires, is also pockmarked and pitted as though it’s been riddled with projectiles. There’s a distinct majesty to it too. ...
Will Spring never come – More Snow More snow, but not a lot. The pictures (particularly the first) are a bit misleading. The snow didn’t stick to paved surfaces so the roads, and more importantly my driveway were clear. Still it was rainy, cold and snowy for the entire day and I didn’t really feel like going out so ...
Lunch at the Oyster Bar I had lunch yesterday at the famous Oyster Bar in Grand Central Terminal, New York City yesterday and came across this interesting looking chair (one of a pair) in the Men’s Room. For more information on the history of this iconic restaurant see here. Taken with an Apple iPhone SE II.
A Walk around Tarrytown – Red telephone box I conclude this series of posts on my short walk in Tarrytown with this picture of something, which was once common in my homeland (UK) but now I imagine (I can only imagine as I haven’t been there for years) is much less so: the classic British bright red phone box. However, there’s something not ...
A Walk around Tarrytown – Things seen in shop windows I spotted these objects in the windows of shops on a street just off Main Street. Above a striking yellow chair and its reflection. Below: Santa, in unfamiliar garb, is still around – at least in this window in Tarrytown, NY. Taken with a Sony A7IV and Sony FE 28-75 f3.5-5.6 OSS.
A Walk around Tarrytown – Baa You may have noticed this brightly colored sheep in the previous post about the Tarrytown Music Hall. As you can see in the picture, it stands outside a yarn shop situated right next to the Music Hall. It’s certainly an interesting concept and it’s pretty much impossible to miss it. The shop is actually called ...
A Walk around Tarrytown – World War I memorial “The bronze statue was designed and sculpted by Joseph P. Pollia, a New York Sculptor. Pollia was born in Italy in 1893 moving to America he lived in the Bronx, NY, dying in 1954. He trained at the school connected to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Pollia sculpted many memorials during his life. Two ...
Eagles on Old Briarcliff Road There are three of them: one on a free standing column and one on each gatepost. When they first appeared they were an extremely bright white. Then they disappeared and reappeared some time later with their present colors. Eagle of free-standing column. Eagle on left gatepost. Eagle on right gatepost. Taken with a Sony A7IV and Tamron ...
Lunch at the Bryant Park Grill The day after the last significant storm I went into Manhattan again to say goodbye to some good friends who were leaving the US for good and moving ‘down under’. We had lunch at the Bryant Park Grill. Didn’t stick around for too long as, although it was a bright, sunny day there was still ...
A walk to Ossining – Albany Post Road (Route 9) As I was walking past the house in the preceding post three men doing garden maintenance turned on their really loud leaf blowers. I continued walking along the road very much aware of the noise of the cars racing along it. Then I heard the sound of a passing airplane before a flight ...
Mazda MX-5 My late wife used to own one of these, except that hers was the earlier model with the flip up lights and it was bright red in color. She first bought it when we were living in Geneva, and was heart broken when she had to leave it there when we moved back to ...
At ‘The Met’ – Some pictures on leaving This picture and those that follow are not part of the surrealist exhibition. Just a few things I came across as I left the museum. Above: Autumn Rhythm (Number 30), 1950. Jackson Pollock. No. 13 (White, Red on Yellow), 1958. Mark Rothko. Unfortunately I forgot to note the names/sculptors of the following pieces. Taken with a Fuji ...
At ‘The Met’ – Surrealism Beyond Borders Although we didn’t plan it that way we ended up spending most of the time at the Surrealism Beyond Borders Exhibition. For those who might be interested the exhibition runs until January 30. Above: Armoire surréaliste (Surrealist Wardrobe), 1941. Marcel Jean. Landru in the Hotel, Paris (Landru en el hotel, Paris), 1932. Antonio Berni. An onlooker considers ...
Oh no! One of the deer didn’t make it through the winter Taken with a Sony A7IV and Sony FE 70-180 f2.8
A strange looking object I was walking the dog the other day when I came across this odd looking object. I’d often passed by this particular tree and had never noticed it, so I guess it must be new. I’m not exactly sure what it is. I’m thinking that it’s a deer skull and that it ...
2021 Favorites – Black and White Pocantico Falls, Rockefeller State Park Preserve, NY. Two Trees at Scarborough Station Park, Briarcliff Manor/Scarborough, NY. The Bar at P.J. Clarkes, Manhattan, New York City. Lonesome Pine, Rockefeller State Park Preserve, NY. Icicles, Briarcliff Manor, NY. Strange Creature at Times Square Station, Manhattan, NY. Pigeons bathing on Park Avenue and 51st Street, Manhattan, NY. Woman in Starbucks, Grand Central Terminal, Manhattan, NY. Fabulous ...
On the water in New York City – On my way back to the subway After the ferry ride I was walking back along Pearl Street to the subway when I came across this interesting church, dwarfed by the skyscrapers around it. It’s the Church of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, a Roman Catholic parish church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York. It contains ...
On the water in New York City – Lady Liberty The Statue of Liberty. Need I say more…It certainly is majestic! Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Fuji XF 55-200mm f3.5-4.8 R LM OIS
On the water in New York City – Boats in the harbor New York, of course, has a very busy harbor. Here the Pacific Martina and a couple of tug boats. Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Fuji XF 55-200mm f3.5-4.8 R LM OIS
That’s the way you grind a lot of coffee Awesome machine at the Black Cow coffee shop in Croton-on-Hudson. According to their website: Michael and Peggy Grant opened the black cow on a wing and a prayer in 1995. they had two young children at the time, Peggy was working as a nurse and Michael as a contractor, and there were more than a few ...
Atgetesque Eugène Atget is one of my photographic heroes: Working in and around Paris for some 35 years, in a career that bridged the 19th and 20th centuries, Eugène Atget created an encyclopedic, idiosyncratic lived portrait of that city on the cusp of the modern era. His career began around 1890, when he hung a shingle reading, ...
Bright green vacuum This one is an oldie, taken back in June, 2012 in Ossining, NY. I was attracted to the rather seedy looking façade of the house and the vivid yellowish-green of the rather incongruous looking vacuum cleaner standing outside. In those days I was a bit obsessed with black and white conversions and I posted a ...
An Urn I’ve been waiting for about a year to take this picture. I first noticed it in Winter 2020 and was attracted to it’s shape and the way the tangled branches were growing around it. I kept meaning to take a a picture of it, but before I knew it Winter had passed, ...
Still more New York City pictures A few pictures taken while walking from one destination in New York City to Another. Above: Blue bicycles. Skyscrapers. I liked all the different shapes and lines. Abstract composition in an iron girder? Street people. I don’t usually take pictures of street people, but there were so many of them along this one block near St. Patrick’s Cathedral. ...
Inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral It’s been almost 10 years since I was at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. At that time I was using a newly acquired Sony NEX-5N (which I still have) and an adapted vintage manual focus lens: a Canon FD f1.4. I was unfamiliar with the camera, particularly some of the features (e.g. focus zoom and focus ...
In and around Rockefeller Center I’ve been going into New York City a lot of late. Here are a few pictures from one of my recent trips. I went to meet up with friends for a few drinks one evening. I decided to go in early so I could take a few pictures before we got together. ...
More macros More attempts at macro photography – this time some coins, a screw and some kind of winged seed. Taken with a Sony A6000 and 7artisans 60mm F2.8 Macro Lens and Sony A77II and Minolta 50mm f2.8 Macro lens
Around the Neighborhood – Christmas decorations I took these pictures several days before Thanksgiving and the Christmas decorations were already out. Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Fuji XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OSS II
Around the Neighborhood – Stained glass at Scarborough Station On one of my trips into New York City I noticed these stained glass windows on the platform. I’d spotted them before, but I don’t think I ever took a picture of them. “In 2010, Metro-North began a program called Arts for Transit. As part of the program, an art installation was created for the ...
Around the Neighborhood – Squires Squires is one of my favorite Briarcliff Manor hangouts. It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but inside it’s warm and cosy. It reminds me a bit of an English pub where regular customers come to enjoy a meal, something to drink and a chat. The staff are friendly and the food, ...
Around the Neighborhood – Pink Balloons Briarcliff Manor has a pleasant coffee shop called Moonbean Cafe. It’s in an old house with a porch that you can sit on and sip your coffee. You can even sit in its small garden. For some reason the porch was festooned with pink balloons and artificial roses. I should have asked why but didn’t. ...
Hallowe’en in Sleepy Hollow – A couple of takes on the Headless Horseman Above the 18-foot tall sculpture of the Headless Horseman and Ichabod Crane was created by artist Linda Perlmutter and built by Milgo/Bufkin Metal Fabrication. Its steel panels were chemically treated to oxidize a rich cinnamon hue. The statue, weighing 11-tons, was unveiled on Halloween day, 2006. I’ve tried to take pictures of this for years with ...
Hallowe’en in Sleepy Hollow – Ghoulies, Ghosties, Witches and Giant Spiders Since Hallowe’en is so much associated with Sleepy Hollow (because of Washington Irving’s “Legend of Sleepy Hollow) I expected to find lots of Hallowe’en decorations and I wasn’t disappointed. Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Fuji XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OSS II
A Candle holder I liked the way the light was falling on the candle holder and casting a shadow. Taken with a Fuji X-E1 and Fuji XF 35mm f1.4 R
Goodbye my friend I was sad to learn recently that my friend, Paul Savior had passed away. I’ve posted pictures of him, his house and garden and even helped him do a photobook of old pictures for his children (See: Paul’s house; My friend Paul; One of Paul’s cats; and Paul and Family. A recent communication from the ...
The Cloisters – Additional artwork Taken with a Fuji X-E1 and Fuji XF 35mm f1.4 R
The Cloisters – Statues Taken with a Fuji X-E1 and Fuji XF 35mm f1.4 R
The Cloisters – Architecture Second picture taken with a Fuji X-E1 and Fuji XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OSS II. Remainder taken with a Fuji X-E1 and Fuji XF 35mm f1.4 R.
The Cloisters – Tapestries “While examples of textile art are displayed throughout the museum, there are two dedicated rooms given to individual series of tapestries, the South Netherlandish Nine Heroes (c. 1385) and Flemish The Hunt of the Unicorn (c. 1500). The Nine Heroes room is entered from the Cuxa cloisters. Its 14th-century tapestries are one of the earliest ...
A gift from a friend This interesting little statuette was given to me by a friend. He said it was from Peru. Another good friend told me that it’s an Ekeko, the Aymara god of prosperity. Apparently you need to give an Ekeko to someone else as tradition is that prosperity multiplies when you share it Taken with a Sony A77II ...
Another trip into Manhattan This time to meet up with my friend Robert Cohen. We met near where he lives, an area I’m not very familiar with. Above: Subway station at 96th Street and Broadway. Pigeons near the 96th Street subway station. Blue Marble Café where we met and picked up coffee. Robert in what he refers to as his secret ...
A Walk along the Old Croton Aqueduct – Untermyer Gardens, A lion and a unicorn I’ve been to Untermyer a couple of times before, once in 2012 (See: Untermyr Park, Yonkers, NY) and again in 2016 (See the series of posts starting with: Untermyr Gardens Revisited – Overview). The restoration work has made great progress. When I first went quite a lot of structures were virtual ruins, now they’ve mostly ...
A Walk along the Old Croton Aqueduct – Ventilator 18 and its brightly colored stones Ventilators, conical stone towers about 20 feet high, were placed about a mile apart along the Aqueduct “to give free circulation of air through the Aqueduct,” in the words of the chief engineer John Jervis. The aqueduct has 21 of these ventilators – this is number 18. Although interesting after a while they all tend ...
Mind the gap Taken at Scarborough station, Briarcliff Manor, NY as I waited for a Metro North train to take me into New York City. On the way back I apparently didn’t ‘Mind the gap’ well enough. As I stepped off the train my foot caught on the edge of the platform and over I went. Thankfully ...
Quarters Another attempt at macro photography. Getting better – as long as my subject is stationary. I’m still not too good with a moving target. Taken with a Sony A77II and Minolta 50mm f2.8 Macro lens
Another trip into Manhattan – lunch at ‘Inside Park at St. Bart’s’ We had lunch at Inside Park at St. Bart’s, which occupies a portion of St. Bartholomew’s Church (seen in the background): a historic Episcopal parish founded in January 1835, and located on the east side of Park Avenue between 50th and 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan, in New York City. In 2018, the church celebrated ...
Paul’s house I mentioned my friend, Paul in the preceding post (See: My friend Paul). This is the inside of his house. He has an fascinating collection of objects, the highlight of which is probably his collection of vintage magazines (not shown in these pictures). They are displayed in frames he designed so that ...
Ken’s Hat I had to drop off something at my friend Ken’s house. As I walked up I saw that he was outside and working in the garden. He must have decided that he’d done enough gardening because he invited me onto his deck for a drink. As we walked up to the table ...
An Antiques Barn – Around the Barn The barn is situated right next to an attractive wooded area, which I believe also belongs to the owner of the barn. A few discarded objects are scattered around in the vicinity of the barn. Taken with a Fuji X-E1 and Fuji XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OSS II
An Antiques Barn – The Antiques After chatting for a while I ambled down to the barn to take a look at the antiques. Taken with a Fuji X-E1 and Fuji XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OSS II
Around the Neighborhood – Another Statue Last December I posted a picture of a statue along the road to the former Walter Law Mansion in Briarcliff Manor, NY (See: Around the Neighborhood – A Statue) Here’s another one…different statue, same location. Taken with a Sony A6000 and 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 OSS.
Invasion of the Gnomes When I was growing up in the United Kingdom you would see these small, gnome statues in gardens all over. Apparently quite a few people liked them, but they were seen by others as being tasteless and were often the subject of jokes. Of course it’s also possible some people had them to annoy ...
A Screw In an earlier post (See: A Blue Car) I mentioned that I was trying macro photography again. This is another attempt. I came across this small screw lying on the floor of my balcony. I don’t know where it came from, but it seemed to me that it would make a decent subject ...
Alder Manor – An Overlook Heading West from the house you come to this columned structure overlooking the Hudson. It contains a number of fragments of classical looking stonework. I have no idea whether they are authentic or not. Taken with a Fuji X-E1 and Fuji XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OSS II
Alder Manor – Statues and other assorted stonework A number of statues are scattered around the garden. I have no idea who/what they represent. Taken with a Fuji X-E1 and Fuji XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OSS II
Around the Neighborhood – Red hydrants A little while ago I was watching a Youtube video by a well known landscape photographer. He suggested that a good photograph should pose questions to the viewer. This one certainly made me ask a few questions, the most important being why are these two (yes there are two of them, one is far ...
Around the Neighborhood – Rocks and pebbles I was attracted to the contrasting warm and cooler colors, the different textures of the rocks and the pebbles, and the various shapes. Taken with a Fuji X-E1 and Fuji XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OSS II
In New York City – A break for refreshments I knew that I would be early for my appointment so since it was a hot day I decided to stop for something to drink. My chosen venue was The Perfect Pint on 45th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues (a couple of blocks from where I used to work). I chose to sit ...
In New York City – Grand Central Terminal – Interesting sights A pair of colorful roosters. Entrance to Track 115, lower level. I liked the contrast between the ornate carvings and the mundane piece of plywood (with its warnings) behind. Also the eerie blue light makes it feel like you’re entering some kind of supernatural realm. Bright, shiny metal mailbox. Taken with an Olympus OM-D EM-10 and ...
A blue car Trying my hand at macro photography again, this time with a flash (MEIKE 320S Mini TTL Speedlite Automatic Flash) and diffuser (Angler PSFD-100 Portable Speedlight Flash Diffuser). The last picture shows scale. Clearly I have a long way to go. In my defense I only wanted to ensure that the eyes were in focus. I ...
Around the Neighborhood – A Flag I was on one of my walks when I spotted this flag. What attracted me was its old, weather-beaten look with its bright and largely smooth texture set against the darker, textured tree it was leaning on. I’m conscious of the fact that property owners might be suspicious of people taking pictures of ...
On the Balcony – Chinese Firewater Towards the end of the day I like to sit on the balcony outside the bedroom, watch the sun go down over the meadow, and have something to drink. This particular day, however, I went to get my beverage and found that the cupboard was virtually bare. I thought there was still an ...
Around the Neighborhood – Grumpy face in a telephone pole. I see a grouchy face here. Do you? Taken with a Sony A6000 and 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 OSS.
Around the Neighborhood – Around Scarborough Station – A statuette I came across this small, reclining statuette in Sparta Cemetery. I just liked the way it looked. Taken with an Olympus OM-D EM-10 and Panasonic Lumix G 20mm (40mm full frame equivalent) F1.7, a newly acquired lens.
Around the Neighborhood – Around Scarborough Station – Cock-a-doodle-do More rusting metal found by the side of Revolutionary Road in Scarborough, NY. – this time a metal rooster adorning a gate post. Taken with an Olympus OM-D EM-10 and Panasonic Lumix G 20mm (40mm full frame equivalent) F1.7, a newly acquired lens.
Around the Neighborhood – Around Scarborough Station – Objects by the roadside I came across these chunks of metal while walking along Revolutionary Road in Scarborough, NY. I have no idea what they are, but I’ve always been attracted to rusting metal. Taken with an Olympus OM-D EM-10 and Panasonic Lumix G 20mm (40mm full frame equivalent) F1.7, a newly acquired lens.
Around the Neighborhood – Along the waterfront in Ossining – Rope on a post I liked the textures of the rope. Another test of the out of focus areas. Taken with a Sony A6000 and Canon 50mm f1.4 LTM.
Around the Neighborhood – Along the waterfront in Ossining – Lantern on a rope Testing the out of focus areas on this old Leica thread mount lens. Not bad at all! Taken with a Sony A6000 and Canon 50mm f1.4 LTM.
Around the Neighborhood – The Road to the Walter Law Mansion Walter Law founded Briarcliff Manor, the village where I’ve lived for the past 23 years: Walter William Law (November 13, 1837 – January 17, 1924) was a businessman and the founder of the 8,000-person village of Briarcliff Manor, New York. He was a vice president of furniture and carpet retailer W. & J. Sloane, and later ...
Woman in Blue Seen at a local craft show/flea market. I liked the bright blue colors and the stretched shape of the figure. Taken with an Apple iPhone 6s.
Harley checks out the Henry Villard Monument One of the more impressive sculptures in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. It’s called The End of the Day’s Work Henry Villard (born Ferdinand Heinrich Gustav Hilgard) grew up in a well-to-do family in Bavaria. He was a rebellious child, which his father tried to curb by sending him to military school. Then in 1853 and without ...
On the River at Croton Landing – Stuff on the beach Flotsam? Jetsam? I’m not sure what the distinction is. Nor do I know whether of not and of these objects fall into either category. To me it’s all just stuff on the beach. I liked the color contrast between the dark ribbon-like material (I find myself wondering what it is) and the bright orange color ...
On the River at Croton Landing – Driftwood I was attracted to the lines, patterns and textures of this scarred, and weather-beaten piece of driftwood. Taken with an Olympus OM-D EM-10 and Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-42 f3.5-4.6 II
On the River at Croton Landing – Lost Beach Ball Or is it a balloon? Whichever it is I’m sure some child was very sorry to lose it. If it’s a balloon might it have started out at a birthday party or some such event miles inland eventually being blown over to its present resting place. Was it even lost at Croton Landing? ...
On the River at Croton Landing – Boats at Croton Yacht Club Blue and white boats waiting for Winter to end and Spring to begin. My late wife was a passionate collector of blue and white pottery and created and administered a Facebook group on this topic. But her love of these colors wasn’t limited to china. We have blue and white pillows, curtains, place mats, dog ...
Kneeling Woman I’ve been taking pictures of this kneeling woman/girl clutching the crosspiece of a stone cross ever since I first came to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery (probably about 20 years ago). It’s an interesting grave marker in that it seems to commemorate George W. Dibble and his two wives. On the left side it mentions “Annie Hayt ...
Stained Glass Window Stained glass window in the community mausoleum in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery portrays the cemetery, the Old Dutch Church and Philipsburg Manor in the background. Taken with a Sony RX100.
A Jug I was washing the dishes when I saw this small jug on the window sill in the kitchen. It must have been there for years, but I never noticed it until today, when some nice light coming through the window picked it out. Taken with an Olympus OM-D EM-10 and Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-42 ...
Sylvan Glen 2021 – A last look As I was on my way back to the exit via the dog park when I noticed something white and metallic looking off to my left in the woods. This is what I found. I have no idea what kind of car this is and I’m astonished that they were able to get it to ...
A Walk along the Hudson in Peekskill – ARC According the a nearby information plaque: ARC by William Logan. Welded Aluminum and Steel. The form of this sculpture has been abstracted from river-going vessels and nautical moorings. Its center-of-gravity has been adjusted to give it buoyancy, enabling the sculpture to respond to the wind. Welded aluminum, steel chains and shackles reinforce the ...
Around the Neighborhood – Snow covered lantern My house stands on the site of an old mansion, which used to be enclosed by a brick wall. The wall still exists. Entrances have been made through the wall to the properties inside (including mine). I came across this snow and ice covered lantern on the wall next to the entrance of one ...
Splashes of Color With all of the snow on the ground the landscape is largely monochrome nowadays so to come across these brightly colored fire hydrants was a refreshing change. Taken with a Sony A6000 and Canon 50mm f1.4 LTM
Around the Neighborhood – Santa’s Sleigh and Polar Bears I came across this tableau in a nearby garden. Taken with a Panasonic Lumix GF-1 and Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-42 f3.5-4.6 II
Owen Jones Memorial Revisited I have always felt that this is perhaps the most impressive memorial in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. For more information on Owen Jones see my earlier post: Owen Jones Memorial, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery Taken with a Panasonic Lumix GF-1, Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-42 f3.5-4.6 II and Lumix G Vario 45-150mm f4-5.6
Around the Neighborhood – Guardian Lion This lion is one of a number that guard the entrances to a large mansion on Central Ave. in Briarcliff Manor. Inscribed on the columns on either side of the gate is the word “Hohensichtlich”. “Hohen” means high in German, and “Sichtlich” means visibly. Put them together and what do you get: I ...
Around the Neighborhood – Hark the Herald Angels Sing I came across these trumpet playing Christmas angels outside one of the large, impressive houses on Central Drive in Briarcliff Manor. Taken with a Panasonic Lumix GF1, Lumix G Vario 14-42 f3.5-4.6 II
Another Ossining Civil War Memorial Apparently dissatisfied with the Civil War Memorial in Nelson Park the town of Ossining decided to build another one. According to New York Almanac: Soon after it appeared, “The Kneeling Angel” acquired a derisive name, “The Squatting Angel.” Perhaps some felt that the figure’s kneeling position presented an image of sorrowfulness that was not in ...
The Bronze Lady of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery Many travelers come to Sleepy Hollow in search of its best-known spirit—the Headless Horseman, made famous by Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” However, these ghost seekers may not be aware of a second local legend, which has haunted the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery for over 100 years: the Bronze Lady. Larger than life and cast ...
Around the neighborhood – US Flag It was perhaps ironic that after the pictures of the Trump National Golf Course in the preceding post, the next picture I took was of this US Flag. It was lying forgotten, torn, tattered and partly covered by dead leaves on the side of the road. Might be symbolic of something, but I’ve no ...
Around the neighborhood – Nelson Park – Cannons I’ve passed this park many times in the car, and each time spotted the cannon that was close to the road. I kept meaning to go back one and to take some pictures. This time I was on foot and had a camera with me. There are actually two cannons: one up by the road ...
Around the neighborhood – Caution Bees Seen on a sign affixed to a tree along the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail. Not something you see every day. I wonder what the story behind this is. I imagine that the owner of the property on which the tree stands must keep bees? Taken with a Panasonic Lumix GF-1 and Lumix G ...
Around the Neighborhood – Christmas Angel I came across this interesting Christmas Angel outside a house in our neighborhood. It’s made entirely of wire of some kind. Taken with a Panasonic Lumix GF1, Lumix G Vario 14-42 f3.5-4.6 II
Around the Neighborhood – A Statue This statue is one of many that line the driveway of a large house near ours. Taken with a Panasonic Lumix GF1, and Lumix G Vario 45-150 f4-5.6
Around the Neighborhood – Southbound Metro North Train I usually take pictures while walking the dog in the woods. However, of late I find the woods rather boring. There are only so many pictures of bare trees, dead trees, brown dead leaves, rock walls, boulders etc. that you can take. So instead of the woods I decided to walk the dog around our ...
V.E. Macy Park – The Great Hunger Memorial This was definitely the highlight of the visit. I didn’t even know of the existence of this amazing sculpture. It the Great Hunger Memorial by Eamonn O’Doherty (1939-2011). It was was unveiled on June 24, 2001 to commemorate the suffering of millions of Irish peasants who died from the potato famine or were ...
A lonely Bell In the preceding post there are a couple of lists of notables who either attended services, or contributed to the funding of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Briarcliff Manor, NY. However, I deliberately left out one name so I could mention him in this post. As I was leaving the church I noticed this small bell ...
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery – Statues A few statues. Taken with a Sony A6000 and 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 OSS kit lens.
A walk at Graham Hills Park It was a Saturday and I had intended to go for another walk at Rockwood Hall, but it was teeming with people so I thought I’d try the Rockefeller State Park. It was the same story: the car park was full and the parked cars were backed up all the way down to Route ...
Old Tractor I’ve always been fond of old, rusting pieces of metal so I couldn’t ignore this old, rusting, once colorful Tractor. Taken with a Sony A6000 and 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 OSS kit lens.
The Eagle at Philipse Manor Station The Grand Central Eagle. Part of the Grand Central Station renovation of 1898, the eagle is one of 11 that graced the historic building’s monumental clock towers for 12 years at 42nd Street and Park Avenue. In 1910, as the station began renovations to become the Grand Central Terminal building we are all familiar with today, ...
Manhattan Street Scene Seen while walking around in Manhttan. Along Lexigton Avenue if I remember correctly. Taken with a Sony NEX 5N and 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 OSS kit lens.
Japanese Pagoda Lantern in Law Park. Another new addition to our local park, Law Park in Briarcliff Manor: This time a Japanese Pagoda Lantern. I’ve seen a few others in the village, most notably around the Briarcliff Congregational Church. The ones around the church look modern, but this one somehow looks older. But I have no idea regarding what it is ...
Around the Neighborhood – Scarecrows in Law Park Every year our town organizes Hallowe’en related events. For example the children come out and paint the store windows (see Hallowe’en paintings). The scarecrows have recently appeared in our town park. I don’t recall having seen them before so perhaps this is something new. Or maybe I’ve just missed them in the past. Taken ...
Carouge – Around the Place du Marché – Bright Colors I noticed these on the ground near the Cinema Bio. The first one is clearly a picture of some kind while the the second appears to be a game of some sort. I liked the way the shadow of the person walking their dog fell across the picture. I liked the idea ...
Nyon – A few shots around the Place du Chateau View up the Place du Chateau taken from near the castle. I saw this in a window and since it was the day after Christmas I couldn’t resist taking a picture of it. Interesting facade. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Nyon – Strange Sculpture Outside the Castle I came across this strange looking statue outside the castle. I have no idea why it’s there or what it represents. It’s looks as if the sculptor was influenced by ancient egyptian sculpture – maybe Anubis? Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Garden Statues My late wife was an avid gardener and she liked all kinds of garden statuary. Here are a couple she picked up not too long ago. Taken with a Sony A6000 and some kind of adapted legacy lens (I don’t recall which).
Flags in Carmel, NY I have no idea why they’re there. I wonder if they have enough? Taken with a Sony RX100 M3.
A walk around downtown Peekskill at night I don’t often take pictures at night, but this time I found myself at a loose end in Peekskill and after having a bite to eat I decided to have a walk around. I quite like the results. Maybe I should do some more. This is where I ate: a very pleasant Irish pub ...
A walk around White Plains White Plains is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. An inner suburb of New York City, it is the county seat and commercial hub of Westchester, a densely populated suburban county that is home to approximately one million people. White Plains is located in south-central Westchester, with its downtown (Mamaroneck Avenue) 25 ...
New Year In Paris 4: A Walk Around Montparnasse I’m interested in cemeteries and would have loved to have gone to “Père la Chaise”. Unfortunately it was too far away and I didn’t have time. However, we were staying in Montparnasse and the Montparnasse cemetery is almost as famous so I decided to walk over and take a look. These pictures were ...
New Year in Paris 3: Boat Ride on the Seine On New Year’s Eve itself we decided to take a boat ride on the Seine. Taken with a Sony RX100M3
New Year in Paris 2: Van Gogh Exhibition While we were in Paris my wife was keen to see the the new digital exhibition in the Atelier des Lumières. So off we went. According to the exhibition’s web site: The exhibition immerses visitors in the paintings of Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890), a genius who was not recognised during his lifetime and who ...
Hudson River Museum – Glenview According to its website: In 1924, with the support of the Yonkers Art Association, the Museum was moved to Glenview, a Gilded Age mansion purchased by the City of Yonkers. Glenview was the home of the late Wall Street financier John Bond Trevor; the family owned it for 45 years. The home, which was built in ...
Hudson River Museum According to its website: The Hudson River Museum, a preeminent cultural institution in Westchester County and the New York metropolitan area. Situated on the banks of the Hudson River in Yonkers, New York, the HRM’s mission is to engage, inspire, and connect diverse communities through the power of the arts, sciences, and history. The Museum ...
A Walk Around Sleepy Hollow Cemetery – Looking out over Tarrytown Taken from the Delavan Memorial. You can just about make out the towers of Manhattan just to the right of the church spire. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
A Walk Around Sleepy Hollow Cemetery – Overview Continuing with posts featuring Fall colors we come to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, NY. This cemetery is near to our house in Briarcliff Manor, NY so I’ve been there many times. I often go in Winter because they reliably clear they snow and I can walk the dog there when other ...
Lunch in New York City Taken at Papillon, a Bistro and Bar on East 54th Street in New York City – just before last Halloween. Maybe a little over the top? Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
A Visit to Mount Gulian – Some Interior Shots An interior room. Downstairs Kitchen Old Dolls House? Spinning Wheel. Blue and White China. This one’s for my wife who collects blue and white china. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
A Visit to Mount Gulian – Baron Von Steuben These weekly excursions focus on visits to Revolutionary War Sites, and this gentleman was our reason for visiting Mount Gulian. In this badly faded painting we see Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand Steuben (born Friedrich Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin von Steuben), a former Prussian officer who served as Inspector General and a Major General of the ...
A visit to the John Jay Homestead – A Carriage This beautiful old carriage stands next to the visitor’s center. In the background the main house. Taken with a Panasonic Lumix GF1 and Lumix G Vario 14-42mm f4.0-5.6 II.
A visit to the John Jay Homestead – Picture of John Jay John Jay. President of the Second Continental Congress. Principal negotiator of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Revolutionary War. US Secretary for Foreign Affairs. Co-author of the US Constitution. First Chief Justice of the United States. Governor of New York from 1795 to 1801. Taken with a Panasonic Lumix GF1 and Lumix G Vario 14-42mm ...
A visit to the John Jay Homestead – Old Chevrolet This old Chevrolet stands outside the Muscoot Tavern. I like old cars (even if I don’t know much about them) and any kind of rusting machinery, so this was doubly appealing to me. Taken with a Panasonic Lumix GF1 and Lumix G Vario 14-42mm f4.0-5.6 II.
An Evening at The Winery – The Men’s Room The men’s room at “The Winery” was quite flashy. Also blue has always been my favorite color, and again this glass bottle with the red flowers had something of the “still life” about it. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
An Evening at The Winery – A Mantel I’m not entirely sure what drew me to this. Something of the found still life about it??? Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
An Evening at The Winery – A Wine Rack I liked the geometrical shapes: the square wooden frame; the diagonal wooden dividers; the round ends of he wine bottles. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
2019 Favorites – Black and White As we come to the end of another year it’s time for me to go through my annual ritual of picking a few (actually 12) of my favorite pictures from 2018, starting with black and white. This year 9 of the 12 pictures are from film cameras.
Tricycle in a playground I came across this brightly colored tricycle in an equally brightly colored playground in a shopping center in Mohegan Lake, NY. Taken with a Panasonic Lumix GF1 and Lumix G Vario 45-150mm f4.0-5.6
Japanese Maple Taken at the end of October, just before the leaves fell. I came across the spectacular Japanese Maple while walking the dog around Lake Shore Road. Taken with a Panasonic Lumix GF1 and Lumix G Vario 45-150mm f4.0-5.6
A penny for your thoughts In this case lots of thoughts to go with the numerous pennies. Many of the tables in the restaurant (Smalley’s Inn in Carmel, NY) where I had lunch had tops made out of pennies. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
A final take on Hallowe’en This display stands outside a funeral home near the border of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow. Apart from the usual Halloween symbols (Jack-o-lanterns, scarecrows etc.) it depicts the headless horseman from Washing Irving‘s famous story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow“. Because of its association with Washington Irving (who lived in the neighboring town of Irvington, NY) ...
A walk along Route 6 – A digger Abandoned digger. At least it doesn’t seem to have moved in quite some time. These things always remind me of some kind of prehistoric animal. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
A walk around Lyndhurst – Around the garden A few objects that caught my attention as I wandered around the garden. Above a detail of one of the uprights in the rose garden. Another detail on some kind of garden structure. Swan in the courtyard of he former stables, now the visitor’s center. Base of a fountain. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Hallowe’en Symbols: Corn Husks Corn husks are Halloween symbols that go all the way back to the times of Samhain when agriculture was a big part of the season. In modern times, corn husk decorations can stick around all the way through Thanksgiving, like the scarecrow. This is because corn husks symbolize the end of harvest and the change of ...
Hallowe’en Symbols: Witch Witch symbols are still some of the most traditional Halloween images around. The iconic silhouette of a witch riding through a full moon is one of the more popular witch images used on Halloween. Why is the witch associated with Halloween? In Celtic culture witches were supernatural female healers. This is why Witch is derived from ...
Hallowe’en Symbols: Spider Spider symbolism is extensive in folklore and mythology with spiders being seen as weavers of fate and oracles of death. This will focus on Halloween spider symbolism because spiders and their webs are consistently found woven throughout this spooky holiday. Historically, spider symbolism took a dark turn at the time of the Witch Hunts. Like other ...
Hallowe’en Symbols: Skull Skulls as Halloween symbols can be found together or separate from skeletons. The skull symbol can mean death or danger. Like the skeleton, it is a reminder of human mortality and the short time we have to live. Skulls are fun Halloween symbols, but they also remind us that we will eventually end up in the ...
Hallowe’en Symbols: Skeleton Skeletons are striking Halloween symbols because they are a stark reminder of death. Skeletons remind us that Halloween has always been a holiday about the dead. For some, it’s believed that on Halloween night the spirits of the dead can walk the earth. Another reason skeletons are great Halloween symbols is because the visual of skeleton ...
Hallowe’en Symbols: Scarecrow As I walked around looking for Halloween images I expected to see ghosts, monsters, skeletons and the like – all of them somewhat spooky. What I didn’t expect to find were so many cute little scarecrows. At first I thought that Halloween had become politically correct, but it appears that scarecrows are valid ...
Hallowe’en Symbols: Ghosts Ghosts have always been a symbol of Halloween. Even during the festival of Samhain, the Celtic people believed ghosts were nearby because the veil between the living and dead was at its thinnest. It’s believed that the spirits of the dead can walk among the living on Halloween night, making the ghost symbol fitting for this ...
Hallowe’en Symbols: Jack-O-Lantern Hallowe’en is now long gone, but I thought I’d explore some of the meanings of the various symbols of Hallowe’en starting with the “Jack-o-Lantern”. The pumpkin symbol began long ago in Ireland when the Celts would carve turnips on All Hallow’s Eve. They would place an ember inside the turnip to keep evil spirits at bay. There ...
Giraffes on Alpine Place I came across this small family of Giraffe’s during one of our walks around the lake. I have no idea why they’re there. Curious. First picture taken with a Panasonic Lumix GF1 and G vario 14-42 asph f3.5-5.6; second with the same camera and a Lumix G Vario 45-150mm f4.0-5.6
On the waterfront in Ossining I went for dinner and drink (or two) with a friend on the waterfront in Ossining, NY. We chose 3 Westerley for the venue. Above boats on the river. Sunset over Hook Mountain State Park The Haverstraw Ferry arrives “Take me to the River” (the sculpture) after sundown Taken with a Sony RX-100-M3.
A visit to Kingston – Murals Kingston certainly has some impressive murals. These are just a few that we bumped into. There are many more. Above “Artemis emerging from the Quarry” (2013) by artist, Gaia. “Pronkstilleven” – a Dutch term meaning “still life”. Also by artist, Gaia. The two figures are artist, John Vanderlyn and Sojourner Truth, both of whom have connections to ...
A visit to Kingston – Time for lunch By the time we got to Kingston we were both hungry so our first stop was for lunch. After walking around for a bit trying to find somewhere we finished up at the Two Ravens Tavern. These guitars were two among many. According to Kingston Happenings: The next thing you notice are the guitars, lots ...
A visit to Fishkill – Van Wyck Homestead – Rusting Machinery Old rusting machinery. In the woods beyond here stood the Van Wyck Barn. Most likely a number of barns stood on the farm grounds over the 270 plus years that the house has been here. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
At the flea market Above – A view of one of the aisles. There were several. Back in August we went with some friends to the Elephant Trunk Flea Market in New Milford, Connecticut. According to their web site: The Elephant’s Trunk Country Flea Market began in 1976. The first markets found aisles named after New York City streets ...
In search of Sybil Ludington – The Statue This life-sized equestrian statue of Sybil Ludington by Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington stands by the banks of Lake Gleneida in Carmel, NY. Taken with a Sony RX100 M3.
In search of Sybil Ludington – A haunted inn Our next stop would take us to Carmel, NY but first a break for lunch at Smalley’s Inn. Smalley’s Inn was opened in 1852 by James Smalley who was at various times the sheriff, coroner and treasurer of the town. His daughter, Elizabeth, was only a toddler when she died, and there’s the belief that a ...
A (very) short walk around Garrison’s Landing – A pair of benches These two old, wooden benches stand outside Philipstown Depot Theater. Taken with a Panasonic Lumix GF1 and G vario 14-42 asph f3.5-5.6.
A (very) short walk around Garrison’s Landing – Beer I came across this table outside a fancy books, maps and print store called Antipodean. On it stood three cans of Coors (which I’m not so fond of) and four bottles of Newcastle Brown Ale (probably my favorite beer). I have no idea what they were doing there. It was a hot ...
The River Rose Another view from Dolly’s restaurant in Garrison’s Landing, NY. Here the “River Rose” a rear wheel paddle steamer passes a sailboat moored near the Garrison Yacht Club. The houses on the other side of the river are part of the West Point complex. Incidentally I’ve just noticed that this is the 3,000th post since I started ...
Batman A while back we went to pick up some food (See A craving for barbecue and Bikers Arrive). I noted the owner of each bike before taking some pictures. As we were waiting for the food to arrive I heard one of the servers ask for the name of this bike’s owner (presumably ...
A walk around Wiccopee Reservoir – Why do they do this? The landscape is so beautiful in the Hudson Valley. I really don’t understand why people can’t take their garbage away with them. It’s really not that hard. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Saigon Pho We had a yen for Vietnamese food the other day, and since there aren’t that many Vietnamese restaurants near us we went to one that we knew: Saigon Pho. Finally, the Asian noodle craze has touched down in Dutchess. Newcomer Saigon Pho is making a splash, bringing Vietnamese cuisine to our doorstep in a spacious, contemporary ...
Another angel Seen in Patterson Rural Cemetery, Patterson, NY. Taken with a Pentax ZX-L, SMC Pentax-F 35-70mm f3.5-4.5 and Tri-X 400.
A Violin Seen at a local flea market. Taken with a Pentax ZX-L, SMC Pentax-F 35-70mm f3.5-4.5 and Tri-X 400.
A tiny angel I’m not entirely sure why I like this. Maybe it’s because it seemed so small and fragile that I was somewhat surprised to see that it had survived Taken in Patterson, Rural Cemetery with a Pentax ZX-L, SMC Pentax-F 35-70mm f3.5-4.5 and Tri-X 400.
Sybil Ludington Statue, Carmel, NY The statue, erected in 1961, is by Anna Hyatt Huntington. Sybil Ludington was 16 years old on the night of April 26, 1777, when she rode 40 miles — more than twice the distance ridden by Paul Revere — from Danbury, Connecticut, to Carmel, New York, warning everyone that the British were planning to attack Danbury. Her ...
Stange shaped objects Another shot from the Elephant’s Trunk Flea Market in New Milford, Ct. I’m not really sure what these objects are: maybe old windows without their glass? I liked the shapes of the curving metal and wooden surrounds. Taken with a Pentax ZX-L, SMC Pentax-F 35-70mm f3.5-4.5 and Tri-X 400.
Musical instruments on a table I came across these at the same flea market as in the previous post: the Elephant’s Trunk Flea Market in New Milford, Ct. Taken with a Pentax ZX-L, SMC Pentax-F 35-70mm f3.5-4.5 and Tri-X 400.
Cigar Store Indian This wooden figure stands outside Smalley’s Inn in Carmel, NY. According to Wikipedia: The cigar store Indian or wooden Indian is an advertisement figure, in the likeness of a Native American, used to represent tobacconists. The figures are often three-dimensional wooden sculptures several feet tall – up to life-sized. They are still occasionally used for their original ...
A pair of heron statues Our friend has a house, the rear of which overlooks a wetland area. On it’s edge stand these two heron statues. I first took this picture some time ago and in its first incarnation the statues were just a silhouette. I recently re-worked the picture to show more detail. I think it’s ...
A couple of fire trucks I guess most boys love to see brightly colored red fire trucks (or fire engines as we call them where I grew up) with lights flashing and sirens blaring. I know I certainly did. Sometimes you see them in other colors. I’ve seen them in green and yellow, but to me it’s ...
Red and White Umbrellas Seen from the covered Pavilion overlooking the pool in Law Park, Briarcliff Manor. I liked the repeating pattern (of the brightly colored umbrellas and their dark shadows) and the contrast between the red and white umbrellas and the green grass. Taken with a newly acquired Panasonic Lumix GF-1 and Lumix G Vario 45-150mm f4.0-5.6.
Cherubs in the garden My wife likes garden statuary and she’s particularly fond of angels and cherubs. These two cherubs are a recent acquisition. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
A Still Life We recently had a visit from our friend, Laurie. She gave us some sunflowers. My wife put them in a blue and white vase ‘et voilà’ – still life. Vincent eat your heart out. Taken with a Sony A77II and Minolta Maxxum AF 50mm f2.8 Macro.
Washington’s Headquarters, Newburgh, New York – The Man Himself This life size statue of George Washington stands on a red granite pedestal at the base of the Tower of Victory. It was sculpted by William Rudolf O’Donovan. It looks out over the Hudson River (see next post for the view). Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Bikers Arrive Just as we were ordering our barbecue (See: A craving for barbecue) a bunch of bikers turned up. I believe there were about six in all. Most of them seemed to be on Harley’s, but the one above is a Honda. This one’s a Harley. Another Harley Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
An Oldie Taken in May 2015 at Storm King Art Center. I love the way the tree seems to dwarf the sculpture, when in fact the sculpture is much taller than the tree. I also like the bands of color: the green grass and foliage; the blue sky; and the grey clouds. The sculpture is called Pyramidian ...
Self Portrait with Two Harleys I recently took this picture of a Harley Davidson motorcycle in a parking lot. It wasn’t until I was looking at it later that I noticed that there was more in the picture than just the bike. It you look at the top of the picture (just below the Harley Davidson lettering) you’ll see a ...
The train now arriving… I was going into New York City to have lunch with a friend and former colleague. I was standing on platform 4 at Scarborough Station, Briarcliff Manor (our local station) when the train pulled in and I took this picture. Taken with an Olympus IS-3/3000 and Fujicolor Superia X-TRA400.
Film Camera 2019/5 – Olympus IS-3 – Results Boat passing under the Broadway Bridge over the Harlem River, New York City. You can find this camera for a very low price. I can understand why. It’s quite large, quite heavy and it’s impossible to put it in a pocket. It has a fixed lens, so no opportunity to changes lenses if ...
On the water in Newburgh Since my wife discovered a couple of nurseries she likes in/around Newburgh we seem to have been going there quite a lot. The waterfront is very appealing with its various restaurants and wonderful views. The picture above looks South with (if I’m not mistaken) the Hudson Highlands on the left and Storm King ...
Spinner Spinning This is my wife’s latest acquisition. It stands in our flowerbed down by the lake. It has two sets of blades, which spin when the wind hits them. It also rotates around the vertical stand to orient itself correctly to catch the wind. Quite clever really. It looks nice, but ...
A short visit to New Hartford, Connecticut – River in the frame What a clever idea! Apparently it’s a memorial to the late Pat Keener who passed away July 8, 2010. According to her obituary: “When time comes for us to again rejoin the infinite stream of water flowing to and from the great timeless ocean, our little droplet of soulful water will once again flow ...
A short visit to New Hartford, Connecticut – A collection of gourds I came across this artfully arranged collection of gourds outside a house on Main Street, New Hartford. It looked as if, at certain times of year, there is a farm stand here selling fresh vegetables. When I was there though the farm stand was empty and only these gourds remained. Taken with a Sony ...
A short visit to New Hartford, Connecticut – Bear Encounter I came across this delightful sculpture outside the New Hartford Town Hall. According to a plaque it’s called “A Very Berry Bear” and it’s by Ellen Childs. Taken with a Sony RX-100M3
A short visit to New Hartford, Connecticut – Overview For some reason when we go out we tend to go either North in New York State (e.g to Dutchess County and points farther North) or South in New York State (e.g. to Westchester County and New York City). From time to time we go West (e.g. to Rockland, Orange Counties etc.). What ...
She doesn’t seem impressed. From time to time I look back on older pictures to see if there’s anything that has potential that I might have missed when I took it. So I was browsing around in Lightroom when I came across this picture. I’d looked at it a few times before, but I guess not closely ...
Battle of Pines Bridge Revisited – The New Pines Bridge Monument. A different take. As I was walking around taking pictures of the monument I looked up from below and saw the figures silhouetted against the sky. It seemed to me that this would make an interesting picture. Taken with a Sony RX100M3.
Battle of Pines Bridge Revisited – The New Pines Bridge Monument For me this was the highlight of our visit. I’d been to the other places before (my friend Ken hadn’t), but this was new to me. I’d understood that the monument was to stand in Downing Park almost directly opposite the First Presbyterian Church, but it turned out that this was not the ...
A walk around Irvington – Colorful Kayaks Or maybe they’re canoes? Taken by the small beach/boat launching area in Matthiessen Park. Taken with a Minolta XD and Minolta MD Rokkor-X 50mm f1.7.
A walk around Irvington – A Fire Truck Who doesn’t love a bright red fire engine (as we call them in my native United Kingdom)? Certainly not me! Taken with a Minolta XD and Minolta MD Rokkor-X 50mm f1.7.
A walk around Irvington – A Statue Irvington wasn’t always called Irvington. According to a very interesting piece on Irvington in Westchester Daddy: In 1785, the state of New York confiscated the Phillipse’s land from his grandson, Frederick Philipse III, after he sided with the British in the American Revolution, and sold it to local patriot farmers who had been tenants of ...
A walk around Irvington – Red Chairs I have a weakness for bright red objects. They always look so cheerful. So I knew when I saw these chairs in the distance that I’d have to take a picture of them. I also liked the shadows cast by the bright sun, particularly those made by the sun shining through the ...
A walk around Irvington – Through a window It was around lunch and I needed a toilet so I decided to stop at nearby Kiku Sushi. While sitting there I noticed the sun shining through the window and falling on these objects. I’m not entirely sure why this appealed to me. I think it was something to do with the curved objects, ...
A walk around Irvington – A pair of dogs I came across these two dogs in the parking lot serving Sambal and other businesses by the Irvington waterfront. I have no I idea why they’re there and they seemed so incongruous that I just had to take a picture. And I love the “dopey” expression on the one on the left (and since I imagine ...
Film Camera 2019/3 – Minolta XD – Results First let me say that I wasn’t too happy with the film I used: Fujicolor Superia X-TRA400. I’ve used it before and it seems to me that it has a greenish cast, which I don’t find appealing. So why did I use it? The last few film cameras I used with black and ...
Around the Neighborhood – Sparta Cemetery – A Memorial The inscription reads: A memorial to our Revolutionary War Soldiers By the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution Mohegan Chapter Dedicated May 30, 2003 Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Around the Neighborhood – Sparta Cemetery – Faces in Stone These faces evolved from an earlier ‘death’s head’/skull motif symbolizing death’s victory and our mortality. Here the skull has disappeared and a more friendly ‘soul effigy’ has replaced it – emphasizing a more positive life and heavenly reward. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
A Birthday Present In an earlier post (See: Croton Landing – Killdeer) I expressed an interest (with some reservations) about trying bird photography: I’m quite interested in wildlife photography, but I’ve always shied away from it. There are a couple of reasons for this. First I lack the patience. Second I don’t really have the right “gear”. While I ...
Newburgh – Adams Fairacre Farms – Garden Statuary We went to Adams Fairacre Farms in Newburgh the other day as my wife wanted to take a look at their David Austin Roses. While she was looking I strolled around and took some pictures of the garden statuary scattered among the flowers, shrubs and trees. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
A visit to the Bronx Zoo – Some Architectural Details Some details of the old buildings around Astor Court. Above frieze on the old monkey house. Baboon statue on top of the old monkey house. Frieze on the old lion house. Taken with a Sony A500 and 100-200mm f4.5.
Fair Ridge Cemetery – Some more statues Although perhaps not as nice as the female statue, these had a certain charm of their own. As a dog owner/lover I couldn’t resist the two dog statues. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Fair Ridge Cemetery – Beautiful Female Statue In addition to the Friends Meeting House we also visited the nearby Fair Ridge Cemetery. It wasn’t the most interesting cemetery I’ve ever been, but it did have some statuary that caught my attention, including this lovely statue of a woman playing a lyre. To my mind this was the most eye catching ...
Chappaqua Friends Nursery School On arriving at the Chappaqua Friends Meeting House we were surprised to see a bunch of young children apparently playing among the gravestones. It seems that the Chappaqua Friends Nursery School is also located at the Friends Meeting House. Taken with a Sony RX100 M3.
A Memorial I have a weekly lunch with my friend Ken. We are trying to combine the lunch with a visit that has some kind of connection to the American Revolutionary War. We alternate choosing the restaurant/revolutionary war site and this week it was Ken’s turn and he chose the Quaker Meeting House because it ...
Quaker Hamlet District of Old Chappaqua The other day I went for a quick tour around the Quaker District of Old Chappaqua followed by lunch at the Jardin du Roi. According to Wikipedia: The Old Chappaqua Historic District is located along Quaker Road (New York State Route 120) in the town of New Castle, New York, United States, between the hamlets of Chappaqua ...
Madonna and Child This statue stands outside the church of the Parish of St. Theresa and Our Lady of the Wayside in Briarcliff Manor, NY. We’ve lived in Briarcliff Manor for 20 years and one of our grandchildren was baptized there and I’ve always referred to the church as ‘St. Theresas’. I never knew that this ...
Around the Neighborhood – Along Central Drive, Briarcliff Manor, NY Our town, Briarcliff Manor is a fairly prosperous community, but among its many locations, Central Avenue is one of the wealthiest. I was taking the dog for a walk and since Central Avenue is only a few minutes away from where we live I decided to pass by and take a few pictures. Taken with ...
America’s Most Famous Cannon At least according to an inscription on the base: Sept. 21, 1780. John Jacob Peterson of African descent and Moses Sherwood of Van Cortlandt’s 3rd West Militia took it to Croton Point and fired on the ‘Vulture‘ causing it to abandon Major Andre, the British Spy who was captured trying to escape through American territory. 1952 ...
Pavement Art in Peekskill I came across these on the sidewalk in front of a restaurant in Peekskill, NY. I love the colors. Taken with a Sony RX100 M3.
An Abandoned Horse I saw this toy horse from across the parking lot of one of our local supermarkets and couldn’t resist going over to take a closer look. It stands next to a clothing drop and I thought that when I got over to it I would find a ratty, old weather beaten object. And ...
Shiva Shadow Silhouette This statuette usually stands on a window sill in our sun room. We’d had a period of bad weather and I hadn’t been able to get out. I was a bit bored and started taking pictures in the house. My intent was to take a picture of the statuette against a plain background so ...
Orange Glass We went for lunch at La Fonda del Sol near Grand Central Terminal in New York City. They served water in attractive bright orange glasses. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Stained Glass in Harlem I’d been into New York City and on the way back the Metro North train stopped, as usual, at Harlem – 125th Street. I happened to glance through the window and spotted this colorful stained glass window. I had just enough time to rush to the door before it closed and quickly took ...
An Angel Seen in a restaurant in Carmel, NY where we had lunch one day. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Around the Neighborhood – Seen in a shop window Seen in a shop window in Briarcliff Manor, NY. Taken with a Minolta Hi-Matic 9.
Around the Neighborhood – Studebaker Land Cruiser Seen outside a nearby garage. Taken with a Minolta Hi-Matic 9.
Around the Neighborhood – Wheelbarrow and Balls This wheelbarrow stands outside of a restaurant in Briarcliff Manor NY. Taken with a Minolta Hi-Matic 9.
Metal Grating This metal grating is one of a number surrounding the base of small trees along Route 9 (Albany Post Road) near the entrance to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Back to the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery – Mile Marker This old mile marker stands on Albany Post Road (Route 9) just outside one of the main entrances to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. According to Wikipedia: The Post Road followed the original the Wickquasgeck Trail, carved into the brush of Manhattan by its Native American inhabitants. This trail originally snaked through swamps and rocks along the length of ...
A walk around Mount Kisco – Old agricultural equipment A small stream runs through Mount Kisco and crosses under West Main Street near the Native American Statue. I’ve no idea whether it has a name, but I’m guessing it’s a tributary of the Kisco River. On either side of the stream is an area of green space and it’s there that I ...
A walk around Mount Kisco – Shop Window Dummy with some interesting ‘balls’. Seen in a shop window almost directly opposite St. Francis of Assisi. Taken with an Olympus Stylus Epic/Mju II and Kodak Tri-X 400.
A walk around Mount Kisco – Native American Statue One of the first things I came across was this interesting looking statue. According to the Village’s website: There is a statue named “Chief Kisco” in Mount Kisco. There never was a real person with that name. David F. Gorham gave the statue to Mount Kisco in 1907 as a decorative top to a water fountain. On ...
A wooden chair See in a nearby shopping mall. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Blue and White outdoors Some more of my wife’s blue and white pieces. She needed to add some content to the Facebook group devoted to blue and white china that she created and administers. We were tired of the same old indoor locations so we decided to go outside into the snow. Taken with a Sony A77 II and ...
Three posters Seen on the wall of a restaurant in a nearby town. Taken with a Apple iphone 5s.
A bit tattered I first took a picture of these flags and a sign outside a nearby house in November, 2016 (See: Election 2016). Here they are again – looking a bit weathered and tattered. Taken with a Canon EOS 5D and Canon EF 50mm f1.8
Kinky Boots I came across these boots lying on the seat of a 1967 Ed Roth custom trike: “Tree Viper” (see below) at Motorcyclepedia in Newburgh, NY. Taken with a Sony NEX 5N and some kind of legacy lens, which I unfortunately didn’t record.
Cougar I came across this stuffed animal in a restaurant bar in Jefferson Valley. Not something you see every day, nor is it in the best of taste. Frankly I’m amazed that someone hasn’t complained. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Clock at Grand Central Terminal This shot of the iconic clock at Grand Central Terminal was one of the first ever from my Panasonic LX-3. According to Wikipedia: The 18-sided main information booth — originally the “information bureau” — is in the center of the concourse. Its attendants provide train schedules and other information to the public; in 2015, they fielded more ...
A Perfect Present for my wife I’ve mentioned in a number of earlier posts that my wife loves blue and white china. She collects it and also administers a group on Facebook devoted to it. I recently came across the perfect present for her. Presently it’s available on ebay, which is also the source for this picture and ebay user ...
Blue and White I’ve mentioned in earlier posts that my wife collects blue and white china and administers a Facebook group for lovers of such china. From time to time she asks me to take a picture of some of it. She set this up. I just took the picture. Taken with a Canon 5D and Canon EF 50mm f1.8.
NSFW The first and second images were taken in the Kathmandu (Nepal) Valley sometime in 1999. Probably taken with a Canon AE-1 and zoom lens (I don’t remember which one). The final image below is a heavily manipulated version of a picture taken looking into a shop window somewhere in Mid Town Manhattan. Taken with ...
Bling Saw this shiny stuff lying on a table at a friends house. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
New Years Eve Party 2018-2019 – Food and Drink And this was by no means all of it. There were additional tables with food and a self-service bar in the corner. One of the food highlights were Tim’s Elk sliders. Tim’s a hunter and the sliders were delicious. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
New Years Eve Party 2018-2019 – Decorations Some of the attractive decorations, which added a lot to the wonderful ambience. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
2018 Favorites – Color And now 10 favorites from 2017 in color.
Caribou Our friend Tim loves to hunt. He and his wife also keep chickens and grow vegetables so they’re virtually self sufficient as far as food goes. Although I’m not altogether comfortable with killing, sometimes cute, living creatures I realize that I’m being hypocritical in that I continue eating meat. It’s just that someone else ...
Hand painted sink I came across these lovely hand painted flowers on a sink at a friends house. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
New printer Our ancient (more than 10 years old) printer has finally given up the ghost. Actually it hasn’t completely packed up. It still prints, but only in green and I’ve been unable to fix whatever problem exists. It wasn’t worth getting it fixed so it was time to get a new one. ...
Seasons Greetings A very Happy Christmas to all! Taken with an Apple iPhone 5s. I did have a better camera with me but unfortunately I left the memory card elsewhere.
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome – Up up and away I visited the aerodrome on a weekday and I knew the airshows were only on weekends. So I didn’t expect to see anything flying. But then I heard the sound of an engine and hurried over towards the runway just in time to see this New Standard D-25 taxi out and take off. According to Aircraft ...
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome – Golden Age Hangar. Fairchild 24. According to The Museum of Flight: The Fairchild F-24 is a truly classic aircraft in its field. Built in the 1930s and 1940s as an economical and easy-to-fly touring aircraft, the F-24 became the plane of choice for many Hollywood stars including Robert Taylor, Tyrone Power, Mary Pickford, and Jimmy Stewart. When the U.S. entered World ...
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome – Golden Age Hangar. Morane-Saulnier MS.130 According to the Military History Encyclopedia on the Web: The Morane-Saulnier M.S.130 was a parasol wing trainer that saw most use with the French navy. It was developed from the M.S.53, itself an improved version of the M.S.50. The M.S.50 was similar to the M.S.35, a training aircraft originally developed in 1915. This first aircraft had ...
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome – Golden Age Hangar. 1930 Austin 7 According to Wikipedia: The Austin 7 is an economy car that was produced from 1922 until 1939 in the United Kingdom by Austin. It was nicknamed the “Baby Austin” and was at that time one of the most popular cars produced for the British market and sold well abroad. Its effect on the British market was ...
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome – Golden Age Hangar. 1931 Bird CK. According to the Golden Age Air Museum: Built in 1931 in Brooklyn, New York by the Bird Aircraft Corporation (formerly Brunner- Winkle). The CK series was the third generation Bird biplane. Previous models were powered with the 90 horsepower Curtiss OX-5 and the 100 horsepower Kinner K5 radial engine. This airplane was designed and ...
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome – Golden Age Hangar. 1931 Rolls Royce. According to the Museum’s website: Royce Boat-Tailed Speedster (1931) From 1904 through the present day the Rolls Royce name has become internationally known as the very finest in automotive engineering and luxury. Founded by Charles Rolls and Henry Royce, Rolls had the sales skills and Royce possessed the production and design knowledge to create a great team. ...
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome – Golden Age Hangar Featuring aircraft and ground vehicles from 1919-1940. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome – WWI Hangar. Sopwith Camel (Replica) According to Wikipedia: The Sopwith Camel was a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter aircraft introduced on the Western Front in 1917. It was developed by the Sopwith Aviation Company as a successor to the earlier Sopwith Pup and became one of the most iconic fighter aircraft of the First World War. The Camel was powered ...
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome – WWI Hangar. Fokker DR-1 Triplane (Replica) According to Fantasy of Flight: In early 1917, the British Sopwith Triplane began flying in combat, so the German High Command requested that a triplane be developed for their use. Many concepts were tried in an effort to produce aircraft that outperformed the enemy. Several companies entered the competition; the contract was awarded to Anthony Fokker, a ...
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome – WWI Hangar Featuring aircraft and ground vehicles from 1914-1918. A trio of World War I aircraft. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome – Pioneer Age Hangar. 1902 Wright Glider (Reproduction) According to Wikipedia: The 1902 Wright Glider was the third free-flight glider built by the brothers. This was their first glider to incorporate yaw control by use of a rear rudder, and its design led directly to the powered 1903 Wright Flyer. The brothers designed the 1902 glider during the winter of 1901/02. The wing design was ...
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome – Pioneer Age Hangar. Featuring aircraft and ground vehicles from 1900-1913. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome – Main Hangar. American Eagle A-129 According to Revolvy: The American Eagle A-129 was a 1920s biplane built in the U.S.A. Design and development The preceding American Eagle A-101 of 1926 had achieved some success, but its fierce spin characteristics had resulted in several crashes during training flights. Giuseppe Bellanca redesigned the biplane with a longer fuselage and narrower cowling to accommodate the five-cylinder ...
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome – Main Hangar. Excelsior Motorcycle. According to the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome web site: Excelsior Motorbike (1913) Chicago, Illinois U.S.A. The Excelsior Supply and Manufacturing Company was the biggest factory to produce Excelsior motorcycles and was part of the well-known Schwinn Bicycle Company. Excelsiors were produced in the U.S.A. from 1908 through 1931 when Ignaz Schwinn decided to discontinue manufacture of motorcylces. This ...
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome – Main Hangar. Blériot XI. According to Wikipedia: The Blériot XI is a French aircraft of the pioneer era of aviation. The first example was used by Louis Blériot to make the first flight across the English Channel in a heavier-than-air aircraft, on 25 July 1909. This is one of the most famous accomplishments of the pioneer era of aviation, and ...
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome – Main Hangar. Monocoupe 90. According to Aircraft in Focus: First flown in 1930, the Monocoupe Model 90 was a refinement of the 1927 Velie Monocoupe that had more power and a longer, wider fuselage. These changes transformed the Monocoupe from a puddle jumper into a high performance sport airplane. Monocoupe 90s were built until the end of Monocoupe’s ...
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome – Main Hangar. Morane-Saulnier Type AI According to the Military History Encyclopedia on the Web: The Morane-Saulnier Type AI was a single seat parasol-wing fighter developed during 1917 and that entered service early in 1918, but that had to be withdrawn after a number of wing failures. During 1916 Morane-Saulnier had attempted to produce a single-seat version of their Type P parasol reconnaissance ...
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome – Main Hangar. Metz. The museum does not just contain examples of aircraft. There’s also a substantial selection of vintage ground vehicles such as the one above: A Metz. According to the Aerodrome website: The Metz was advertised as the winner of the Glidden Tour. This tour was an eight-day competition of endurance over challenging terrain. The Metz was also ...
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome – Main Hangar. Nieuport 10 The museum consists of a main hanger adjacent to the gift shop and three other hangars representing the Pioneer, WWI and Golden Ages of aviation. This next series of pictures were taken in the main hanger. According to the Military History Encyclopedia on the Web: The Nieuport 10 was designed as a two-seat biplane reconnaissance ...
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome – Overview I first went to the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome with a friend in June, 2011. I recall that I took some spectacularly bad pictures of the aircraft flying in the airshow. At the time I noticed that there was also a museum, but I didn’t get a chance to look at it. I kept meaning ...
A doll We went to one of our favorite restaurants (La Cremaillaire) for Thanksgiving. After a wonderful meal I headed for the men’s room. On the way I passed a display cabinet containing a number of dolls/figurines). This charming female figure was one of them. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
In and around the Peekskill Brewery – Life As we were walking back to the car I noticed this series of paintings on the arches of an overpass. The series is called “Life” and they’re by Peter Bynum. There are ten of them in all, five of which are shown here. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
In and around the Peekskill Brewery – Decorative Items I came across these objects in a container on a window sill. I have no idea what they are. They look a little like balls of string. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
In and around the Peekskill Brewery – Beer Galore The restaurant certainly has a fine selection of their locally produced beer. I had the second from the right: “The Good, the Bad and the Argyle”. And very nice it was too. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
In and around the Peekskill Brewery – Light fixture Interesting looking light fixture. Sony RX-100 M3.
Sloop Clearwater Seen here at dock in Beacon, NY. According to the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater website: In 1966, folk music legend and environmental activist Pete Seeger, in despair over the pollution of his beloved Hudson River, announced plans to “build a boat to save the river.” Seeger, along with many other concerned individuals, believed that a majestic replica ...
Hudson Valley Hot-Air Balloon Festival – Hayride Another popular ride. Taken with a Sony A77M2 and Tamron A18 AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3.
Hudson Valley Hot-Air Balloon Festival – Train Ride Seemed to be popular Taken with a Sony A77M2 and Tamron A18 AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3.
Hudson Valley Hot-Air Balloon Festival – Bottini Fuel Truck Who doesn’t like a bright red truck. Taken with a Sony A77M2 and Tamron A18 AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3.
Hudson Valley Hot-Air Balloon Festival – Balloons in flight Eventually we despaired of ever seeing any balloons in flight. Several hours had passed since we arrived so we decided to head off home. As we were taking the fairly long walk back to the car park we heard a strange noise in the air, and as we looked back we saw that ...
Hudson Valley Hot-Air Balloon Festival – Balloon Rides Anyone? Judging from the lines one of the main attractions was the possibility of a ride in a hot air balloon. They spent a long time trying to get this balloon airborne. First they tried to inflate facing in one direction. Apparently this didn’t work because they deflated it again, picked it up ...
Hudson Valley Hot-Air Balloon Festival – Contact This child was certainly trying hard to get this plane started. The aircraft is a Morane-Saulnier ‘N’ from the collection of the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome. Taken with a Sony A77M2 and Tamron A18 AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3.
Hudson Valley Hot-Air Balloon Festival – Inside a hot air balloon One of the attractions was an opportunity to go inside a partially inflated hot air balloon. At one point I thought this was the only hot air balloon that we were going to see. Taken with a Sony A77M2 and Tamron A18 AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3.
Hudson Valley Hot-Air Balloon Festival – Dog on a Bicylcle Not something you see every day. Taken with a Sony A77M2 and Tamron A18 AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3.
Hudson River School Painters at Boscobel This is one of a series of sculptures (busts?) of Hudson River School painters to be found at Boscobel in Cold Spring NY. This one is of Thomas Moran. According to Wikipedia: Thomas Moran (February 12, 1837 – August 25, 1926) was an American painter and printmaker of the Hudson River School in New York whose work often ...
Happy Hallowe’en and Happy Birthday Dad Today’s Hallowe’en, but when I was growing up in the UK we didn’t celebrate it as much as they do now. Since October 31 was also my father’s birthday we tended to celebrate that instead. Had he lived he would have been 99 years old today. I came across this group while walking the ...
Peekskill Harvest Festival – Peekskill Bazaar and Thrift Shop This shop was amazing. It seemed to sell everything: plastic religious memorabilia; clothing; paintings; jewelry; belts and belt buckles; electronics etc. You name it – they had it. And everything was packed into an incredibly small space. So small that it was difficult to walk around inside. Most of the items seemed to ...
Hoptopus Garden Not something you see every day, this intriguing installation is called “Hoptopus Garden” and it stands on John Walsh Boulevard in Charles Point, Peekskill. Its creator is Maximilian Beachak on a commission from Louie Lanza. The suckers are actually beer kegs donated by the Captain Lawrence Brewing Company. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3
A walk around brewster – Hallowe’en’s coming Hallowe’en’s coming and all of the scarecrows, pumpkins, ghosts etc. are out in all their glory. Taken with a Nikon N6006 and Nikon 50mm f1.8
A mailbox Not your average mailbox. Seen while walking the dog around the lake. Taken with a Nikon D80 and Tamron AF Aspherical LD 28-200 mm f3.8-5.6.
Chuang Yen Monastery again – View towards the exit This is the view from the main building complex down towards the parking lot. The path is lined with statues of the Buddha’s disciples (or Arhats as they are called). There are nine of them on each side (see: Eighteen Arhats: Overview) I was proud of Harley. He didn’t try to pee on ...
Chuang Yen Monastery again – Small Buddha Statue I liked the location: quiet and a little out of the way, with the flowers in the foreground. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Chuang Yen Monastery again – Statue by the lake I’m fascinated by this statue (which I’ve photographed before), which I assume is Buddha. I also love the location – right next to the lake with the small pagoda in the background. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Chuang Yen Monastery again – Stele This stele stands at the intersection of two of the roads that meander through the property. Another one that I hadn’t noticed before. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
A walk around Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow. Mural This mural is on the wall of a C-Town Supermarket pretty much opposite the Warner Library on Route 9. Taken with an SMC pentax-f 35-70mm f3.5-4.5 on a Sony NEX 5n
A walk around Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow. Bear in a Window Seen in the window of a building on Route 9 near the border of Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown. I’m not entirely sure why it’s there. The writing on the shirt reads: “2N2. 2 hands on the wheel. 2 eyes on the road”. Taken with an SMC pentax-f 35-70mm f3.5-4.5 on a Sony NEX ...
A walk around Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow. André Captors’ Monument Located in Patriot’s Park, Tarrytown – Right next to Route 9. According to Kidswestchester.com: Patriots Park, a 4-acre park, is located at North Broadway, Tarrytown, NY 10591 in Westchester County on the border of Sleepy Hollow. “The people of Westchester County have erected this monument as well to commemorate a great event as to testify ...
A walk around Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow. Large Metal Objects I came across these impressive, large metal objects on the street just outside a garden supply business located close to the border of Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown. Not something you see every day! Taken with an SMC pentax-f 35-70mm f3.5-4.5 on a Sony NEX 5n.
A walk around Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow. The Legend and a Name Change The inscription on this marker reads: “Presented to the Village of North Tarrytown by the Centennial Committee. 1874-1974.” Why “North Tarrytown”? Well, the reality is that until 1996 that’s what the village was called. According to Wikipedia: Originally incorporated as North Tarrytown in the late 19th century, in 1996 the village officially ...
Around Mahopac – Red Mills Baptist Church. An Angel Of course you frequently see statues of angels in cemeteries, but they’re not usually so daring. The grave marker bears the name ‘Diachenko’. Taken with a Tamron AF Aspherical LD 28-200mm f3.8-5.6
Around Mahopac – War Memorial There’s a small park directly opposite the Lake Mahopac Methodist Church. In it stand a few war memorials. This one has a plaque on its base which reads: This monument is to honor all those who fought and died for our freedom. Persian Gulf War; Enduring Freedom; Iraqi Freedom and all wars against ...
Manhattan Grotesque I don’t remember exactly where this was. It’s in the same batch as a number of pictures taken at the Museum of Modern Art in New York so I’m guessing that it was somewhere in the vicinity i.e in the 50’s just west of Fifth Avenue. I know it was taken with a ...
New York City. Wood Statue on Father Duffy Square We went into New York City the other day to have lunch with old friends at Bluefin, which is situated right on Father Duffy Square. As we approached the restaurant we noticed this large, wooden (Is it made of wood? I’m not sure) statue that we’d not seen before. According to Timeout it’s by artist Mel ...
Garrison Cafe We’d been out somewhere (I can’t remember where) and we were both feeling hungry. We were returning home along Route 9D and I remembered the we’d often passed the Garrison Cafe so we thought we’d stop and give it a try. If this hand painted sign is anything to go by it hasn’t been there all ...
A Day in Beacon – Strawberry Festival Above one of the first things I noticed. I don’t know what it’s got to do with strawberries, but I guess the Empire isn’t what it used to be. As we disembarked in Beacon we saw and heard signs of activity a little farther along the waterfront. We decided to “check it out” and ...
A Day in Beacon – Main Street. Steel Sculpture Sea Change by Ed Benavente. Steel, 2013 stands at 276 Main Street, right outside where we’d decided to have lunch. In a comment on another of his works (Getting Somewhere, 2013, 380 Main Street also in Beacon) he states: “My work is about progress. The reason I always include my original and current body ...
A Day in Beacon – Main Street. Mural Detail This is a detail of a mural on the exterior of Howland Public Library. It’s by artist Rick Price. If it has a name I, unfortunately haven’t been able to find it. Taken with a Sony A77II and Tamron A18 AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3.
A Day in Beacon – Flea Market. Bric-a-Brac . Lots of “miscellaneous objects and ornaments of little value”. Among them this rather spectacular duck-faced umbrella caught my attention. Taken with a Sony A77II and Tamron A18 AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3.
A Day in Beacon – Flea Market. Metal Object. Function Unknown. . I have no idea what this is for. I’m just attracted to old metal objects, particularly if they have flaking paint and rust. I suppose it could be used as a wine rack? Taken with a Sony A77II and Tamron A18 AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3.
A Day in Beacon – Flea Market. A Bucket Full of Pepsi’s . I wonder if people actually buy things like this. I imagine so or I guess the vendors wouldn’t display them. I collect old cameras and I suppose that there are people who collect old bottles. See for example: Antique Bottle Collector Resource Guide. I note, however, that a “OLD RARE FULL PEPSI COLA ...
A Day in Beacon – Flea Market. A box full of barbies. In the previous post (See: A Day in Beacon – Flea Market. An old doll) I mentioned that I find old dolls to be “spooky”. Not in this case though – possibly because they don’t look human enough. And I’m not sure that they’re all (or indeed any of them) barbies. I don’t know ...
A Day in Beacon – Flea Market. An old doll. I always find old dolls a little “spooky”. I’ve read (See for example: Uncanny valley: why we find human-like robots and dolls so creepy that human beings feel very uncomfortable looking at something which looks human, but isn’t. Apparently that’s why we find humanoid robots, clowns, apes rather difficult. Perhaps this is ...
A Day in Beacon – Flea Market. Approaching the Flea Market After parking the car I noticed this wonderful vehicle parked almost opposite the Flea Market entrance. It’s a Morgan 3 and according to Wikipedia: The Morgan Motor Company announced that they would launch the 3 Wheeler in 2011 at the Geneva Motor Show. The 3 Wheeler was initially said to have a Harley-Davidson Screaming Eagle ...
Belvedere Mansion Our friends used to live right next to this mansion. They’ve told us that when they were there it was quite a ‘happening’ place, a popular spot for weddings and other events. It was even listed among one of the top five best wedding ceremony locations in the Hudson Valley (See Five of ...
Film Camera 2018/2 – Minolta STsi – Results The pictures were taken at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome. Above two of the three hangers, which, in addition to the main display area, contain the collection of vintage aircraft. The bulk of the collection shares a building with the gift shop. These are two of three other hangers. The first contains aircraft from the ...
Cherub This small stone (or possibly concrete) cherub sits at the base of a large tree in our garden. We have a larger one down on the dock. Taken with a Pentax ME Super and SMC Pentax-M 50mm f1.7.
Terracotta head I really wanted to get this roll off to be processed. I only had a couple of frames left so as is often the case I decided to finish it off by taking a few pictures in our garden. Taken with a Pentax ME Super and SMC Pentax-M 50mm f1.7.
Salt and Pepper Shakers We were sitting outside “The Patio” in Briarcliff Manor waiting for our lunch arrive when I spotted these salt and pepper shakers on the glass topped table. So far I hadn’t tried anything close up with the ME Super so I decided to “give it a go”. Taken with a Pentax ME Super and SMC ...
Yorktown Heights, NY – Reliable Oil Company Interesting industrial building on Veterans Road in Yorktown Heights, NY. Taken with a Pentax ME Super and SMC Pentax-M 50mm f1.7
Yorktown Heights, NY – A couple of artillery pieces I took most of the pictures with the Pentax ME Super while walking around Yorktown Heights, NY as I waited for my wife to finish with her dental appointment. Shortly after I left the car I came across, in quick succession an American Legion Post and a Veterans of Foreign Wars post. Outside each of ...
Film Camera 2018/1 – Pentax ME Super – Results Bicycle Shop, Yorktown NY. This post considers the results from using the Pentax ME Super mentioned in an earlier post (See:Film Camera 2018/1 – Pentax ME Super). My first reaction on getting the scans back from processing was one of surprise. I thought I had put in a roll of Tri-X and so it was a ...
Return of the Red Baron Model Fokker Dr.I Triplane (Dreidecker) seen in a neighbor’s house. According to Acepilots.com: While it remains the most famous airplane of World War One, only 320 of the Fokker Dr.1 Triplane were built (compared to thousands of Spads, Nieuports, Albatroses, and Sopwith Camels). Inspired by the devastating performance of the Sopwith Triplane, Anthony Fokker designed and built ...
Stuart’s farm – A Trio of Tractors Fourth (and final) in a series of brightly colored tractor pictures. This time three of them. In the foreground a yellow and red one. Then a tractor in green, yellow and red. And finally, in the distance a blue one. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Stuart’s farm – Yellow and Green Tractor Third in a series of brightly colored tractor pictures. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Stuart’s farm – Blue Tractors Second in a series of brightly colored tractor pictures. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Stuart’s farm – Red Tractor First in a series of brightly colored tractor pictures. This tractor stand by the entrance to Stuart’s Farm on Granite Springs Road in Granite Springs, NY. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Stuart’s farm – Red Gas Pump Not quite as weathered as the yellow gas pump in the preceding post (See: Stuart’s farm – Yellow Gas Pump) but still nice. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Stuart’s farm – Yellow Gas Pump I just love old, rusting equipment and the bright colors here really caught my attention particularly the way the blue on the pump picks up the blue of the planter. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Stuart’s farm – Overview I friend had recommended Stuart’s Farm as a great place to get plants. We’d had a stretch of bad weather, which suddenly turned better so on a glorious, sunny day off we went. According to its website: Stuart’s Fruit Farm is a family-operated farm since 1828 located in Westchester County, New York. It is about ...
Headless Statue revisited Back in September, 2016 I posted a picture of this headless statue seen in a neighbors garden (See: Headless Statue). It seems that they’ve now found the head – or at least A head. I’m not entirely convinced that it’s the original. Taken with a Sony A77M2 with Tamron A18 AF 18-250mm F3.5-6.3.
In our garden – Bright Blue Pot A recent purchase to hold the Orchid Romance Rose. Lake in the background. Taken with a Sony Alpha 500 with Tamron A18 AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3.
In our garden – An Odd Couple A stone (or is it concrete?) cherub and a bright blue frog. Taken with a Sony Alpha 500 with Tamron A18 AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3.
In our garden – Bicycle garden ornament, blue and white pot against daffodils My wife loves blue and white pottery so I guess it was inevitable that something blue and white would end up in the garden. Taken with a Sony Alpha 500 with Tamron A18 AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3.
A walk around Ossining – Take Me to the River According to News 12 Westchester: A new piece of art is on display at Harbor Square complex in Ossining. A 42-foot tall sculpture will serve as the centerpiece of the waterfront park being built. Sculptor Peter Lundberg named the monument ‘Take Me to the River,’ and has framed it with trenches and concrete. “For me it is ...
A walk around Ossining – Red Lamp The walkways around Harbor Square have many of these red lamps. I liked the way the red of the lamp contrasted with the deep blue of the sky. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
A walk around Ossining – The Angel According to an article entitled: GDC and Ossining Dedicate Sculpture and New Public Kiosk at Harbor Square: Sculpture is Tribute to Fire Departments in Ossining and Sister City in Portugal; Kiosk Features Plaques on History of Ossining Waterfront OSSINING, NY (September 8, 2016) – Ginsburg Development Companies (GDC) and Ossining Village officials met yesterday at Harbor Square ...
A walk around Ossining – Overview I hadn’t been for a walk around Ossining in five or six years, but a couple of weeks ago the weather was lovely and my wife had gone out shopping. She had the car so I decided to take the dog for a walk down to the Ossining waterfront. During our walk the signs of ...
An Excursion to the Dutchess County Fair – Antique Farm Machinery I love old machinery and the Dutchess County Fair had quite a lot, most I believe courtesy of Boice Antique Machines, featured in an article in the Daily Freeman News – At Dutchess County Fair, a new look at old machines: There’s a symphony of combustion engines in the Antique Engine and Machinery Show at the ...
An Excursion to the Dutchess County Fair – Airstream And then there was this gorgeous bright, shining, silvery Airstream. What in the UK we would call a caravan, but which I imagine here in the US is called a trailer. Unfortunately I neglected to check precisely what model of Airstream this is and the picture doesn’t show enough of it to hazard ...
An Excursion to the Dutchess County Fair – Another automotive garden ornament So why didn’t I include this car in the preceding post (See:An Excursion to the Dutchess County Fair – What to do with old cars)? It’s quite simple really. It’s because of the astonishing resemblance of the mannequin in the picture below and my wife (all my family including my wife agreed that this was ...
An Excursion to the Dutchess County Fair – What to do with old cars Why, use them as garden ornaments of course. Makes a change from gnomes and flamingos. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
An Excursion to the Dutchess County Fair – An Antiques Store in Rhinebeck We first visited the Beekman Arms and Delamater Inn Antique Market. I love antiques stores, so many interesting objects and of course there’s always the chance that I’ll bump into an interesting old camera or two. I’d seen a couple of old SLRs that I wasn’t interested in and then came across a ...
’76 House – Is it Haunted? A couple of people have asked me if the ’76 House is haunted. According to an article in the Orangetown Daily Voice it is. The article states: …ghost sightings and paranormal activity are commonplace at the popular establishment. They occur, in fact, frequently enough that in staff meetings “when a glass or piece of cutlery ...
’76 House – The Spy and the Traitor On the mantel of the ’76 House’s lovely blue and white fireplace stand two paintings: one of John Andre (the spy, above) and the other of Benedict Arnold (the traitor, below). Arnold’s portrait is framed upside down! Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
’76 House – Blue and White As I’ve mentioned in earlier posts my wife loves blue and white things (china, tiles, etc.) so she was pleased to see a few pieces scattered around the interior of the ’76 house, particularly the magnificent fireplace above and the Delft bottle below. The tavern had a rather dark interior featuring a lot of ...
Horse head statue As I wander around I often seen gateposts with statues on them. They’re usually either lions or eagles. I can’t ever recall seeing horse heads. As is usually they case (but not always as we have a case where three eagles are used near us) there were two of them, one on ...
Statue in our garden Around the time I took this the weather was bad and I wasn’t getting out much. So thinking of Josef Sudek I took a few pictures in the garden. Actually it’s not really a statue. It’s a fountain, but the water part of it has not worked for some time. I think it’s ...
A day in New York City – A Bulletin Board A little farther on from the ‘Kneeling Fireman‘ statue I came across this strange object. It was attached to some metal railings just above a pile of garbage bags. It looks like a bulletin board of some sort, but I have no idea what it represents. Maybe it’s some kind of art work? Taken ...
A day in New York City – The Kneeling Fireman We’d just eaten a meal at Grand Central Terminal in New York City. My wife was going to do some shopping so I decided to go to a nearby Barnes and Noble to see what I could find. I was walking along 43rd Street when I came across this statue. I hadn’t seen it ...
April Fools Day came a day late We woke up to about four inches of snow now this morning. Usually when it snows we just step out onto the patio and take a picture. What this means is that we keep taking pretty much the same picture over and over again. This time, however, I decided to go down ...
Lamp on a wrought iron gate Taken from the Lotte New York Palace Hotel looking across Madison Avenue towards St. Patrick’s Cathedral. According to Wikipedia: The building was constructed in 1884, designed by architect Joseph M. Wells of the architecture firm McKim, Mead and White. It is considered to be a Roman design with specific Renaissance touch points. Among the artists who ...
Lunch at Las Mañanitas We had to go up to Brewster yesterday and while we already knew a couple of restaurants near our destination (The Arch and Clocktower Grill) we’d thought we’d go somewhere we hadn’t yet tried and settled on Las Mañanitas, a restaurant we’d heard of but never visited. It’s a fairly large restaurant with a nice atmosphere ...
Self portrait in a Christmas ornament. I came across this very reflective Christmas ornament on a tree in Law Park, Briarcliff Manor in December, 2013. I posted it originally as part of a black and white set, but it looks much, much better in color. Taken with a Sony Nex 5N and 45mm f2 Minolta MD Rokkor-X.
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (Fishbed) According to Military Today: The most widely produced supersonic jet fighter of all time, the MiG-21 (Western designation: Fishbed) is an incredibly prolific aircraft. Dated but nimble, it has allowed skilled pilots in past decades to defeat more advanced aircraft. However, its days appear to be numbered as the majority of air forces switch to newer ...
A Figurine Judging from the plate on the base it’s by Giuseppe Armani (I don’t think he’s related to the more famous Giorgio Armani). According to the La Galerie site: From the moment young Giuseppe could pick up a pencil, he drew. He drew everything he saw. He drew everyone he knew. He drew all day long. ...
Las Vegas – Rowers The preceding post showed rowboats at rest. Here are a couple of them in action. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Las Vegas – Rowboats The resort featured watersports and the rowboats started out directly below our window. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Las Vegas – Slots The first thing I noticed on arriving at McCarran International Airport was that there are a lot of slot machines. They’re everywhere. I also remarked that they bore a notice that said: “Nevada law prohibits any persons under the age of 21 to play or loiter near slot machines”. I believe, however, that an ...
Las Vegas – Arriving Last weekend we went to Las Vegas for a family wedding. It was the first time I’d been there and even though I don’t gamble I was looking forward to seeing the ‘Strip’. Our two girls and their husbands were also attending so it was great to see them again. We took ...
Hello Dolly My wife had wanted to see ‘Hello Dolly‘ for quite some time, but for a variety of reasons (e.g. the tickets were expensive and/or extremely difficult to get and we didn’t really put as much effort into looking as we should have) we hadn’t gone. Eventually my wife decided to ‘take the bull by the horns’ ...
Magical Car Came across this interesting set of stickers on the rear of a car parked at the Jefferson Valley Mall. I guess Harry Potter must be in town. Taken with an iphone 5s.
Lady Liberty Taken during a July 4th cruise in 2007. Looking at it now I’m intrigued by the name of the boat: MI JO II. It reminds me a bit of one of my favorite compact cameras: The Olympus mju-ii/stylus epic, which wasn’t used to take this picture. Rather it was taken with a ...
Server – Whitby Castle I don’t take a lot of pictures of furniture, but this one caught my attention for some reason. It was taken inside Whitby Castle, originally the home of William P. Chapman and named after Whitby Abbey in England because it is said that some of the original stones from the Abbey are now encased in the ...
Remains of a car in the woods If you head from the parking lot at Woodlands Legacy Field Park in Yorktown Heights in the direction of Granite Knolls you eventually pass across a bridge over the Taconic parkway. Continuing along the trail you soon come to these remains. The steering wheel is on the right side of the trail and ...
Urn and Column Taken during a visit to Staatsburgh State Historic Site in September, 2016. Although I didn’t do it consciously, looking at these pictures now I realize that I was, once again, trying to emulate the beautiful pictures of my photographic hero: Eugène Atget. Somehow, however, I can’t get it. His photographs are for the most ...
Lamps – Ossining Station I liked the repeating patterns: the lamps and their brackets; the bricks; the beams. Also the straight lines and the curves. Taken with a Yashica FX2 and Yashica DSB 50mm f1.9.
Strange figure I was walking the dog around the Jefferson Valley Mall (in my opinion arguably the worst mall I’ve ever encountered) when I saw what looked like the figure, possibly of a homeless person, poking it’s head into a clothing drop container. Of course it was’t. Someone had taken a blanket (or something) and ...
Aerial camera A Facebook friend posted the above picture along with the comment: ‘That “serious” feeling when you put down your smartphone and pick up a real camera…’ Although he’s a camera aficianado he didn’t mention what camera it was. After searching around on the internet for a while I found a number of instances ...
Memories of warmer days Today is February 7 and we’ve had another gloomy, cold day with snow, sleet and freezing rain. It’s all getting to be a bit tiresome so I’ve decided to dig something out that will remind me of warmer, more colorful days gone by and in the hope that they will soon come again (since ...
Revolving door While my wife was taking an exercise class I walked the dog around her club’s parking lot. In a distant corner I came across a disembodied revolving door. Seemed like a strange place for it! Portal to another dimension? Did The Doctor finally manage to get his chameleon circuit working? Taken with ...
Rusting machinery in the woods Last September I went for a walk in Granite Knolls Park in Yorktown, NY. According to Geocaching: The property has a long history, including having once been farmland, owned by the Jesuits, and part of the same property which is now the Phoenix Academy on the other side of Stony Street. Slices of granite lie scattered ...
Rusting lantern Many years ago we bought this wrought iron lantern. My wife placed it on the edge of our patio and cleared a small space to plant a number of tiny rose bushes. Over the years the roses have grown to form what appears to be a single, large rose bush. When it’s in ...
In memoriam While walking the dog around the parking area of the Danbury Fair Mall in Danbury, CT while my wife was shopping I noticed what appears to be a memorial. It consists of a couple of skate boards, one of which is broken. The broken one bears a series of inscriptions mostly along the ...
Playground object Seen on one of the structures in a nearby playground. I assume it’s some kind of device that children would play with. I have no idea what it’s called. I just liked the colors and the repeating pattern. Taken with a Vivitar 35ES.
Hudson Valley Ribfest – A macabre farewell As we were about to leave I spotted this colorful skeleton. If I’m not mistaken it was a prop used by a vendor selling T-shirts. It seemed like a fitting parting shot. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Hudson Valley Ribfest – Old farm machinery The Ribfest is held at the Ulster County Fairgrounds. The Ulster County Fair’s Agricultural Museum is at the same location. Unfortunately it wasn’t open while we were there, but outside there were a number of pieces of old agricultural machinery. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Hudson Valley Ribfest – Past successes Each of the food vendors had displays of their past successes. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Hudson Valley Ribfest – I knew I shouldn’t have eaten that hot dog While my wife and our friends were waiting on line to get the food I went over to the seating area to ensure that we had four places at the table. I started to feel peckish and since there was a hot dog stand right next to me I thought I’d grab a quick ...
Hudson Valley Ribfest – Overview The thirteenth annual Hudson Valley RibFest was held at the Ulster County Fairgrounds in New Paltz, NY from August 18 to 20, 2017. We attended with a couple of friends. Six Barbecue Rib vendors sold their wares: Big Kev’s BBQ, Butch’s Smack Your Lips BBQ, Handsome Devil, LLC, Jack McDavid’s Down Home Diner, ...
New England Air Museum – de Havilland C-7A (DHC-4) ‘Caribou’ According to the Museum’s website (which also provides technical specifications): Courtesy of the United States Army This C-7A was built by de Havilland Canada in 1962 and is one of 159 purchased by the U. S. Army. It saw service in Vietnam and used for cargo and troop transport, and medical evacuation. It is a STOL (short ...
New England Air Museum – Grumman E-1B (WF-2) ‘Tracer’ According to the Museum’s website (which also provides technical specifications): THIS AIRCRAFT IS ON LOAN FROM THE NATIONAL NAVAL AVIATION MUSEUM, PENSACOLA, FLORIDA Yes, this plane actually could fly! The “Tracer” was the first purpose built airborne early warning aircraft used by the U.S. Navy and could operate from an aircraft carrier. It was originally designated a ...
New England Air Museum – Douglas A-3B ‘Skywarrior’ According to the Museum’s website (which also provides technical specifications): THIS AIRCRAFT IS ON LOAN FROM THE NATIONAL NAVAL AVIATION MUSEUM, PENSACOLA, FLORIDA The “Skywarrior” was designed as a strategic bomber to operate from an aircraft carrier. The test version, XA3D-1, first flew in October, 1952 and in March, 1956, the A3D-1 entered service with the U.S. ...
New England Air Museum – Grumman HU-16E ‘Albatross’ According to the Museum’s website (which also provides technical specifications): THIS AIRCRAFT IS ON LOAN FROM THE NATIONAL NAVAL AVIATION MUSEUM, PENSACOLA, FLORIDA Grumman designed the “Albatross” to meet a U.S. Navy requirement for an amphibious utility aircraft that could also operate with skis from snow and ice. The Albatross has been likened to a “bird of ...
New England Air Museum – Douglas F4D-1 (later F-6) ‘Skyray’ According to the Museum’s website (which also provides technical specifications): THIS AIRCRAFT IS ON LOAN FROM THE NATIONAL NAVAL AVIATION MUSEUM, PENSACOLA, FLORIDA After World War II, it was believed that there was an emerging threat of high-flying incoming jet bombers. To counter this, the U.S. Navy commissioned Douglas for a design study and mock-up for a ...
New England Air Museum – Lockheed TV-2 (T-33) ‘Shooting Star’ According to the Museum’s website (which also provides technical specifications): THIS AIRCRAFT IS ON LOAN FROM THE NATIONAL NAVAL AVIATION MUSEUM, PENSACOLA, FLORIDA With the advent of the jet fighter in the late 1940’s new demands were put on pilots and there was a need for a jet trainer aircraft. The solution was to extend by about ...
New England Air Museum – Northrop F-89J ‘Scorpion’ According to the Museum’s website (which also provides technical specifications): The F-89 was the first U.S. Air Force jet fighter designed as an all-weather fighter/interceptor for the Air Defense Command (ADC). Nicknamed the “Scorpion” with its high, up-swept tail, it was a two-seater with a radar operator in the rear seat with advanced radar to guide ...
New England Air Museum – Martin RB-57A ‘Canberra’ After we’d had a good look around inside the three hangars we decided to take a look outside. This was one of the first aircraft we came across. It has particular significance for me as it was the first jet aircraft I ever flew in. At the time I was a bit ...
New England Air Museum – Boeing B-29A ‘Superfortress’ This was without a doubt the star of the show. It has an entire hangar to itself and it really is quite impressive, even if for some strange reason it seemed smaller than I thought it would be. According to the Museum’s website (which also provides technical specifications): The B-29 was a four-engined propeller-driven heavy ...
New England Air Museum – Goodyear ZNPK-28 Blimp Control Car According to the Museum’s website (which also provides technical specifications): Gift of Goodyear The Museum’s control car is from airship K-28, one of 134 K-category airships built by Goodyear in Akron, OH between 1938 and 1944 for the purposes of anti-submarine patrol and convoy protection, mine sweeping, search and rescue and photography. Only four “K” ships were available ...
New England Air Museum – Airship Era As you can see this is an exhibit on the ‘Airship Era’. One thing in particular fascinated both of us. The top border is entitled “A Sense of Scale”. It contains a series of images. Second from the right you can see “The Hindenburg”. Right next to it is “The ...
New England Air Museum – Sikorsky R-4B (S-47) ‘Hoverfly’ According to the Museum’s website (which also provides technical specifications): The R-4 was the world’s first production helicopter and is the offspring of Igor Sikorsky’s famed VS-300 which flew in 1940. After an initial prototype was built and flown in January, 1942, 30 were built for test use by the U.S. Army Air Force, Navy, Coast ...
New England Air Museum – Kaman HH-43F ‘Huskie’ According to the Museum’s website (which also provides technical specifications): The HH-43 was developed from the earlier HOK-1 for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. The first prototype flew in 1953. The intermeshing rotor configuration eliminated the need for a tail rotor. Also, by substituting a gas turbine engine for the reciprocating engine of the earlier ...
New England Air Museum – Kaman SH-2F ‘Seasprite’ According to the Museum’s website (which also provides technical specifications): THIS AIRCRAFT IS ON LOAN FROM THE NATIONAL NAVAL AVIATION MUSEUM, PENSACOLA, FLORIDA The Seasprite is a ship-based helicopter with anti-submarine and anti-surface threat capability, including over-the-horizon targeting. It was also used for search and rescue missions. It was designed to be a fast, all-weather utility craft ...
New England Air Museum – Sikorsky R-6 Doman Conversion (LZ-1A) According to the Museum’s website (which also provides technical specifications): Gift of Frank J. Pacheco Designed and developed by Sikorsky Aircraft and converted to this configuration by Doman Helicopters, this U.S. Army Air Force R-6A is one of about 200 produced by Nash-Kelvinator just before the end of World War II. The conversion is the work of Glidden ...
New England Air Museum – Doman LZ-5 (YH-31) According to the Museum’s website (which also provides technical specifications): Gift of William Gallagher, Nancy C. Gallagher, T. Scott Gallagher and Nancy Gallagher Jones Built in Danbury, Connecticut by Doman Helicopters Inc., this helicopter was FAA certificated and delivered to the U. S. Army in 1955. The design evolved in consultation with Army pilots from the ‘MASH’ ...
New England Air Museum – Sikorsky HH-52A (S-62A) ‘Seaguard’ According to the Museum’s website (which also provides technical specifications): Courtesy of the United States Coast Guard The HH-52/S-62 was the forerunner of a new generation of turbocopters and was the world’s first true amphibious helicopter. It was designed to operate from land, water, snow, ice, mud, swamp and tundra. This helicopter was one of 99 similar ...
New England Air Museum – Sikorsky LH-34D (S-58) ‘Seabat’ According to the Museum’s website (which also provides technical specifications): THIS AIRCRAFT IS ON LOAN FROM THE NATIONAL NAVAL AVIATION MUSEUM, PENSACOLA, FLORIDA The Sikorsky S-58 was ordered by the military and designated the H-34. It was first used in a anti-submarine role by the U.S. Navy with the first flight in 1954. The U. S. Army ...
New England Air Museum – Sikorsky CH-54B ‘Tarhe’ (S-64B ‘Skycrane’) According to the Museum’s website (which also provides technical specifications): Courtesy of the United States Army Aviation Museum The S-64 Skycrane is a twin-engined heavy-lift helicopter designed by Sikorsky for the U.S. Army. It was first flown in May, 1962 and was an enlarged and upgraded version of Sikorsky’s first flying crane, the S-60. The initial “A” ...
New England Air Museum – Bell UH-1B ‘Iroquois’ (Huey) According to the Museum’s website (which also provides technical specifications): Courtesy of the United States Army Center of Military History The “Iroquois” was more commonly known as the “Huey” as there were a series of the “HU” models which were subsequently re-designated “UH.” Various versions of this helicopter are operational with more than 36 air forces around ...
New England Air Museum – Republic RC-3 ‘Seabee’ According to the Museum’s website (which also provides technical specifications): Gift of the Romeo A. Lalli Estate The “Seabee” is a unique four place amphibian produced by Republic Aviation of Farmingdale, L.I., N.Y. right after World War II and originally sold for about $6,000. The plane is based on a concept of Connecticut native Percival H. Spencer ...
New England Air Museum – Lockheed 10-A ‘Electra’ According to the Museum’s website (which also provides technical specifications): Gift of Pratt & Whitney Aircraft and Robert Wanagel The “Electra” was the first all-metal multi-engine plane produced by Lockheed and was designed to compete with planes such as the Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2. It carried 10 passengers and a crew of two or three and ...
New England Air Museum – Blériot XI According to the Museum’s website (which also provides technical specifications): Gift of the United Technologies Corporation The XI was the first extensively produced airplane and symbolizes the beginning of the aircraft manufacturing industry. After Louis Blériot’s 1909 flight across the English Channel, this model, produced in several countries, was the most popular of the pioneer aircraft. This example, ...
New England Air Museum – Sikorsky VS-44A ‘Excambian’ According to the Museum’s website (which also provides technical specifications): THIS AIRCRAFT IS ON LOAN FROM THE NATIONAL NAVAL AVIATION MUSEUM, PENSACOLA, FLORIDA “Excambian” is the only surviving aircraft of three built by Sikorsky for non-stop trans-Atlantic service. It was delivered in May, 1942 and flew its first passenger-carrying flight on June 22, 1942 painted in Navy ...
New England Air Museum – Vought XF4U-4 ‘Corsair’ According to the Museum’s website (which also provides technical specifications): A premier World War II carrier-based and ground support fighter of the U.S. Navy and Marines, the “Corsair” combined the most powerful engine of the period with the smallest possible airframe. Corsairs were produced by the Vought Aircraft Division of United Aircraft in Stratford, CT. The ...
New England Air Museum – McDonnell Douglas F-4D ‘Phantom II’ According to the Museum’s website (which also provides technical specifications): Courtesy of the National Museum of the United States Air Force For over three decades, the long-range two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather “Phantom II” jet interceptor fighter/bomber proved its worth with the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marines (and it was the first American aircraft to be used by ...
New England Air Museum – Douglas A4D-1 ‘Skyhawk’ According to the Museum’s website (which also provides technical specifications): THIS AIRCRAFT IS ON LOAN FROM THE NATIONAL NAVAL AVIATION MUSEUM, PENSACOLA, FLORIDA This small and speedy attack aircraft was designed in 1954 by chief engineer Ed Heinemann of Douglas and earned the nickname “Heinemann’s Hotrod.” It was a jet successor to the prop-driven Douglas A-1 Skyraider. ...
New England Air Museum – Douglas A-26C ‘Invader’ According to the Museum’s website (which also includes technical specifications): Courtesy of the City of Bridgeport, CT. The A-26 was developed by Douglas Aircraft as a replacement for their A-20 “Havoc” to fulfill a requirement for a multi-role aircraft for both low-level ground attack and medium-altitude precision bombing. First test flown in 1942, it exceeded every stipulated ...
New England Air Museum – Republic P-47D ‘Thunderbolt’ According to the Museum’s website (which also includes technical specifications): Courtesy of the National Museum of the United States Air Force Nicknamed the “Jug” because of its fuselage shape, the P-47 was the heaviest single-engine, single-place fighter built in its time. It became a legend in World War II, used by the US and its allies on ...
New England Air Museum – Speed Graphic Because of my interest in old cameras I was, of course, happy to bump into this. It’s a Speed Graphic made by Graflex in Rochester, NY. According to Wikipedia: Produced by Graflex in Rochester, New York, the Speed Graphic is commonly called the most famous press camera. Although the first Speed Graphic cameras were produced in ...
New England Air Museum – Fokker Dr.1 Triplane Replica According to the Museum’s website (which also provides technical specifications). Courtesy of the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome This aircraft is a replica of the Fokker Dr.1 Triplane fighter used by Germany in World War I. It was rapidly developed in response to the success of the then new British Sopwith Triplane (~1917) The Dr.1 was used with great ...
New England Air Museum – Lockheed F-104C ‘Starfighter’ According to the Museum’s website (which also provides technical specifications): Courtesy of the National Museum of the United States Air Force Designed by the legendary Clarence “Kelly” Johnson in the early 1950’s the F-104 “Starfighter” provided the U.S. Air Force with a lightweight, high performance fighter powered by the new General Electric J-79 engine with afterburner. The first ...
New England Air Museum – North American F-100A ‘Super Sabre’ According to the Museum’s website (which also provides technical specifications): Courtesy of the National Museum of the United States Air Force Entering service in 1954 the F-100 was the world’s first production supersonic fighter. Designed to intercept Soviet fighters and bombers during the Cold War the Super Sabre variants were also produced to provide close-support as fighter-bomber. ...
New England Air Museum – Extra-Vehicular Mobility Unit According to NASA: The Apollo extravehicular mobility unit was designed to meet a unique set of needs. To assure the maximum return of scientific information from the moon, a method was required for collecting samples, deploying retrieving instruments, and performing experiments on the lunar surface and in free space. Man had to be able to operate ...
New England Air Museum – Overview I’ve always been fascinated by old aircraft so when my friend, Ken suggested a trip to the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, Connecticut I enthusiastically agreed. According to its website the Museum is: …committed to presenting the story of aviation, the human genius that made it possible and the profound effects that it has had ...
2017 Favorites – Color And now 10 favorites from 2017 in color. Above Christmas tree in two bridges park near Childrens Beach on Roaring Brook Lake. Got pork? Taken at the Hudson Valley Ribfest, August 2017. Building on Chemin Vert, Pinchat, Geneva, Switzerland. Iris in my daughter’s garden, Geneva, Switzerland. Blue Angels, NY Airshow, Stewart Airport, July 2017. Your repetitive View by Olafur ...
2017 Favorites – Black and White As we come to the end of another year it’s time for me to go through my annual ritual of picking a few (actually 10) of my favorite pictures from 2017, starting with black and white. Above – Tides by Emil Alzamora. Taken at Peekskill River Park. A runs through it – the Croton Gorge that ...
On my doorstep – All that remains… This is all that remains of 178 Holbrook Road. It was still standing when we moved to this area in 1998, but when I walked by the other day it had gone. I didn’t notice when it was demolished. I remember it as being an old house that was in some way connected ...
Lasdon Park and Arboretum – Not just for adults There were plenty of things for children too – e.g. Humpty Dumpty (above, sitting on a wall of course). The caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland. Shrek themed rear entrance to the main house.
Lasdon Park and Arboretum – Hallowe’en at Lasdon I visited Lasdon on Hallowe’en and the landscape was dotted with Hallowe’en figures – ghosts, zombies and the like.
Lasdon Park and Arboretum – Dinosaurs in the woods After finishing with the Trail of Honor I went for a walk along a trail through the woods to see what I could find. I wasn’t expecting this. It’s not something you see every day in the woods of Westchester County. Apparently it’s Lasdon’s Dinosaur garden, which highlights these statues as well ...
Lasdon Park and Arboretum – Tribute Eagle This magnificent eagle statue stands outside the Westchester County Veterans Museum, located at the Lasdon Park and Arboretum. According to an article in Yorktown Patch: Originally established in 1995, the museum is the only Westchester county-owned museum dedicated to veterans. The building and surrounding grounds have recently undergone renovations that include painting, new signage and a handicapped-access ...
Lasdon Park and Arboretum – Trail of Honor, Gold Star Mother’s Monument and Combat Infantryman Monument According to lasdontrailofhonor.com: The American Gold Star Mothers monument is the final monument on the path, and shows a map of all of the towns and cities in Westchester County. The map has a reflective surface, commonly interpreted as representing the farreaching effects that war can have, both overseas and at home. The Gold Star Mothers ...
Lasdon Park and Arboretum – Trail of Honor, Korean War Memorial According to lasdontrailofhonor.com: As you head back onto the trail, you will approach the Korean Memorial. This memorial is the largest in the park, and was built shortly after the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. It was erected with the intention of giving special recognition to veterans of Korea, a war that some feel has been overlooked by ...
Lasdon Park and Arboretum – Trail of Honor, Vietnam Veterans Memorial It was seeing a photograph of this memorial on the internet that led me to come to Lasdon to take a look at it. According to lasdontrailofhonor.com: Next to the Eight Nurses Memorial proudly stand three powerful figures dedicated to all of the veterans of the Vietnam War. This memorial, created by sculptor Julia Cohen, stands as ...
Lasdon Park and Arboretum – Trail of Honor, Female Nurses Monument According to lasdontrailofhonor.com: The last bust on the trail is dedicated to the hundreds of women who have dutifully attended our nation’s wounded soldiers for over 200 years. Without the aid and services of these brave women, many more lives would have been lost to infection, disease, and unattended injuries. The bust stands as a testament ...
Lasdon Park and Arboretum – Trail of Honor, Desert Storm Bust According to lasdontrailofhonor.com: This next bust features a tank trooper dedicated to those who served in Desert Storm, also known as the Persian Gulf War and the shortest conflict in American history, lasting only 100 hours of combat time. In August 1990 Kuwait was invaded by Iraqi troops, an action that was immediately met with economic ...
Lasdon Park and Arboretum – Trail of Honor, Vietnam War Bust According to lasdontrailofhonor.com: The Vietnam War was fought from 1959 to 1975, during a time of major social revolution and chaos on the home front. The war was another attempt to prevent Russia’s influence from spreading into Asia. North Vietnam was attempting to claim South Vietnam, similar to what happened in Korea, and Americans felt that ...
Lasdon Park and Arboretum – Trail of Honor, Korean War Bust According to lasdontrailofhonor.com: Next in line on the trail is The Korean War bust. The monument is of a man wrapped in a standard issue blanket, reflecting the cold temperatures that most soldiers experienced while fighting in Korea. This conflict was fought to diffuse a Communist spread into Asia. After World War II, Russia became the ...
Lasdon Park and Arboretum – Trail of Honor, World War II Busts According to lasdontrailofhonor.com: Continuing on the trail you come to the World War II busts standing side by side. The two busts, one of whom is an infantryman and the other being a seaman, both visualize the struggle and hardship that all generations faced while fighting against the rising Nazi threat. In 1939 the allied powers, ...
Lasdon Park and Arboretum – Trail of Honor, World War I Busts According to lasdontrailofhonor.com: The next two busts along the trail are dedicated to the servicemen of the First World War, also known as “the Great War.” The monument features two busts: an infantryman and a pilot, representing the two major fronts of the conflict. World War I was the tragic result of numerous alliances of rival ...
Lasdon Park and Arboretum – Trail of Honor, Spanish American War Bust According to lasdontrailofhonor.com: The next monument on the trail is in honor of those who served in the Spanish American War. This war fought for control over Cuba and the Philippines out of fear of a Spanish invasion of the United States and to create a hold on South America. The war ignited after the sinking ...
Lasdon Park and Arboretum – Trail of Honor, Civil War Bust According to lasdontrailofhonor.com: As you continue on the trail, you will come upon the bust dedicated to the American Civil War. The bust is of an old Union serviceman, one of many who fought during the bloodiest war fought on American soil. The serviceman wears a signature forage cap, a fatigue hat that became the common ...
Lasdon Park and Arboretum – Trail of Honor, War of 1812 Bust According to lasdontrailofhonor.com: Next on the trail is a bust dedicated to the War of 1812. The bust depicts a serviceman in the American military at the time of the United States’ first declared war, which began as a territorial conflict between the British and French. When the British Navy began to dwindle in force, British ...
Lasdon Park and Arboretum – Trail of Honor, Revolutionary War Bust According to lasdontrailofhonor.com: The first of eleven busts, which comes into view, is dedicated to soldiers of the American Revolution. It portrays a worn serviceman who is the representative of our nation’s founding war for independence. He is wearing the common rugged winter uniform that most of the soldiers put together in order to keep warm. ...
Lasdon Park and Arboretum – Trail of Honor, Merchant Marines Monument According to lasdontrailofhonor.com: The Merchant Marines monument is the first to present itself on this trail, and recognizes our Nation’s oldest naval division. Its creation dates back to the beginning of the revolution. Originally used by private trading companies, merchant marines were quickly recruited by the continental army after a group of Merchant Marines used a ...
Lasdon Park and Arboretum – Trail of Honor, Cannon I mentioned in an earlier post that I went to Lasdon Park and Arboretum because I’d seen some pictures of the Trail of Honor and wanted to see it for myself. lasdontrailofhonor.com provides a considerable amount of useful information on the trail including a guided audio tour and a trail map from which the descriptions in ...
Lasdon Park and Arboretum – Overview I’d been to the Lasdon Park and Arboretum a couple of times: once for an antiques fair; and once for a concert. This time I wanted to take a look at something I’d bumped into while browsing the internet: the Trail of Honor. According to the Park’s website: The Lasdon estate, originally called Cobbling Rock Farm, ...
Peekskill – Crossroads Mural According to Mariah Fee: The mural’s historical narrative of Peekskill was designed and painted after almost two years of research and fundraising by myself and another artist. Assistance came from volunteers; and funding from The Westchester Arts Council, MasterCard, local businesses and the city of Peekskill. The marching figures change in time as they move down ...
More from Christies I mentioned in an earlier post (See: Self portrait with Cindy) that we went to Christies in New York City the other day. Here are a few other items that caught my attention. Above: The star of the show. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) Salvator Mundi oil on panel 25 7/8 x 18 in. (65.7 x 45.7 ...
Along the Hollowbrook Trail My wife was having her hair done in Oregon Corners, Putnam Valley. I’d read about a new trail in the vicinity so I took the dog and decided to give it a try. It’s called the Hollowbrook Trail and, as it turned out, it wasn’t much to write home about. It starts ...
Farm Scene Taken at a nearby farm with a Sony NEX 5N and 18-55mm kit lens.
Urns I came across these three urns in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Tarrytown, NY. Taken with an Olympus OM2-n MD and 50mm f1.8 F-Zuiko auto-s. Film was Kodak TX-100.
Rusted Iron Gate I’ve always had a weakness for old, rusting metal objects. This gate is in the vicinity of Indian Brook Falls and Constitution Marsh. Taken September, 2013 with a Sony NEX 5N and Sigma 30mm f2.8.
Hallowe’en paintings Every year at Hallowe’e the children of Briarcliff Manor come out and decorate the windows of the village stores with their paintings. Here’s a selection of their work. 15 images taken with an iphone 5s and combined in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.
Wheelbarrow and Chicken coop. Last year we were invited to a New Years Eve party. Our friends have a large property where they grow vegetables and raise a variety of animals including chickens and ducks. I was finding it a little warm inside the house so I stepped outside to get a breath of fresh air. It ...
Shells A collection of sea shells in a bowl in our living room. I’m not sure where they came from – most likely from the Philippines I imagine. Taken with a Sony Alpha A77II with Tamron A18 AF 18-250mm f3.5-6.3.
An Oasis in downtown White Plains, NY My wife was shopping in White Plains, NY and while waiting I took the dog for a short walk. I was surprised to across this small oasis in the middle of downtown White Plains, NY. It’s a complex of buildings related to the St. John the Evangelist Church. According to The Eastern State Journal. ...
Putnam County Veterans Memorial Park – Gold Star Mother Statue According to RoadsideAmerica.com: Gold Star Mothers — the moms of soldiers killed in war — have been around as an organization since 1918. Gold Star Mother memorials — stones with attached plaques — have been around since the 1930s. Vietnam vet Fred Waterman felt that wasn’t enough. He had one of his platoon buddies, Andrew Chernak, design ...
Putnam County Veterans Memorial Park – M60A3 Series Tank (Patton) According to army-technology.com The M60 is one of the world’s most successful main battle tanks with 15,000 having been produced and serving in the armies of 22 countries. The tank has provided proven battlefield performance over four decades and has been continuously advanced and upgraded with advanced weapon control, ammunition, applique armour and increasingly powerful engines. ...
Putnam County Veterans Memorial Park – Bell AH-1 Cobra After the 4-H Fair we went down to adjoining Veterans Memorial Park, where they have a number of exhibits, memorials, an outdoor gymnasium and a small museum. Above, one of the exhibits: a Bell AH-1 Cobra. Military-Today.com the has this to say about the Bell AH-1 Cobra. In 1965 Bell flew the prototype of the ...
Putnam County 46th Annual 4-H Fair – Military Exhibition I’m not at all sure who organized this. I seem to recall that an Italian American organization was involved. I also note that from the event map that the Putnam County Veterans Services was located at this spot, so possibly they were involved too. I’m not even sure if these are World War II ...
Putnam County 46th Annual 4-H Fair – Antique Machinery I love antique machinery. If it’s rusty, has all kinds of wheels and bands whirring around, and smoke belching out from time to time – then so much the better. I believe this collection came from the Connecticut Antique Machinery Association in Kent, CT. I have no idea what they all are/what they ...
Putnam County 46th Annual 4-H Fair – Revolutionary War Re-Enactors, Around the Camp Fire I don’t really have much to say about these: Just a few portraits and some cooking implements. Taken with a Sony A77 II and Minolta Maxxum 50mm f1.7
Putnam County 46th Annual 4-H Fair – Revolutionary War Re-Enactors, Militia At one point I thought of giving this picture a sepia toned, distressed look to make it look old. But then it occurred to me that photography would not be invented until around 60 years after the Revolutionary War so I decided to leave it as it was. I seem to recall that this was ...
A Walk Through Croton-On-Hudson – Vassallo Park I’m afraid that the Town of Croton-on-Hudson is not a very “dog-friendly” town. It seems that dogs are not allowed in any of their parks, including this one: Vassallo Park. It’s quite a small park with very little to commend it other than a rather impressive old tree and a millstone. A nearby sign ...
New York Air Show 2017 – Heritage Flight From top to bottom: F35 Lightning II; P-51 Mustang; F-16 Viper. According to Wikipedia: The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole fighters. The fifth-generation combat aircraft is designed to perform ground attack and air superiority missions. It has three main models: the F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant, ...
New York Air Show 2017 – Blue Angels F/A 18 Hornets of the Blue Angels demonstration team. It must be about 50 years since I’ve seen a jet demonstration team (I think the last one I saw was the Royal Air Force Red Arrows when I was in my teens. In those days they were flying the Folland Gnat). According to Wikipedia: The Blue ...
New York Air Show 2017 – P-51 Mustang One of the most famous aircraft of the Second World War and arguably the best all around fighter. According to Wikipedia: The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by North American Aviation ...
New York Air Show 2017 – Air Tractor There seem to be at least 17 variants of the Air Tractor, and I’m not at all sure which one this is. According to Wikipedia: Leland Snow began designing his first airplane, the S-1, in 1951. The 23-year-old Snow completed test flights with the S-1 in 1953. Snow’s S-1 flew dusting and spraying jobs in the Texas ...
New York Air Show 2017 – C17 Globemaster III I’d never seen such a large military aircraft in flight and eager to do so. So I was a bit disappointed when it didn’t appear on the programme for the particular day that we went. However, I was pleasantly surprised to hear the announcement that this aircraft would be flying that day. It’s ...
New York Air Show 2017 – F16 Viper Military.com has this to say about the F16 Fighting Falcon (the F16 Viper is the latest version).: One of the most versatile aircraft in the U.S. Air Force inventory, the F-16 Fighting Falcon has been the mainstay of the Air Force aerial combat fleet. With over 1,000 F-16s in service, the platform has been adapted to ...
Return of the samurai Seen in a house in Switzerland. I liked the positioning of the statuette in front of three fans with Japanese (I assume) writing. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Schneider-Kreuznach Retina Xenon 50mm f1.9 I love the Schneider Xenon lens on my Retina IIc so when I came across this article My Favorite Lenses – Schneider-Kreuznach Xenon 50mm f1.9 DKL on the Lens Bubbles site it was something I started keep my eye open for. Eventually I found this one at a reasonable prize and picked up a ...
Exotic Onion You’ve heard of ‘Spanish Onions’, well this is a ‘South African Onion’. I took this picture some time ago at Stonecrop Gardens, and although I posted a number of pictures I didn’t post this one. I have a vague memory that this was because I couldn’t remember what the small sign on it ...
Geneva – Lakeside, Along the Quai Gustave Ador Flags on the Quai Gustave Ador. Looking back into town with the St. Pierre Cathedral in the background. According to Wikipedia: To extend the south-side promenade of the Lake of Geneva from the Jardin Anglais, the Quai Gustave-Ador was constructed in 1856 with a length of around 1,800 m. In 1936–37 the first rosebushes were planted and ...
Geneva – Lakeside, Near the Jardin Anglais The inevitable, cheesy photograph of Lake Geneva. A gorgeous, sunny day, fluffy clouds, blue skys, a picturesque boat, the Jura mountains and the famous Jet d’Eau in the background. Taken near the Jardin Anglais (English garden) with a Sony RX-100 M3.
Geneva – Old Town, Mosaics at “Les Armures” I’d decided to do this entire series of pictures on Geneva’s Old Town in black and white. However, there are some things, which really don’t work in black and white. There’s a covered area outside the old armory (“Les Armures) and inside it are a few old cannons. On the rear wall ...
Geneva – Old Town, Statue in La Treille Even though it was some distance I’d decided to walk home and leaving the Old Town I passed through “La Treille” (the Arbor), a pleasant, leafy tree covered “promenade” (i.e. walking area) overlooking the Parc des Bastions. Walking through I came across this statue of Charles Pictet de Rochemont. Britannia.com describes him as follows: Charles Pictet ...
Geneva – Old Town, Jeremie Statue This statue of the Old Testament prophet, Jeremiah stands directly across from the St. Pierre Cathedral. It’s the creation of Auguste de Niederhäusern, better known as Rodo. According to Wikipedia: Auguste de Niederhäusern, better known as Rodo (2 April 1863 – 21 May 1913) was a sculptor and medalist active in Switzerland and France. Rodo ...
Geneva – Old Town, Along the Rue de l’Hotel-de-Ville The Rue de l’Hotel-de-Ville leads you up into another part of the old town, where you find the Hotel-de-Ville (Town Hall), Les Armures (the old armory), and the St. Pierre Cathedral. Above the view from outside the Hotel-de-Ville looking back in the direction of the Place du Bourg de Four. Ornate door knocker. Another even more ...
Geneva – Old Town, Clementine Statue I first photographed this mesmerizing statue sometime in the mid 1990s with a film camera. I’ve even posted about it before (see Statue in the Old Town). The main difference between these two pictures and the earlier one is that in the latter the girl is holding a flower in her hand. Apparently ...
Geneva – Place de Longemalle, Two statues As I walked around the Place de Longemalle I noticed a couple of statues that hadn’t been there the last time I’d visited. They stand outside the Opera Gallery and a sign indicates that they are the work of Andy Denzler. According to Wikipedia: Andy Denzler trained at the Kunstgewerbeschule and the F&F Schule ...
Chains Taken at Muscoot Farm with an Olympus Infinity Stylus Epic Zoom 80. I’m not entirely sure why I find this so appealing. Maybe something to do with the three upright posts with the chains hanging from them. It asks the question: what are the chains for? I also found it interesting that each ...
Blue and White Cat In an earlier post I mentioned that we had a acquired a blue and white, calico pattern china cat at Fanny Doolittle Antiques (See: Fanny Doolittle Antiques). Here it is. Taken with a Sony Alpha A500 and Tamron 18-250 mm lens.
A Zeiss-Ikon Surprise I had always thought along the following lines. First there was Carl Zeiss. They made lenses. Then there was Zeiss Ikon. They made cameras – and then they didn’t. Of course there was the added complexity of the West and East German brands, but other than that it seemed fairly ...
Scenes from a Thai Restaurant In addition to the elephants (See: In the wilds of darkest Patterson, NY) I took a couple of other pictures in Thai Elephant 2. You can see the elephants just in front of the Buddha painting. Yellow Orchids in glass jars.
In the wilds of darkest Patterson, NY Some family members have recently been on safari in Africa and we’ve been receiving lots of lovely pictures from them. Although I’ve been on safari myself a couple of times it doesn’t look as if I’ll repeat the experience any time soon. So when I saw this group of elephants on a mantle ...
Fanny Doolittle Antiques Our friends had mentioned a great antiques store they’d found in Patterson, NY. It’s Fanny Doolittle Antiques and it’s truly magical. There’s fascinating stuff everyone and you have to look into every nook and cranny to ensure that you don’t miss anything. One of the “nooks”. Blue and white heaven. I’ve mentioned in earlier posts ...
Geneva – Parc des Bastions, Wallace Fountain The key to identifying this piece was the inscription on the base: “Ch Lebourg SC 1872”. The photograph is a great example of how a fairly decent picture can be ruined by not looking carefully around the subject to see if there are any distractions. It was late in the day. I’d ...
Geneva – Parc des Bastions, David and Goliath Statue This bronze statue is called “David remerciant Dieu d’avoir frappé Goliath” (“David thanks God for being able to strike Goliath”), and also known as “David vainqueur de Goliath” (“David defeats Goliath”), and it refers to the Biblical story of young hero who managed to defeat the giant who was threatening his village. The statue was created ...
Geneva – Parc des Bastions, Henri Dunant Monument Above: Protective Angel. According to the web site of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) (which he founded): The Red Cross came into being at the initiative of a man named Henry Dunant, who helped wounded soldiers at the battle of Solferino in 1859 and then lobbied political leaders to take more action to protect ...
Geneva – Parc des Bastions, Augustin Pyramus de Candolle Monument While walking around I came across this bust of Augustin Pyramus de Candolle (Geneva Old Town in the background). According to Wikipedia: Augustin Pyramus de Candolle also spelled Augustin Pyrame de Candolle (4 February 1778 – 9 September 1841) was a Swiss botanist. René Louiche Desfontaines launched de Candolle’s botanical career by recommending him at ...
Geneva – Parc des Bastions, Reformation Wall, Six Lesser Giants of the Reformation These statues presumably represent six lesser luminaries of the Reformation – their statues are a mere 3 meters tall as opposed to the 5m of the main group. They’re arranged into two groups, one to the left of the main group and one to the right. Each group consists of three statues. Left Group Frederick ...
Geneva – Parc des Bastions, Reformation Wall, Four Giants of the Reformation The main feature of the Parc des Bastions is, of course, the famous Reformation Wall (full name: International Monument to the Reformation). It’s sheer size makes it difficult to cover it in a single photograph. A few numbers: the wall is 100 meters long; the statues in the main group are 5 meters ...
Geneva – Parc des Bastions, Eagle Statue This eagle is one of two such statues standing on columns on either side of the Place Neuve entrance to the Parc des Bastions. According to the Geneva.info site: Bastions Parc is famous for the Reformation Wall proudly standing here, big chess boards at the entrance, great restaurant and big playground for a kids. Opposite the reformation ...
Geneva – Troinex, Horse Statue This picture should really be with the other pictures of Troinex that I posted in July. I didn’t post it then because at the time I didn’t have any other information (e.g. who created it; why it was there etc.). However, while trying to find information about the “Petites Amies” statue (See: Geneva ...
Geneva – Champel, Parc Bertrand According to the French version of Wikipedia (Translation from the original French): The park, as well as the property therein, was bequeathed to the City of Geneva by Alice Noerbel, the widow of Alfred Bertrand, representative of a large Geneve family in 1933 (for a part) and then in 1940 ( for the rest). In the park ...
Blue Bottles Over the years my wife has bought, used, and kept a number of these bright blue bottles. These stand in the window of one of our bathrooms. Taken with a Sony Nex 5N and its 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 OSS kit lens.
Taconic This was taken from the overpass between Woodlands Legacy Fields Park and Granite Knolls Park in the town of Yorktown, NY. I wanted to capture something of the hustle, bustle and motion of the Taconic State Parkway. Taken with a Sony RX100 M3.
Books Seen in a nearby Barnes and Noble. I guess I must have been in the F*ch/Sh*t section at the time. It’s nice to see such classy titles are available to us. Taken with an iPhone 5s
Bonsai Seen in the outdoor seating area at Kobu Asian Bistro on the lake in Mahopac, NY. Taken with an Apple iPhone 5s.
Corvette Stingray This is the last picture I’m posting of the vintage cars outside DiCicco Market in Brewster. It’s also my personal favorite: it looks like it was taken in the 1960s. The woman with the hat is just perfect. I’ve always been fond of Stingrays and I believe this is one of the early ...
Blue Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Another one from the mini vintage car show outside DiCiccos Market in Brewster. According to Wikipedia: The Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme is a mid-size car produced by Oldsmobile between 1966 and 1997. It was positioned as a premium offering at the top of the Cutlass range. It began as a trim package, developed its own roofline, ...
Red Corvette We’d been to Home Depot in Brewster and decided to stop at the nearby DeCicco Market to pick up some groceries. There was a small vintage car show in the parking lot and since I had the Olympus Infinity Stylus (Mju) with me I decided to take a few pictures. One was of ...
Westport Fire Department – Station 4 After I’d decided to try out my July film camera (see: June Film Camera – Olympus Infinity Stylus and Olympus Infinity Stylus – Results) I started off by taking a few pictures in Westport, CT where my wife had gone to meet with some friends for lunch. These two shots are of the Westport Fire ...
Olympus Infinity Stylus – Results I enjoyed using this camera. There’s really not a lot to think about other than turning off the flash whenever you turn the camera on (unless you actually want to use the flash of course). It’s small and fits into the pocket easily and the sliding door offers quite a bit of protection. ...
American Flag Opposite DeCicco Market in Jefferson Valley there’s a small strip mall. One day, while my wife was taking her dance class at nearby Club Fit I took the dog for a walk and came across this American Flag. What first struck me was its size. It covers most of the rear of this store. ...
Geneva – Carouge, A pair of owls I came across this statue in the window of a small gallery along the Rue Ancienne. Taken with my Son-in-Law’s Nikon, D80 and Sigma 18-200mm f3.5-f6.3 lens.
Geneva – Carouge, Moïse Vautier Statue According to the “Tribune de Geneve” (In “1848 Les Vautier conquièrent Carouge la lime à la main“, translated from the original French: In 1848 a lime factory was founded in 1848 in Carouge by the father of Moïse Vautier. … The Rue Vautier perpetuates the name of this family on the very premises where the factory stood. ...
Geneva – Carouge, Basilisk Fountain Apparently this fountain shows the Sardinian origins of Carouge. It depicts a particular kind of dragon: a “scultone” or “ascultone”, which appears in legends in Sardinia, Italy. It had the power to kill human beings with its gaze and was a type of basilisk, lived in the bush and was immortal. According to the ...
Geneva – Carouge, Ornate Inn Sign This sign is outside the Hotel Auberge Communale on the Rue Ancienne (Old Road). The central shield bears the Carouge coat of arms, which seems to be a a lion reclining under a tree on a green field against a red/orange background. I’m sure there is very precise heraldic terminology to describe this, ...
Geneva – Carouge, Reunification Statue Statue commemorating the centennial of the union of Carouge with Geneva, by James Vibert. The reverse lists the communes separated from Savoy and attached to the canton of Geneva, and bears the inscription: “Reunited with the Republic of Geneva, becoming a Swiss Canton. Erected by these communities to commemorate the centennial of 1816. ...
Geneva – Troinex, Megaliths The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “megalith” as: “a very large usually rough stone used in prehistoric cultures as a monument or building block”. While these stones are fairly large I’m not sure that I would call them “very” large (i.e.in the sense that the stones used at Stonehenge are “very” large). Somehow the word “minilith” ...
Geneva – Introduction We spent almost all of May visiting our daughter and her family in Switzerland. She tends to have a lot of business related travel around this time of year and my wife usually goes over for a few weeks to help out with the kids while she’s away. I usually stay behind to ...
Rickshaws, Kathmandu, 1999 Taken during a visit to Nepal in 1999 probably with a Canon AE-1 camera and I can’t recall what lens. I say Canon AE-1 because the only other camera I had at that time was a Minolta Hi-Matic 7sii. Some of the other pictures in this batch could not have been taken with ...
Blue and White My wife collects blue and white china, and over the years she’s acquired quite a lot – from a variety of countries we’ve visited. She recently decided to share some of this with friends via a new Facebook page she’s made. Consequently she asked me to take a few pictures. Above blue ...
Mystery Point – Old Lincoln Parked right next to the ruin mentioned in the previous post was this old Lincoln Continental, which according to Wikipedia: … is a series of luxury cars produced by Lincoln, a division of the American automaker Ford Motor Company. First introduced in 1939 as a coachbuilt convertible, which would spawn the personal luxury car segment, the ...
Croton Point – Ceramic Tiles As you enter Croton Point Park (or in my case as you leave) there’s a small kiosk, where in season they collect fees. My wife was coming to pick us up (Harley and myself) and we’d agreed to meet at the parking area by this kiosk. As is often the case, I was ...
Croton Point – Contradictory Signs I was briefly taken aback when I first noticed these apparently contradictory signs. Then I figured out what was going on. I’ve deliberately organized the composition to hide the true situation, which is that there’s another road going off to the left (out of the picture). The two roads are part of ...
Croton Point – RV Park I’d never noticed this RV park before. Maybe I’d just not walked by this particular part of the park, or maybe I’d just been there at the wrong time of year. I’m not sure how I feel about it. While people should certainly have the right to visit such pleasant places, I ...
Croton Point – The HMS Vulture Incident The plaque above is attached to a boulder not far from the Pavilion. It reads: “Commemorating the defense of Teller’s Point by George, Sherwood and Jack Peterson who repulsed the landing of British troops from the “Vulture” September 21, 1780, thus aiding in the Capture of Major Andre.” (Note: Croton Point was once known ...
Carl Zeiss Jena 50mm f3.5 T Tessar This came attached to an Exa (See:New Acquisitions – Exakta Varex/VX IIa and Exa August 10, 2015) that I acquired in 2015, but had never used. I decided to give it a try right after I had tried out the Ludwig Peronar I mentioned in an earlier post (See: Ernst Ludwig 50mm f2.9 Peronar). ...
Milk Churns and Wooden Barrels I grew up in a rural part of northern England. My grandmother owned a farm and I remember seeing lots of these milk churns. As I recall (perhaps imperfectly) she would milk the cows, some of whom were quite aggressive – I recall one of them kicking her, and the milk would end ...
A Day in New York City – A pair of frogs This two frogs (along with three others and a few ducks) sit on the base of the Honey Bear Statue near Central Park zoo. Apparently water sprays from their mouths although when I was there the fountain was not functioning (possibly because of the season). Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3.
A Day in New York City – Walking by Trump Tower After lunch at the Loeb Boathouse in Central Park, my wife went shopping with our friend and I decided to go back home. So I walked back to Grand Central Terminal and on my way passed Trump Tower. From what I’d heard the the security would be terrible, but I was surprised that it ...
A Day in New York City – Honey Bear Statue This statue stands just outside the zoo in Central Park, New York City. According to the Central Park Conservancy web site: This whimsical bronze is in a niche that flanks the triple-archway that supports the Delacorte Musical Clock between the Central Park Zoo and the Children’s Zoo. The Dancing Goat is the bear’s counterpart on ...
A Day in New York City – Samuel Morse Statue Finally in New York City, we took a taxi from Grand Central Terminal to Central Park. The driver dropped us off near 72nd Street and Fifth Avenue. As we got out of the taxi I noticed a statue. Imagine my surprise to discover that it was of Samuel F.B. Morse, whose former ...
Locust Grove – Detail of a Wrought Iron Container I believe that this was one of the handles on a wrought iron containter of some sort – possibly a planter, or maybe a fountain – I don’t remember which. I liked the expression on the face of creature (some kind of aquatic reptile?); and of course the rust. Taken with a Sony RX-100 M3
A face in stone I can’t really articulate why I like this picture. Maybe it’s the expression on the face? Maybe it’s the strange carvings around the face? Maybe it’s the carvings in general? Perhaps the textures? Somehow I found it appealing – what can I say? Taken with a Canon EOS 650 and Canon EF ...
In a thai restaurant We recently went to one of our favorite nearby restaurants: Bangkok Spice in Shrub Oak. While we were there a took a few pictures. The picture of the teapot above I think exemplifies some of the strong points of the 50mm f2.9 Peronar: It’s muted colors, low contrast and soft, rather “dreamy” look. I really ...
A twig in the snow Another shot taken in Law Park, Briarcliff Manor, NY. I liked the “minimalist” composition and the extreme contrast between the bright white of the snow and the stark blackness of the twig. It made me feel cold, which I imagine I was since there was quite a lot of snow on the ...
Blue and Red Hydrant I came across a number of these hydrants (all with different numbers) while walking along a nearby trail. I liked the bold red and blue colors. I’d taken a picture of one of them already, but I liked the background more on this one: the contrast between the colorful hydrant and the much more subdued, ...
Croton Gorge – Metal door Again I’ve walked along the top of the Croton Dam many times, but until today I’d never noticed this door. Maybe, like the gravestone in an early post, it had been in the shade during previous visits and I hadn’t notice it. Today there was enough light reflecting back off the surface for ...
Croton Gorge – Why do they do this? We’d walked some distance along the Old Croton Aqueduct (OCA) trail and decided to turn around and head back, this time staying on the OCA rather than taking the River Trail as we had going out. Soon afterwards I noticed the above on one of the rocks. We continued down towards one of the periodic ...
Croton Gorge – Red Door I’ve always had an affinity for red doors but it this case it wasn’t just the the bright red color of the door that caught my attention, but also the variations in both texture and color in the stones in the wall and the pavers on the ground. I also found the metalwork appealing. ...
The sad little statuette in the corner When I was taking some color pictures using the Leitz 90mm Elmar f4 LTM (see: Leitz 90mm Elmar LTM in Color) I spotted this blue vase with some Baby’s Breath in it. I was going to take a picture of it with the background out of focus when I noticed the statuette in corner. ...
Giraffe in boots I was walking around in the village of Briarcliff Manor when I came across an amazing sight in front of a toy store: an enormous (at least 5ft. tall) stuffed giraffe. Remarkable though this was, even more striking was that it was wearing faded, yellow rubber boots. It was also sporting a bright green hat!
Briarcliff manor – old municipal building This is the Old Municipal Building in Briarcliff Manor, the town where we’ve lived now for almost 20 years. This is the view from the rear showing the clock tower in all its glory. Briarcliff Manor has a truly excellent set of Wikipedia pages created by Michael Feist under the auspices of the ...
Chairs at Pleasantville Station While I was waiting for my wife to pick up her lunch at Jean Jacques Cafe and Patisserie (excellent though it is the cafe is only a small piece of what they do. I sense that most of their time is taken up with their catering.) I decided to take the dog for a ...
A Blue Flag Today I came across this blue flag on the garage door of a nearby house. From the flags and signs around the house I’d earlier been able to infer that the owner was a) a Donald Trump supporter; and b) most likely a former serviceman (see Election 2016). This flag, however, was new and I’d ...
Mini snowman While walking the dog in Law Park in Briarcliff Manor I spotted this tiny (it couldn’t have been more than about six inches tall) snowman sitting on a wall. We’ve had temperatures in the high 50sF for the past few days so I imagine it has gone by now.
Pipilotti Rist: Pixel Forest 3 The artist calls this 2001 work ‘Cape Cod Chandelier’. She goes on to say: I like to surprise people with their reactions to these chandeliers. under-trousers cover the exits for the body’s garbage, so seeing them placed centrally in a room, giving off light, causes some people to think, ugh! that’s underwear! but others find ...
Pipilotti Rist: Pixel Forest 2 Shadow people 1. This was the second room we visited in the exhibition – on another floor and with a completely different feel. I much preferred it to the first (see: Pipilotti Rist: Pixel Forest 1). This one was full of moving lights and video projected onto walls and drapes (which also moved). Fascinating thought ...
Pipilotti Rist: Pixel Forest 1 Last November we went to see an exhibition at the New Museum in New York City. It was by Swiss Artist Pilotti Risk and I must admit that I’ve never seen anything quite like it. It spanned several floors and the Museum’s website describes it as follows: Over the past thirty years, Rist (b. ...
Leaf in snow It was 2:30pm of a bright, sunny Winter day and I was returning home after walking the dog. We’d almost reached our driveway when I noticed this leaf nestled in the snow, now icy after lying there for several days. I liked the contrast between the warm colors of the leaf, and the ...
Female Wooden Statuette We have two wooden statuettes in the window of the sun room of our house in Briarcliff Manor. One is male and the other is female. When I bought them in Nairobi, Kenya many years ago they were labelled as being Kikuyu. I already posted about these statuettes (see Kikuyu Statues), but the picture ...
Birdbath and Japanese Maple at dawn I woke up early one morning and was sitting in our living room having my coffee when I noticed the wonderful light coming from the rising sun. This picture, taken low down, would have been much harder to get with my old RX100 M1. Since it didn’t have an articulated screen I would ...
How an Antique Camera Flash Became the Most Iconic Star Wars Prop Arguably the most iconic prop from the Star Wars universe is… a camera flash. It’s not a joke, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader’s lightsabers (the handle, not the glowing, cut your hand off part) were both made from vintage camera flash guns. Via Petapixel (How an Antique Camera Flash Became the Most Iconic Star Wars Prop). ...
Peekskill Riverwalk Park – Fjorward A nearby sign reads FJORWARD Christine Corday Weathering Steel The Hudson River is a fjord that was carved by ancient ice flows, and moves both north and south. This is abstracted by a circular band that is held in tension by two directional plates, separated by an inch of air. It represents a continuous carving of time and ...
Peekskill Riverwalk Park – Tides A nearby sign reads: Tides Emil Alzamora Bronze Tides represents the spirit of eternal relaxation and enjoyment of two things that are dear to us – family and loved ones and communion with the world in which we live. Tides softened details bring to mind subtle aquatic forms – waves, ripples, reflections – that one might find in ...
Peekskill Riverwalk Park – Launching Ball ‘Launching Ball’ by Korean artist Jong Oh (aluminum, stainless steel, paint. 19 x 6.5 x 8 feet (580 x 200 x 245 cm ). 2014 According to the Marc Straus Gallery The Korean artist Jong Oh (born in 1981) creates site-specific spatial installations. He carefully approaches a particular setting and responds to the given spatial situation through ...
Peekskill Riverwalk Park – Your repetitive view A 2000 piece by Olafur Eliasson. I found this to be the most fascinating artwork I came across in the Peekskill River Walk Park – and I almost missed it. From a distance it looks like a bright blue container. Only when you get up to it do you notice that there’s a viewing ...
Peekskill Riverwalk Park – Huygen’s Helmet A nearby sign reads: Serge Onnen Dutch, born 1965 lives and works in Amsterdam and New York Huygen’s Helmet, 2009 Materials: Welded metal, pvc pipe, structolite. HVCCA exhibition ‘Double Dutch’ Support generously given by FONDS BRVB and the Mondriaan Foundation. Double Dutch was an exhibition celebrating the Quadricentennial of the Dutch discovery and settlement of the Hudson River, which took place between September 12, ...
Peekskill Riverwalk Park – Arc Peekskill Riverwalk Park is not just a pleasant walk with impressive views of Peekskill Bay and the Hudson Highlands. A number of interesting sculptures are placed along the paths. The walker can break their progress for a while, pause and consider the artwork. This is the first of a series of posts covering some of the ...
Another Christmas Present I didn’t mention this one before, because it wasn’t supposed to be a Christmas present for me. It has, however, become so. My wife has often complained that we don’t print enough photos. Most of the photos she’s referring to come in to her iphone – often photographs of grandchildren sent to us by ...
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery – Elusive Statue Revisited A while back (March 10, 2015) I posted (see An elusive statue) about the difficulties I’ve had in getting a decent picture of this statue. I really like the statue, but I can’t seem to get a picture of it that I like. Here’s my latest attempt. I’m not sure that I like any ...
Chess board I liked the contrasts between the blacks and the whites and the way that almost nothing except the foremost piece is in focus (and that only barely). The black pieces in the background seem to me to look almost a little threatening as if they’re waiting to pounce.
At the Shakespeare I went into New York City about a week ago to have lunch with old friend/colleague, Tom. We went to the Shakespeare pub on 39th Street between Park and Madison. I find it a very pleasant, cosy place for a chat, an English meal (I had a chicken pie and chips), and a ...
New Windsor Cantonment: Blacksmith’s tools Taken at New Windsor Cantonment in May, 2015. The Cantonment contains a working forge and part of the tour included a demonstration of how to make a nail using the tools and other equipment available during the Revolutionary War. A single guide took us around the site, explained the history of the camp, did the ...
New Windsor Cantonment: Chairs Taken inside the Temple of Virtue (or at least the 1960s reproduction of it that now exists) at New Windsor Cantonment, in May 2015. I’m not entirely sure why I like this. Maybe it’s the contrast between the light walls and the darker chairs. Or perhaps it’s the contrast between the smooth wood of ...
By the roadside 20: Discarded electronic drum set It was bulk pickup day around the lake and there was a lot of interesting “stuff” by the side of the road. I think it was the bright colors (red, blue, aqua, yellow, orange) around the rims of the “drums” that caught my attention. Also the incongruity of seeing this out on the ...
A statue Detail of a larger statue seen in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Sleepy Hollow, NY just about one year ago (1/29/2016).
Sky surfer This is one of two statues standing in the forecourt to the CVS store in the Triangle Center in Yorktown Heights, New York. I have no idea who created them, nor do I even know what they are called. In the absence of such information I’ve decided to call this one “Sky surfer”.
Big Sky detail 2 Another take on the “Big Sky” statue – this time in black and white. I think I prefer this version to the color version posted earlier (see Big Sky detail). It’s somewhat more abstract and ambiguous – it’s not immediately obvious what it is.
Community church of Yorktown cemetery – A lamb Worn statue of a lamb on top of a grave marker. According to Stories in Stone: A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography: In funerary art, lambs usually mark the graves of children and particularly infants symbolizing innocence. The lamb is one of the most frequently used symbols of Christ in all periods ...
Twins Interesting “twins” statue cum birdbath seen at Amawalk Hill Cemetery.
Big Sky – detail A plaque at the base reads: “‘Big Sky’. Al Landzberg. Donated to Yorktown, 7/10/1”. Mr. Landzberg According to the International Sculpture Center: Beverly Russell in Sculpture Magazine, October 1998: “Landzberg’s work suggests, without resolving the question of progress, a process that may lead us to the edge of a precipice or toward the dawn of ...
Ballerina Mime Taken in the Times Square subway station on Christmas Eve, 2016. I had wanted to separate the subject from the background, but wasn’t able to with the only camera I had with me: a Sony RX100M1. At first this bothered me, but the more I looked at it the more I started to ...
Cross A simple white cross on a dark background (actually it was green): the door of a nearby church. I liked the minimal composition, which seems to give a sense of peace and tranquility.
Drinking Trough I came across this drinking trough in the picturesque little part of Garrison, NY know as Garrison Landing. Clearly it had something to do with Gurdon Saltonstall Osborn (what an interesting name) born June 14, 1895 and died at a very early age (less than one year) on March 13, 1896. I knew that there had ...
RIP RX100 My trusty Sony RX100 went belly up on Christmas Day! I used it on Christmas Eve when we went into New York City to see a play and all was well. Then on Christmas Day I picked it up to take a picture of the meal I’d prepared. It started up, but all ...
Merry Christmas! And a Happy New Year! Our first fire of Winter 2016-2017. For those who prefer a more religious Christmas scene see below:
Boatman unfurling a sail Another one from our recent trip to Rockefeller Center. This one seems to be called “Boatman unfurling a sail”. According to a post about the International Building on the Photops website: Boatman Unfurling a Sail by Lee Oscar Lawrie, 1937. This bas-relief limestone allegorical sculpture is located at the 19 West 50th Street entrance to the International ...
Eighteen Arhats: My personal favorite – Mahakappina Thera I thought I’d include one of the pictures at a larger size. This one is my personal favorite (which is a pity because it’s also the least sharp. Either I missed the focus or there’s a little camera shake. I’ll have to go back and try again, but probably not before next year as ...
Eighteen Arhats: Right Side The second (and final) grouping: statues from the right side of the walkway. 10. Culapanthaka Thera. Culapanthaka was skilled in liberation from mind. He was born a dull person, could not even recite one verse of the teaching He got rid of the impurities of lust and other defilements and attained arahantship after wiping ...
Eighteen Arhats: Left Side As mentioned in an earlier post (see: Eighteen Arhats: Overview) I took pictures of each of the eighteen statues beside the walkway to the Great Buddha hall at Chuang Yen monastery. Now I have eighteen pictures. How do I present them in this blog? Clearly one post with 18 pictures would be too much. ...
Eighteen Arhats: Overview We recently took our elder daughter to nearby Chuang Yen monastery. As we were walking up from the car park to the Great Buddha hall we were looking at the statues on both sides of the walkway. I had previously taken pictures of a couple of them and now it occurred to me ...
Hudson river cruise – Returning Final shot of the Hornblower Hybrid at dock at the end of our cruise. Taken from the Yonkers Pier.
Hudson river cruise – Under the Tappan Zee Bridge According to Wikipedia: The Governor Malcolm Wilson–Tappan Zee Bridge, usually referred to as the Tappan Zee Bridge, is a cantilever bridge in the U.S. state of New York, crossing the Hudson River at one of its widest points; the Tappan Zee is named for an American Indian tribe from the area called “Tappan”; and zee being ...
Hudson river cruise – Skydeck on the Hornblower Hybrid This is as far up as you can get on our boat: The Hornblower Hybrid: The Hornblower Hybrid is New York’s premier eco-friendly luxury yacht. Offering 360-degree views from its Atrium Deck as well as first-class amenities, the Hybrid is truly a one-of-a-kind yacht. Versatility sets the Hybrid apart. Capable of accommodating large special events and ...
Is it still fall? Although it doesn’t feel like it, I guess it still is – at least until 21 December. This cheery sign was next to a coffee/snack kiosk in Verdi Square (72nd and Broadway, New York City).
Lampshade detail I liked the colors, (particularly the two groups of three reds), the curving lines and the repeating shapes.
Buddha group We were invited to have Thanksgiving dinner at a friend’s house. I came across this interesting grouping of objects in his living room. It aroused in me a sense of peace and tranquility (as I’m sure he intended). It was rather dark in the living room and since there were others around I ...
Indian statuette We have three of these small statuettes on a small pyramid shaped shelving unit in our living room. Right next to it is a slightly taller mirror-fronted armoire on which I’m accustomed to leaving cameras so the cat can’t get at them (it’s a little bit too tall even for her, and in any ...
Lion clock on the former Central Savings Bank According to a post (The Solidity and Stature of NYC’s Central Savings Bank) on the Curbed, New York site: The Central Savings Bank (currently Apple Bank), located at 2100-2108 Broadway at West 73rd Street, was built between 1926 and 1928 by the architecture firm of York & Sawyer. The bank had been founded in 1859 and ...
Children’s beach tryptch It’s now that time of year when all the leaves have fallen from the trees and everything looks rather drab and colorless. So during one of my walks I started to look for things that would add a little color to my life. I found these at nearby Children’s Beach. From left ...
Lion eating taxi? I was quite taken by these metal lion heads in Verdi Square. Pure chance! I was actually trying to get a picture with as little in the background as possible i.e. no cars, no passers-by. And, indeed, I did get such a picture. However, when I saw this one I just ...
Verdi statue This statue stands in Verdi Park on West 72nd street and Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan. Our friend had driven us (myself, my wife, and our friend’s mother) into the city to see Spamilton. She had another stop to make and so dropped us off near the theatre. We had some time to ...
Community church of Yorktown cemetery – A trio of gravestones A couple of older gravestones. They look as if they were home made rather than being professionally done. The one on the left is dated 1752 and also bears the inscription IHS and a fourth letter, which might be an ‘A’, but is hard to make out. According to Wikipedia IHS has ...
Community church of Yorktown cemetery – Gravestone symbols In an earlier post I mentioned that most of the gravestones were unadorned i.e. they only had text in the form of names and inscriptions. However, I did come across a few with symbols such as the one above with a weeping willow. The Engraved: The Meanings Behind Nineteenth-Century Tombstone Symbols website gives ...
Community church of Yorktown cemetery – Statuary As mentioned in an earlier post, there was very little statuary in this cemetery. Here are two that I spotted. The lovely little lamb above sits on top of a grave bearing the inscription: “Little Aaron and Aramenta.” A post (Eighteenth-Century Field Trip Part 3: Yorktown Baptist Church) on the Episcopal Cemetery site notes: It also provides ...
Snow scene We had our first snow of Winter 2016-2017 last night (even if it isn’t yet Winter). The snow – about 2 inches – was a bit of surprise. Looks nice though and is, unfortunately, a hint of what’s to come. It seems that a tree fell on lake shore road and took the ...
Zounds! What can I say? Not something you see every day.
Staircase I’ve posted pictures of stairs/staircases before so I guess I must like them: Exterior staircase – Chambord Stone staircase Four staircases Boscobel – Interiors Stairs A walk to Rockwood Hall (stairs pictures along with others) Vanderbilt Mansion, Hyde Park, NY (staircase pictures along with others) Angkor (stairs picture along with others) I particularly liked the graceful curves here. I can see at least four ...
Glenclyffe 12 – Spikes on a stump I spotted these rusting metal objects as I was walking around in the area overlooking the Hudson directly in front of the Garrison Institute. As far as I can tell they’re rail spikes, which would make perfect sense where I found them was right above the Metro North Railway line. I liked the rough textures – one ...
Glenclyffe 10 – Metal panel 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. ...
Glenclyffe 9 – Buddha statue This statue stands in a corner by a doorway in the Garrison Institute (formerly the Monastery of Mary Immaculate). As this was once a Roman Catholic monastery you’d think that this statue might look a little out of place. However, ‘once’ is the operative word here. The building has not been a ...
Glenclyffe 7 – Empty planter This planter (if indeed that is what it is) stands in the grounds of Glenclyffe – just across the grassy area in front of the old Hamilton Fish mansion. It’s large, heavy and ornately decorated. If, indeed, it is a planter it’s presently empty.
Glenclyffe 6 – Urn with flowers This flower-filled urn stands on a parapet directly in front of the entrance to the former Monastery of Mary Immaculate. From here you can see the cliffs on the other side of the Hudson and on top of them the West Point Museum, which its website describes as follows: The mission of the West Point ...
Election 2016 It’s finally over! After a year and a half of some of the worst invective I’ve ever encountered in my 30+ years living in the US. By the end it had really worn me down. I struggled to come up with a photograph to illustrate this post and then one day while ...
By the roadside 19: Self portrait with trash pile My ‘By the roadside pictures’ have all so far been ‘pretty pictures’ of flowers and the like. However, I also come across things, which aren’t all that pretty. It was bulk pickup day on our lake when during a walk I came across this rather large mirror. I couldn’t resist taking a ...
Rockefeller trails 5: a couple of fire hydrants As with the earlier Rockefeller trails 3: bridge over the Pocantico River I’ve taken a picture of the above hydrant before (Rockefeller Trails – Pocantico River Trail). Once again this is the first time I’ve posted a picture of it in color. As for the picture below I’ve walked past this hydrant many times, and ...
Old vehicle in the woods In an earlier post (see: Down the Roaring Brook Trail) I mentioned coming across an old, abandoned vehicle in the woods. Here are some more pictures of that same vehicle, this time showing closer in detail.
Two balls I was just completing a walk when I noticed what I at first took for two balls, one on each side of the trail. One was clearly a soccer ball and the other looked to me like a somewhat deflated beach ball. As I got closer, however, I noticed the one of them ...
Still life in blue and white My wife collects blue and white stuff. We have lots of it. It’s probably what people remark on the most when they come to the house. One morning, around 8:00am I was sitting in the living room drinking my coffee when I noticed that the light coming through the living room windows was particularly ...
Down the Roaring Brook Trail I’d wanted to do this walk for some time. It runs near our house and is the closest access point to Fahnestock State Park. I’ve often said to friends: “It’s possible to walk into Fahnestock State Park from our house – but I haven’t done it yet”. Well now I have. ...
A statue Seen at the Staatsburgh State Historic Site. Another Eugene Atget “wannabe”. Why did I take this picture? Because it was there I imagine.
John Hudson Hall monument Seen in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, NY. According to: Stories in Stone. New York. A Field Guide to New York City Area Cemeteries and their Residents by Douglas Keister: John Hudson Hall (October 15, 1828 – March 3, 191) was born in the United States. His ancestry was Dutch, Scottish and English. ...
Monsters in the woods A while back I mentioned in one of these posts (see Stillwater Lake) that I had come across a sign in the woods that read “Do not pass this point after 3:30 pm”. I speculated that this might be because that was when the monsters were let out. I was back on that ...
Harley Davidson I came across this Harley in the parking lot of our health club. It’s usually quite crowded, but this Harley was way off at the far edge – all by itself. Obviously the owner wasn’t taking any chance of it being banged. I’ve never really wanted to have a motorcycle. I find ...
Wooden eagle statue A nearby plaque reads: “In memory of Benjamin F. DeFrancesco 1898-1993. As the flag flies freely, so do I.” I took this with a Sony NEX 5N and 16mm f2.8 lens and its matched ultra wide angle converter. I recall that I used this combination, but it’s hard to be sure as the metadata ...
Statue and bench Taken on the grounds of a nearby mansion. I liked the juxtaposition of the quite new looking bench and the obviously much older statue. The somewhat eroded statue made me think about the passage of time and the way they stand isolated in this bucolic setting aroused a feeling of loneliness (this statement ...
Light fixtures Taken in December, 2012 at a nearby Japanese restaurant. I’d recently acquired a Jupiter 9 lens and adapter for my Sony NEX 5N. It’s a great lens, a copy of a pre World War II Zeiss Sonnar 85mm f/2. There are several versions. Mine is black (rather than silver) and the ...
Headless statue I came across this decapitated statue in a nearby garden. I could see it from the road as I was walking the dog. It seemed a little peculiar and appealed to my sense of humor. As with many old statues I’m always reminded of my idol Eugene Atget. Once again this ...
VW Microbus I included this picture in an earlier post. Nowadays I usually add only one picture to a post, but it those days I used to put in more. In this particular case this picture was in a post with four others. The other four worked better in black and white and for ...
Incense holders I liked the bright colors and he repeating circles (the ends of the cardboard tubes). Also the rougher textures of the wood contrasting with the smoother stone background.
Spooky child statue I came across this statue of a small girl in a neighbors garden. The more I looked at it the more it struck me as being a bit ‘spooky’. It’s something to do with the indistinct eyes. You can’t make them out all that well, but somehow they give the impression that ...
Old red ford truck Bright red truck. Bright green grass. Sunny day. Blue sky. Old rusting machinery. What’s not to like?
Stone staircase I liked the curving banister and steps; the repetition of the stone balusters; the contrast between the lighter foreground elements and the darker building in the background; and the stone textures.
Backhoe What impressed me about this machine was the size of the bucket so I wanted to emphasize that. I took a few pictures from further away and a more head on view. This picture was taken closer in, at a wider angle and turned slightly to the side. I liked it more ...
A woman and a dog We came across this statue and my wife immediately wanted a picture (this isn’t that picture) of herself posing with our dog in front of it. The statue has not aged well: the dog still looks rather elegant, but both it and the woman have suffered greatly from erosion. The features of both ...
A balustrade I liked the curving lines, the repetition of the vertical elements and the contrasts between the dark and light areas.
Yashica TLR Of late I’ve developed an interest in Twin Lens Reflex (TLR) Cameras (above my own Yashica 12 – unfortunately not working because of a stuck shutter. I’ll get it fixed one of these days). A couple of days ago I was browsing around and I came across this very useful resource related the ...
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. ...
Untermyer gardens revisited – stone lion Apart from the magnificent sphinxes this was the only piece of sculpture that I noticed. I was a bit surprised by this. I’d thought to find more.
Untermyer gardens revisited – a couple of mosaics Actually I’m cheating a little here. The picture above was actually taken during my first visit. I know I posted a black and white version (I was on a black and white binge at that time), but I don’t think I’ve ever posted the color version. Although it works quite well in ...
Another attempt at expressing feelings – not entirely successful I came across these abandoned slippers on one of our beaches. My first reaction was that they were very “glittery” as the sun caught the speckles all over them. I tried to capture this in the picture above. Then as I thought about it more it seemed to me that they were a ...
Still life We had some friends over for lunch last weekend and as we were clearing up I noticed the remains of a salad on one of my wife’s many blue and white dishes. Although I wasn’t the least bit sad the bright colors made me feel cheerful. I liked the bright red of the tomato; the ...
Old tractors My father grew up on a farm and although he never really wanted to be a farmer (if he had he would have stayed there) he retained an interest in “things agricultural” for the rest of his life. One manifestation of this was his inability to ignore any traction engine rally taking place in ...
Upcoming visit to Untermyer Park We just had some visitors so as we usually do we prepared a fairly extensive meal and afterwards took them to a nearby attraction: Chuang Yen Monastery. They’ve decided to reciprocate by inviting us later this month to a meal at their home in Hastings-on-Hudson followed by a visit to Untermyr Gardens in Yonkers, ...
Chef Statue Seen outside a restaurant in New York City. Reminds me a bit of Ted Cruz. Taken back October, 2012 when I had never heard of Ted Cruz. Same kind of almost supercilious sneer masquerading as a smile. Taken with a Sony Nex 5n and Canon 50mm f1.4 S.S.C FD – a very nice ...
Unidentified flying object Not exactly. What a surprise. It’s an some kind of inflatable raft that I noticed on one of our beaches. Loved the bright colors.
Onions in a nest There was a sign next to this pot explaining what kind of onion this is. Unfortunately, I didn’t take a picture of the sign or otherwise note down the information. I have a vague memory of it saying that this particular type of onion is native to South Africa (I might not have ...
Plantpots I think it was the light that appealed to me here – sort of ‘dappled’ with interesting shadows cast on the pots. I also liked the arrangement of the pots – I’d never seen plant pots placed on top of each other in the is way (i.e. with the the bottom pot inverted ...
Mailboxes at 522 North State Road Something about this mass of mailboxes caught my attention, but I was about to pass it by as too uninteresting when I noticed the small figure to the bottom right. What is it? Why is it there? Unanswered questions for which I’ll never have the answers. To me this added a ...
Seating arrangement Interesting arrangement of objects seen in a nearby garden. I’m a sucker for rocking chairs.
Ferocious looking bird statue I have no idea what bird this represents. The tail looks a little like a Turkey, but the head doesn’t and if it’s a turkey it’s the nastiest looking Turkey I’ve ever seen. In any case the head looks more like that of a bird of prey of some kind.
An interesting mailbox Not something you see every day! This interesting (and huge) mailbox stands outside the Suburban Carting Company in Briarcliff Manor, NY. Presumably not content with a generic mailbox they must have had one custom built to suit their needs. Perhaps they also get such a large volume of mail that they needed ...
Scarecrow Seen at Stonecrop Gardens in Putnam County, NY. Scarecrows generally have fairly indeterminate shapes, but for the most part they seem to be male – possibly because they don’t usually have curves. I liked this one because it’s obviously female. Actually it reminds me a bit of my grandmother – who owned a farm, ...
Frog golfers Seen in a neighbor’s driveway. Cute!
A face on a canoe The road down to one of our beaches is lined with racks holding canoes, kayaks and the like. As I was walking past one day I noticed this “face” on one of the canoes. I don’t know whether this resemblance is completely by chance or whether another passer-by had spotted that the two rivets looked ...
Still life with fern This picture depicts mostly man-made objects: the sun/head; the stone sculpture, both set against the wood background and base. The fern peeking in from the rights is, however, natural. I loved the contrast between the two. I also liked the colorful textures of the wood.
Bathroom pictures 9: Shell The object in the first post in this series (Bathroom pictures 1: Offset spiral) is one of a number of shells my wife has placed in a small tray in the bathroom. In desperation (it is a very small bathroom after all!) I turn to another shell.
Bathroom pictures 8: Incense holder A different view of an everyday object: aerial view of an incense holder. Another picture that works better in color – mostly earth tones. The jar is quite colorful and the sticks are bright orange. The mat is a mixture of very light blues and yellows. I think it still works ...
Bathroom pictures 1: Offset spiral Another series! An earlier post mentioned a book I recently acquired: Photography and the art of seeing. In that post I said: I particularly liked the exercises he proposed, mostly in the “Thinking Sideways” section. I tend to get in a photographic rut where I take pretty much the same type of ...
Carved head Seen on one of the magnificent staircases at the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park, NY. I like the flowing lines and the textures of the two pillars. I have no idea who this depicts, nor do I know who created it and my attempts to find out have so far come to nothing.
Rusting machinery at Sylvan Glen Park Preserve I’ve been to Sylvan Glen a few times, most recently in 2014. It’s an interesting place to visit. Rusted metal cables, abandoned pieces of equipment, huge discarded slabs of granite, and an explosive shed are a few of the remains along the trails in Sylvan Glen Park Preserve, the site of a former ...
Glass marbles A neighbor gave us some irises from his garden as a welcome back gift for my wife. They came in a glass vase (which we’ll return to him) full of colored glass beads. Seeing them on the table I thought the shapes, patterns, colors and the smooth textures were appealing and decided to ...
African carved wooden sculpture This wooden sculpture sits on the wall of our TV room. It looks like a huge comb and I have no idea what it represents. I don’t even really know how we came to own it although I imagine it was given to us by our older daughter who spent a number of ...
Three owls Seen in a neighboring garden. Picture taken with a Sony Alpha 500 and Tamron 18-25mm f3.5-6.3 (IF) Macro.
Four chairs I was intrigued by these four chairs sitting outside a neighbor’s house: different sizes; different colors; different textures – against the backdrop of a nice stone wall.
Vision is better – by David DuChemin I recently came across this video from David Duchemin. I have a couple of his books and I like the way he focuses on building photographic vision rather than the more common approach of improving photographic technique. In the video he mentions two things, which relate to this post. The first is to look ...
Metal garden obelisk/trellis I’m attracted to objects like this. Although it’s probably not all that old it gives the impression of having been there forever. The paint has started to come of and numerous spots of rust are starting to appear. Even the vines look a little bit unkempt as if this small structure has ...
Oriental stairs I think I like this because initially the eye is drawn to the lightest object in the picture i.e. the table in the bottom left corner. Then the strong diagonal of the stair rail leads up and to the left where just to the right, in the top right corner there’s a small oriental ...
Bye bye iPhone 3GS’s. Hello iPhone 5s. It’s now been raining for seven days in a row and you see what I’ve been reduced to – taking pictures of iPhones! Anyway the sad tale of my poor old iPhone 3GS has now come to an end. My wife and myself both got one of these phones back in 2009 when they first ...
Another wooden form As with the last one (see Wooden Form) I liked the curves and the textures of the wood. In that case the curves of the wood were mirrored by the shadow cast on the walls. In this case the curved form is literally “mirrored” by its own reflection.
VW Beetle It’s now Friday and it’s rained every day since last Sunday and out of frustration and boredom I’ve taken refuge in taking pictures of objects around the house. This VW Beetle was a birthday (Last week, April 30) present from our friend Ken. He knew that our old Toyota Camry had given up the ghost ...
Wooden form I liked the curves and the textures of the wood – and the shadow cast on the wall.
The chair in the corner The original color version of this picture was all earth tones: browns, oranges etc. At first I was inclined to post it that way, but then I thought – what would it look like in black and white? The initial answer was – terrible!!! All of the colors converted into similar tones ...
Springwood – Seated FDR and Eleanor group Located near the Vistor’s Center at Springwood a nearby sign reads: “This statue is adapted from a 1933 photograph in the FDR Library of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt on the south lawn of their Hyde Park home”. Unfortunately it didn’t say who the sculptor was. Perhaps there was another sign and I missed ...
Springwood – Fala Fala was FDR’s Scottish Terrier. Fala was devoted to him and FDR was devoted to Fala. One story in particular resonated in this election season of insults and attacks. It seems that FDR had been insulted by his Republican opponents (it seems not much has changed). In response he had these words to ...
Old farm equipment I came across this inside a stable dating back to 1886. I have no idea what it is.
Boscobel – Sculptures of Hudson River School Artists This is the fourth of a series of posts on Boscobel, a lovely Federal style mansion in Garrison, NY the other three being: Boscobel – Objects; Boscobel – Interiors; and Boscobel – Rose Garden. This one covers a new exhibit on the grounds: a series of sculptures of Hudson River School Artists by Greg Wyatt whose ...
Boscobel – Objects This is the second in a series of posts on Boscobel. The first (Boscobel – Interiors) contained a few pictures of some of the interiors. This one provides some pictures of a few of the many objects inside the house. Above is a miniature of what the tour guide referred to as “George and ...
Spooky child doll I came across this old doll sitting on a chair the other day. It seemed a little scary to me so I thought I’d try to enhance the “scariness”.
Two titans These two busts, one of Sir Winston Churchill and the other of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) stand facing each other on the grounds of the FDR house, Springwood in Hyde Park, NY. They’re by Oscar Nemon (born Neumann). At least the Churchill bust is by Nemon (I’m not entirely sure who was the sculptor for ...
Japanese fountain Taken at the Hammond Museum and Japanese Stroll Garden in May, 2012. The museum’s website describes it as follows: The Hammond Museum was created as a foundation of support to promote global awareness and development of Eastern cultures with the West. It continues to reach out and support its wide community of artists and performers ...
Fireman’s helmet Seen on the seat of an old fire engine, which formed part of a vintage car show taking place at Maryknoll, Ossining in June, 2012. The lettering reads “Engine 1 LHFC”. I believe “LHFC” stands for Larchmont Historical Fire Company. According to its website: The Larchmont Historical Fire Company is a committee of the Larchmont ...
Old Carriage I was returning from a walk along the Old Croton Aqueduct when I spotted this old carriage on the grounds of the Clear View School (formerly the Scarborough Day School). Taken with a Sony Nex 5N and Sigma 30mm f2.8.
Statues, Copenhagen, Denmark 2011 Seen in a park in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2011. I believe that these two statues depict Marsyas and Athena. According to Wikipedia: In Greek mythology, the satyr Marsyas (/ˈmɑːrsiəs/; Greek: Μαρσύας) is a central figure in two stories involving death: in one, he picked up the double flute (aulos) that had been abandoned by ...
Porsche Logo I quite like this picture, taken with a Panasonic ZS-3 back in 2010. Just goes to show that you don’t necessarily need to spend thousands of dollars on a camera to be able to take decent pictures. It’s more a question of knowing the strengths and weaknesses of whatever camera you have.
Flag over the Hudson Taken outside Saint Augustine’s Church in Ossining in March, 2011 with a Panasonic Lumix LX-3.
Grand Central Terminal No. 1 Seen at Danbury Railway Museum. I liked the weathered look and the contrasts between the blues and the oranges. I haven’t so far been able to find any information about this history of this rail car.
A Chandelier It was the curves of the candle holders that caught my eye. That and the contrast between the darks of the chandelier and the lights of the walls behind.
The Lillian Goldman Fountain of Life A nearby sign reads: The Lillian Goldman Fountain of Life, 1905. Charles E. Tefft, 1874-1951, Sculptor. The Lillian Goldman Fountain of Life features a joyful sea nymph and a pair of heroic seahorses pulling a seashell chariot through the crest of a wave. As cherubic attendants struggle to control the beasts, a startled mermaid and merman hurry ...
Interesting wrought iron grave marker I’ve been to a number of cemeteries and I don’t think I’ve ever come across a wrought iron grave marker. In case you can’t read the writing on the medallions the top one is nicely embossed and says: “Alois Beier x1895 +1970”. The bottom one seems to have just been painted on an ...
Statue revisisted I recently posted (Union cemetery) this picture in black and white. The other three pictures that accompanied it worked best in black and white so I also gave this one the B&W treatment for consistency. However, looking at the picture again I see that although the black and white conversion works pretty well it’s at ...
Union Cemetery A nearby blue historical marker sign describes it as follows: Established 1863 Union Cemetery Two acres purchased, surveyed and dedicated for burials of early area families. Located just South of Foshay’s Corners on the old Dutchess Turnpike (now Route 301) on lands of Foshay and Halstead farms, incorportated May 28, 1868 as Union Cemetery Association. Ezekiel ...
His other car’s a Mercedes It was a gorgeous, sunny day the other day and I was walking the dog around the lake when my friend Paul pulled up in his Jaguar – with the top down. He looked rather ‘cool’ and I was completely at a loss for words. And yes – his other car IS a ...
Mosaics at the 66th street subway station When we went to see “The King and I” other day we took the subway to the 66th Street-Lincoln Center stop. As we were returning I noticed these colorful mosaics on the walls. According to the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) – Arts and Design: NANCY SPERO Artemis, Acrobats, Divas and Dancers, 2001 Glass and ceramic mosaic on platform ...
Fairy in the garden Taken in our garden at the lake house in June, 2013 with a Yashica FX-2. I’m little confused with this one. It’s certainly taken with a Yashica FX-2 (with 50mm Yashica DSB lens) and it’s with a number of other pictures with the June 2013 date, but doesn’t it look like snow on ...
The King and I It’s my wife’s birthday today and she wanted to see “The King and I” on Broadway starring Kelli O’Hara and Ken Watanabe. It’s showing at the Vivian Beaumont Theater in Lincoln Center. Ms. O’Hara was not performing on 31 March so we got tickets for March 30. I have a strange relationship to Rodgers ...
A party in the woods I was walking along an old woods road (I now believe it’s called Dicktown Road) when I came across this enormous firepit. Someone had also made a sort of rustic bench and there was also a rusted chair nearby (see picture below). Looks like this was a regular place a party. This ...
RIP American Idol In an earlier post (A pleasant surprise) I mentioned a trail marked with a horseshoe. If, from the parking area, you choose not to go along this trail there is another alternative: an old woods road that once went in one direction (now blocked by the Taconic State Parkway) towards Stillwater Lake and in ...
Old cart Came across this during one of my walks. I love old pieces of equipment – actually old things in general. I post so many landscapes that you’t think I had a passion for landscape photography, but this isn’t actually the case. At one point, enamored of Ansel Adams I thought I might ...
Discarded Kettle I came across this old kettle while walking in the woods – apparently discarded by someone.
Shack in the woods Walking along the Old Cannon Trail between the North and South Redoubts above Garrison, NY I came across this old shack. I have no idea what it was/is. Wheelbarrow and other abandoned objects. Some kind of geared implement. Rear view.
Dale Cemetery, Ossining, NY I don’t know how I missed this place for so long. I live quite close by and the cemetery even bears the same name as mine. We’ve often passed along Routh 134 in Ossining, NY and I’ve often seen a cemetery on the side of the road. Thinking it was the Dale ...
Statue in a cemetery Seen in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow, NY. I haven’t been able to find out anything else about it.
Two graces Doorway of the Michael Kors show at 610 fifth avenue, NY in Rockefeller Center. This entry door between two shop windows belongs to the “Maison Française”, which celebrates the “Friendship of France and the United States. It features a gilded bas-relief by Alfred Janniot called : “Paris and New York Joining Hands ...
Another photobook I completed a photobook in December (Photobook completed). Although this book took quite a bit of effort it didn’t actually contain any pictures taken by me. The pictures were all derived from negatives provided by my friend Paul. A while back we had lunch with another friend (Lunch Chez Germaine). She’s planning ...
Detail of a gravestone at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery A lyre. The instrument of Apollo, the lyre is a Greek symbol denoting heavenly accord, harmony, and music and song praising God. It could also be seen as a harp, which is a symbol of heavenly music, or hopes of heaven. Stringed instruments such as these are often associated with Divine music. Lyres on gravestones ...
Three garden chairs Our local garden club organizes a garden tour every year where we visit a number of gardens around the lake. During this particular tour I spotted these three chairs sitting in the shade. I liked the fallen leaves and the light coming through the leaves as well a the contrast between the earth ...
Hans Christian Andersen Statue, Copenhagen, Denmark Hans Christian Andersen Statue in Rådhuspladsen (City Hall Square), Copenhagen, Denmark. Created by Henry Luckow Nielsen (1902-1992) in 1961. I haven’t been able to find much information about the sculptor. This was taken back in 2005. Our elder daughter and her family lived in Copenhagen for several years and we went to ...
Civil War Monument, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery According to a post on the CT Monuments Site (Civil War Monument, Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.) The village of Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., honors local Civil War veterans with a granite-and-bronze monument in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. The monument, near southwestern corner of the cemetery, was dedicated in 1890 by the local GAR post. Inscriptions on the front (west) ...
Monument Park, Peekskill I first noticed this impressive monument some time ago, but didn’t have a chance to look at it closely at the time. I went back yesterday. It’s the Town of Cortlandt Civil War Memorial even though it’s located in Monument Park, Peekskill. It’s the most spectacular of the monuments there, but it’s not ...
Tall Figure III Taken August 2012 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. It’s certainly by Alberto Giacometti, but I’m not entirely sure what it’s called. I believe it’s Tall Figure III.
Clutter This was taken inside Niese’s Maple Farm in our town of Putnam Valley. I’ve always loved clutter. Maybe it’s because I grew up in a very small house. I took an immediate liking to all this “stuff”: bottles, toys, signs, candles, jugs, buckets etc. Niese’s is a great place to visit, but ...
Owen Jones Memorial, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery This spectacular memorial to Owen Jones is, with its gothic embellishments, to me one of the most striking in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. I’d been up at the top, nearer to the memorial, but close up I found it difficult to get a good angle on this rather large structure. I gave up and ...
Reaching Through The Shadow: 9/11 Memorial – Croton Landing I’ve posted about this memorial a couple of times before. It’s in Croton Landing Park, a favorite spot for walking he dog: Croton Landing Park 9/11 Memorial at Croton Landing revisited The memorial seems to have been evolving. When I first went it was essentially just a twisted girder from the ruins of the World Trade Center. ...
4th Annual Holiday Train Show at Grand Central On the way in to our lunch with Andres we had to pass through Grand Central Terminal and I visited the Annual Holiday Train Show to take a few pictures. It’s interesting, but apparently not a patch on the train show at the Botanical Guardian.
Angel in Ossining This is one of two Civil War memorials in Ossining. The other one is more visible (it’s on the corner of Pleasantville Road and Brookville Ave) and I’d seen it on numerous occasions, but this one is “hidden” in a small park near Route 9. The Field Guide to US Public Monuments and Memorials describes ...
Scary sculpture on a building in Manhattan Taken in March, 2012 with a Panasonic Lumix ZS-7. This architectural feature is fairly high up on a building in Manhattan. For all its failings (smeary images, green cast, over-aggressive noise control – many of them fairly typical of small sensor compact cameras) the ZS-7 has one great advantage: its 25-300mm zoom range. ...
Graveyard for stone pillars. I noticed these four stone pillars in a garden not too far away from where I live. They each have a metal piece sticking out of the top and I found myself wondering what it’s purpose was. Maybe something had once upon a time been attached? But what? They were placed ...
Christmas Ornaments It was a cold, gloomy day and I was feeling lazy and didn’t want to go out. So I took a look around the inside of our house to see what I could find to photograph. My wife had been putting away the Christmas decorations on our mantel and these were lying on ...
Statue in a Church As mentioned in an earlier post, we recently went to a memorial service. While we were in the church I noticed this statue. I think that what attracted me was the light and the way that the statue almost seems to float.
Old Cart I came across this old cart in a friend’s garden. I liked the faded colors and the rotting, weathered wood.
An Organ In an earlier post I mentioned that an old friend of ours had passed away. His memorial service was yesterday and of course we went. I was sitting near this organ and decided that it would be worth a picture when the service was over. I liked the straight lines contrasting with ...
Old Tractor We were returning home along the Taconic one day when we decided that neither of us felt like making dinner. Instead we thought we would have our old standby – Chinese food. So we got off a the Secor Road exit and went down to Chan’s Garden (It’s mostly a takeout place and ...
Bock, bock, bock, bock, bock, begowwwwk The rather strange title is supposed to be the sound that a chicken makes. I had no idea how to write that sound so I looked it up on the internet. I found a number of possibilities – none of which seemed to be particularly compelling. This one seemed to be the ...
2015 Favorites – Color The British are coming. The previous post highlighted my favorite black and white pictures from 2015. This one deals with my favorite color pictures (again in no particular order). Inside Tompkins Corners Church. New York airshow. Kikuyu Statues. Jami and Peggy at play. River Hudson from the Ossining Boat and Canoe Club Hydra 70 rocket pods on Apache attack helicopter Moonrise Roaring ...
Lunch Chez Germaine Germaine. I’ve posted about Germaine before in Germaine. She’s still going strong and today invited us to an impromptu lunch. She also invited another friend: our neighbor, Muriel. It was supposed to be just sandwiches, but if you read the linked post you’ll realize that Germaine does not do things by halves – particularly where ...
Madonna and Child Statue Taken with a Panasonic Lumix LX-3 in March, 2011 at Mariandale Retreat and Conference Center, Ossining, NY. I came across a very small shrine in the grounds and in it was this lovely little statue.
Abandoned Car Taken late in November, 2010 with a Panasonic Lumix LX-3 at Graham Hills Park, Westchester County, NY. I remember a couple of things about this walk. The first is that I completely underestimated how long the trail was and didn’t take into account how early it went dark at that time of year. I ...
Abraham Lincoln Statue, Union Square, NYC This was taken around 10:00 am and the light was already bright and contrasty. I thought I’d avoid the probably most common view of the statue i.e. from the front and take my picture from the side. The color didn’t add much value so I started to think in terms of black and ...
Dolls on Display Or at least doll’s heads. Seen at a local craft fair. I liked the colors and the slightly surreal look to the “dolls” (e.g. bodies made of old jars; strange costructions on the heads etc.) If I had it to do again I’d move the camera to the right. I think there’s too ...
Madonna and Child Seen in Trinity Church in lower Manhattan. Looks like something by either Andrea or Luca Della Robbia, but I’ve so far failed to find any further information about it.
Madonna and Child Statue I came across this statue outside St. Mary’s Church (Poughkeepsie, New York). According to Wikipedia: The congregation was organized in 1873 when the Rev. Patrick McSweeney, D.D., pastor of St. Peter’s, Poughkeepsie purchased a former Universalist church building on Cannon St. The church was dedicated on July 20, 1873 by Cardinal McCloskey. On May ...
At Home – Briarcliff Manor Yesterday was Black Friday and my wife wanted to go shopping. Since the demise of our old Toyota about a year ago we now have only one car and I didn’t feel much like going to the mall so I stayed at home in Briarcliff Manor. To keep myself occupied I walked around ...
A Glass of Beer I have a very clear memory of taking this shot. It was taken in June 2012 and I’d been walking around in NY City all day. I’d been down to Adorama where I’d just bought a new lens for my NEX 5N: a 30mm Sigma f2.8, which I hadn’t yet used. It ...
Radiator – 1927 Ford Model T Tudor I don’t know much about cars from this time period, but a card on the windshield states that it is a 1927 Ford Model T Tudor. The extract from Wikipedia below indicates that the Model T was only made until 1927 so this must be a very late model. According to Wikipedia: The Ford Model T ...
Self Portrait In A Damaged Mirror This was taken inside a toilet at Law Memorial Park, Briarcliff Manor, NY. As I was leaving I noticed this mirror. It was made of very shiny metal rather than glass and it had obviously been vandalized extensively. I also noticed that my reflection in the mirror was distorted because of the ...
Green Benches Taken at Greenwich Point Park, Old Greenwich, Connecticut – around 7:00 am and the light was wonderful. This is one of the relatively few times I’ve been able to get up early enough to take advantage of such great light. Sometimes when I’ve gotten up very early it’s turned out to be a ...
New York Central Locomotive The museum’s web site provides the following information: As built, this was an E-7 diesel-electric demonstrator unit which was labeled “The Train of Tomorrow”, a four-car domed streamliner. This train made two visits to Connecticut – once in November 1948 and again in April 1949. In 1964, it was converted to an E-8 by the Union ...
Chairs and Tables in Bryant Park Taken in Bryant Park (behind the Public Library on 5th Avenue and 42nd Street, New York City) in May, 2012. I liked the contrasts and the shadows.
Hot Dogs Anyone? As I was walking the short distance from the cemetery back to the car I noticed that in the small gap between the two was a house – and in the driveway of the house was this odd-looking vehicle. The bright reds of the door and the lettering contrasting with the darker greens first ...
Recumbent Lion Our neighbor (two houses away) has stone gate posts at the end of the driveway and on top of each of the gate posts lies one of these lions. I was walking home as the sun was going down and picking out the lion on the left gate post.
Kino Precision Kiron 28-70mm f3.5-4.5 Macro I picked this lens up for $9 at a nearby Goodwill Store. I’d heard that Kiron lenses were generally pretty good and already had a Kiron 80-200mm F4.5 Macro zoom that I’d picked up at a garage sale for next to nothing (it came attached to a Minolta X-370). Although I hadn’t used ...
Twig on a Rock I liked the texture of the rock and the diagonal lines of the cracks. Also the contrast with the black, essentially vertical twig.
Funfair – Peekskill This was taken back in October, 2011 with a Sony Alpha 500 and Sigma 75-300mm lens. We’d been on a boat excursion on the Hudson with four friends and we’d arrived back in Peekskill just as it was getting dark. I recall that I wanted to get some sense of movement to capture ...
Hallowe’en’s Coming The title says it all. Taken somewhere on the east side of Manhattan on October 18, 2012 with a Sony NEX 5N and legacy Canon 50mm f1.4 FD lens (with adapter).
Old Pot-bellied Stove Seen at Tilly Foster Farm in Brewster, NY and taken with a Sony NEX 5N and 30mm (45mm equivalent) f2.8 Sigma lens in Sony e-mount. The name “Station Agent” appears on the stove and at first I thought that this was because it was built to be used by a railway station agent ...
Doll on a pole I was walking the dog around the lake yesterday when I came across this doll. It seemed like it would make a slightly quirky picture. Seeing it made me wonder about why it was there. It was pinned to one of the poles that carry the electricity wires. I guess it’s ...
Stone Doves Taken with a Sony NEX 5n and Meyer Optik Görlitz 30mm Lydith f3.5 outside the Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner Center in Virginia – one of the numerous stone birds scattered around the plaza
Hallowe’en’s coming Seen outside a local supermarket while shopping: rows of hallowe’en pots/buckets on shelves. I liked the contrasting colors: the greens of the plants; the purples of the shelves; and the bright oranges of the pots. I also liked the contrast between the textured plants and the smooth pots. Also the repetition of ...
Dad and the Pink Flamingo I had been thinking about telling the story of my father and the pink flamingo but I thought I would have some difficulty illustrating it as I didn’t think that there was much likelihood of coming across the pink flamingo that the story requires. I had just about given up hope and had resigned ...
A Couple of Minions I’ve posted about the metal sculptures along Secor Road in: Mickey says hello Strange creatures along Secor road I recently noticed that these two ‘minions’ had been added to the group.
A Faucet Seen in a coffee shop in Briarcliff Manor, NY. I liked the smoothness of the porcelain and the shiny metal fixtures. Also the curves of the sink and the faucets as well as the delicate pattern on the tiles.
Frog Statue at Stonecrop Gardens I was very much taken by this huge (human sized) statue of a frog at stonecrop gardens. It turned out to be extremely difficult to get the exposure right though. First the auto white balance, which is normally quite reliable, was completely off – the picture had a very strong greenish-yellow cast. ...
Lamp in the Beekman Arms, Rhinebeck, NY The Beekman Arms in Rhinebeck, NY claims to be the oldest continually operating inn in the United States. It’s certainly old and part of it feels just like the English pubs I was familiar with while growing up in the UK. Brian Plumb author of “Rhinebeck’s Historic Beekman Arms.” provides additional information in ...
A Statue on top of Grand Central Terminal Hercules looks up at Mercury in this statue by Jules-Félix Coutan called Glory of Commerce. The third statue (Minerva) is not visibly in this picture. According to The Secrets of Grand Central, Part 2 on the Untapped Cities website: The statue “Transportation”, alternatively “The Glory of Commerce” adorns the front of Grand Central facing south. On ...
Boat Slip #18 Taken outside one of our favorite restaurants: Il Laghetto (formerly The Terrace Club) on Lake Mahopac.
St Martin de Porres Statue of St. Martin de Porres on the grounds of Graymoor, the home of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement. According to a nearby sign: Martin de Porres (1579-1639) Born Nov. 9, 1579, in Lima, Peru. Mother was a free nigress (sic) of Peru; father was a Spanish knight. At twelve was apprenticed to a barber-surgeon. Became ...
Stairway Detail I liked the curved columns (don’t know what the correct word is) and the way that they are layered to give the impression of two rows, one behind the other. The delicate but intricate carving also appealed to me. Taken in the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park, NY.
Private Parts – Doorway to a store in Cold Spring, NY We (my wife, our late dog Jackson, and myself) had been to lunch at Cathryn’s Tuscan Grill in Cold Spring. We were sitting outside (the only place they allowed dogs) when I noticed the entrance to this store right next door. I’m not sure what it’s called, but you can see from the picture ...
Boat in Cold Spring Our younger daughter and her family were returning to Geneva, Switzerland the next day and we were going to dinner at the Hudson House Inn in Cold Spring. It was around 8:00 pm, the sun was going down over the Hudson Highlands and this picturesque boat was moored to the dock. What could be ...
Chess Pieces This one proved to be more difficult that I’d thought. I liked the shapes of the chess pieces and the contrast between the blacks and the whites. I wanted to arrange the composition so that there was a strong diagonal line. What could be simpler? Well…I hadn’t accounted for the fact ...
View from a Hotel Window View of the plaza from our hotel window. I usually take pictures at ground level so this higher view is a bit different for me. I liked the concentric circles made by the benches and the paving stones and the way that they’re broken by the gap in the benches; the family; and ...
Madonna and Child Statue Another one from our trip to Washington, D.C./Virginia. My wife and her family wanted to go to Church. I, however, had to stay outside with the dog as we couldn’t take him in and it was far to hot (approaching 100F) to leave him in the car. I’d thought to take him ...
Pirate Ship Playground Another highlight of the plaza outside our hotel was a metal frame pirate ship for children to climb on – very popular.
Stone Cardinal Taken in the plaza outside our hotel. Scattered around were numerous tiny statues of birds – This one appears to be a cardinal.
Hanging Balls The next few posts contain pictures taken during a recent trip to Washington, D.C. (actually to nearby Tysons Corner and Falls Church). My father-in-law passed away in 1978 and is buried in Falls Church, Virginia. My wife and some of her brothers (and in one case his family) decided to go to visit ...
Old Ford in Cold Spring My brother-in-law Vicente has been visiting us and we decided to take him for lunch at the Depot in Cold Spring. As we were sitting there I heard the roar of an engine and saw this colorful car reverse into a parking space and rushed over to take some pictures of it. I don’t really ...
Anyone need a hand? Part of a statue seen in a nearby park.
Stained Glass at Scarborough Station After wandering around on the riverfront in Peekskill I took the train down to Scarborough (the closest station to our house in Briarcliff Manor) where my wife was going to pick me up. We planned to go to a presentation on “Historic Downtown Ossining” given by the Ossining Historical Society at the Ossining Boat ...
Peekskill Riverwalk Park – Sam Oitice Heroes Remembered 9/11 According to the Fieldguide to US Public Monuments and Memorials: This remembrance honors Samuel Oitice, a 25-year Peekskill, New York, veteran firefighter, native and resident. Oitice was also a City of New York firefighter; he was killed in the terrorist attacks on the towers of the World Trade Center, 9/11/2001. The memorial recalls and pays homage ...
Peekskill Riverwalk Park – Commemorative Bell A nearby inscription reads: PEEKSKILL FIRE DEPARTMENT ALARM BELL ON AUGUST 1, 1918 THIS BELL TOLLED THE ALARM FOR THE FLEISCHMANN MANUFACTURING COMPANY FIRE AT WHICH SEVEN PEEKSKILL VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS LOST THEIR LIVES. DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF THOSE GALLANT MEN WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE FLEISCHMANN FIRE AUGUST 1 1918 This is followed by a listing of names ...
Peekskill Riverwalk Park – Jan Peeck’s Vine Seen at the Peekskill Metro North Station. According to a Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) press release dated April 26 2013: The just-renovated train station at Peekskill now boasts “Jan Peeck’s Vine,” a steel sculpture that creeps around columns and railings and spells out the name “Peekskill” under the eaves. … The work by artist Joy Taylor and ...
Peekskill Riverwalk Park – The Golden Mean By Carole A. Feuerman. A nearby plaque reads: The Golden Mean. Bronze with patina and gold leaf. Using the riverfront’s edge on as its diving board, Feuerman’s monumental sculpture activates the urban environment and its inhabitants through a site-specific installation. Two years in the making, and more than 8,000 hours of labor, The Golden Mean ...
Peekskill Riverwalk Park – Stargate on Hudson? On of the numerous art works on the riverfront in Peekskill New York. Unfortunately I’ve been unable to find any information (e.g. what it’s called; who created it etc.) on this work.
Ducks Our friend has some wonderful garden art. I’ve already posted about his herons, his wicker deer, his stone frog, and his swan. Here are some ducks.
Bell Pull I spotted this in a nearby church. I hadn’t seen one of these for a while. In fact I thought they’d disappeared entirely and that when you heard the sound of church bells (which you don’t hear as much in Putnam Valley, NY as you did in Sandbach, UK where I grew up) ...
Swan and Jade Plant Another garden ornament in our friend’s garden. I liked the contrast between the light colored swan and the dark jade plant. Also the elegant lines of the swan (I suppose swans are pretty much by definition elegant. At least I’ve never seen one that wasn’t). The contrast between the rough ...
Frog In Hiding Our friend has a lovely pond in his back garden. One day as I was visiting I looked in the direction of the pond and saw this stone frog peeping out from behind a rock. Seemed to be worth a picture.
Firescreen at Law Park This is a great example of how we walk past so many interesting things without really seeing them. This lovely firescreen is in the pavilion in our local park: Law Park. The pavilion looks out over the swimming pool and in summer they serve food and drinks. It’s a pleasant place to pause ...
Heron Statues I’m not even sure that these are herons – I’m not really that good on birds. My instinctive reaction was to think that they were cranes, but then I started to rethink. They’re in a friend’s garden. His house is situated right next to and slightly above a wetlands area. ...
Monarchs of the Glen These wicker deer are in a friend’s garden. I’d photographed them before, but had never been able to get the right angle – largely because I took the pictures from the street while walking the dog. I didn’t want to disturb our friend. Today, however, we were over for drinks, snacks and ...
Canoes I came across these canoes while visiting houses around the lake as part of the annual “Garden Tour”. What attracted me was partly the colors. I’m not usually very good with color photography, but these bright colors seemed to good to miss. I also liked the arrangement of the canoes – the ...
Weathered Wood This magnificent piece of wood is holding up a glass table top in one of our friend’s garden. I was sitting sipping a vodka and tonic when I noticed it. At first he jokingly said that he’d pulled it our of our lake, but finally admitted that he’d bought it. It certainly ...
Colorful Toys Seen at a nearby flea market. I loved the variety of the toys and their vibrant colors. Taken with a Panasonic Lumix LX-3 with, I believe, its wide angle attachment.
Daphne Sculpture by Renée Sintenis. According to Wikipedia: Daphne (/ˈdæfniː/; Greek: Δάφνη, meaning “laurel”) is a minor figure in Greek mythology known as a naiad—a type of female nymph associated with fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of freshwater. There are several versions of the myth, but the general narrative is that because of her beauty, ...
Objects in Gardens Hosta-like sculpture. As I’ve mentioned before we’re members of our local garden club and every year the club has it’s garden tour. We visit a number of gardens around the lake and then end up for lunch at a fellow member’s house. I’ve posted about the 2014 garden tour before. As usual I was less ...
Rusting Farm Equipment in the Snow I’ve always been fascinate by old, rusting equipment. I found this piece at the Van Wyck Homestead in Fishkill, NY. I have no idea what it is or what it does/did, but I like the way it looks.
Still life with toes Incredible though it may seem for someone living in Putnam County, NY this offering at the base of a statue was seen at a nearby Buddhist Monastery. What caught my attention was the contrast between the essentially monochromatic statue and the bright colors of the fruit; and the contrast between the smoothness of the ...
The Pietrarubbia Group A large-scale work by Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro. According to the MuseumPublicity website: Pomodoro has described The Pietrarubbia Group as “a vision of an archaic settlement.” With its visual references to ancient burial traditions and hieroglyphics, the work commemorates the history and crumbling beauty of the nearly abandoned village for which it is named. The Pietrarubbia ...
Storm King Art Center Revisited Five Swords, Alexander Calder and in the background Pyriamidian by Mark di Suvero. I’ve posted a couple of times before on Storm King Art Center: Something’s afoot at Storm King Art Center Storm King Arts Center, New Windsor, NY I find it a fascinating place and had the occasion to visit twice in rapid succession in the past few ...
New Windsor Cantonment: Chess Pieces Old Chess Pieces – part of a set on display at the Temple of Virtue, New Windsor Cantonment.
New Windsor Cantonment: Revolutionary War Surgical Kit Imagine being operated on by someone using this. No anesthetic; no antibiotics; and I don’t suppose that the implements were kept particularly clean. No wonder about twice as many people died from infection/disease than were killed on the battlefield. You really didn’t want to be wounded in those days.
Two heads are better than one Quirky bench seen in a nearby park.
Calligraphy During a recent trip to a nearby restaurant (not an Asian restaurant) I noticed a vase with calligraphy on it. I was attracted by the creamy, smooth ceramic of the vase next to the bold black calligraphy strokes.
Something’s afoot at Storm King Art Center Detail of “Three Legged Buddha” (see below) by Zhang Huan, one of the most striking (among many) installations at Storm King Art Center.
Kikuyu Statues I bought these during during my first visit to Kenya (don’t remember exactly when that was). There are two of them: A female figure and a male figure with a staff. I vaguely remember that when I bought them they were labelled as being Kikuyu. They sit in the window in our ...
A Disturbing Object Not far from where I live a trail goes off into the woods. I’ve documented it before in an earlier post: Wasteland off the Lake. It’s a strange area with an abandoned trailer, concrete forms, old tires, playground equipment etc. I went through again the other day. I’d noticed these circular objects ...
Converging Lines I was sitting in Moonbean Cafe, one of my favorite local eateries when I noticed these lines converging towards the center of the round table where I was sitting. I also like the warmth of the wood grain inlay. It was pretty dark inside and I wanted a decent amount of depth of ...
Woolly Things Came across these strange woolly creations attached to a wrought iron fence in front of the Drew United Methodist Church in Carmel, NY. I’ve no idea what their significance is.
Statue in the Old Town From a scanned print and taken in the Old Town, Geneva, Switzerland sometime in the early to mid 1990s. It was most likely taken with a Canon AE-1.
Grand Central Terminal Or is it? If you give the picture more than a cursory glance you notice immediately that something’s off e.g. the vehicles are much too big in relation to the building. It’s actually a replica used in a model train exhibition held in Grand Central Terminal in 2013.
Impressions of a pieta My wife posts old pictures on Facebook every Thursday. She calls it ‘Throwback Thursday’. My job is to provide the raw materials, which often requires scanning old prints and negatives. A recent ‘Throwback Thursday’ covered Italy – or at least Rome, Florence and Venice. So I set about scanning some old ...
Silver Balls I’d seen these many times. They’ve been hanging from this post for months and somehow they have not lost their lustre. It was a nice sunny day and and they were shining brightly when I decided to capture them in all their glory. As I was taking the picture I noticed that ...
Railway Carriage Interiors Taken at the Danbury Railway Museum in June, 2013 with a Sony NEX5n and the 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 OSS kit lens. An earlier post can be found at: Danbury Railway Museum In the image above I like the color contrasts and the converging lines. I hadn’t been expecting to find a kitchen. Liked the reflections ...
Red Cinnabar Jar In earlier posts I mentioned that when the weather was bad I started taking pictures indoors. The weather has now improved but I’m enjoying taking pictures of objects, still life etc. so I’m continuing. It was a nice day today and the snow has almost melted off our patio. So I could ...
At a Thai Restaurant Wall Mounted Fountain. We went for lunch with friends Olga and Gustavo de la Piedra and Ken Cross at Thai Angels restaurant in Mount Kisco, NY. As with many Thai restaurants there were a lot of decorative objects scattered around the restaurant: on the walls, free standing statuettes etc. Here are a few. It was ...
Cherub When it was freezing cold and snowy outside I didn’t get out a lot to take pictures. Instead I continued with a long overdue project to scan old prints and negatives and I started to take pictures inside the house. This is one of them. It’s a small gold painted cherub that ...
Waterford Glass Candle Holder Winter has been harsh this year and it’s been very hard to get out and take pictures so I’d decided to take some of objects around the house. I’d had my eye on the Waterford Glass candle holder for some time but hadn’t gotten around to doing anything about it. The weather has ...
Wooden Head with Owl I was walking back from the Parker Bale Post 1597 to the FOE Ossining Aerie 1545 where I had left my car when I noticed these two wooden sculptures apparently carved from trees by the side of the road. I almost missed them. I’m not so wild about the owl but the head ...
Artillery Piece in the Snow I came across this in front of an American Legion post in Ossining the other day. I didn’t know what it was so I sent the picture to my friend Ken who’s a former artillery officer with the Australian Army. This is what he came back with: It’s a US 75mm Pack Howitzer…the guns ...
Hinges Not much to say about this. It was taken in the men’s room at a nearby Barnes and Noble. The shiny metallic hinges (against the textured divider) caught my attention as well as their almost but not quite symmetrical shape.
Another Batik An earlier post (Bali I: Batiks) referred to some batiks we had looked at while visiting Bali. I also mentioned that we had bought one. We had it framed and it’s now on the wall of one of our bedrooms. This is it.
Chinese Cabinet Besides scanning and going to malls I’ve tried to escape the cold and the snow by taking some pictures inside the house. This one is of an antique chinese wedding cabinet, which we bought at an antique show in Divonne-les-Bains when we were living in France. I like the metallic fixtures against the red ...
Carousel Horses It had been gloomy, cloudy and snowy for a while and the landscape outside was somewhat monochromatic and featureless so we decided to escape to the nearby Danbury Fair Mall where I found these wonderful carousel horses. The bright colors cheered me up so much after the gloomy outdoors.
Snowman On our way to a Garden Club meeting we passed this snowman standing by the side of the road. Couldn’t resist. Loved the cap and the golf club.
Mailbox in the Snow Another ‘dog walk’ picture. We’d walked around the lake and I’d noticed the mailbox and the footprints in the snow receding towards the building in the background so I took a picture of it. I guess I was a bit tired after the walk an didn’t look at the resulting image. When ...
Panda Face My wife had gone to her dance class and I was walking the dog around the parking lot when I noticed this snowy truck wheel. Somehow I saw a panda face in the pattern of the wheel nuts on the snow. I didn’t have a camera with my and so had to resort ...
Stained Glass Windows More scans. Judging by the context in which I found the negatives these were taken in the United Kingdon, but I don’t remember where. Liked the colors.
Bali I: Batiks Taken in a shop somewhere in Indonesia (I can’t remember exactly where). I was very much taken by their vibrant colors. We ended up buying one (not one in the pictures) and as I write this it’s hanging on the wall in one of our bedrooms. Ours is about 2ft wide by ...
Colorful spherical furry tigery thing I have no idea what this is. I saw it lying on the ground next to an apparently empty house in Poughkeepsie, NY. I’ve tried to find it on the internet – but with no success. It seems to be in good shape and probably hasn’t been there for very long. ...
Mural on a church in New York City The title tells it all. I guess I was attracted to the colors and the strong vertical lines.
Old Pontiac I bumped into (not literally) this wonderful classic Pontiac in a parking lot. Couldn’t resist taking some pictures. The owner was right by it so I asked his permission first. As the owner was pulling out I noticed that there was a model name on the side, but I wasn’t able to ...
Old Tractor Came across this colorful old tractor while walking the dog.
Birdhouse by the Lake The title says it all. I’d seen this birdhouse before and liked the way it looked with the lake in the background.
Christmas Lion Spotted while walking around the lake. One of our neighbors had decorated some of their stone (or maybe concrete) lions (there’s a second one on the other side of their driveway). He/she doesn’t seem very happy to be “dressed up” in this way.
Christmas comes to Club Fit, Jefferson Valley Colorful characters at Club Fit in Jefferson Valley – where my wife goes for her dance classes.
Stag on a sign outside a Taxidermist While I was taking the picture the taxidermist drove out and we chatted for a while. He invited me to drop by sometime and see inside.
Large Bear on Route 9 This wooden bear is huge! Surely larger than life size. Bears can’t get this big can they? If they can I hope I never meet one. Come to think of it I don’t think I want to meet any kind of bear in the wild – even a small one. I ...
Happy Thanksgiving Happy Thanksgiving! Two enormous inflatable turkeys seen in front of a house opposite Law Park in Briaricliff Manor, NY. Taken a couple of days before Thanksgiving, 2014. This was before the snow storm. They are now presumably under several inches of snow.
An unlikely sight at Grand Central Terminal In January 2011, the Smithsonian Channel approached Kevin Hockley, an Ontario-based model maker, with a tall (and rather long) order: Build us a snake. Several years ago, Carlos Jaramillo, a paleontologist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and scientists from the University of Florida, University of Toronto and Indiana University unearthed fossils of a prehistoric ...
Maryknoll, Ossining We went with some friends to the Ossining car show, which was held at Maryknoll in Ossining. After we’d looked at the vintage cars we decided to take a look inside the Seminary Building (above). Sony Nex 5N with 18-55mm kit lens. Medallion. Stained Glass Window. Bell and Oriental Pavillion. Madonna and Child in a niche.
Green Jars by the Beach I was sitting by the beach in the Turks and Caicos Islands having something to drink when I noticed the green jars on the table. The man passing by in the background was a lucky coincidence.
Sculpture in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery Something attracted me to this sculpture in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery – I’m not sure exactly what. For some time I had no information about it, but just recently I bumped into Kit Gentry’s site, particularly the section on Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, which provides the following information: This is a monument to John Hudson Hall. ...
At the Japanese Restaurant We recently went to our local Japanese Restaurant. They have redecorated so I took a few pictures of the new look. Light Fixture. The background really was pretty much monochrome. I liked the contrast between the the bright, smooth, shiny fixture and the textured, somewhat plain background. Tabletop. Flowers in the Window.
Mummy at the Depot We’d been for a walk at the Old West Point Foundry Preserve and on the way back home I stopped for refreshments at The Depot in Cold Spring. It was in full Hallowe’en garb. As I was leaving I spotted this life-size (if that’s the right word) mummy with a small skeleton on the ...
Pipes Minimalist kind of composition. Nice shapes and textures. Taken with an Olympus Stylus Epic film camera.
Hallowe’en is coming Small crowd of dolls in bright Hallowe’en colors on display outside a crafts store. Taken with an Olympus Stylus Epic film camera.
Flowers in the Gazebo We’ve been tidying up the garden in our house in Briarcliff Manor and I was cutting back some roses near the gazebo when I noticed the light shining on a old vase with some artificial flowers in it. I liked the effect and shooting through the screen seemed to add a kind of soft ...
Kitchen Scenes These are the result of sitting around in our kitchen while playing with my new toy: A Konica 50mm f1.7 AR. I’d earlier obtained two other Konica lenses: a 135mm and a 28mm. I’d been very impressed by the 135mm (I haven’t tried the 28mm yet) and I’d heard good things about the 50mm. ...
9/11 Memorial at Croton Landing revisited Reaching Lady Statue. I’ve been to Croton Landing many times. I’ve even taken some pictures of the 9/11 memorial. However, this was some time ago. Since the last time I was there a new item has been added to the memorial: a statue. Apparently it’s called “Reaching Lady” and it was created ...
Stained glass at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery For some reason I haven’t been taking many pictures lately so I’ve fallen back on looking over my old pictures, deleting a lot and seeing if I can improve some of them (I usually can) through re-processing. Here are are few taken in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery – with Panasonic cameras: the first two with ...
Alice I was going to the Metropolitan Museum in New York City and decided to walk through Central Park. Although I’ve lived near NYC for many years (and worked in the city for a lot of them) I’d never walked around in the park. In all I spent about two hours – including a ...
Not something you see every day! I’d photographed this barn before. At that time it had seemed odd to come across an old barn, in the middle of the countryside – with signs all over it. Now it’s even more strange – it has a light aircraft parked outside of it. Not the entire aircraft mind you. ...
Still Life Not much to say about this. I bumped into this vase of flowers. Liked it and took the picture. I liked the pastel colors.
Unknown object in Pocantico Lake Unknown to me at least – I have no idea what it is. The shell is broken on the other side and the interior is full of plastic pipes. The exterior is coated with dried mud. We’ve had little rain of late and it seems to me that the lake is much ...
Mickey says hello In an earlier post I mentioned the strange metal creatures along Secor Road. Somehow I missed this one. Either it’s new or I just didn’t see it – it’s on the other side of the road. For all I know it’s might not even be connected to the others. I still ...
Rusty Old Buckets Bumped into this on the side of one of the hiking trails.
Replica Parrott Gun on the Cold Spring waterfront This replica of a Parrott gun (named after its inventor Robert Parker Parrott) stands near the gazebo on the waterfront in Cold Spring, NY. Nowadays Cold Spring is a picturesque Hudson River town with antique stores, nice restaurants etc., but once upon a time the town was dominated by the West Point Foundry, which made ...
Canoe around Dusk The sun was starting to set and the lake was pretty smooth so there was a nice reflection of the canoe.
Jaguar Seen in Geneva, Switzerland some time in August, 2010. I believe it’s either an XK-120 or an XK-150, but I’m not sure which. Actually, as I’m looking at it I’m becoming more and more convinced that it’s an XK-120, largely because the 120 had a two piece windshield while the XK-150 a curved ...
Fire Engine – Devries Park, Sleepy Hollow, NY Who dosn’t like a nice fire engine (or should it be fire truck over here in the US?)? Pity it’s not red. The red ones are the best! Lots of dials Legend of Sleepy Hollow detail.
Pool Balls I came across these in an antique store in Cold Spring.
Old Roller I was walking the dog around the playing fields when I came across this old roller in the undergrowth. I usually move my glasses up to the top of my head when I’m taking pictures and this time one of the overhanging branches must have knocked them off and I couldn’t find them. ...
More from around the lake Waterlogged canoe Some more from one of my walks around the lake. Trees and Rock Garden Canoes at Moon Beach Tree and Ivy The Watcher
Garden Tour Every year the garden club (of which we are members) organizes visits to a number of gardens around the lake and this year we were one of six chosen. Of course they ask those who are chosen, but the other members of the garden club aren’t told until the day of the even ...
Armillary sphere sundial This ornament has been sitting in our garden for some time. It ended up in an area where flowers had grown all over it and it just disappeared. We were doing some weeding and it re-emerged. I’ve just discovered that it’s called an armillary sphere sundial. According to Wikipedia a real ...
Still Life – Cat and Poinsettia Trying out an ultra wide angle lens I’ve had for a while but haven’t used much. It’s a Sony SEL16F28 16mm f/2.8 Wide-Angle Lens with the Sony VCLECU1 High Definition Wide Angle Conversion Lens, which makes it about 12mm. Taking into account the crop factor this becomes the 35mm equivalent of 18mm – still pretty ...
Rusty Nails and Tire During one of my walks in the woods I came across this pair of rusty old nails lying on top of a pile of discarded tires.
The man in the mirror I noticed these two blue and white vases at a local antiques fair and decided to take a picture. As I was taking it I spotted the mirror in the background and decided to wait until someone walked by behind me so I could get their reflection.
Old Car I won’t go so far as to say that this car has been abandoned. The house in whose driveway it sits certainly isn’t. However, it does look as if it’s been there for some time. The paint is starting to flake and the moon roof has caved in.
Wasteland off the lake Tumbledown shed. You can’t see this from the road around the lake, but if you look for a somewhat overgrown track near North Beach and follow it down a little you come across this interesting, but dilapidated area. If you follow the track (which seems to be used a lot by ATVs), it eventually goes ...
Lamp and Maple Tree The Moonbean Cafe is one of my favorite hangouts. Situated in Briarcliff Manor it’s a pleasant old house converted into a cafe and coffee shop. In nice weather I like to sit outside on the porch – reading, sipping coffee and watching the world go by. One day I was sitting there ...
Old Lasalle Car Front view with radiator On the way back from the Gomez Mill House we stopped a nursery cum farm store on the side of the road. This magnificent old car was in the parking area. They don’t make ’em like this any more. From the insignia on the car it’s an old La ...
On the lake View from North Beach looking south. A few more pictures taken while walking the dog around the lake. Canoes at North Beach New wooden bridge. Part of a project involving the new bridge, some gravel paths and a seating area with picnic table. Nicely done by the Eagle Scouts.
Magnolia Blossom On one of my walks around the lake I passed a number of magnolias. Unfortunately they were either past their best, or the blossoms were so high that I couldn’t get close enough to them. Then I saw this one. It was just the right height. It was a blustery day ...
Found Still Life I returned home late one afternoon and put the car in the garage. I was taking something out of the trunk when I noticed this little group sitting in a corner. Sunlight was streaming in through the windows in the garage door and reflecting off the tail lights of the car to create ...
At the Jefferson Valley Mall Bush along a wall. Taken while walking the dog around the Jefferson Valley Mall. Seeds in the parking lot Artwork. The Jefferson Valley Mall is one of the most boring I’ve come across – at least for me. There are very few stores there that interest me. This artwork is well hidden. You go ...
Windmill Tryptch Three shots of a small, colorful, plastic windmill turning by the side of the road.
Stained Glass Windows A series of stained glass windows taken inside St. Philips Church in the Highlands, Garrison NY. An article in Wikipedia states: St. Philip’s Church in the Highlands is an Episcopal church located on New York State Route 9D in the hamlet of Garrison, New York, United States. It is a stone Gothic Revival building designed ...
1957 Issues of Life Magazine A friend of mine collects vintage magazines. He has a novel way of displaying them. On his walls you see nicely framed covers. However, if you take the frame down you see that it isn’t just the covers that are framed, it’s the entire magazine – very clever. He wanted to get rid ...
Is he seeing the first sign of Spring? We still have over a foot of snow on the ground, but it’s gradually disappearing and this little cherub has just re-emerged from a large pile. Five to eight inches of snow was expected last night and we got….nothing. I think the storm went south of us. In the mornings I hear ...
Mysterious stone chambers of Putnam County My wife and I belong to the local garden club. They have monthly meetings, usually and not surprisingly on topics related to gardening. From time to time, however, they organize presentations on other topics. This time Tom O’Reilly gave a talk on “Stone Chambers of Putnam County”. Tom O’Reilly Apparently there are a large number of these ...
Cars The first picture was taken while walking the dog in Teatown Preserve. This magnificent car was just sitting in the middle of a parking area. The rest were taken at a vintage car show in Ossining. All of the pictures were taken in 2012
Messing around at home Little Angels I haven’t been able to get out much for the past few days. I threw my back out shoveling snow; then we had friends over and I spent most of the day cooking. Our water conditioner started to leak (just a tiny amount of water thankfully). It’s ancient and I have ...
Cairn on Peekskill Hollow Creek I was driving along Peekskill Hollow Road a few days ago – as I had many times in the year or so that we’ve lived out here. Most of the time you can’t really see Peekskill Hollow Creek because the leaves on the trees block the view. In winter though you see more. ...
Motorcyclepedia Part 2 I recently posted about Motorcyclepedia, a motorcycle museum in Newburgh, NY. On looking at the post again I realized that there weren’t actually many pictures of motorcycles. So here are a few more:
Statues Museum of Modern Art, NY I was cleaning up and organizing some of my pictures when I realized that I had quite a few photographs of statues – at museums; cemeteries; in public parks, churches etc. Here are a few. Chuang Yen Monastery, Carmel, NY Copenhagen, Denmark Civil War Memorial, Ossining, NY Rockefeller Center, NY Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, NY Statue above ...
Self portrait with dog I was walking around again with the dog when I came across a truck with very shiny rear doors. It also had a plate with a dog on it. The dog seemed to float in the air. I couldn’t see how I could get a picture of this without me in it so ...
Strange creatures along Secor road Crocodile If you take the Taconic State Parkway north you’ll eventually, after passing Yorktown Heights and Jefferson Valley come to an exit called Bryant Pond Road. Turn right at the end of the exit ramp. You’d think this would be Bryant Pond Road but it isn’t. It’s actually Secor Road. Pass the mobil ...
Light Patterns We have some large windows in our living room and the house is situated so that, on sunny days, the light streams in. We got some blinds to save my wife’s plants from the bright sunlight. I was sitting in our “breakfast nook” one morning drinking my coffee when I noticed these patterns caused by the ...
Statement Necklaces A rich variety of over two dozen sea shell beads and sea shells in earth tones. My brother-in-law sells unique and very attractive necklaces made of sea shells (among other things). Apparently they’re called “statement necklaces” because the shells are integral to the design of the jewelry rather than being incidental add-ons or accents. He also ...
Details of Sculpture at Boscobel I was attracted to the curves and textures of this sculpture at Boscobel. Unfortunately I don’t know what it was called or who made it (maybe there was a sign but I missed it in my enthusiasm to take the pictures).
A few colour pictures For a change a few color pictures. All pictures taken with a Sony Nex 5N and legacy lenses. The flowers were taken with a Rokinon 28mm f2.8 in Minolta mount. I bought an inexpensive Minolta X-700 and it came with a couple of Rokinon Lenses. The rest were taken with a ...
Vintage Tractor show at Tilly Foster Farm I love history and I’m fascinated by old things: old buildings; old cars; old aircraft; old machinery etc. So when I saw an ad for the vintage tractor show at the Tilly Foster Farm I had to go. When I was young my father used to take me to traction engine rallies. I can’t ...
Some flowers in our garden Black eyed susans (rudbeckia) Knockout rose Trying out a new Yashica 50mm f1.7 ML on the NEX before putting it on the Yashica FX-3 body. The nearest things to try it on were the flowers in our garden. Balloon flowers Easy to Love Rose Blue Lobelias Graham Thomas Rose Double Knockout tree rose
A touch of colour: Spring flowers around the lake Spring’s here and the flowers are bursting out around the lake. Here’s a selection, again taken while walking the dog. Taken with a Sony Nex 5N and Sigma 35mm lens. Above – Daffodils. Forsythia Azalea Vinca Weepingwhitethingia More of the white weeping tree
Inside Cappello’s Auto Repair From time to time I become paralyzed. I want to go out and shoot but I can’t think of anything worthy of picture taking. Part of it is laziness. I can’t immediately think of anywhere clever to go so I find excuses not to go out and shoot. It’s too early. The light’s not right. ...
Mannequins Seen while walking around in Manhttan. Along Lexigton Avenue if I remember correctly. Generally liked the figures in the windows alongside the reflections in the glass. Closer view of one of the figures Uncovered female mannequin inside juxtaposed against covered up male outside. Reclining figure vs. standing figure. With reflections.

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