Monday, January 31, 2011

SEEING HOW WE SEE, CAN BE EYE OPENING!

My wife Phyllis and I do most all of our photographing together. It doesn't matter if it's weddings, events, portraits, landscape, nature or travel, we are together photographing the same images.
Two people, four eyes, two cameras and two different ways of seeing the same thing. We will be married 24 years next month and share many of the same ideas and values. We were raised by parents who were friends and have known each other all of Phyllis' life.  Phyllis thinks we agree about 90% of the time, I'm not sure I agree with that. But the point is we are very close and yet when we photograph we "see" the same event differently. Why, I'm not sure. I would guess it has to do with parts of us of which we're not even aware: a combination of our hearts and souls and our physical differences. I am a larger person, I have better eyesight,  I'm sure all these factors influence how we see artistically.  I wonder if it is more intrinsic to who we really are. Do past relationships we have had in our separate lives help shape how we see? Maybe different artists we have studied and admired, influence us more then we think. Not that I think, "How would Galen Rowell have photographed this landscape?", when I'm in the act of photographing a mountain range. But I have wondered if photographs by Rowell, Neil Van Niekert , Scott Kelby, David Ziser, John Shaw and of course, Ansel Adams are stored somewhere in my mind so that when I see a certain scene, my 'Eye' sees the scene plus sees the same scene with the point of view of one of these great artists. Maybe that's how it works, I really do not know. I would like to think so.
As you go out and shoot with someone close to you, compare their images to yours and hopefully you will see how different (not better or worse) they are. If we all could understand that, we might see people better. See???
The images today are all Phyllis'. Enjoy




Friday, January 28, 2011

THE ELEGENCE OF ART DECO ON OCEAN DRIVE IN MIAMI BEACH IS IN JEOPARDY BUT YOU CAN HELP!!



      This is a reproduction of what could be, there is not a billboard on this hotel, YET!!


As the readers of this blog know we recently had the pleasure and honor of being asked to photograph the Art Deco Weekend in Miami, Florida. We had a great time photographing the people, events and mostly the great examples of Art Deco. I have to admit that before that weekend, I had a passing knowledge, at best, of Art Deco.  I knew it was a style that was American and was something out of the 50s, maybe earlier. That was the extent of my knowledge.


Then we arrived on Ocean Drive. We parked and as I climbed out of my car, I looked up and saw the buildings, Wow, such a design! I had not seen anything like this before: the colors and angles, the completely American look from right out of our past. 


The best part of this was it wasn't a reenactment but the real thing, still in use, still vibrant against the beautiful blue Floridian skies. The people enjoying this part? You might think would be people in their 60s and 70s, but you would be partially wrong, although there were plenty of them enjoying the weekend. For the most part, these were families with young children, teens and younger plus young adults. I watched young couples pointing to the buildings talking and smiling, enjoying the day and this unique American architectural design.


Ok, I know I have posted a lot of pictures from this weekend, so what now more pictures?  No, this is about a problem, a problem that is trying to manifest itself in this beautiful American neighborhood. The justification for weakening the law is that it will allow the city to raise additional revenue by charging a fee for the signage. However, raising minimal additional revenue is not a reason to sacrifice the special appeal that brings residents and tourists to Miami Beach.  




Taken from the Miami Restoration Design League's email.


THE ISSUE:

Once again, a proposal to allow full-window signage in store windows has been proposed and will be considered by the Miami Beach City Commission.

The proposal would weakening and liberalize the city's proven signage laws and seriously harm Miami Beach's unique character by allowing billboard-sized ads in store windows AND OPEN THE DOOR FOR BILLBOARDS TO BE ERECTED ON THE TOP OF BUILDINGS ALL OVER MIAMI BEACH.


The proposal will be discussed at the Miami Beach Commission's Land Use and Development Committee meeting on Monday, January 31, 2011. The meeting will begin at 4 PM in the 4th Floor Conference Room.



Our unique design and architecture allows Miami Beach to stand out from all the other cities in Florida - and indeed the entire nation. Allowing offensive signs to proliferate would drive away the very people who pay real estate taxes, spend money in stores, hotels and restaurants and pump our economic engine.

As originally proposed two months ago, the new law was intended to help landlords defray costs of vacant stores and cover empty store fronts. But that would mean landlords would have reduced incentive to fill the empty stores since they would be earning high additional revenue from the giants signs.

Now, the City Attorney and outside counsel have reviewed the proposal. Their opinion: allowing billboard-sized ads in windows would open the door to challenges to the city's ban on ANY billboards or giants signs. Hungry landlords could legally justify erecting giant, illuminated signs all over town. Such signs would loom over the streets, destroy the skyline and ruin the character of Miami Beach. 

The justification for weakening the law is that it will allow the city to raise additional revenue by charging a fee for the signage. However, raising minimal additional revenue is not a reason to sacrifice the special appeal that brings residents and tourists to Miami Beach


WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Attend the Commission's Land Use and Development Committee meeting.

When: Monday, January 31, 2010 at 4 PM. 

Where: Miami Beach City Hall, City Manager's Large Conference Room, 4th Floor.

and...or 

Write the Mayor and Commissioners: 

 
The names and emails of the Mayor and Commissioners are as follows:

 
Matti Herrera Bower, Mayor, City of Miami Beach   matti@miamibeachfl.gov

 
Michael Gongora, Vice Mayor, City of Miami Beach   michael@miamibeachfl.gov

 
Jorge Exposito, Commissioner, City of Miami Beach  jorge@miamibeachfl.gov

 
Jerry Libbin, Commissioner, City of Miami Beach  jerry@miamibeachfl.gov

 
Edward Tobin, Commissioner, City of Miami Beach, ed@miamibeachfl.gov

 
Deede Weithorn, Commissioner, City of Miami Beach, deede@miamibeachfl.gov

 
Jonah Wolfson, Commissioner, City of Miami Beach  jonah@miamibeachfl.gov
 


 Please send your emails as soon as possible. And please pass this on to as many friends as you like!
 
Don't allow our the special character of Miami Beach to be cheapened by large-scale billboard advertising.
  


MEMORIES OF OUR VISIT TO FLORIDA LAST MARCH!!

Last March, Phyllis and I decided to combine a photography vacation with visiting my brothers in Florida. Once we arrived in Florida and started photographing everything, we fell in love with the state and the state of mind living here brings to you. Well as many of you know in less then a year we moved, sold our house in NH and bought one in Port Saint Lucie.
These are just a few of the images we shot that first 2 weeks here. I believe this is the first time I have posted any of these. It is amazing how your life can change so much in such a short time.

Roseate spoonbills early morning in Ding Darling!


Captured at St Augustine's Alligator Farm

Heron in Ding Darling
Ok not a nature image but interesting shot in Disney!


Egret in flight in Ding Darling.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

THE ROAD TO DENALI


Really Busy today. So I went back  in time to my slide years. This is in Denali State Park & Reserve in Alaska.
 If you have not had the opportunity to visit Alaska, especially if your a photographer, please go. It is a wonderfully exciting place to visit , even if you can't see Russia from your back door!!!!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

THE FACES IN THE STREET DURING ART DECO WEEKEND IN MIAMI

 We met a lot of great people during the weekend and we documented some of them here. This was a great weekend event for whole families or just a couple looking to enjoy Miami. Between the fashion show, parades, lectures and movies it was a pretty fulfilling weekend. The staff and volunteers of the Miami Design Preservation League deserve a great deal of credit for pulling off this great event. The people who visited during the weekend also deserve  a big hand. There was a lot of food and drink available but we did not see one instance of over indulgence.  They all deserve our thanks for helping to make this a great weekend.



Lots of Shopping

Family atmosphere the whole weekend


Attractive Women

Hawking His Wares

Not letting the parade pass him by

Lunch time 

Patriotic Dog

Dog Lovers

Did I mention Attractive women??

Yummy corn

COUPLES

MORE COUPLES

 OOOK!!

ONE OF THE MODELS OF THE FASHION SHOW AND HER BEAU!!

A HEAT FAN??? I CAN BE KIND ..WAIT TILL THE PLAYOFFS!!!

SURPRISE!!

SOME LIKE THE CAMERA

SOME REALLY LIKE THE CAMERA


OOK NOT HIS FACE, BUT IT'S A  DAMN ANIMAL ON HIS SHOUDER

HAPPY?

FAMILIES WERE ALL AROUND!!

YOUNG LOVE, ISN'T IT BEAUTIFUL!!

 GET OUT OF MY WAY...GET A ROOM!!

YANKEE FAN ??  DAMN THAT ONE SLIPPED BY ME

LUCKY GUY!!

MORE ATTRACTIVE WOMEN

More  happy couples

GREAT SMILES

I told you, they REALLY liked the camera

Actually Sean Penn but he wouldn't let me photograph his face!!

Early Morning walk

3 Guys having a ball!

Competition??

Have to keep the old girl looking good!!!


I think I met him at a Grateful Dead Concert in the 60s

For some the work is never over,   Does he looks wiped out!!!

Couple..I think!

Lots of Attractive women

Norman Rockwell would be happy!!