As Is

The area of Hell's Kitchen has transformed itself from a dangerous and seedy place into a slick, trendy neighborhood.  Now referred to as "Clinton,"  the streets of Hell's Kitchen (West of Times Square in midtown Manhattan) are lined with chic restaurants, upscale boutiques and pricy vintage shops.  I walk here frequently.  I have seen the many changes wrought over the last decade in Hell's Kitchen.  Occasionally I see something that smacks of the neighborhood's past life.  This iron grate is on the side courtyard of a brownstone close to 9th Avenue.  The building is slightly run-down, like a tired chorus dancer from the near-by theaters.  The grate is artfully fashioned from a time when craftsmanship was lavished on so many structures and their accoutrements throughout the City.  I love the design of the metal grate: swirls, spokes, ribbon-like flowers.  I thought to "clean it up" in post production.  Give it a polished look.  But I realized that some things are best left As Is.  Flaws, chunks of plaster, cracks and all bespeak of survival, age and the struggle to preserve the beauty and history that is New York City's heritage.

The Enormous of Enorminity

I have always thought of skyscrapers as enormous.  They scrape the sky.  I look up at the Empire State Building or the Chrysler Building and feel tiny: a speck of humanity in the shadow of huge structures that inspire me, dwarf me and invariably fill me with pride at humankind's accomplishments of reaching for the heights.  However, once in a while my perspective shifts. 
On Sunday,  I visited the American Crafts Festival at Lincoln Center http://www.craftsatlincoln.org/myindex.cgi  It's a great outdoor show that highlights extraordinary craftsmanship and artistry in fabric design, jewelry making, pottery, glass art and a host of other stunning creations made from the imagination and talented hands of artists/artisans.  As I left the Festival I walked along thinking of how human beings can design, mold, fashion and produce works of beauty, wonder and skill.
As I rounded the corner of West End Avenue, I chanced to look up to admire the skyscrapers I love: another form of human virtuosity.  I pointed my camera at some tall buildings that were under construction.  Through the lens I saw a form of workmanship that was breathtaking.  The stuff that promotes inspiration and has always provided vision: Nature.  High above the "in-progress" tower constructed by humans, soared a dazzling cloudscape.  A magnificent display of nature's continuing stimulation and challenge to our inventiveness.  www.ellenfisch.com

Cloudscrape with Skyscraper Detail

Art genre: Black and White art photography

Photography tip: When photographing clouds, make sure to contrast cloud edges so that clouds don't appear as white "blobs" in the sky.  Clouds are challenging to photograph because their amorphous shapes can blend together and give a "flat" appearance.

Location: Shot from West End Avenue and 65th Street facing South, NYC
  

Recent Mists of Time

According to the dictionary, Mists of Time refers to happenings of long ago.  I associate Mists of Time with a dreamy feeling.  Sort of like seeing near and far memories through a blurred filter on the lens.  This is the feeling I have about some of my 2010 adventurers in Australia and New Zealand.  They are a bit hazy and multilayered.
The high point of my 17 (7 planes!) day trip was meeting a family with whom I had been corresponding for 40+ years.  We had experienced a great many joys and sorrows through the years and I dearly wanted to say hello in person.  That part of my trip will always give me the most cherished memories.  It is intriguing to "meet" people with whom you have had an ongoing and intimate conversation for a long time. I was wined and dined and taken to many beautiful sights, but most of all, I was, in person, taken into the family as I had been through letters and later emails and rare phone calls.  That deep family bond continues as it always will, enhanced and strengthened by my visit.
I also took about 6,000 photographs during my travels.  Occasionally I look at the images to remind myself of a particular moment.  I recently looked at some photos I had taken in Queenstown, a stunning lakeside resort town in southern N.Z.  I stayed in Queenstown for a few days towards the end of my trip, looking around and shooting the architecture and the "Lord of the Rings" scenery.  It was a golden time there: summer into fall, early April.  One day on a whim I booked an afternoon trip to Walter Peak Farm: a well touted tourist attraction and a functioning sheep farm.  I was not sure what I expected when I got off the boat that was the way to the farm.  It was about a half hour trip from Queenstown on placid waters.  This is what I saw as I walked through lovely blooming gardens towards the magnificent homestead.  A wonderful memory, slightly misted but reminiscent of an unforgettable time.

Approaching Walter Peak Farm: Queenstown, N,Z.

Leaving Walter Peak Farm: Queenstown, N.Z.

Art genre: Sepia art photography

Photography tip: Sepia can be cool or warm with many tonalities in between.  When using sepia as a value range, explore its many temperatures as these affect enormously the visuals of the image.  These images were enhanced with both orange and pink filters to provide a warm tone.

Location: Walter Peak Farm: Queenstown, New Zealand

Encounter Two

In my last post I presented two wonderful bronze figurines that I saw in the subway.  These charming creatures brightened up my day.  They surprised and delighted me on a stressful day.  However, when I was working on the image in post production, I noticed a small pair of feet at the top of my photograph.  I was astounded!  Where there more sculptures in that particular subway station?  What was connected to those feet in small bronze rounded pointy little shoes?  Recalling the rest of the figure escaped me.  I did have the feet but not the body or head.
I returned to the subway station in NYC to get a shot of the whole figure whose shoes had intrigued me.  The station was quite out of the way and I wondered why I felt compelled to seek out the rest of the statue as I walked along the crowded streets.  Yet, when I got to the subway, I was rewarded by the sight of a humorous figurine so different from the other two small sculptures.  I encountered a sight that made me smile.   It was so unexpected!  I think that photography is a way of discovering the world for me and for everyone else who enjoys in visual encounters.www.ellenfisch.com

Three Bronze Figures: NYC Subway

Mr. Money Bags: NYC Subway

A Chance Encounter

On a day last week I was out photographing the sights in NYC.  I had carefully planned the day and was glad to see the weather report was favorable: wrong..... After the commute and the subway ride with 15 pounds of gear and other bags, etc, I arrived in a lovely Greenwich Village, a quaint part of town to light showers.  I was prepared with an umbrella, but not delighted as the showers turned to rain.  After a calming cup of soup (weather was also to be 65 degrees and topped out at 48), I set out to capture what was left of the afternoon.  I shot 250 photographs, several of which were really nice!  The adrenaline was taking over!
Heading back to the subway, cold, damp and weary, I looked up as I descended into Rush Hour.  To my great surprise I saw these figures watching over the scene.  Well worth my trip to capture whimsy in the NYC subway!

NYC Subway

Subway Whimsy

My Niche

I am usually a forward thinking person.  Although the past, my past has had an enormous impact on my life, I always caught up in future projects.  Thinking of new ways to better my skills; new photography essays; visualizing unique perspectives for architectural images; how to enhance my art.  These are my focus.  When I do recall the past, I reflect on others who have influenced my work and of course wonderful instances of personal relationships, which also had and still have a profound effect on me and my aesthetic.
However, once in a while I trace my path as an artist photographer.  I am surprised when I do.  What amazes me is the journey that got me to where I am today and the marvelous opportunities that were open to me.  Click on the link to see how I came to be an architectural art photographer:

 http://rising.blackstar.com/how-i-found-my-niche-as-a-photographerartist.html

Queen Victoria Building: Sydney, Australia

Art genre: Black and White architectural detail art photograph

Photography tip: When using "lights" (artificial bulbs or shafts of natural light) as accents, make sure the points or beams of light emphasize the overall composition and do not take over.

Location: Sydney, Australia

And....

More city jewelry.  This one, an invitation to come in.

Brass Door: Midtown, NYC

Photography tip: Rarely do I appreciate the white, "blownout" areas that photographing metal can produce.  However, in this architectural, the strong and just slightly off kilter horizontals & verticals allowed for some POP.  The blowouts add a brightness & a glow that accentuates the brass.

Note: Because the horizontals and verticals are so defined, the abstracted reflections also add interest but do not divert attention from the main focus.