I Made it Through the Rain

swan # 3855

“I have found that all ugly things are made by those who strive to make something beautiful and that all beautiful things are made by those who strive to make something useful.”  –  Oscar Wilde

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it’s the little things…

leaf # 3638

It’s almost 40 degrees (F) and most of the pretty white stuff is going fast.  It’s a barren landscape out there and you really have look hard to find something worthwhile to photograph (if you’re a landscape photographer).  But really, there are compositions in nature that are overlooked photo-ops.  These are the little pictures, not the sweeping panoramas that we long to shoot.  I think a lot of people identify with these little things just as much as the majestic landscapes, and for good reason:  the appreciation of the small things in life can be very rewarding.  Or am I wrong???

Irondequoit Bay (& angry birds)

IB # 3733

This is Irondequoit Bay in Monroe County, NY.  The center of the bay acts as the eastern border for the town of Irondequoit and the western border of the towns of Penfield and  Webster (Where Life is Worth Living).  This photo shows the Bay from the Penfield side.  Noteworthy is that this year marks the 12,000th birthday of the Bay (plus or minus 1000 years).

The Bay is home to non-migrating swans and fishermen (although some fishermen may, at times, migrate).

angry birds # 3852

swan # 3861

let it snow

snow # 3771

I don’t normally stand in the middle of the street but I couldn’t resist the yellow lines on the otherwise black and white back drop.  Everybody tired of seeing winter photos yet?  Here is one more from Saturday morning.

snow # 3796

Wings of Progress

Wings of Progress

In June of 2011 there was a post in the now defunct ONEOWNER blog with this photo of the Times Square building in Rochester, NY.  Completed in 1930, the top of the building has a tower with a massive structure known as the “Wings of Progress”.  It’s one of the few landmarks in an otherwise nondescript landscape.  Some believe the Wings are Orgone Accumulators or “features common to art deco, raygun gothic and other modernist buildings”.  I shot the photo while working on an assignment at the Rochester Convention Center, which has a terrace over the Genesee River.  This is probably the best view of the structure.

Almost a year after the photo was posted I received an email from a New York book publisher expressing an interest in reproducing it in a book about Wendell Castle, who is “…one of the most important, influential and celebrated designers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries”.   I believe the original request came from the author, Alastair Gordon.   I have been a fan of Wendell Castle for years and was honored to be a part of the book.  I had also read other books by the author and knew this was going to be well done.  I provided the publisher with a written consent and a high res file for reproduction.  Last week I received a complimentary copy of the book and was shocked to see the photo was a full page reproduction in the 10″ x 12″ book.  I don’t have a coffee table but now I may need to get one.  You can get a copy of the book here.  It’s a great read and full of excellent photos of Mr. Castle’s amazing work.