Category Archives: B&W Photography

An Achievement or a Mistake?

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“The Vessel”
New York City Hudson Yards

This interesting piece of architecture captured my imagination when I started my walk along New York’s Highline. I had no idea of the background of this amazing structure, so a little homework was needed. The active sculpture is 16 stories high comprised of 154 staircases, 80 landings, and 2500 steps. The path to the top is a little over a mile. The creator, Thomas Heatherwick, said that his intent was to create a focal point where people can enjoy new perspectives of the city and one another from different heights, angles and vantage points.

At its opening dedication in 2109, the Vessel was deemed to be safe, able to carry 1,000 people at a time. However, since its opening four people have committed suicide. In August of this year, the 4th suicide occurred. The Vessel is now indefinitely closed.

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Kinetic Architecture

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“Abstract – The Shed”
Hudson Yards, New York City

Do you believe this monster really moves? The Shed is a multi-cultural, multi discipline center for the arts in New York City. It provides a venue for established and emerging artists to show and perform their creative endeavors. The image above is a face of a movable shell that doubles the space of the facility for large displays and performances.

Large wheels, I guess the diameter to be about 8 feet, move the Shed’s outer shell. It takes 5 minutes to fully move the shell in or out. See image below.

“The Shed’s Wheels”

When I first saw this structure, I had no idea what it was. I just thought it was a cool piece of architecture. When I had the chance, I did a little homework. It is an amazing application of a creative solution. To add a little creativity of my own, I created an abstract of the lines and reflections of the shell. Next time we are in New York, I plan to venture inside this amazing facility.

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Reflecting Back

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“Clouds and Rocks”
Joshua Tree National Park, CA

Reflecting back, just a week ago we were in the Joshua Tree National Park in the Mohave Desert. It was a warm beautiful day in the high 80’s. It was a great vacation.

When I saw this scene, I thought it looked like smoke was coming out of the rocks above us. It reminded me of the days when I was a boy, laying in the grass at the ranch, looking up at the sky, and imagining stories that the clouds above were portraying. Many summer days were spent dreaming. I still find myself dreaming as the clouds move across the sky. I wonder what the rocks were trying to communicate with their smoke signals.

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Desert Forest

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“Joshua Trees”
Joshua Tree National Park, CA

Have you ever seen a forest in the desert. Here in Joshua Tree National Park, the south eastern Mohave Desert is covered with this strange forest. It is truly a western scene. I can imagine cowboys riding through this desolate area. There is no water to be found for miles..

The Joshua Tree is the largest of the Yuccas, reaching 35- 40 feet tall. They can live up to 150 years. Some have even found to have lived 300 years. They are a tough plant!

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Great Way to End the Day!

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“Empire State Building”
New York City

What a way to end a great day in New York gazing up at the Empire State Building! During our recent trip to New York, the hotel where we stayed had a roof top lounge. Due to Covid restrictions, the lounge was closed for service. However, it was open for visitors to go up and sit. So, we really took advantage of it. Each morning we would grab a “to go” breakfast and take it up to the lounge to start our day. In the evenings, we would grab a bottle of wine, go up and enjoy the city lights. This night, a fog permeated the tops of the tallest buildings. What a feeling!!!

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Does It Matter?

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“Rocks of Alabama”
Alabama Hills, California

I cannot define why these rock formations caught my eye. They just did. Was it their unusual shapes? Was it the contrast between the smooth eroded rocks in the foreground and the more rugged rocks in the background? Was it the textural difference between the Alabama Hills and the background Eastern Sierras? Or was it the memories of all the old cowboy movies of my childhood? Does it matter?

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Do I See a Walrus?

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“Rock Folds”
Alabama Hills, California

When both Mary and I saw this folded rock formation we both said, “It kind of looks like a walrus.” The Alabama Hills are filled with such strange looking rock formations. It is an exciting opportunity to let my mind go wild! I can easily get lost imagining what could be.

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Cloudy, Wet, and Cool

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“Akebono Cherry & Waterfall”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden

Today, I woke up to a cool, dreary morning … great day for photographing! This newly planted (this spring) Akebono cherry has lost all of its leaves and just looked cold against the flowing waterfall. Black and white captured the feeling.

The Akebono was the first of our cherry trees to transition to its golden yellow fall color. As such, it was also first to loose its leaves. Our Heatherwood garden has sixteen cherry trees. The two Kwansan Cherries and a couple of our weeping cheery trees still have their leaves, the other twelve are now just “stick trees” waiting for winter to come.

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Never Forget

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“9/11 Memorial”
New York City

Twenty years have passed since the infamous attack on the American Nation. The memorial pays tribute to the 2,983 people who lost their lives in the 2001 and 1993 terrorist attacks. We must never forget those who were lost as well as the families and friends whose lives were impacted by the lost ones.

We must never forget about the terrorist events themselves. But we must also look beyond the events and search out the root causes that triggered them. Only by addressing and resolving the root causes will we be able to stop such events from occurring again in the future.

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