One {April}

April has been an oddly long month, despite it having flown by. Some things have been wonderful: special time with family, a gradual but undeniable uptick in temperatures, laughter and lengthy dinner discussions led by our youngest, and increasingly very articulate, conversationalist. Other things have been less simple: health worries for dear friends and family, tragedy in the news and a burning desire for a crystal ball as we look to make the right decisions while we drag our feet into the great unknown future. I find myself spinning and stalling instead of propelling myself forward and am hopeful that a welcome upcoming change in scenery will help me shake off the proverbial cobwebs in so many regards.

For April's installment of the One, this shot of small fry in his big hat simply makes me laugh. I caught focus on the brim of his hat instead of his eyes, but his mischievous expression represents who he is at this amazing time in his life. His impish dimples, plus the fun textures for conversion to black and white made this one a shot that stuck with me, and so here it belongs.

Please take a look at the lovely moment my dear friend Adele Humphries chose for her one shot this month, then continue on the short trip around our small but beloved circle.

Photo 52: A Play on Light {31} - Morning Light

For the month of April, we at Photo 52 are focusing on light at different times of day. First up - morning light. This was not the image I envisioned this week, but my plans to obtain it were thwarted by cloud-cover and a late night or two. This image was taken Easter morning - some pretty morning backlight and our little man in his suit. He was especially excited to be wearing a tie like daddy.

Please continue through the blog circle, starting with my friend Linda Hooper, who I am happy to have back in NYC after her year in Geneva.

One {March}

Happy Easter! Amazingly, it is already time for the March edition of "One" (debut post can be found here). This Friday we held an impromptu Easter egg hunt on our building's roof - as one does when a backyard is not readily available. The space isn't quite up and running for the season, as the piles of construction materials in the background suggest, but the bricks and pipes made for some excellent hiding places.

This photo is a technical miss, but I love it anyway. His expression says everything you need to know about his most recent brilliant idea: the previously unheard of "dessert for after 'breakfix.'" Little did we know, morning time dessert is a) necessary and b) should be served in the form of jellybeans. Thus far, his powers of persuasion have not gotten him as far as he would like.

Please continue around the blog circle to see the touching moment my wonderful, talented friend Kim Lane has chosen to document for her "one" shot down in Georgia this month.

Turnabout is Fair Play

I was informed that he needed to take MY picture on the way to school today.

Photo 52: A Play on Light {23} - Snow Day

Week two of visualizing in black and white! Emphasis on white - I have a suspicion that I will not be the only east coaster featuring the snow we got over the weekend . When you don't have a backyard, sometimes you have to go to new heights to get a snowman built. And pay him a visit before bedtime to make sure he's still there.

Please head uptown to see what my amazing friend Jessie Wixon found this week. Her shot this week is absolutely incredible.

Happy Birthday, Grand Central Terminal!

We headed out to look at the trains today, mainly as an excuse to get out of the house while still avoiding the cold. We happened upon a wonderful exhibit for the 100th anniversary of Grand Central. The history of the building, as well as current expansion projects, are incredibly interesting. If you have a moment, I recommend stopping by.

Photo 52: A Play on Light {21} - Pinhole Camera

A Room with a View

ss 6.0, f2.8, IS0 6400 (he sat REALLY still)

Photo 52: natural indoor light, week four. For those unfamiliar with our project, please start here.

Last fall, fellow Photo 52 participant Justine Knight and I took a course at the International Center of Photography. Our teacher, Irina Rozovsky, introduced us to the work of a photographer named Abelardo Morell. He has a beautiful collection of images in his Camera Obscura project and ever since seeing how he turns rooms into giant pin hole cameras, I have been determined to try it. Project 52's last week of natural indoor light seemed like the perfect time. While my images do not compare to his, the experiment was still so much fun that even the wiggliest among us sat still long enough to be included in the photos.

To create these images, I covered the window in black garbage bags, shutting out all light. Then I cut a hole about the size of a quarter into the middle of the bag. The view from outside came streaming into the room, inverted due to the way the light bounces through the pin hole. The scene was not quite as clear as this to the naked eye but with a long exposure, the vibrant colors of the buildings and the sunny sky came out beautifully. We could even see traffic moving on the ceiling from light glinting off cars on the street below. To quote my father, "Physics is Fun."

Please continue around the circle to see how everyone else is closing out our month on indoor natural light. Next up, Cheryl Sawyer!

Flying High at the Park Avenue Armory

If you have a chance to make it over there before January 6th, Ann Hamilton's "event of the thread" installation at the Park Avenue Armory is truly a thrill. Riding the big swings to pull the even bigger curtain eclipsed the more nuanced aspects of the exhibit for this particular audience of three, but we loved it just the same.

Shop Local

Local love.

After almost ten years in this neighborhood, Christmas shopping at Domus has become something of a holiday tradition for my family.

This evening we headed out for a little stroll and stopped by to pay them a visit. We were excited to discover that their beautiful tree is already decorated and, as always, treasures abound.

Photo 52: A Play on Light {4}

A Play on Shadows: Week 4 - Me and My Shadow

When my fellow participants and I first started discussing the details of our 52 week journey, we decided to commit to each topic for four weeks at a time. Last week, as I started to think about my week 3 shadow shot, I began questioning the wisdom of that choice. It was increasingly hard to get an image I was happy about using. But, of course, that is the point of looking closely at a subject, isn't it? To find new ways to think about something and push beyond the easy path?

This week I have been revisiting (or "finally getting around to reading for the first time" if you'd like to be truly precise) some materials on directional light techniques. My obsession with his eyelashes is well-known, so this image is not particularly original for me. However, the lovely lines of the lash shadows and the curves of his sweet face make this intimate glimpse of my own little shadow my favorite image of the four-week series.

Next up is the exceedingly talented Sarah Roemer Davis. Her urban sensibilities and darling son make for some memorable photography.