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Photo 52: A Play on Light {30} - Stampede in Grand Central

Photographer's choice! Rather than subject our blog circle to a fifth week of artificial light, we decided to make this last weekend in March a bonus week instead. However, I found my fun moment of the week under the glare of some truly hideous artificial light and would love to share it anyway.

Down at Grand Central this past week, Nick Cave (of soundsuit fame) partnered with dancers from Alvin Ailey to bring "Heard," a very fun piece of performance art to the public. Beautiful costumes, dancing horses, harps and drums - all for free!

Also, do not miss the end of P52's March madness, starting with the wonderful Julie Kiernan in Minnesota. She's been traveling as of late, so her image may be from somewhere a little warmer than usual this week.

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.

Photo 52: A Play on Light {29} - Long & Cold Indeed

In P52's final week of artificial light, I find myself making a plea.

Dear Mother Nature,
I would like to call your attention to the date on the calendar and request that you give me the opportunity to bid adieu to this never-ending winter. Here, a small peace offering lest you doubt my sincerity:

Please continue around the blog circle to see how everyone has closed out this rather challenging month on artificial light, starting with our newest blog circle member, my lovely local friend and talented photographer, Julie Mak.

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 {28}

Photo 52 - my fellow blog circle participants and I have just wrapped up week 3 of exploring artificial light sources. Here, a rarely-featured member of our family, hanging out under the glow of a 60W bulb. For anyone new to the blog, my debut post for the project can be found here.

Please continue around the circle to see what my extremely talented friend Jill Cassara has found up in Michigan this week. Jill, quite frankly, can do no wrong behind the lens. Please leave her some love while you're there!

Last Call

For those who have been following along on Facebook and elsewhere, I have written a mini-class for Clickin Moms on the topic of street photography. I am pleased to say it has received some great reviews and it is exciting for me that so many people are interested in my approach to photography. Tomorrow will be the last day to buy it with access to conversations participants are having in the live forum and at the live forum price. If you miss it this time around, the original materials as well as the Q&A video and editing video will also be available in the CM store soon.

Photo 52: A Play on Light {27}

Week two of P52's month on artificial light. Here, a look directly at the source.

Please continue around the circle to see what the fabulously talented Kelly Patton of K Rox Photography found out in Brooklyn this week.

Photo 52: A Play on Light {26}

It is week 26 of Photo 52: A Play on Light and we are officially half way done! It is hard to believe that six months have passed since we embarked on this project. If you are new to the blog, my debut post explaining Photo 52 can be found here.

This is our first of four weeks exploring artificial light sources. And what could possibly be more artificial than the neon glow of Times Square? Processed for a little extra sense of commercialism and nary a natural light source to be found.

Please head on over to the East Side to see what my talented friend and fellow New Yorker Cheryl Sawyer found under the glow of something other than the sun.

One {February}

Another month has passed already? Settling on my "one" shot for the month of February was difficult but I knew it would likely come from the series of shots I took this particular evening. While in Rhode Island, my camera and I got a bit of a dunking from a rogue wave while out watching the sun go down in frigid temperatures. It's not every day I am at the water's edge to witness such a sunset, and I was not about to miss it, windchill of 6F notwithstanding. I am happy to report, all of my fingers remain intact.

Please visit my five dear friends who are joining me in this project. to see what their one shot of February will be, starting in Chicago with Jessica Remus in Chicago. Jessica has an exquisite talent for capturing the essence of childhood in her photography.

Photo 52: A Play on Light {25} - Flight

Last weekend we spent some time having lots of fun and being very cold in Newport, Rhode Island. I spent a few minutes on an icy beach playing with shutter speeds and attempting to "pan" the birds. I'm not sure any of these work all that well but I do kind of like them as a small series.

Please continue around the Photo 52 circle and enjoy everyone's efforts in our final week of visualizing in black and white. Start with Lisa Rigazio, my friend in Maryland whose background in architecture shines through in her dynamic photography.

Photo 52: A Play on Light {24}

Week three of black and white. I got a fun new gadget this week and took it out to play. It's called a Lensbaby and it is a manual focus lens that gives a tilt-shift look to an image. Manual focus is not my forte so it was fun to practice.

Please continue around the circle and see what else my talented friends are seeing in monochrome this week, starting with the lovely and talented Kennedy Tinsley up north of the border.

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.

Photo 52: A Play on Light {22}

For the next four weeks, Photo 52 will be focused on visualizing in black and white. I am a big fan of black and white imagery in general, but it takes some practice and focus to shoot specifically with the intent of converting to black and white. Not enough contrast and dimensional light and you end up with a very flat image. As I went out to shoot with this objective in mind, I was reminded that it is no small feat, especially under the grey skies of winter. Some of my favorites actually ended up being from indoor lighting.

Please check out the rest of this week's amazing circle, starting with the lovely and talented Kim Dupree! Kim lives in Texas and specializes in seniors, but often has beautiful and unusual surprises up her sleeve when it comes to her weekly posts.

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.

One {January}

The One that (Almost) Got Away

Friendship is an amazing thing. It transcends time and distance and beliefs. It brings joy, dries tears and offers support in times of need. I have been remarkably blessed with the friends in my life, and just when I think my circle of loved ones is surely at capacity, a few more amazing individuals show up and I have no choice but to let them in. "One" is a small project I am embarking on with a few of these treasured recent additions. I imagine if we lived in the same place we would have simply found ourselves a bar to frequent, but since we do not, we find other ways to link our lives.

And so, at the end of each month we will be posting a single image. One we love for whatever reason, perfect or imperfect. One that may have been overlooked or set aside, or simply a favorite that we want to share. No theme or criteria, just one from the heart.

Here, our little guy was riveted by the snowfall during a recent dinner with my father and my husband. Between the reflections on the window and the darkness of the night, I struggled to capture both his face and the lightly falling snow. Nevertheless, I love the wonder in his expression and the memory of a lovely dinner together.

Next, please head out to Colorado and see a gorgeous and powerful image from Sarah Zalan, a friend who is a true inspiration to me in every possible way.

East, West, North

Then I turned and headed South.

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!

Photo 52: A Play on Light {20}

Week 20 of Photo 52, and week three of natural light indoors.

More fun with windows. As to who was having more fun, that is up for debate.

Please continue around the circle to see what else Photo 52 participants have been up to this week, starting with my talented friend and fellow New Yorker, Cheryl Sawyer.

Photo 52: A Play on Light {19}

A walk with Kermit.

It's week 2 of natural indoor light, this time found in what amounts to an urban tunnel.

Please continue along the circle to see what the other Photo 52 participants have found this week, starting with Jill Cassara. Jill lives in Ann Arbor and has an amazing ability to capture her beautiful children at the most perfect moments.