Hugs

A few weeks ago, I finally succumbed and upgraded to the iPhone, just the 4, not the new 4S. And yes, like the rest of the world, I've become obsessed with its ability to bundle all the technology I need in one little device. But it wasn't until today, that I started to play with the camera.
Before leaving on a two-week road trip to Savannah and Charleston, that will include finding more Phantoms for my new series, I took Copper to the park for one last run before taking off tomorrow morning. There we made friends with two Labradors, Lola and Riley.
With snow covering the limbs and ice coating the lake, I regretted leaving my camera home in my haste to get things done today. But then I remembered my iPhone and it's photographic powers. Holding the small screen up, I started to press away trying to figure out how it works. After a string of bad takes, I caught this one by chance when Riley jumped up to hug his master.

Sunrise

A few days after posting the sunset image, I woke up to a panoply of color outside my window that catapulted me out of bed to find my camera. With just a few moments left before it would fade, I found the best spot to frame the scene atop a second floor staircase just outside my laundry room facing east. Again, I used my telephoto lens holding it steady for a relatively long 1/25 second exposure.
They say that things come in threes, so I imagine I will see another display of winter color sometime soon. Perhaps at midday?

Silhouette

Following my proclamation on New Year's Eve that I try to avoid the sunset cliche, yep, here's my very next image that appeared across the street. It's a silhouette, a common technique associated with sunsets, of my neighbor's roofline this afternoon. Taken with my telephoto lens at ISO 400 and a slow shutter speed of 1/25 second, it required a steady hand to maintain sharpness.
So why a sunset today? Well, cold, dry weather produces crisper, more vibrant sunrises and sunsets than other times of the year. After doing some quick research to find out why, I found this explanation from Outdoor Photographer:
During the winter, the sun remains low in the sky, which provides a more favorable angle of light. It also hovers closer to the horizon at sunrise and sunset, extending the time at which you can shoot with warmer light.
Also a quick plug for a workshop I'm giving, Blogging for Artists, this Saturday at the East End Arts Council. Any fellow artists out there interested in creating their own blog, come and find out how easy and fun it can be! Details in the News section here.

Serenity

This afternoon I waited until after four o'clock, about 20 minutes before sunset, to drive to one of my favorite local spots, the Quogue Wildlife Refuge, to take a photograph for my New Year's Eve posting. There's a serene spot overlooking the lake that I had hoped would be illuminated by a dynamic winter sunset. Although I try to avoid that particular cliche, I thought I'd make an exception for today.
However, there was only fog to be found when I arrived even though the sun had been out not long before. For a moment, I thought I'd just post a dramatic image taken several years ago of the sun rising over the bay down the street from my home. But then, I reconsidered. This scene, although not nearly as cheerful, seems more fitting for the tough times we're facing and more a reflection of the serenity I hope we'll find in the year to come.

Rugelach

During the holidays, any holiday, one of my greatest pleasures is cooking with my kids. Here's a plate of chocolate raspberry rugelach baked yesterday by my daughter, Jackie, and photographed overhead using natural window light.
I'm sure most of you have seen or eaten these cream cheese cookies traditionally baked on Hanukkah, but available in bakeries year-round. Yesterday while walking with my friend and author Julie Sheehan, I expressed my "trans-cultural" delight over the fact that Jackie had baked 150 ruggelach to be wrapped in sets of a dozen and presented as Christmas gifts to her boyfriend's family.
"Rugelach, what's that?" she asked.
"You know, those little crescents I had at my Hanukkah dinner."
"Oh those," she said, "I didn't know what they're called; how's it spelled?"
Never quite sure, I looked it up when I returned home. Here's what I found: Rugelach ( /ˈruːɡələx/; Yiddish: רוגעלך), other spellings: rugelakh, rugulach, rugalach, ruggalach, rogelach (all plural), rugalah, rugala (singular), is a Jewish pastry of Ashkenazic origin.

Family Photo

Taking a family photo is one of my biggest challenges, especially when I'm in it! First of all, when I announce that I'd like to take one, everyone clams up and starts complaining about what they're wearing or how their hair looks. So I've discovered that it's best not to tell them in advance and to plan to take the photo on special occasions when people are already looking their best. Sure, they will still whine, but they won't have as much time.
Also by using the self-timer on your camera (if you have one), you can get everyone engaged and smiling as they wait for the timer to count down and the shutter to release. This image, featured on my holiday card this year, was taken just before we sat down to Thanksgiving dinner.

Holiday Buzz

Accidents happen. And sometimes for a reason...

Last week I was in midtown Manhattan taking more photographs for my Phantoms series. At around five just after the sun set, I was walking down Fifth Avenue amidst the crowds, just past the tree in Rockefeller Center. Gazing up at the holiday lights, I spotted a small formation of branches framed against a building that I found interesting.

With my camera set at aperature-priority, I raised it and pressed the shutter. It stayed open for several seconds, far too long with too much shake to render anything discernible, or so I thought. Realizing it was a mistake, I shut off the camera.

When I looked at it later, this is what I found...all the holiday buzz and energy that had been circling around me...