8 Notes
I have a number of small plants in my window at work. I like the juxtaposition of the small growing things amidst the sea of skyscrapers that they overlook. There’s plenty of sun so the plants thrive and make me smile even on days when I may not be thriving at my desk. The crown of thorns on the right has its pretty red flower on it and the mother of thousands on the right has pups sprouting like crazy. And all of the plants except two are from cuttings of mom’s plants in NOLA. I have additional children from the homestead in my apartment. I suppose it’s just one more way I carry my hometown with me. A living representation of a place that helped me grow and continues to grow and change.

I have a number of small plants in my window at work. I like the juxtaposition of the small growing things amidst the sea of skyscrapers that they overlook. There’s plenty of sun so the plants thrive and make me smile even on days when I may not be thriving at my desk.

The crown of thorns on the right has its pretty red flower on it and the mother of thousands on the right has pups sprouting like crazy. And all of the plants except two are from cuttings of mom’s plants in NOLA. I have additional children from the homestead in my apartment. I suppose it’s just one more way I carry my hometown with me. A living representation of a place that helped me grow and continues to grow and change.

8 Notes
This week the silent auction and print sale for charity is ending at work. It made me proud to have some of my images selected and both that are in the silent auction have bids placed on them. It was a great fear of mine that even if selected for the auction, that my photos would be orphaned. But they won’t. They will hang on someone’s wall and hopefully they will enjoy them for years to come. And the money from the auction will go to an organization that helps people around the world with vision issues. This photo is one of the ones available at the print sale and I titled it Calder’s Fauna because the shapes of the leaves and the vibrant colors reminded me of a Calder mobile. I saw my first one when I was about ten and was visiting the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC as part of a special program I had been selected for. Of all the modern art pieces we saw, the mobiles resonated for me. I suppose they were unlike anything I had ever seen. Growing up in the NOLA, art was ubiquitous but not something like Calder. I remember standing there for a really long time staring up as the metal pieces danced gracefully above my head. Childhood. Community. Nature. Art. All great places to be. And all weaving themselves together in a mobile of my life.

This week the silent auction and print sale for charity is ending at work. It made me proud to have some of my images selected and both that are in the silent auction have bids placed on them. It was a great fear of mine that even if selected for the auction, that my photos would be orphaned. But they won’t. They will hang on someone’s wall and hopefully they will enjoy them for years to come. And the money from the auction will go to an organization that helps people around the world with vision issues.

This photo is one of the ones available at the print sale and I titled it Calder’s Fauna because the shapes of the leaves and the vibrant colors reminded me of a Calder mobile. I saw my first one when I was about ten and was visiting the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC as part of a special program I had been selected for. Of all the modern art pieces we saw, the mobiles resonated for me. I suppose they were unlike anything I had ever seen. Growing up in the NOLA, art was ubiquitous but not something like Calder. I remember standing there for a really long time staring up as the metal pieces danced gracefully above my head.

Childhood. Community. Nature. Art. All great places to be. And all weaving themselves together in a mobile of my life.

8 Notes
Scents are powerful reminders of places and people and times in our lives, but all scents are not created equal. Some you have to find. You have to move closer to them and seek them out. They are wallflowers. But others open up quickly to those willing to pause and take the time to get to know them. Finally there are the extroverts who accost you. They are pushy and outgoing and call out to you. You need not be right next to them. You may sense their presence before you spot them. But they will not be ignored. They may blame it on the heat that squeezes them and causes them to squeal out their scents. Sometimes they scream so loud their aroma is almost overpowering. Not unlike the lady on a train who drowns herself in perfume, the curry and the honeysuckle insist on being noticed.

Scents are powerful reminders of places and people and times in our lives, but all scents are not created equal.

Some you have to find. You have to move closer to them and seek them out. They are wallflowers. But others open up quickly to those willing to pause and take the time to get to know them.

Finally there are the extroverts who accost you. They are pushy and outgoing and call out to you. You need not be right next to them. You may sense their presence before you spot them. But they will not be ignored.

They may blame it on the heat that squeezes them and causes them to squeal out their scents. Sometimes they scream so loud their aroma is almost overpowering. Not unlike the lady on a train who drowns herself in perfume, the curry and the honeysuckle insist on being noticed.

7 Notes
I’d title this picture “Whether Rain or Shine” and it symbolizes a sense of place in many ways. I took this shot while walking through a neighborhood in Queens and it made me think of how much New York, despite it being a huge metropolis, remains a city of distinct neighborhoods. This neighborhood is full of statuary and yard adornments in a way that many others are not. It’s cultural roots show through. But it also symbolizes family and community and the human need to bond with others. To pair up. To work together. To be better together than we are individually. To celebrate together. To shelter each other and take care of each other—whether rain or shine.

I’d title this picture “Whether Rain or Shine” and it symbolizes a sense of place in many ways. I took this shot while walking through a neighborhood in Queens and it made me think of how much New York, despite it being a huge metropolis, remains a city of distinct neighborhoods. This neighborhood is full of statuary and yard adornments in a way that many others are not. It’s cultural roots show through. But it also symbolizes family and community and the human need to bond with others. To pair up. To work together. To be better together than we are individually. To celebrate together. To shelter each other and take care of each other—whether rain or shine.

1 Notes
I’d title this picture “Whether Rain or Shine” and it symbolizes a sense of place in many ways. I took this shot while walking through a neighborhood in Queens and it made me think of how much New York, despite it being a huge metropolis, remains a city of distinct neighborhoods. This neighborhood is full of statuary and yard adornments in a way that many others are not. It’s cultural roots show through. But it also symbolizes family and community and the human need to bond with others. To pair up. To work together. To be better together than we are individually. To celebrate together. To shelter each other and take care of each other—whether rain or shine.

I’d title this picture “Whether Rain or Shine” and it symbolizes a sense of place in many ways. I took this shot while walking through a neighborhood in Queens and it made me think of how much New York, despite it being a huge metropolis, remains a city of distinct neighborhoods. This neighborhood is full of statuary and yard adornments in a way that many others are not. It’s cultural roots show through. But it also symbolizes family and community and the human need to bond with others. To pair up. To work together. To be better together than we are individually. To celebrate together. To shelter each other and take care of each other—whether rain or shine.

5 Notes
Why is it food tastes better outside? Even if it’s just a pretzel from a street vendor on the streets of New York. Is it the open air that causes the aromas to circulate and tickle our noses? Is it being closer to our foraging ancestors, noshing under the clouds? Is it that we focus more on the food because we aren’t doing other things? Is it just my imagination? Nope. Definitely tastes better outside. But then it also always tastes better when someone else makes it for us.

Why is it food tastes better outside? Even if it’s just a pretzel from a street vendor on the streets of New York. Is it the open air that causes the aromas to circulate and tickle our noses? Is it being closer to our foraging ancestors, noshing under the clouds? Is it that we focus more on the food because we aren’t doing other things? Is it just my imagination? Nope. Definitely tastes better outside. But then it also always tastes better when someone else makes it for us.

8 Notes
I met someone new this week and at one point we ended up at the natural history museum. It’s a comfortable place for me. It’s about learning and science and, for me, fun. As we walked around the outside of the planetarium sphere there were models including this one of Jupiter and I made a comment that I hoped he wouldn’t be disappointed that there’s no Pluto in the collection of planet models. His reply was something to the effect of: “Isn’t it really a Kuiper Belt object.” And in that moment I caught my breath a little and knew he was my type of guy. He went on to tell me about some old books his family have written before Pluto was discovered that listed eight planets. Old things become new again. Connections are made. New perspectives are found. New friendships are begun. All good places to be.

I met someone new this week and at one point we ended up at the natural history museum. It’s a comfortable place for me. It’s about learning and science and, for me, fun. As we walked around the outside of the planetarium sphere there were models including this one of Jupiter and I made a comment that I hoped he wouldn’t be disappointed that there’s no Pluto in the collection of planet models. His reply was something to the effect of: “Isn’t it really a Kuiper Belt object.” And in that moment I caught my breath a little and knew he was my type of guy. He went on to tell me about some old books his family have written before Pluto was discovered that listed eight planets. Old things become new again. Connections are made. New perspectives are found. New friendships are begun. All good places to be.

6 Notes
Meta-Art. I had the pleasure of shooting at FIGMENT New York on Governors Island. I was volunteering to help document the events and so I was mostly concerned with capturing people interacting with the participatory art and with each other but I couldn’t resist shots like this one. Other images can be found here.

Meta-Art. I had the pleasure of shooting at FIGMENT New York on Governors Island. I was volunteering to help document the events and so I was mostly concerned with capturing people interacting with the participatory art and with each other but I couldn’t resist shots like this one. Other images can be found here.

6 Notes

I remember when

On my recent trip home to New Orleans I saw an ad at a bus stop about a new coffee and beignet place and thought I’d go check it out. It turns out it is in the same building where my family used to live many years ago. Back then it was a lounge downstairs and apartments upstairs. My bedroom window looked out right over that sign that says Now Serving Coffee & Beignets. My parents’ room was behind those corner windows overlooking the New Orleans Hamburger & Seafood Co. sign.

I remember my dad working at the lounge downstairs. One of his co-workers gave me the Sorry board game for my birthday one year. And my dad would make me Shirley Temple drinks. And he was once written up in the local newspaper because he convinced people that he was going to organize a Nauga Hunt. Naugahyde has to come from somewhere, right? :P

I still have this glass from back in the day when it was Ched’s, complete with a list of Mardi Gras dates down the back of the glass. We lived there for a number of years but then had to move on, just as the series of businesses that have been at that site over the subsequent years. It was nice to go back to one of the old homesteads and be a little nostalgic. I told the guy making the beignets that I used to live upstairs. I’m not sure he really thought it was that interesting but he said that was cool. And it was.

4 Notes
So I’m out shooting sculptures at the FIGMENT Terrace on Governors Island when it hits me. I often shoot things, not only to highlight a particular detail but from below. I like encouraging people to stop and look at things up close and in a different way. But as I stood there, looking up, I realized that part of my compulsion is likely my inner child taking hold of the camera. We forget what a different physical perspective children have on the world. Everything is up from where they are. This made me happy to realize that a piece of my child self is still very much alive. Curious. Observant. Playful. Looking up.

So I’m out shooting sculptures at the FIGMENT Terrace on Governors Island when it hits me. I often shoot things, not only to highlight a particular detail but from below. I like encouraging people to stop and look at things up close and in a different way. But as I stood there, looking up, I realized that part of my compulsion is likely my inner child taking hold of the camera. We forget what a different physical perspective children have on the world. Everything is up from where they are. This made me happy to realize that a piece of my child self is still very much alive. Curious. Observant. Playful. Looking up.

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