Cold Ferry/Come on Summer

After a meeting downtown I decided to hop on the Staten Island Ferry. Much to my chagrin the #1 train hasn't gone down to lower Manhattan since Hurricane Sandy flooded everything so the final stop was at Rector Street. This normally wouldn't be a long walk, but today, the wind was blowing 40 mph and the wind chill was in the low 20s. Seconds before succumbing to hypothermia, I made it onto the ferry. Once on board, stepping out on the blustery (and empty) deck I damn near froze to death all over again. But, it was a lovely ride and a beautiful sunset. Worth risking my life for.

Liberty sunset

   

Summer, I miss it...

...Wait, maybe cold weather isn't so bad. 

More Things to Ponder

Angry graffiti artists. This person Phatt Lipp is obviously going through a rough spell. "Bitter? Party of one? Bitter?"  On Crosby Street.

This guy makes a weird horse face collage and then rants how he hates Lady Gaga and Jews. All righty.

Basic colorful graffiti in Soho doorway.

Things ripped off the web:

Brief Moments

Today was a full day. Taking care of some bills, a midday meeting, a bit of work and Valentine's Day cheer with good friends (breakfast, lunch AND dinner). Under-dressed and freezing I walked up the West Side highway on my way to the Thursday night art crawl. Way off in the distance I noticed this tiny little pink jet stream in the last few minutes of sunset. The short little zoom on my Lumix just couldn't get out there to capture it....

Triptych. "Steam 1-3".  

I'm joking. That sounds so pretentious; I detest when photographers feel the need to name each and every photo they take, trying to add to its importance. I do like steam pipes when I see them... So "urban."

Though it's been shot a million times I can't help but take a snapshot of the decayed old pier along the Hudson.

 Someone's Christmas lights still up in midtown.  

Backstage (nothing better)

Today I was assigned to shoot BSB (backstage beauty). Not a bad way to spend a morning. Basically you go to a fashion show, check in, and walk around backstage taking photos of the models getting hair and makeup done for the show happening 2 hrs later. All the really good photos taken with my "real camera" went to the magazine, these are just a few quick snaps done with my point-and-shoot.

The runway photographers start to assemble. I'd rather be backstage.

Practice run 30 min to showtime.

One of the 20 models.

Last minute touch-up.

Basquiat and Fashion Week

I have been doing the "gallery crawl" each Thursday night for a few years now. In all that time I've never waited in a line longer than 3 minutes to get into a gallery. Thursday night my friend Anne-Marie and I waited for 35 minutes to get into the Basquiat opening. The line was halfway down the block. It was a scene. Anybody and everybody in the art world was there. I'm not a fan of Basquiat's work but it was a pretty spectacular show. Thinking he has ZERO technical ability, I actually started to like some of the trademark scribbles and scratches. In "art talk" he's labeled a "primitivist." I personally think he had very little talent as a painter and his whole fame was manufactured by the Warhol machine. He looked cool, acted cool and hung out with the right people--end of story. Give a graffiti artist a studio, a bunch of paint and canvases and let him go crazy. Which is exactly what Larry Gagosian did back in the 80s. Convince everyone he's a genius, create the hype and inflate the prices. Then, like with Hendrix, death is great boon to one's career. Even though Hendrix, unlike Basquiat, actually was a genius.

Evidently having sudden fame and money didn't work for young Jean-Michel because he died of a heroin overdose at age 27. Now his paintings fetch upwards of $10-16 million. He has probably rolled over in his grave many, many times. 

It being Fashion Week, today I shot the Kate Spade presentation in Chelsea. The models posed next to three vintage Checker cabs as editors and photographers walked among them sipping fresh squeezed orange juice and nibbling on a variety of breakfast bites like fresh fruit, mini omelettes, salmon and caviar. A wonderful way to spend a morning....

Recent Snaps

 Assumed prostitute on 8th and 46th, trolling for a paying customer.

Hooker shoes

Odd sighting of a hawk sitting on a trash can in Washington Square Park.  

Me and my 20/20 model

Eye Wear Outtakes

Last Thursday I spent another great day of shooting eye wear for my wonderful friends at 20/20. A fun crew, great studio, great models, great styling and makeup and delicious catered food. What's not to love? A photographer couldn't ask for a better day of shooting. I've said it before and I'll say it again...I love shooting eye wear.