Where I Stand

"Brothers Under the Bridge," Pittsburgh, September 2011

2012-01-02T21:26:00.002-05:00

Between the bridge towers, originally uploaded by DC Products.

I didn't post much on the blog in 2011, but I still wanted to choose a best shot from the year. With two trips to Pittsburgh, and this concert capping a wonderful sixth anniversary day, I decided to go with it.

My gracious, giving and loving wife allowed me to spend part of my anniversary at the Notre Dame-Pittsburgh football game with three college friends. Afterward, we reconvened downtown (my three friends and one of their wives joining us) for appetizers and drinks before crossing back over the river for a Reds-Pirates game. The night ended with a postgame Steve Miller Band concert, which led to this shot.

Another great year.

New Year's Eve timelapse 2.0

2012-01-01T22:26:00.001-05:00

I'm not about to attempt another year of photographs each day like I did in 2009, I would like to get back to posting here more. One way I hope to do that is to simply post one photo -- at least -- from each excursion, adventure, trip or day of shooting. Simply put: If I take a picture on any particular day, then I'll post it. If I shoot many, I'll pick one. That should help to inspire me.

And so we begin with one of the 800+ shots from my second (annual?) New Year's Eve timelapse. Again, we were visiting my former college roommate in the Boston suburbs, and I set up the camera and timer in the living room, but chose a different vantage point to get more faces as people sat on the couch and faced the TV. It was also a bit more inconspicuous -- instead of on a tripod in a corner, it was on the top shelf (a cubby hole, really) of a bookcase in a different corner. I'll have to come up with something new for next year. This shot came just a couple minutes before midnight.

"The last spring," New Jersey, April 2011

2011-08-12T02:07:00.002-04:00

Spring, finally, originally uploaded by DC Products.

I took this photo in the spring on my walk to the train. The tree in full bloom with the cloud-dusted sky and the church steeple -- not to mention the late-afternoon light -- just caught my eye. It was a beautiful sight, a wonderful opening to spring and the promise of the weather to come.

On my walk today, I neared the church and felt something was amiss ... and then I saw it. Or, rather, didn't see it. The tree; it's gone. It's the second tree from in front of the church that has disappeared since we moved to the block, the first one cut down after half of it was damaged in a wind storm. I hadn't noticed any recent problems with this one, so I hope it was some sort of hidden disease or another problem not noticeable to casual passers-by and not simply because someone didn't want it there anymore.

"Game 1 hero," Camden, New Jersey, August 2007

2011-03-10T17:44:00.003-05:00

Game 1 hero, originally uploaded by NJ Baseball.

With Spring Training well under way and Opening Day now three weeks away, I've been enjoying all the baseball images popping up (as well as looking through some of my own). So when it came time to find a celebration, I thought back to some of the home-run high-fives I've captured over the years. This one was at Camden's Campbell's Field, where Matt DeMarco (center) won the first game of a doubleheader with a walk-off home run. Looking at the smile on his face, it may have been the first such home run of his life.

"The less talk, the better," Arizona, March 2010

2011-02-20T12:16:00.003-05:00

The less talk, the better, originally uploaded by DC Products.

"There is a deeper thing to express — the return of humanity to some sort of balanced awareness of the natural things — some rocks and sky. We need a little earth to stand on and feel run through our fingers. Perhaps Photography can do this — I am going to try anyhow. -- Ansel Adams

Today is Ansel Adams' birthday; he would have been 109 if he were superhuman. I was drawn in from the moment I first saw one of his black-and-white prints taken at Yosemite, so I thought I'd take a moment to tip my hat to the man today. The combination of his photographs and the crisp, exciting action shots I saw in Sports Illustrated are what drew me to the hobby.

The header on this blog, of course, also recognizes Adams, and for this day, I went back to find a photo taken out West, one that might have been taken by Adams (though in black and white) had he stood where I stood. However, I stood in a parking lot -- making sure to step forward enough so that the pavement did not encroach upon the view, leaving the contrast between blue sky and white clouds against the red rock and green desert foliage to speak for itself.

And, once more, I'll let Adams speak for himself:

"I hesitate to define just what the qualities of a true wilderness experience are. Like music and art, wilderness can be defined only on its own terms. The less talk, the better."

"Offseason in Truro," Cape Cod, January 2011

2011-01-28T02:11:00.002-05:00

Left behind, originally uploaded by DC Products.

As a vacation destination, Cape Cod gets its share of visitors from Memorial Day through Labor Day. But it's a different scene in the middle of winter. Cottages are boarded up, stores are closed for the season, roads are empty and the restaurants that are open are more than happy to see you.

Sometimes you just have to get away, and with a friend housesitting in the woods on the outer Cape this month, my wife and I were more than happy to visit her on a cold January weekend. The signs in front of these North Truro cottages said "See you in May!" and the beach was empty, the waves lapping at the steps that lead down to the water and the wind leaving the sand flat and undisturbed.

"Edie's, Little Silver," New Jersey, October 2010

2011-01-09T00:38:00.002-05:00

Edie's, Little Silver, originally uploaded by DC Products.

I love this little luncheonette in my hometown. It's a nice little slice of suburbia. I wrote more about it here.

New Year's Eve timelapse

2011-01-02T22:04:00.001-05:00

New Year's Eve timelapse, originally uploaded by DC Products.

For my second timelapse (here's the first), I set up my camera in a corner of the living room on New Year's Eve. My wife and I were in the Boston suburb of Milton, Mass., staying with my college roommate, Bryan, and his husband for their annual party. Casey and I have gone up for several years now, so it's become a great tradition we both enjoy.

My first thought was to set up the camera in the kitchen to document Casey's preparations for the party (it's her thing), but there was no out-of-the-way place to set up the tripod. This spot in the living room was the next-best thing, because it shows the path to the kitchen through the dining room and also contains the TV, where we all gathered at midnight.

The music for this version is Frightened Rabbit's "Extrasupervery," chosen for the simple fact that it was the only song on my computer that came close to the 87-second length of the video. All the rest of my music was on an external hard drive at home, and I didn't feel like shortening a different track. (When I posted the video to YouTube, I just went with one of the tracks available on that site.)

2010 Winter Solstice Eclipse

2010-12-21T03:33:00.001-05:00

2010 Winter Solstice Eclipse

It's not the best shot we'll see of tonight's eclipse, it's not going to win any awards and it's not going to make it onto Gothamist (is NJ eligible anyway?). But it was worth 20 minutes of standing on the sidewalk in front of the house for 20 minutes, fingers going numb, eyes watering, wind cutting through my jeans. We had a perfectly clear night for the event, which is no guarantee (sorry, Midwesterners). This chance might not come again and I was awake anyway, so why not take advantage?

Christmas lights time-lapse, December 2010

2010-12-03T21:56:00.000-05:00

Christmas lights time-lapse, originally uploaded by DC Products.

My first time-lapse! I've been dying to try this and decided that putting up the Christmas lights was as good a subject as any. Now I'm hooked.

It's 729 frames, at 2 seconds per exposure, taken every 10 seconds and put together at 18 frames per second. I doubled up (by 10) on a few frames (you'll notice them) for the heck of it.

But here's the lesson to learn: Be sure to check your photo applications thoroughly before buying software. I missed that Picasa -- the awesome free photo editing software -- has a "time lapse" setting in its movie maker and it allows for several speeds of frames per second. So I went and bought QuickTime Pro, which wasn't as flexible (or as easy to add music to). It was a not-cheap (but not outrageous) $30 (anything more and I wouldn't have bought it; if only it were $35). Oh well. Just gonna have to sell some things on eBay.

At least I'm happy with the end result.

"Daybreak on the reservation," Arizona/Utah, March 2010

2010-09-13T01:57:00.002-04:00

Daybreak on the reservation

I'm not sure I've experienced a place any more peaceful and spectacular as Monument Valley at daybreak.

"Blue room," New York, December 2009

2010-07-29T00:15:00.002-04:00

The blue room

It's not like I have any shortage of images to fit a blue theme, but as I searched through the images, this one stuck out -- just as it did when I first saw it in the West Village.

And no, I never did get to see Nicole Kidman's bare behind on Broadway, even though that was back when I loved going to plays and musicals with movie stars in them.

"In the Utah sky," Arches National Park, March 2010

2010-07-26T01:54:00.002-04:00

Worth the walk

The beauty of Delicate Arch explains nothing, for each thing in its way, when true to its own character, is equally beautiful. ... If Delicate Arch has any significance it lies, I will venture, in the power of the odd and unexpected to startle the senses and surprise the mind out of their ruts of habit, to compel us into a reawakened awareness of the wonderful — that which is full of wonder.

-- Edward Abbey, "Cliffrose and Bayonets," Desert Solitaire

The walk to Delicate Arch takes you up into the higher elevations of Arches National Park and when you reach the formation, the adjacent canyon gives you the feeling of being high in the sky.

"Keeping cool," Hudson Valley, July 2006

2010-07-17T20:00:00.001-04:00

The staff of the Hudson Valley Renegades ensures that their unofficial mascot stays cool on a hot day as they give the fans some brief relief.

"Peaks, valleys and the like," Colorado, May 2006

2010-07-17T15:52:00.002-04:00

Peaks, valleys and the like

It's hard not to take a good photograph in the West. But sometimes it helps to mix up the views with a vertical landscape.

"Josh on guitar," Maine, July 2009

2010-07-17T15:32:00.002-04:00

Josh on guitar

Good summer fun: Rafting the Penobscot by day, sitting around the campfire that night.

"Disappearing Endeavor," March 2008

2010-06-21T01:42:00.002-04:00

Disappearing Endeavor

I've posted this photo before, but considering that I've let this blog slide a bit of late (a little over a month, sadly), I thought it was worth reposting the image now that it was selected for a New York Times gallery of reader-submitted photos. It's only 12 images of shuttle launches -- no contest or prize or anything -- but cool nonetheless. Not bad for my one and only launch and a less-than-ideal viewing point and low cloud cover. Not my best night shot, either, but considering the timing, I'm happy to include it.

"Empire o'lantern," New York, October 2009

2010-05-17T01:43:00.002-04:00

Empire o'lantern

Every block seems to contain a symbol of New York, especially those that include a view of the Empire State Building.

"At the bottom of a glass," New York, November 2009

2010-05-17T01:40:00.003-04:00

At the bottom of a glass

As much as I loved the theme "macro without bugs or flowers," I sometimes fall victim to the cliche myself. But even if the assignment had simply been "macro," I would've avoided the floral or insect options.

In any case, the distorted Blue Smoke coaster beneath the glass -- in this case beer, but it could easily be bourbon, among other choices -- is inviting. And tempting.

"Juniper light at Arches," Utah, March 2010

2010-05-12T22:47:00.002-04:00

Juniper light

This became one of my favorite photos from out weeklong trip through northern Arizona and southeastern Utah. It was the end of a long day of hiking at Arches and we hoped to get one more loop in, out at the end of the park road near the big campground, hiking to Broken Arch and back to the car. But as we made our way along the path, we found ourselves alternating between dense sand and snow drifts up to our shins, even our knees. We grew tired quickly and decided to double back to the car, rather than finish the circuit.

But at least it got me this shot of the late-afternoon sunlight on the arches in the distance and the top of the tree in the foreground. If only I could drop everything now and go back out there ...

"Alone at Bass Harbor," Maine, May 2009

2010-05-12T02:58:00.002-04:00

Alone at Bass Harbor

So many great places along the Maine coast, it's hard to decide which one -- or which locale -- to use. But Bass Harbor lighthouse is a gorgeous, remote, quiet spot I look forward to visiting whenever I'm on Mount Desert Island.

"Fisherman at sunset, Great Point," Nantucket, June 1991

2010-05-06T00:21:00.002-04:00

Fisherman at sunset, Great Point

This was one of my longtime favorite images from my earliest days playing around with a camera. It's just one of those shots where you're looking at one thing -- the sunset over the water -- and it's an OK photo. But then you get that one element that makes it a better photo -- in this case, the fisherman silhouetted in the sunset.

"Sunning in Secaucus," August 2009

2010-04-23T01:10:00.002-04:00

Sunning in Secaucus

Waiting for his train home, this guy took a moment to absorb the sunshine.

"Rusted in Jerome," Arizona, March 2010

2010-04-21T02:30:00.002-04:00

Not much left but the wheel

The wheel on the truck hasn't gone 'round in quite a long time.

"Smoke and spotlights," Pittsburgh, August 2008

2010-04-11T13:58:00.002-04:00

Spotlight in black and white

Friday night Pirates games at PNC Park in Pittsburgh in summer feature a postgame fireworks/concert combination. The act on this August night was Collective Soul, their few known songs -- "hits," if you must -- interspersed with pyrotechnics so that towards the end of the set, the spotlights reflected off the smoke for a true rock-n-roll effect.

"Clouds fill the Canyon," Grand Canyon, March 2010

2010-04-11T13:48:00.002-04:00

Clouds fill the Canyon

Is it overcast when you're above the clouds? Or does this fall more into the undercast category? Or maybe we were just in a cloud sandwich at the Canyon, a thick mist filling the void below us, an unbroken cover above us, occasionally dusting us with flakes so that we felt we were living in a snowglobe. So to remember the visit, we bought a Grand Canyon snowglobe at the gift shop on our way out the next day.

"Tunnel commute," New Jersey, April 2009

2010-03-28T23:34:00.002-04:00

Tunnel commute

One way or the other, sometimes both, I descend beneath the Hudson River and pass through the Lincoln Tunnel, New York to New Jersey, New Jersey to New York.

"The ghost of Ed Abbey," Arches National Park, March 2010

2010-03-25T01:51:00.004-04:00

The ghost of Ed Abbey

After Casey and I passed through Turret Arch at the start of our day at Arches, I turned and saw this older gentleman had followed us up the path and I took a photo to use him for perspective on the size of the arch. Then I took this one, but after seeing it along with the previous one, I decided to try this in black and white and that's when this title hit me.

Having read Abbey's The Journey Home and Desert Solitaire before, during and after the visit, I felt more immersed in the words than I have for just about anything else I've ever read. And because of that, this photo not only takes me back to that morning two weeks ago today, but also to Abbey's country, to his time in the Utah desert.

2011 update: In the end, I felt that this was my favorite photo of 2010. It may not have been my best, but it wasn't far off.

"The Watchtower," Grand Canyon, March 2010

2010-03-23T01:41:00.002-04:00

Beneath the tower

In a 22- or 23-hour span, we saw much of what the Grand Canyon had to offer -- a snowed-in, cloudy cover of white and a bright, clear winter day along the South Rim. On our way out of the park, headed east along Arizona 64 on the way up to Monument Valley, we stopped at the Watchtower at Desert View for one last look. The tower itself was under renovation (and still open), but we passed on climbing the round, spiral steps. How much better can the view get when it's already so spectacular?

"Golden Dome," Indiana, December 1994

2010-02-28T10:59:00.002-05:00

Dome light at night

This shot is among the first batch from my film archives that I scanned in last month, and it was the first of dozens of shots I took of Notre Dame's Main Building at night in the four years I was there. The gold-gilded dome shines every night and once you get your bearings in relation to it, it serves as a compass point for where you are on campus.

"Middle of the night," New Jersey, January 2010

2010-02-28T10:54:00.002-05:00

In which I am the pillow

It happens with regularity most nights: Lenny will come into the bedroom before I fall asleep and settle in on my legs. Inevitably, I'll have to shift, which wakes him up and he takes that opportunity to resettle himself on my neck and shoulder, leaning up against my head. With Casey away on this particular night, I took the opportunity for a self portrait.

"Askew view on the High Line," New York, December 2009

2010-02-27T23:08:00.002-05:00

My favorite mistake

I didn't even know I'd pressed the shutter while walking to work along the High Line with my camera in my hand. Only when I uploaded the pics did I see this askew view. I like the result.

"One-on-one drills," New Jersey, August 2009

2010-02-25T23:23:00.000-05:00

One-on-one drills

Brandon Moore (65) and D'Brickashaw Ferguson (60) engage in a turbulent one-on-one drill between linemen during Jets training camp in August.

"Fiery sky," New Jersey, November 2007

2010-02-24T23:49:00.002-05:00

View from Clifton

So often, I find myself walking to the train station in the late afternoon or evening just as the sky is putting on a hell of a light show.

"The eyes have legs," New Jersey, May 2005

2010-02-20T00:33:00.002-05:00

Family portrait

I just had to dig up this photo of the characters for the Lakewood BlueClaws' eyeball race to post for Lens Day. (I only got the e-mail a few hours ago; not sure why it didn't come on Wednesday.)

The eyes have it.

"To go into solitude," Colorado, May 2006

2010-02-19T16:09:00.002-05:00

To go into solitude

To go into solitude, a man needs to retire as much from his chamber as from society.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Nature"

"Sepia times, Nevada City," Montana, May 2006

2010-02-17T22:49:00.002-05:00

Sepia-toned history

Nevada City, Montana is a collection of buildings, old equipment and other various gold-rush ephemera laid out on a slightly sloping field in the southwestern part of the state. My college roommate and I walked among its old buildings and rusting farm equipment on a drizzly spring day nearly four years ago.

"Cloud Room at the Warhol," Pittsburgh, September 2005

2010-02-13T12:11:00.002-05:00

Among the clouds

The incredible lightness of Warhol. The Cloud Room at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh features air-filled mylar pillows and fans to keep them afloat (though visitors tend to help a bit). Catching a distorted reflection of yourself in their silver surfaces is always a treat.

A quick search resulted in several videos of the "cloud" in motion:

"Shed in the snow," New Jersey, February 2010

2010-02-10T18:22:00.002-05:00

Snow shed

Yeah, so we're having a little weather here today. I took these photos this afternoon, when my wife and I went out to shovel the 5-6 inches we had. I usually prefer to wait until the snow stops falling, but because that's projected to be tomorrow morning -- giving us pretty much 24 hours' worth of snowfall -- I figured our muscles and backs would be better off tomorrow if we tackled some of it today. In the five hours since then, we've had about another 4-5 inches. And there's more to come.

"On the surface of Cloud Gate," Chicago, August 2007

2010-02-06T09:58:00.002-05:00

The Bean's eye

The artist calls it Cloud Gate, but the public calls it The Bean. No matter the nomenclature, it draws people to its reflective surface to look at themselves and the city in reverse. I've only seen it once, in summer, on a sticky, steamy day, but I'm sure it's as enjoyable on a windy winter day.

"To the horizon," Wyoming, May 2006

2010-01-29T11:22:00.002-05:00

To the horizon

"If you've never stared off in the distance, then your life is a shame," Counting Crows, "Mrs. Potter's Lullaby"

"Winter near the mineral springs," Pennsylvania, December 2009

2010-01-26T01:03:00.002-05:00

Near the mineral springs

"Pennsylvania" and "resorts" don't often go together in a word association game, but at Bedford Springs in the rolling countryside between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, the natural mineral springs and quiet surroundings have been a draw for centuries, even in winter.

"Katrina damage," New Orleans, January 2007

2010-01-22T17:00:00.002-05:00

Smushed

In order to depict something damaged, my mind kept going back to New Orleans. The images from that city after Hurricane Katrina aren't just of abandoned ruins crumbling because of neglect, they were thriving, inhabited neighborhoods filled with life and everyday activity one morning, then a desolate, deserted aftermath of a storm path and an ill-equipped government.

"How many licks?" Pennsylvania, July 2009

2010-01-20T20:26:00.002-05:00

How many licks?

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop? Depends on if you go slowly or risk cracking a tooth after two.

"Film Forum," New York, November 2008

2010-01-16T11:32:00.002-05:00

Film Forum, W. Houston

New York City has no shortage of fabulous neon signs, so a walk around the city at night can take longer than you expected if you're carrying a camera.

"Bed time down under," San Diego Zoo April 2006

2010-01-09T20:36:00.002-05:00

This guy will sleep anywhere

When you're a koala, bed time can come anywhere, anytime.

"Emerging from the storm," Ohio, July 2009

2010-01-07T02:00:00.002-05:00

Emerging from the storm

I'm pretty sure this was in Ohio. We came across this dramatic storm cloud on I-80 as we headed west to Cleveland. It was so-so in color, but I found the black-and-white treatment gave it another layer.

"Elk Antler Arch, Jackson, Wyoming," May 2006

2010-01-05T22:38:00.002-05:00

Elk Antler Arch, town square, Jackson, Wyoming

When my college roommate, Bryan, and I celebrated the year we turned 30 in 2006, we met in Denver for a road trip through the Rockies. He requested nights in Boulder and Jackson and I planned a loop trip through those towns and up into Idaho and Montana before we made our way back to Denver. We hit states we hadn't ever visited and got to national parks I'd long ached to see, namely Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone.

In Jackson, where we spent two nights to allow for a full day touring Yellowstone, we found a hotel near the center of town and walked through the town square on our way to a nice dinner one evening. Entering and exiting the square, we passed through these archways made of elk antlers.

Now that my photo a day project is complete, in order to keep this blog fresh (and perhaps as another resolution), I'm going to shoot for participation in each of this year's Photo Friday challenges, at the least. Hopefully, I'll be able to post one photo a month that is either taken specifically for the challenge or was taken within the past few months, rather than relying on my archives for each one. (And if I can scan in my film negatives with any regularity, perhaps one photo a month will be one from way back.)

So away we go.

Last day of 365

2009-12-31T18:25:00.000-05:00

And here we are, the end of 2009. A year ago, I laid out my plan to take at least one photo a day through the year as a means to stimulate the creative process and get back to doing something I loved. At the end of that project, I'd call it a success. I found myself looking at things differently, trying to see if there was a photo there I wanted to hold onto. I took my time a little more, not rushing from point A to point B as much, even telling myself it was OK to be five minutes late if it meant taking a few shots on my way there. And I stayed true to my own few, loose rules: At least one shot, no matter the quality, taken between the hours of midnight and 11:59 p.m. Only once did I miss that window, technically. During a day of organizing the basement, I knew I wanted to document my efforts, and though I figured I'd take a shot of the workbench, I forgot to do it within the 24 hours. Although the physical image was taken the following day, the mental image was in my head within the window. There was also one day when the upload to the computer failed and the images were lost somewhere in between camera and hard drive. So although I took the required photo that day, the image that represents it was taken early the next morning as I left work. So in a way, it still fits, because the day, for me, had not yet ended.

Most of my images from the year were taken with the Canon Powershot point-and-shoot that I bought last December almost exclusively with this project in mind. Although I love the handy P&S for convenience in carrying with me everyday to work, as a result I don't take the time to craft shots the way many of us do with SLRs. So while I won't be making a conscious effort to shoot photos everyday in 2010, I hope that one of the lasting effects from this past year is that I use my SLR a bit more. I also hope to be regularly active with this blog, posting a few times a week, perhaps using weekly photo themes as inspiration. And I'd really like to scan in my film images, so perhaps that will be next year's resolution, at least photo-wise: Scan a group -- a roll, a place, a session, a theme -- per week. We'll see how that goes.

Happy 2010 to all. Time to party.

Day 365 of 365

2009-12-31T15:29:00.002-05:00

Snow on The Fens

It wouldn't be New Year's Eve in Boston without snow. It's happened to us the last several years we've come up here to party with my college roommate, our parents, and dozens of friends. Thankfully, this year's burst was compressed to about a three-hour window from the late morning to mid-afternoon, and hopefully we'll have nothing more the rest of the day.

Day 364 of 365

2009-12-30T22:36:00.002-05:00

Casey and Cassie

As Casey looked through her newest restaurant cookbook, Cassie made herself comfortable.

Day 363 of 365

2009-12-29T11:51:00.000-05:00

We're getting a new streetlight!

Oh, the excitement of Day 363! This was it, as far as unexpected happenings today. Well, I suppose there was the downed wires north of here that delayed Casey's train into the city this morning, so I drove her to Secaucus so that she could get to work on time (or close to it) rather than waiting for the delayed train. And then she got out earlier than expected, but still would've had to wait for the same train back home, departing Hoboken at 10 p.m., so I went back to Secaucus to pick her up. In between, it was a few more errands consisting of an exchange at Staples and some groceries at Whole Foods. Other than that, I stayed inside on this frigid, windy winter day.

Day 362 of 365

2009-12-28T21:45:00.001-05:00

Napping with a new friend

Spent the day shopping -- picking up various accessories for Christmas gifts we received, spending gift cards, getting a new cell phone. Ah yes, new phone. I was due for an upgrade and my current phone has a black eye. Well, now it's my previous phone. So by this time, I figured I'd go for the smartphone upgrade. I work for a web company, so having that mobile access does help me with my job. There's no way I'd go to an iPhone, because AT&T's coverage in New York City is horrendous (and their 3G network is not as good as Verizon's; notice that Luke Wilson never mentions "3G" when he's tossing postcards over the map), so I decided to give the Droid a whirl. So far, so good -- after 21 hours.

And so that brings to five the total number of cameras I've used to take pictures this year. There's my Konica-Minolta DSLR, my Canon Powershot used for most pics, my wife's point-and-shoot, my old Samsung and now the new Droid.

Day 361 of 365

2009-12-27T22:53:00.002-05:00

Pennsylvania winter road

U.S. 220 near Bedford, Pa., as we made our way home from Johnstown to New Jersey through a Currier and Ives countryside -- red barns and white farmhouses set in a snow-dusted field among the undulating hillsides.

Day 360 of 365

2009-12-26T23:48:00.002-05:00

Bedford Springs' indoor pool

After a leisurely, slow morning, we headed out with Casey's dad and stepmom to the step-grandparents' house and on an errand before a trip to Bedford Springs, a hotel and resort in the Pennsylvania countryside. It's a sprawling resort dating back to the 1800s, with the lobby adorned with various artifacts, photos and guest ledgers and records books from past centuries. After lunch, we walked through the lobbies and sitting rooms and ducked into the indoor pool, which was active on a cold, foggy, winter day. It's an interesting scene -- I can't say I've ever been swimming with a Christmas tree on display near the pool.

Day 359 of 365

2009-12-25T19:00:00.002-05:00

A wet white Christmas

This is Christmas in Johnstown, 2009: a light freezing rain pelts the windows and forming a crisp coating over the snow in the yard. Luckily, we're comfortable and warm inside, with no place to go all day.

Happy Christmas to all!

Day 358 of 365

2009-12-24T15:59:00.000-05:00

Christmas Eve afternoon

We had a bright, sunny day for our drive across Pennsylvania and we arrived in Johnstown to find about eight inches of snow on the ground. A lot of the pine trees still held snow on their boughs, which I found to be unusual a day or so after the storm. Usually the branches have been cleared off by the wind after the first day.

Upon our arrival, we found ourselves in a festive house, the music piped throughout the first floor by speakers in several rooms, Carol and Jim busy in the kitchen preparing for the party that night. We jumped in to help before getting dressed and starting the festivities a little after five. Eight hours later, we turned in, drunk and exhausted.

Day 357 of 365

2009-12-23T21:19:00.002-05:00

Park between the candy canes

This house is just a few blocks from another Griswoldian effort in the neighborhood. Imagine if they'd been next-door neighbors. The main difference -- other than the 10-foot candy canes flanking the driveway of this house -- is that this house has a speaker on the lawn playing Christmas music, while the other one has a sign telling drivers to tune their radios to 94.1. That's some dedication right there.

Day 356 of 365

2009-12-22T23:47:00.002-05:00

6 o'clock in the market

All of the Christmas decorations at Chelsea Market this year were made from recycled plastic (except for the lights, of course), including CDs cut and arranged into wreaths.

Day 355 of 365

2009-12-21T17:46:00.000-05:00

Tree rings

I've always been a bigger fan of multi-colored lights than white ones, particularly for photographs, so I changed this one up by going black and white.

Day 354 of 365

2009-12-20T17:45:00.001-05:00

Now that's a wreath!

We're getting down to the final days of the year. I took this shot on my way into work to begin my final week of 2009, a lovely, abbreviated three-day week (Sunday-Tuesday). It was my first day in the city after the snowstorm, and while I missed all the whited-out streets and the Times Square snowball fight, I still found some not-usually-seen shots like this.

Day 353 of 365

2009-12-19T23:52:00.001-05:00

Winter still life

Winter came down heavily today. Only two days after I heard we might get some snow this weekend, the flakes started falling lightly around 1 p.m. By 8 o'clock, street lights were obscured behind the white curtain and the roads melded with the curbs, the lawns, the sidewalks.

Every hour or so, Casey or I would peek at the view from a window to monitor the progress. No point in shoveling to keep ahead of it, I thought, because all that work would be erased by morning. Besides, I'm happy to give the two neighbors with snow blowers a chance to go an extra few feet to clear our sidewalks, as they've done in winters past without a request.

Winter has arrived in earnest a few days before it arrives on the calendar. The days may soon start getting longer, but spring has never seemed so far away.

Day 352 of 365

2009-12-18T17:45:00.000-05:00

Jefferson Market tower

Just to make sure I see as much of the city at Christmas as I can, I took the PATH to 9th St. instead of Christopher as usual and walked up Greenwich Ave. One of the first things that caught my eye at the corner of 6th Ave. and 9th St. was the shooting stars on the lamp posts along the avenue. The Jefferson Market tower made for a rather obvious framing option.

"High Line photographer," New York City, November 2009

2009-12-18T12:53:00.004-05:00

307: Photographer

Choosing my Best shot of 2009 is a daunting task. I've uploaded 1,658 photos so far this year and taken dozens more than that.

I settled on this one because it is one of my best, for one thing. But it was also taken up on the High Line, which opened this year and has given me a pleasant alternative route to work each afternoon. I was hoping to choose one that I hadn't used as a photo of the day, but the reality is that the best pictures throughout the year were part of that project, so it was unavoidable.

The other finalists, in reverse chronological order:

Day 351 of 365

2009-12-17T13:21:00.000-05:00

Buy trees here!

Eight days until Christmas and trees are still lining the sidewalks around New York City. I love it.

Day 350 of 365

2009-12-16T05:13:00.000-05:00

Tick-Tock Christmas

After closing down Foley's at 4 a.m., I was left with 90 minutes to kill before the first train back to Clifton. Last year, about eight of us went to breakfast at the Tick-Tock Diner on 8th Ave. and 34th St. This year, everyone shuffled home, weary, so I passed a pleasant hour alone in a booth with a book to read, a notebook to jot thoughts and a plate of mozzarella sticks and a Coke all to myself.

Three guys in a booth I faced chatted up the ladies in a booth next to them. The girls -- I deduced they were Duke students who will be studying in Spain next semester -- were cordial enough to the chatty frattys who kept pestering them with questions.

Day 349 of 365

2009-12-15T18:28:00.000-05:00

Streaks in the night

On my way into the city for the company Christmas party, I paused on the overpass while waiting for the train to get some tail lights on the road below, with a house decorated for the holidays in the background, of course.

Day 348 of 365

2009-12-14T23:59:00.002-05:00

A little color in a black-and-white night

No adjustments made; that's the way it looked atop a West Village apartment building.

Day 347 of 365

2009-12-13T20:48:00.002-05:00

Full-on display

I run by this house often and when I noticed the Christmas decorations up, I made a point to go back at night, with my camera. It was raining steadily tonight, so I didn't get out of my car, but you can see the Griswoldian influence on this one.

So much of the lights blink, including the blue ones dangling from the gutters, and "run," as if they're chasing one another. I wonder what the neighbors think. The lights aren't on all night, but I don't know what time they are turned off.

Day 346 of 365

2009-12-12T20:46:00.000-05:00

The cookie bake gang

I drove down to my parents' house for the annual cookie bake with my mom's college friends. They've been doing it for more than 30 years, I believe, since they were seniors. It rotates among the houses -- two in New Jersey, one in D.C., one in Connecticut, though the other NJ couple now lives in Boston. When all the kids -- there are five of us from the group -- were living at home in our younger days, we loved this weekend together. Lots of cookies and extra presents.

This is one of the few photos I've taken of myself this year. We first tried the face-recognition timer, but I didn't think to re-read the manual on that feature, so we didn't get it to work right. Alas.

Day 345 of 365

2009-12-11T23:35:00.002-05:00

Into a West Village window

This is my favorite window this month on my Greenwich St. walk to work from the Christopher St. PATH station. Just a great New York City Christmas scene.

Day 344 of 365

2009-12-10T14:48:00.002-05:00

Happy Holidays to ALL

We always get a kick out of the two-line community events sign at Boro Hall in my hometown of Little Silver. The top line, if it has anything, is usually something topical, such as the current "Happy Holidays." The second line is used to inform residents what can be put out curbside for collection/recycling this week. Yet without punctuation, my family always gets a kick out of reading it literally:

HAPPY HOLIDAYS NEWSPAPERS[,] CARDBOARD [AND] LEAVES[!]

That's how we see it, anyway.

Maybe I'll make this a Christmas card. Might have to go back in the evening, when the tree is lit. I bet there'd be enough light from the street to see the letters on the sign.

Day 343 of 365

2009-12-09T14:53:00.000-05:00

Last Christmas at Tavern

I joined Casey on a few "errands" this afternoon. As we set out on a self-made, self-guided pizza tour of New York, we made one quick detour to Tavern on the Green so she could take some measurements of a statue for its listing in the catalog for the upcoming auction of its artifacts. It was only my second visit, I believe. I went there one year during Restaurant Week because a friend had always wanted to eat there and figured that the week of reduced entrees (and reduced options) was the only chance she'd get. There may have been one other brief look-see, but I don't recall for sure.

Day 342 of 365

2009-12-08T23:06:00.002-05:00

The tree in Palmer Square

In Princeton for a family dinner tonight, we got there early on purpose to walk around a little and enjoy the town at Christmastime. Palmer Square was brightly lit, with holiday music coming through speakers on the square. It all made for a nice distraction from the cold.

Day 341 of 365

2009-12-07T20:01:00.002-05:00

Clifton's big tree

I'm a sucker for big trees and big displays and colored lights at Christmas. Our municipal complex pretty much has it all for the holidays, so I enjoy driving by it at night. For this shoot, I walked over to it and strolled around the grounds to take it all in.

Day 340 of 365

2009-12-06T23:19:00.006-05:00

Peace at Christmas

The hope that has slumbered for 2,000 years,
the promise that silenced 1,000 fears.
A faith that can hobble an ocean of tears, the peace of Christmas Day.

-- Bob Beers, "The Peace Carol"

Day 339 of 365

2009-12-05T15:17:00.001-05:00

First snowfall

The first snowfall of the season started as large, fluffy flakes during a transition from an early afternoon of rain. It didn't make for the best photo, but as the ground chilled, the grass and yards soon were dusted with an inch or so of powder, and by evening the roads had a light coating as well.

Day 338 of 365

2009-12-04T17:45:00.002-05:00

Maritime projection

A collection of gift ideas? The contents of a very large purse? Temporary advertising. Not holiday-related at all.

"Home for the holidays," New Jersey, December 2007

2009-12-04T13:26:00.002-05:00

Homemade wreath on the door

In our first Christmas with cats, we had to trim some of the lower branches of the tree to give it a bit of a higher clearance. The felines would lie beneath the tree and swat at the lower boughs. So to discourage the swatting and allow for more supervision when they disappeared beneath the pine, Casey cut some of the lower branches off. Instead of discarding them, she turned them into a homemade wreath.

Day 337 of 365

2009-12-03T17:48:00.001-05:00

True blue Christmas

Lights are popping up block-by-block as I walk through the City these days. Restaurants (like the Spotted Pig) will often have some holiday lights up at times other than the season, but these on this tree-in-a-bench were new the other night.

In recent years, the single-color strings have become more popular -- as have the energy-saving LED strands. But at a distance and/or on megapixels, those white LEDs can look blue. These, however, truly are blue.

"Flickering," Maine, July 2009

2009-12-03T13:22:00.000-05:00

Flickering

Burning the firewood on a summer rafting trip in Maine.

Day 336 of 365

2009-12-02T18:31:00.001-05:00

Window shopping

I've often looked across the street into Adelaide as I've walked up Greenwich St. to work. I've never stopped to look as closely as these two did, but their silhouettes, the white Christmas lights around the windows and the red bows and holiday cheer inside made me pause to capture it all tonight.

Day 335 of 365

2009-12-01T17:30:00.002-05:00

Christmas in NYC

This is what I love about New York. From Thanksgiving until just before Christmas, as you walk the streets during your daily meanderings, you may turn a corner and find yourself strolling through a makeshift pine forest. I've been through some with trees on both sides of the sidewalk, the pine scent in stereo in effect. It always makes me smile, particularly the setups that have the small twig-trees nailed to the crossed two-by-fours a la Charlie Brown's tree so that people in their tiny studio apartments can enjoy a little bit of Christmas on an end table.

Day 334 of 365

2009-11-30T21:26:00.002-05:00

Framed by the porch

I allowed myself to put the lights up before Thanksgiving this year, just by one day. That day was Nov. 25 -- so 30 days before Christmas -- and I wanted the extended family coming to the house for Thanksgiving (some seeing our place for the first time) to get the full-on holiday experience.

And I wasn't the only one. The white tree in the middle distance and the lights at the end of the block were up before mine, and the closest neighbor turned his on today.

Day 333 of 365

2009-11-29T14:24:00.002-05:00

Ordering Elevation

Burger places keep popping up these days, but I'm not one to complain. The wife and I zipped down to Montclair for lunch at Elevation Burger (Stephen Colbert approved!) to sample a worthy East Coast substitute for In-n-Out.

With a Five Guys under construction in Upper Montclair, White Manna over in Hackensack, Bill's Burger Bar near work in the City and Shake Shack always an option, I've got my burger cravings covered.

"Abandoned autumn," New Jersey, October 2009

2009-11-29T01:54:00.001-05:00

Beautiful tree by the abandoned home

Back in October, I took a drive along Old Mine Road, an historic trail-turned-road that's been around since the 1600s. It features several abandoned homes and camps that were left behind when plans were made to dam the Delaware at Tocks Island. It was a beautiful autumn day, a perfect afternoon for a drive with a few stops to hike along the way. I only explored about half the road and can't wait to get back.

Day 332 of 365

2009-11-28T22:25:00.003-05:00

Dusk in the trees

The sun sets in Monmouth County on the last Saturday of November.

Day 331 of 365

2009-11-27T19:22:00.001-05:00

Met Life reflected

The new condo building on 23rd St. seems to be finally completed, and it now provides an attractive reflection of the Met Life Building in its windows -- which is pretty much the only attractive thing about it.

"High school at-bat," New Jersey, 1993

2009-11-27T14:44:00.001-05:00

Probably a foul ball

I didn't take this one, but I haven't scanned and uploaded many of my old film archives yet. But for this shot from my past, I went to a high-school baseball game in which I was playing against one of my best friends, and so I asked another friend of ours to take some photos. They're probably the only pics I have of my playing days, which ended after this season -- my junior year.

Day 330 of 365

2009-11-26T15:06:00.001-05:00

Serving 12 this Thanksgiving

We had 12 people over for Thanksgiving this year, our biggest gathering yet. To fit everyone, we had to bring out the old table from the attic (the first two people on either side are at the smaller one) and we placed most of the food on the hutches on the left and in the back and let everyone serve themselves. It was a spirited, enjoyable way to spend the holiday.

Day 329 of 365

2009-11-25T21:03:00.001-05:00

New arrangement on the gate

When I realized that Thanksgiving was Nov. 26, I decided that one month before Christmas was an acceptable first day to put up the lights. The main reason was that I wanted everyone who came over on Thanksgiving to see them -- and they loved 'em.

The blue light in the attic window is a new snowflake I bought this week.

Day 328 of 365

2009-11-24T18:03:00.001-05:00

The Gansevoort glow

A Hotel Gansevoort employee registers a Mercedes outside the front door.

Day 327 of 365

2009-11-23T21:43:00.003-05:00

White Manna, Hackensack

White Manna is a burger lover's dream, one of many worthy places in northern New Jersey and New York City. I get there at least twice a year when I make the drive to a Sears auto center a few blocks away, rather than going to the one closer to my house, just so I can get a plate of sliders while I pass the time it takes to rotate the tires and change the oil.

Day 326 of 365

2009-11-22T16:30:00.001-05:00

Light and shadow

Yeah, I've used it before, but this scene today driving west on Route 36 had me singing Springsteen in my head:

Mama always told me not to look into the sights of the sun
Oh but mama that's where the fun is

-- "Blinded by the Light"

"Warm light of late afternoon, Fallingwater," December 2007

2009-11-22T01:54:00.001-05:00

Warm light of late afternoon, Fallingwater

The bare branches of winter had emerged
through the last leaf-colors of fall,
the loveliest of all, browns and yellows
delicate and nameless in the gray light
and the sifting rain.
-- Wendell Berry, "XI"

Contemplating the melding of the natural world with the man-made at Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater.

Day 325 of 365

2009-11-21T10:48:00.001-05:00

Sometimes, one chair isn't enough

The cats love the new dining chairs, curling up on the soft, velvet-like microfiber surfaces. But Harry recently realized that he doesn't have to limit himself to one chair at a time.

Day 324 of 365

2009-11-20T20:47:00.001-05:00

Half the cats in the bag

Lenny crawled into this bag and laid low, springing into action when big brother Harry walked near.

Day 323 of 365

2009-11-19T17:44:00.001-05:00

Like the '80s

Forgot my camera as I rushed out of the house to catch the train into the city, so I had to come up with something using the camera on my phone. This resulting shot reminds me of old color photos of the seedier New York of the late 70s and 80s.

Day 322 of 365

2009-11-18T13:32:00.001-05:00

Like Woody's shot

I wanted to get a shot of the Empire Diner on 10th Avenue and 22nd St. as it was in Woody Allen's intro in Manhattan (at the 30-second mark) before it changes hands.

Day 321 of 365

2009-11-17T03:09:00.001-05:00

Erasing Bubbles

There used to be a cheery, colorful mural of cartoon characters on this Chelsea Market stairwell, including Bubbles of the Powerpuff Girls (that's her foot on the right). Sadly, with the Market trying to class itself up, it looks like the murals have to go.