The Phils swept the four game series with the New York Mets at Citizen's Bank Park to pull within 2 games of the NL East lead. They always seem to find a way to grab the attention of Philadelphia sports fans as summer ends and the calendar turns to September. Will they disappoint again or finally find a way to win the East? The fun is in the watching especially from the stands of their new home.
The horizon, setting sun and foreground clouds as seen from a vantage point on the upper deck of Citizen's Bank Park.
Yesterday's cloud formations rolling east in the brilliant blue sky were quite distracting. I watched through the day from my windowed office. At the end of the day I attended the Phillies game and brought my camera along for the ride. I shot this hole in a cloud in the darkening early evening sky above Citizen's Bank Park. "I've looked at clouds from both sides now, from up and down and still somehow it's cloud illusions I recall. I really don't know clouds at all." - Joni Mitchell
Something magical happens when you give a child a cookie. Their eyes open wide and their smiles brighten as sugar, butter and vanilla react with their taste buds. How can something so simple be so good??? How do we hang on to that magic as we get older...finding the joy in the so simple....?
While shopping in Ardmore yesterday, I was drawn to the colors emerging from the open 3 bay garage of the Ardmore Fire Company. The sun's position in the sky illuminated the vibrant reds and yellows of the engines and the contrasting green and black of the protective fire fighting gear hanging in the garage....I then noticed the reflection of the Stars and Stripes in the windshield and snapped this shot entitled "Fire Engine Red, White & Blue."
A spider has found one of the pillars that supports the covered entrance to my house to be the optimal place to spin her web. I've been watching for about a month now as the web has grown in size and intricacy. The thin and delicate strands of the web are usually barely visible to the eye. This morning's dew revealed all of the detail for my eye and camera to focus on.
An open shutter, no flash and the shake of my hand helped create this slightly out of focus shot of an intricate cast iron rail.
River View I & II are key elements of DeStefano & Partners' master plan on a 20 acre parcel of land known as River East. DeStefano & Partners Designs dot the Chicago landscape. If you like their architectural designs, you should check out their web site, the design of which will wow you even more. http://www.destefanoandpartners.com/
Another photo from the lobby of the Westin Chicago River North. The directed lighting and water flowing from the polished metal cylinder into the brushed metal concave dish gives the look of flowing fluid metal.
I've always wanted to learn to sail. There is something about the wind and the water and the freedom. This is a shot of a free spirit caught in Lake Michigan's wind. The blue hull and contrasting white sail are magnified by the Chicago skyline in the background.
Chicago is known in part for its rich architectural history and continues to evolve with many new and modern structures planned and in progress. Known as the Second City, a name that references it's rebirth after the Great Fire of 1871, this Midwest wonder and its landmarks, culture, history and great food is a don't miss multiple visit destination. This shot of three buildings on the opposite side of the river reflected in the facade of 333 Wacker Drive was taken from an architectural tour boat as she navigated the Chicago River.
A view of Chicago from the stern of a tour boat about to pass through the gates of the Chicago Harbor Lock. The lock which connects the Chicago River and Lake Michigan is 600 feet long and 80 feet wide. More than 50,000 vessels and 900,000 passengers pass through this gateway annually.
The lobby of the Westin River North is decorated with an assortment of beautiful flower arrangements. These orchids are submerged in water in a cylindrical vase.
A quick post from Chicago where I am attending a Loss Prevention Conference. This is a shot of the Chicago River from the Clark Street Bridge adjacent to the Westin River North.
This is a shot of the glass cladding of the Cira Centre reflecting the image of the changing Philadelphia skyline. The Comcast Center can be seen prominently dwarfing One Liberty Place. Scheduled to open in March of next year, the Comcast Center became the tallest Center City building after it was topped off on June 18, 2007. The Cira Centre's reflective qualities and unique faceted obelisk shape create great photographic opportunities. The Cira Centre, the tallest building outside of Center City, opened in October 2005.
My middle son will be leaving tomorrow to attend graduate school in New York. What a great opportunity in a great city. I hope the anxiety of being on his own and the unknown of what awaits him in school passes quickly so that he can embrace all of New York and all that it has to offer.
This is a view of the Schuylkill Expressway looking east from La Collina Ristorante in Belmont Hills. The Schuylkill or I-76, the busiest road in Philadelphia and the entire State of Pennsylvania, runs along the west bank of the Schuylkill River and connects NJ via the Walt Whitman Bridge and the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Valley Forge. A sister roadway, the Manyunk Expressway was planned for the east side of the river but was never built. The drivers of the 163,000 vehicles that sit in Schuylkill traffic daily have plenty of time to wonder why.
265,000 people have taken the trip aloft in the 6 ABC Zoo Balloon since her maiden voyage in June 2002. She was quite prominent in this afternoon's clear blue sky. I shot this with a 70-200 mm zoom from a vantage point on Kelly Drive's Boat House Row. Who's watching who?
I came upon this levitating leaf while walking along a Valley Green trail. What a strange site...closer inspection showed the falling leaf had become attached to a single strand of a spider's web which was also suspending an egg sack.
The Blue and Gold Macaw is one of the largest and smartest birds in the parrot family. Indigenous to South America, this handsome fellow makes his home in the tropics of Miami Beach. I'm sure he would have felt at home here in the northeast this week, with our 90+ degree temperatures and unbearable humidity.
This shot through a windowed water fall fountain in a local restaurant was inspired by Stephen Harmon's "New York Wet" series. I love the way the water distorts the image and the colors seem to bleed like paint on a canvas. I'd like to experiment with this a bit. You can check out Stephen's work at http://www.newyorkoriginals.com/wetseries.html .
The Amalfi Coast is a stretch of coastline on the southern side of the Sorrentine Peninsula of Italy. Positano is a small town in Campania that is nestled in the hills leading to the coast. Positano is also the name of one of my favorite restaurants. Located in Ardmore, Positano Ristorante brings the flavor and feel of the owner's native home to suburban Philadelphia. John Steinbeck once wrote of Positano, "It is a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone." The restaurant that bears the name of this town is full of genuine food, authentic furnishings and warm and real people that beckon you to return time and time again.
It's back to work today after another short and uneventful weekend. I enjoy the quiet time in my car, listening to music and watching the world around me as I make my way to and from Center City. I do not miss the commuter train at all, the juggling for a seat, the cell phone babble, the sound of distorted music from someone's earphones, the rustling of newspapers and the pretending that no one else exists. For those that are unfamiliar with public transit, look at this shot, read the words, then close your eyes and imagine the morning train.
Another shot from the Belvedere Winery gardens. The title best describes the subject..It's a beautiful Sunday morning here in Philadelphia....I am off with my camera to take some pics!
30th Street Station has served as Philadelphia's gateway for rail travel since 1933. This historical landmark and architectural wonder has the most interesting mechanical schedule board. The rotating flaps signaling the arrival and departure of trains throughout the day are an integral part of the soundtrack of this very busy commuter hub.
The Hazy, hot and humid days of August have arrived in Philadelphia. It feels more like Miami....minus the beaches, Salsa music and the smell of sweat and tanning lotion.
Wikipedia describes angels as supernatural beings found in many religions who act as attendants or guardians of man and messengers of God. This one was photographed resting peacefully on a stone in a garden.
A shot of a stairway to...who knows where in Valley Green, a secluded part of Fairmont Park where hiking trails, scenic outcrops, historic stone bridges, the last covered bridge within the city limits, ruins dating back to the 1700's and an abundance of nature surround the Wissahickon Creek and Gorge. A great escape from the city within the city.
