NEW YORK NEW YORK – A benefit at Alice Tully Hall. Taken with my Leica M9 and Noctilux lens.
On this day last year: Live from Lincoln Center. May 9 seems to be my day to be at Lincoln Center.
NEW YORK NEW YORK – What’s going on here? Hint: It’s right in the middle of Manhattan. Actually Lever House – that sensational Skidmore tribute to the Mad Men era. A Japanese maple with some collapsed umbrellas in the background. Taken with my Leica M9 and a . . . Noctilux. At f.95.
On this day one year ago: Monster tree. There are those Callery Pears agains.
NEW YORK NEW YORK – I’m really liking the results that I’m getting from the Noctilux and the LeiCA M9. Life is good. I took a walk in the financial district in the morning, went to a rehearsal of the James Beard Foundation awards in the afternoon, and to the awards and a gala in the evening. I’m posting a mini-gallery of the day.
On this day one year ago: This again. I’m so embarrassed. I took the same picture on April 15 this year. Spring is running three weeks early in 2012.
NEW YORK NEW YORK – I got a new lens today. A Leica Noctilux – affectionately known as a “Nocti”. Further evidence of my infatuation with exotic gear. The Nocti has been backordered for a year or more. At f.95 it’s the fastest still camera lens around. Big and heavy. The point of this lens is to shoot it wide open so I also bought a neutral density filter which permits shooting at f.95 in daylight. I clamped the Nocti onto my Sony Nex-7 and took a walk up Broadway. The focusing with the Nex-7 was a little disappointing. F.95 demands very accurate focus and the Nex didn’t deliver – only about half of the images from the day were technically good. Here is a sampling.
I ended up at the James Beard Foundation Media Awards:
On this day one year ago: Rain.
NEW YORK NEW YORK – The site of a gas explosion six years ago. Still a vacant lot.
On this day one year ago: Library at home.
NEW YORK NEW YORK – On Third Avenue on a rainy day with my ever-present Sony Nex-7 and a Leica 24mm Summilux lens.
On this day last year: Poker game breaks up.
NEW YORK NEW YORK – My Birthday. I spent four or five hours around midday in Central Park in the Ramble. This is an area in the park that is essentially wild (not really – it was planted to simulate wild by Olmsted and Vaux). My landscape class shot in this area last week – I had to miss the session so this is my catch up work. I found the light harsh and the area oppressive and sinister – perhaps as a result of its reputation for being dangerous earned in the 1970s and 1980s. Images are taken with my Alpa TC and Phase One IQ 180 back.
On this day last year: Warren Spring.
