bonk

More Earth News

2010-03-25T18:23:00.001-04:00

An article is out in the most recent edition of EARTH Magazine by myself about recent findings about the earthquake threat to the Pacific Northwest. Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver...better watch out.

Mixed Signals

2010-03-06T23:47:00.000-05:00

Dear traffic light on 53rd and Maplethorpe,

They say red is the color of love, and, well, I didn’t know you felt that way towards me. I never figured you were focusing on me, I mean, I’m just one guy in a Honda Accord, next in line behind the Volvo station wagon. I didn’t even think you saw me. But then, I get to your corner, and every day, you’re showing the same thing, and I mean every day. And I figured, hey, the only consistent there is me. Whenever I’m there, it’s red. But, traffic light on 53rd and Maplethorpe, here’s the thing. I appreciate it, I really do, and it’s not like I don’t, you know, feel a little bit that way myself. But you’re killing my commute. I know to you, it’s just 30 seconds or a minute or so with me, but for me, I wait there, then I miss the next light, and then the next one, and I know they’re timed, so unless I make the first one, and that’s you, traffic light on 53rd and Maplethorpe, then I’m late for work. I know how this sounds, like I’m putting work before my social life, or like I’m just throwing you to the side, and really, I don’t mean it like that. I notice you, believe me. I think what you do is, well, I think it’s great. I really respect you for it. And you certainly look good doing it. Those bulbs, they’re LED, aren’t they? At least the red one is, since, yeah, that’s the only one I ever get to see. So, I mean, I’d love to take you out sometime, or, well, I guess you’re always out, so maybe something else. But what I’m trying to say is please, if that’s how you really feel about me, let me go through. Please.

But there is one other thing. While you’re showing me the red there, I couldn’t help but notice that you’re giving the cross traffic green. And they do say green is the color of envy. So, I am getting kind of mixed signals from you. I get how it is, I’m the kind of guy, on 53rd, you want to marry, but the Acura speeding by on Maplethorpe is the one you want to date. And I’m going on 30 now, so I realize that I can’t let that kind of thing bother me, but, just, couldn’t you be a little bit less conspicuous about it? It would make me feel better, both about me, and, well, about us. So, though I like you, and I really mean that, I’m just a little wary. Like you say sometimes, yellow, you know, the color of proceed-with-caution. That’s a joke. I guess you get that kind of thing a lot. I shouldn’t joke about what you do anyway, I know you take it pretty seriously. Sorry. I guess, well, I’ll see you later? How about tomorrow morning? Good? Great. It’s a date.

Good news/bad news

2010-01-13T19:08:00.002-05:00

Bad news: A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti, and the casualties and damage will be staggering.
Good news: my byline in EARTH Magazine online.

And for those who care, I've had three articles in EARTH Magazine over the past few months. They are not, unfortunately, available online.

Emily Dickinson, Eat Your Heart Out

2009-12-23T00:35:00.000-05:00

A poem:

Because I could not stop for Death,
I swerved and hit a tree.
I held a high deductible,
For liability.

Prancing in Maine

2009-12-17T21:46:00.002-05:00

Ah, Maine in the December. The perfect time to visit: no mosquitoes, no tourists, no bears. And, as it happens, no Acadia National Park. When I went with two of my friends, we found the place closed and deserted; park access roads were blockaded with snow, and the lights were off at the visitors center. Fortunately, the trails weren't blocked off, and we were still able to have a good, albeit freezing, time.
(Details: 18mm lens, 1/60 sec at f/11, 100 ISO)

Strawberry Mansion Bridge

2009-11-24T21:22:00.003-05:00

Click to enlarge

Here we are, another bridge along the Schuylkill River. The Schuylkill River is often used for rowing regattas (regattae?). You can see the lane numbers just above the near arch on the bridge. Unfortunately, this year, due to budget cuts, one of the river's premier events, the Dad Vail Regatta, was moved to New Jersey.
(Details: 18mm lens, 1/50 sec at f/11, 100 ISO)

More Schuylkill Bridges

2009-11-15T16:58:00.003-05:00

Click for larger image.

So for those of you outside of the Philadelphia area, the Schuylkill River, which runs through the middle of the city, is pronounced "SKOO-kull". This picture is taken from the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia.
(Details: 18 mm lens, 1/60 at f/11, 100 ISO)

Schuylkill River

2009-11-09T22:05:00.002-05:00

I wasn't thrilled with the colors in this picture. It was a November midmorning, and there was a haze, which made all the colors very bland. See for yourself below. Not visible in this picture is an additional mode of transportation-- on the bridge to the left, there are functioning trolley tracks.
(Details: 18mm lens, 1/60 s at f/11, 100 ISO, post-processing red filter)

Seesaw!

2009-09-30T00:43:00.003-04:00

So I was in the playground, having fun on the seesaw, just like usual, when I noticed the perfect light falling on my seesawmate, Asya. On my next turn down, I grabbed my camera out of my backpack, and started shooting. It is not particularly easy taking pictures while riding a seesaw.
(Details: 27mm lens, 1/125s, f/8, 200 ISO)

My day job

2009-09-13T01:09:00.004-04:00

These days, I'm working for an organization called PolicyMap.com. It's a fabulous website full of demographic data, laid out on a Google Maps-like interface. My job this summer has been mapping federal stimulus projects. You can get a small taste of it here, but you should go to the website for the full effect, and where you can zoom in. Type in your zip code, see what's up in your neighborhood (PA, NJ, DE, MD, VT, NY, CT; rest of New England coming soon):

Click here to interact with map.

Bologna, Italy

2009-09-04T13:42:00.002-04:00

Two images today, both from the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca, on top of a mountainish hill in Bologna, Italy. I don't think you can call it a mountain, because you shouldn't be able to take a taxi up a mountain, and the path down a mountain shouldn't be entirely covered by porticoes. But, being from Philadelphia, it felt like a mountain to me.
(Top picture: 33mm lens, 1/320s, f/11, 100 ISO)
(Bottom picture: 18mm, 1/250s, f/11, 100 ISO)

A small note for serious photographers who really care too much: the focal lengths I'm listing are the focal lengths of the lens when I take the picture. I'm not adjusting for the 1.5x magnification of a digital camera. That is all.

Whoosh

2009-07-31T13:47:00.002-04:00

Rocks on sand on beach on Cape Cod.
(Details: 55mm lens, 1/60s, f/14, 100 ISO)

How weird is this?!?

2009-07-23T20:20:00.003-04:00

As seen in a storefront in Milan. The truth is, of course, that I'm totally jealous that I didn't come up with this.

Skyline AND reflections

2009-07-15T19:35:00.002-04:00

This was taken the same day as the earlier Philly cloudscape picture. The reflection is off the new Comcast Center, which has a plain flat surface. The building is pretty boring architecturally, but makes for a good mirror. It reminds me of the opening shot in the movie North By Northwest.
Details: 22mm lens, 1/20s, f/6.3, 100 ISO.

Venice II

2009-07-10T14:31:00.002-04:00

This picture is best seen at a larger size, so be sure to click on it to see a more detailed image. This shot is a good example of a time when I didn't think much of a picture when I took it, but after I got home, saw how much was going on. Normally, I can feel a bit uncomfortable taking candid shots of people I don't know, but in Venice, you stand out if you're not a gawking tourist photographer.
Details: 49mm lens, 1/125s, f/8, 100 ISO.

Venice I

2009-07-02T23:03:00.003-04:00

I found Venice to be a very difficult place to photograph, the reason being that it's just too easy. It would be beautiful enough with just the buildings, and interesting enough with just the canals. So, I got off the train knowing that I wouldn't be the first ever person to photograph the city. I've had some experience photographing the over-photographed, such as my shots of the Peggy's Cove Lighthouse in Nova Scotia, possibly the most photographed site in Canada. For me, I put my own spin on it by capturing a reflection in a tidal pool. Reflections are a good way to put your creative mark on a picture, which is what I tried to do in with this picture. The colors and the lights look better on camera than they did in real life. The silky-smooth water effect is achieved by a long exposure, which is necessary at night. I was with my family, walking home from dinner. The main challenge I faced in taking this was dealing with them complaining every time I'd stop to set up my tripod for another 30-second exposure.
Details: 28mm lens, 30s, f/8.0, 100 ISO.

Philly cloudscape

2009-06-26T08:52:00.003-04:00

This photo was taken from the Bell Atlantic Tower in Philadelphia during a June rainstorm. It faces the skyline of the western part of Center City, including the Commerce Square towers (the "evil twins") on the left, 30th Street Station in the center, next to the Cira Center and Skuylkill River on the right. I was behind the unopenable windows of a skyscraper, and had to contend with raindrops on the glass obscuring the picture.
Details: 18mm lens, 1/60, f/8.0, 100 ISO.

*bonk*