Urban Muser

me & you 52: k is for {kiss}

2012-01-30T22:18:00.000-05:00

Join is at Me & You 52 this week where K is for kiss!

And if you are playing along at {In The Picture}, there's still time to link up your January
self-portraits here. Thanks SO much to everyone who linked up already...you are all amazing!

{in the picture} pieces of you!

2012-01-27T06:18:00.000-05:00

I am so excited for our first {In The Picture} linky party today! I want to thank all of you for your incredible participation in this project so far. I know many of you were hesitant to pursue self-portraiture--but from what I can see, you are surprising yourself with your results (and how much you actually are enjoying it so far :)

I've been hard at work challenging myself too. One of my goals this year was to try a levitation selfie and here is my first attempt, shot and processed with my iPhone a couple weeks ago!

Our flickr group has been thriving, and I truly hope we will get equal participation here on the blog today. I love stopping by the group each day to see all your creativity, beauty and strength. Our theme this month was "pieces of me", and though it was hard to select just a few images to share, these are some of my favorite pieces of you....

1. Focus, 2. New knit-y goodness {003/366}, 3. #yourshoes To be honest I just put these on for the prompt. It's a barefoot Sunday around here #janphotoaday 22/365, 4. selfie #1: {in the picture} project, 5. It's not what you look at that matters, 6. a lady and her crown, 7. So close, 8. freeze, 9. Ruby Slippers

Thanks to all of you for sharing your amazing work so far!!! OK, so let's get this party started...here are our linky rules:

If you are new here, you can get caught up on this page. It's not too late to join!
There will be a link up here on the last Friday of every month this year, and the linky tool will remain open to your submissions until the following Thursday.
Please link back to the permalink for your {In The Picture} blog post or flickr image, not just the general url for your blog or flickr stream.
Linked entries must be to a blog post or flickr image of your recent self-portraits, not just any old photo. Your photo does not have to relate to the optional monthly theme, but it does need to be a self-portrait. Links will be moderated and removed if they do not comply with this rule, sorry :)
Please do link back here to my blog either through a text link, or with my button found below to help encourage others to participate and grow our community.
And most importantly, be the encouragement you hope to receive and help build our self-portrait community! Please try to visit a few of the links of your fellow {In The Picture} participants and leave a nice comment--it only takes a few minutes and you may be inspired by what you see.

Well, that's it...now get linking everyone! I'll see you back here on Friday, 2/3, for our February theme announcement, and in the meantime, keep showing us your stuff in the flickr pool.

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.urbanmuser.com/p/in-picture.html" title="In The Picture"><img src="http://i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/gibknitty/inthepicture.jpg" alt="In The Picture" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

what a weekend!

2012-01-23T08:10:00.000-05:00

First, the beautiful snowstorm...

{iPhone, camera+, magic hour, instagram}

And now I am jumping for joy--the Giants made it into the Superbowl!

{iPhone, infinicam, iris}

How was your weekend?

Come visit us over at Me & You 52 this week. Our theme is Jump!

{in the picture} an interview with patty maher

2012-01-20T07:34:00.000-05:00

I am thrilled to bring you our first {In The Picture} interview today with Patty Maher, or as some of you may recognize her, Picture This / Patty on flickr. Patty's work is evocative, emotional, and always inspiring. I hope you will read on about her self-portrait work and then go visit her to check out more of her amazing images...you will not be disappointed.

1. Was there ever a time when you couldn't imagine taking self-portraits or have you always been comfortable in front of the camera? Do you remember when the self-portrait "bug" bit you?

It’s funny because when I was a kid I was always the one jumping in front of the camera. But as I grew older I became quite a bit less comfortable having my picture taken. Even now I’m usually the person with my eyes closed and some weird camera smile going on. However as a photographer, it’s kind of inevitable that at some point you’ll want to turn the camera on yourself to see what will happen. But for a long time I felt self conscious to say the least.

I started the group Me Again Monday to help myself move past this stage because I really saw the potential of what you could do with self-portraits and I wanted to challenge myself to keep working on it at least once a week. I would say the self-portrait bug really bit me when I finally started treating myself simply as a prop, in service to the photo and its mood or story. After breaking that barrier, self-portraits became 1000 times more interesting and fun.

2. Many of your self-portraits really tell the viewer a story. How much planning goes in to your shots--the setting, your clothing, your hair, etc? Where does your inspiration come from?

I’m definitely not a detailed planner when it comes to my shots. For me what seems to work best is getting a shot’s basic idea, but nothing too concrete. Usually one piece of it gets in my head – a prop, a dress, a location, a title – and while I’ll think about it for a little while, I usually just jump in, and work the rest on the fly – and it either works or it doesn’t. For example, with this shot below I was driving home from the grocery store, under an amazingly foreboding sky. I knew I had to get out there for a shot, so I got home, threw the groceries at my husband, put on that dress and drove around until I found those train tracks.

Or another time I wanted to do some shots depicting “Ophelia" as you can find in pre-Raphaelite paintings. One day I was at a thrift store and found the perfect dress for it. The great thing about photography is that the dress I’m wearing in this shot below is about 2 sizes two small, so it doesn’t actually zip up in the back…so I had to be facing the camera in some way.

And for this next shot I didn’t have an idea but decided to just throw a bunch of props in the back of the car and drive around until a location struck me. Then I noticed there was this wind….

3. Do you have a favorite self-portrait or series of self-portraits?

Honestly I get “favorites of the moment”, but I can’t seem to stay with one for long. If I had to choose a favorite today, it would be one of the photos featuring this $6 red wig I found last Halloween. There’s just something about red hair that looks great in a photo…and if you saw what that wig actually looks like in real life you’d realize how magic the camera really is.

4. Do you feel that you have discovered anything new about yourself through your self-portraiture?

I think the best thing I’ve discovered through self-portraiture is that my inner 5 year old is alive and well and still loves dressing up in costumes! However the most rewarding discovery has been the process itself – spending time with myself creating something. It’s very quiet and almost meditative, and I find no matter what kind of day I’ve had I emerge feeling calm and centered.

5. What advice do you have for someone who is just beginning their journey into self-portraiture?

Start with what you are comfortable with--whether it's just using a part of you in a photo (your feet, your hands, etc.). Remember that there are so many ways to include yourself in a photo, so have a look at what other self-portrait artists do and you will find a whole universe of ways to do this. Above all don't be too self critical--photography can be magic, but it can also be unforgiving, especially when you can't see what you are taking while you are taking it, as is the case in self-portraiture. I have deleted hundreds and hundreds of shots of myself while doing this (which is absolutely the beauty of digital photography)! The key is to enjoy the process, and with some practice you will start to get the results you want.

* * * * * * *

Patty Maher lives near Toronto, Canada, not far from the forest which provides the magical backdrop to many of her exquisite self-portraits. You can see more of Patty and her work in her flickr stream and on facebook.

Thank you Patty for agreeing to be the subject of my first interview at {In The Picture}! I have been enamored by your work since the first time I stumbled across one of your self-portraits on flickr. It was great to learn a little more about you and your artistic process.

* * * * * *

Hey all ~ don't forget to stop back here next Friday, January 27 for our first self-portrait linky party of the year! Come ready to link back to your self-portrait blog posts and flickr images.

I can't wait to see you {In The Picture}.

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.urbanmuser.com/p/in-picture.html" title="In The Picture"><img src="http://i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/gibknitty/inthepicture.jpg" alt="In The Picture" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

greens and blues

2012-01-18T22:05:00.000-05:00

This week's prompt at 52 Photos Project is "color with emotion". I have to admit, I pulled these out of my recent archives because this week has been crazy and I haven't taken any photos in the last couple of days.

{iPhone: snapseed}

{iPhone: camera+, instagram}

A few reminders to those of you playing along on my 2012 self-portrait journey {In The Picture}:

You can catch up on all the project details and grab a button here.
The January theme post is here.
The flickr group is here.
I'll be posting our first "interview" with a fabulous self-portrait artist this Friday, 1/20 here on the blog. You don't want to miss it!
I'll be hosting our first "linky party" here on the blog on Friday 1/27. All self-portraits will be welcome so get ready to link up to your blog posts and flickr photos!

~See you all soon!~

dino shadow

2012-01-16T09:08:00.000-05:00

"I" is for "imagine" at Me & You 52 this week. Grab your mobile camera and join the fun here and here!

{iPhone: hipstamatic and top camera}

{iPhone: camera+}

~Happy Monday!~

52 photos project {get in close}

2012-01-14T09:41:00.000-05:00

We're playing with macro photography over at 52 Photos Project this week. I took this with my old iPhone 3gs because I have a macro lens for that one. I don't usually go for the "faux-laroid" (fake Polaroid) look when I process on my iPhone, but I decided I like this one.

~Happy weekend all~

shadow play

2012-01-12T07:08:00.000-05:00

I'm playing with shadows over at Mortal Muses today, join me!

me & you 52: H is for {hipstamatic}

2012-01-09T08:17:00.000-05:00

Our regular Monday post is up at Me & You 52 today. We are now on "H", which is for Hipstamatic.

{Hipstamatic: Libatique 73 lens and Ina's 1969 film}

This is my cat. I think I love this picture more than I love my cat.

{Hipstamatic: Chunky lens and AO BW film}

Head on over there to see our posting for this week! If you want to play along, check out our flickr group. Happy Monday all!

Linking up at The Creative Exchange today.

{in the picture} let's get started!

2012-01-06T06:30:00.000-05:00

I am so happy with the overwhelming response I've gotten to our 2012 self-portrait journey {In The Picture}! We are going to build a great community here, learn a lot from each other, and most importantly, learn about ourselves. I've worked out the general schedule of posts and linky parties that I'll put up here on the blog each month, so check here for those details if you haven't seen them already. Posts here on the blog will always be on a Friday so you know when to stop by if you are not a regular reader.

[self-portrait, taken with iPhone, processed with iris, snapseed and retro camera}

OK, so let's get started! I hope you have all had a chance to think about "your number"--that is, the number of self-portraits you want to challenge yourself to take this year. This decision is entirely up to you. I feel like it helps with the motivation to have a goal in mind...whether it is 2, 52 or 365.

I have heard from many of you that you are just starting out with self-portraiture and you are intimidated by the thought of it...you're no good at it...you're afraid to look at yourself through the lens...you don't know if you have the time to keep up...the list goes on. Well, by being here you have conquered the first step!

I was in your shoes this time last year...I never thought I could do a whole year of selfies, but check out this video of my 52 shots from last year (password: 52self2011 and turn up the volume). I can really see a progression in my photos as the weeks go by (and a little section in the middle where my dog shows up with me an awful lot because she was sick and I was afraid we were going to lose her, but that's another story.)

For this month's theme I thought I'd start us out gently. How about "a piece of me"? When you think of a self-portrait, it doesn't always mean you have to show your whole face. Some of the most interesting portraits can be of an eye, lips, a hand, or shot from an angle that doesn't show your face or your whole body. Remember, themes are optional (and only monthly) so if you have another idea or you are shooting weekly or daily selfies, feel free to think outside the box and go your own way. This project is all about your self-expression so don't let the themes box you in if they don't speak to you.

I'll host our first linky party back here on Friday, January 27 and I hope you will all stop by to link up to your blog posts and flickr pages to show off your work! In the meantime, don't forget to join our flickr group where you can add your self-portraits to the pool at anytime.

As the sign in my photo above says--BELIEVE in yourself (that's my word for 2012). I know you can do this! Keep me posted on how things are going, and let me know if you have any questions.

Grab a button, there's still time to spread the word...

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.urbanmuser.com/p/in-picture.html" title="In The Picture"><img src="http://i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/gibknitty/inthepicture.jpg" alt="In The Picture" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

iShadow

2012-01-03T22:40:00.000-05:00

The year is off to a good start, although it is finally cold here in the northeast. I mean, really C-O-L-D. Today at 52 Photos Project we are sharing a photo from "day 1" of the new year.

I snapped this shadow portrait of myself on the way out to the grocery store on New Year's Day. Taken with Hipstamatic on the iPhone, I used the chunky "lens" and AO BW "film".

I hope your year is off to a fabulous beginning! It's not too late to join {In The Picture}--my community self-portrait journey for 2012. The flickr pool is starting to see some action, and the first post will go up here on the blog on Friday 1/6.

Linking up with The Creative Exchange and 52 Photos Project.

happy new year, happy monday!

2012-01-02T08:50:00.000-05:00

I hope you all enjoyed ringing in 2012 over the weekend. Whether you were out decked out in sparkles and out partying or chose to spend a quiet evening at home in your PJs, I hope it was everything you wanted.

I've never been one to go out on New Year's Eve. Living here in New York City I try to stay away from the crowds as much as possible :) The Hub and I stayed in, ordered pizza, and sent 2011 out in flames (literally) at the end of the night. We decided to write down some of the events and outcomes from 2011 that we want to leave behind...

...and then we burned the little slips of paper in a coffee can outside with a beautiful view of the George Washington Bridge and a gorgeous moon in front of us.

And of course, Willow was there--with her flashy leash that someone gave us for Christmas! It felt good to let the past go, and to look forward to a new year on the horizon.

Do you have any big plans for 2012? If you are looking for a fun photo project, you may want to join me here at my new community self-portrait journey. Or if you are into mobile photography, join me here at "Me & You 52"--our theme this week is "gathering".

a 2012 self-portrait journey {join me}

2011-12-29T07:54:00.000-05:00

I know many of you are taking a holiday break from blogging this week. I hope you are enjoying your time off. Perhaps you are contemplating your new year resolutions and challenges for 2012. Today over at Mortal Muses I am asking everyone to share their plans if you'd like to join me over there.

{self-portrait, textures by kim klassen}

If you are thinking about a self-portrait project this year and want a little company and inspiration from others, I hope you'll consider joining me in my new project for 2012--{In The Picture}. I've started to flesh out the details over at my project page if you'd like to read more, sign up, or grab a button for this free, self-paced, self-portrait project.

As this year winds to a close I have to admit, I am looking forward to wrapping it up and filing it away--it hasn't been one of the best for my family and we are ready to brush ourselves off and start fresh in 2012. A happy and safe new year to you all and I'll see you next year!

Linking up at 52 Photos Project today.

brooklyn bridge {digital vs. analog}

2011-12-23T12:45:00.001-05:00

I took a quick walk on the Brooklyn Bridge yesterday, one of my favorite spots in the city. As you can see, I'm still experimenting with Impossible (instant) film. Not really getting the contrast and sharpness that I want, but still working on it :) I think the black frame on the PZ600 film for my spectra is pretty cool. But in the end, I always seem to prefer the Polaroid shots with the border cropped off. What do you think?

I broke out the iPhone to take a few shots as well. The images below were taken with the trusty ol' iPhone Hipstamatic, sure to get a good shot every time!

I know these photos aren't very "Christmas-y", but I just don't take many festive shots. I'm not a scrooge or anything, it's just the way it is :) Wishing you all a wonderful holiday, however you celebrate!!

** Oh and hey, thanks to ALL of you who responded that you would be interested in taking some kind of self-portrait journey with me in the new year. I'll be working on the details of our project, "In The Picture", in the next couple of weeks and we'll start in January. In the meantime, just think about how many selfies you want to commit to in 2012...the choice is yours! **

52 photos project {just one picture}

2011-12-21T07:37:00.000-05:00

It's week 35 over at the 52 Photos Project and we were asked to choose one of our favorite photos from the past year and share it. This was not an easy task, but here it is...

{self-portrait, taken with iPhone, processed with retro camera and iris}

I've been on a self-portrait journey this year, and this is one of 52 selfies that I committed to take at the beginning of 2011. Right now I'm at number 49...just three more to go by the first week in January. I honestly never thought I'd be able to complete this project and I am surprised by how much I've come to enjoy taking these portraits of myself....even daring to show my face sometimes. It's become a fun way to express myself and experiment with processing photos (especially on my iPhone!) So much so that I've been thinking about doing a selfie project again in 2012. I haven't decided if I'll go for 52 again, but I will come up with a number and strive to stick to it.

Here's where you come in! I am curious to know if any of you would be willing to join me in my 2012 self-portrait journey because I think I'll need a little inspiration to keep it going. I am considering hosting a project that would include a link-up here on my blog--once a week or perhaps once a month--where people could link up their self-portraits, visit each other's blogs and flickr streams, and inspire each other to keep going throughout the year. It would be casual, you pick your own number of self-portraits to complete for the year...be it 2 or 52. I'll probably work in some tips and interviews from self-portrait photographers as well.

I haven't fleshed out all the details and am not even sure that I'll actually host this project, but I would love to know if any of you even think you might be interested. You won't be committing to anything, but let me know in the comments today if you think it sounds like something you would consider. Thanks everyone!

me & you 52 {E is for edge}

2011-12-19T07:00:00.003-05:00

Another Monday, another theme prompt over at Me & You 52. We are up to the letter E this week, and E is for "edge". This photo of Willow below is my alternate choice--I love her never ending hope that something is going to come her way over the edge of my plate. To see my final choice for edge, check it out here.

{shot with iPhone, edited with blurfx}

Oh and hey, speaking of Willow's ever hopeful face, our holiday word over at Mortal Muses today is "hope". Link up over there before 1am ET tomorrow (12/20) with your images of hope, or comment on my post there for a chance to win this lovely charm that I am giving away from staciejewelry. Repeat, the giveaway is on Mortal Muses, not here. Although you should leave me a comment here too :)

Have a great week. Is Christmas really here next weekend? I'm not ready! I spent the weekend doing a blog makeover instead of shopping and wrapping. Oops.

Linking up at The Creative Exchange today.

a year of reflections

2011-12-17T18:20:00.004-05:00

I'm sure I've mentioned here a few times that I was doing a little project where I snapped a photo of my reflection in the mirror of every bar and restaurant I visited this past year. I started on my birthday in 2010 and just recently ended the project right where I began... Well, not exactly where I began--I was in a different restaurant--but on my birthday one year later.

I posted all these photos in a set on flickr, but you can also check them out in this short little video I made (its set to music if you want to turn your sound on).

All in all it was a simple and silly project, but I really enjoyed it. My hubs even got into it, helping to remind me to snap my shots when we were out. I'll probably do it again this year--the iPhone makes it so easy!

Hope you are all having a great weekend!

me & you 52 {D is for divide}

2011-12-12T07:35:00.002-05:00

Wow, another week gone by. It sure goes fast, especially this time of year! Well, since it's Monday again that means it's time for another word prompt over at my new collaborative blog Me & You 52. This week we are up to the letter "D" and our word is "divide". I had this idea to do a diptych for this theme and originally, I was going to use this photo...

{photos taken with iPhone, edited with diptic and snapseed}

But in the end, I decided to take a different photo to represent my interpretation of "divide". You'll have to head over here if you want to check it out.

I hope you'll decide to play along with us. The rules are simple--take and edit and image that shows your interpretation of the weekly theme word {divide} with a mobile device--iPhone, droid, iPod touch...etc. Post your photo in our flickr group. Done.

Have a great week everyone!

Playing along at The Creative Exchange this week too.

many muses musing!

2011-12-09T08:49:00.000-05:00

We are kicking off 14 days of holiday photography prompts and giveaways at Mortal Muses today. Head over there for the details. The first theme word is "sparkle" and starting tomorrow you can link your sparkly images up there for a chance to win a great gift.

Hope to see you there!

central park

2011-12-07T09:31:00.001-05:00

I took this photo with my iPhone out the window of a building on 59th Street and 5th Avenue the other day. It was hard to concentrate in the meeting I was in because my eye kept darting out the window to watch the ice skaters in Central Park. It's hard to see them in this photo, but they were there.

{taken with iPhone, processed with snapseed}

Such a beautiful view. I wouldn't get any work done if I worked in this building every day. I think the trees are surprisingly green for this time of year don't you? Sharing today at 52 Photos Project {colors of the season}.

And hey, in case you missed it the other day, I've started a new project called Me & You 52. If you like mobile photography you should check us out at our new blog and flickr group.

me & you 52 {join us!}

2011-12-05T07:14:00.000-05:00

I am super excited today to announce the public launch of Me & You 52, a new collaborative photography blog I am starting with my fabulous bloggy friend Anika. The idea is simple:

52 weeks
one word each week (based on consecutive letters of the alphabet)
we each take a photo with our mobile phones inspired by the weekly word
we post our photos side by side every Monday on the blog and in our flickr group

We've been at it for a couple of weeks, testing the waters before making it public. This week we are up to "C" and our word is conversation. Here is my interpretation:

{Self-portrait taken with iPhone, edited on iPad2 with Snapseed}

Our word for "A" was abode, and for "B" we compared our breakfasts. Pop over to the new blog if you want to see our images inspired by those words.

If you love mobile photography or want to learn more about how you can get great images out of your camera phone, we hope you will get involved in Me & You 52. You can play as often or as little as you want--if you are looking for a project for the new year, maybe this is the one for you.

Here's how you can play...

Every Monday we will post the current week's theme in our flickr group. All you have to do is add your images inspired by that word to the pool and tag them with the weekly theme word and apps that you used. We are still working out the details, but at some point we will be sharing select images from participants on the blog. Oh, and if you are a planner, all the themes for the year are listed here.

OK, so that's it. Thanks Anika for asking me to collaborate on this project with you! And everyone else, I hope you will take a look over there and consider following along on the blog and joining our flickr group. It's going to be a lot of fun!

sparkly buildings

2011-12-04T07:44:00.000-05:00

On a walk down Fifth Avenue a couple weeks ago I could see that the big, fancy stores on the stretch between 55th Street and 45th Street were not wasting any time putting on their holiday cheer. I saw one building after another decked with bright lights and beautiful window displays.

This next one at the Fendi store was cool--the lights were blinking on and off giving the effect of dripping icicles.

And hey, I got my iPhone 4S yesterday!! Yay! Although all of these photos were taken with my old pal 3GS, I edited them on my new phone this morning. This one below was edited using "vintage scene", an app that I couldn't get on my old phone because my operating system was out of date (long story). Anyway, sooo happy to be able to get some new apps again.

I am sharing today at Kat Eye View, where her "Exploring With A Camera" series is focused on holiday lights this week. She's got some great tips if you want to check it out. And I'm also linking at 52 Photos Project for our prompt "twinkling lights."

I'll be back tomorrow morning to share an exciting new mobile photography project that I'm working on. I hope you'll check it out, and maybe even decide to join us! See you then.

i-clouds

2011-12-02T06:33:00.000-05:00

Seen through my iphone on a beautiful morning in Battery Park, NYC.

impossible mission

2011-11-28T20:50:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of meeting up with Esra of Cafe Mistral on Friday for a little instant film chat and shop! I first met Esra a few weeks ago at the epic Grand Central flickr meetup. We discovered that we shared a love of old Polaroid cameras and a desire to learn more about this lost art (not so lost anymore). So we met for brunch and then took a little trip to the Impossible Project Space in SoHo.

Esra took it all in, and after careful consideration, bought herself a Polaroid 600 camera. Yay!

Esra, I had so much fun hanging out with you...and it was a great excuse for me to buy some more film for my Spectra. You look so happy with your new purchase! I can't wait to hear how it goes.

celebrate autumn

2011-11-22T07:14:00.000-05:00

"How silently they tumble down, and come to rest upon the ground.

To lay a carpet, rich and rare, beneath the trees without a care,

content to sleep, their work well done, colors gleaming in the sun.

At other times, they wildly fly, until they nearly reach the sky.

Twisting, turning through the air, till all the trees stand stark and bare.

Exhausted, drop to earth below, to wait, like children, for the snow."

~ Elsie N. Brady

I'm celebrating autumn over at Mortal Muses today. I hope you will join me over there. And I am playing over at Texture Tuesday on Kim Klassen's lovely blog--this photo below was processed using Kim's "sienna" texture.

Oh, and the prompt at 52 Photos Project last week was "something borrowed". In these photos above I am wearing something that I borrowed from someone...I'll leave it at that ;)

in the light

2011-11-20T10:36:00.000-05:00

Saw this on my walk in the park the other day. I love the tiny little details and shadows.

Happy Shadow Shot Sunday!

camera hog

2011-11-18T07:38:00.000-05:00

As you know, I like to take Willow on my photo walks with me. It was such a beautiful day on Monday, so we went to the park to hang out and take some pictures. She's always such a good sport while I run back and forth taking selfies--looking at me like I am a little crazy, and holding back the urge to chase after me when I tell her to stay.

{iPhone, Hipstamatic: BlacKeys SuperGrain/Jimmy Lens}

At one point she did get up from her spot--she walked over and sat right behind the camera and tripod. It looks like she was trying to take over my shoot! My furry little camera hog.

{iPhone, Camera+, Instagram}

Does anyone have the new iPhone 4S yet? I am due for an upgrade from my 3GS and I am wondering how you like the new model? Have a great weekend everyone!

i miss you.

2011-11-15T06:48:00.000-05:00

{textures by kim klassen: "sienna" and "phoebe"}

dear summer,

i love your blue skies and hazy, lazy days,
your warm, sunny afternoons.

it's getting cold here now, the leaves are falling.
it's time for boots instead of flip flops.

i miss you.

catch up {snow}

2011-11-13T13:50:00.000-05:00

Wow, I've really been falling behind lately. I started this blog in 2010 during a slow period in my work to occupy my mind and provide some routine. Of course, it has turned into much more than that--with all the amazing people who come to visit me here each week, the fabulous blogs I've discovered, and my re-ignited interest in photography.

Now, with work moving at full speed, I find myself with less and less time to come here to blog, to take photos, to visit all of you. But I am not giving up! I just need to keep working on the balance. With that said, I was just going through some photos from our freak snowstorm a couple weeks ago. Better late than never, here are a few shots from that day...

{out my window}

{on my fire escape}

{out around the neighborhood}

{a burst of fall color in the snow}

I hope everyone is having a great weekend! I'll be coming around visiting you all later.

beautiful light

2011-11-08T07:34:00.002-05:00

I'm talking about light and iPhone apps over at Mortal Muses today. I'm short and sweet here on Urban Muser, but please stop on by over there to say hello :) Here's one of my favorite buildings in NYC, looming in the afternoon sun...

{iPhone, hipstamatic--lens: libatique 73; film: ina's 1969}

Linking up today at Communal Global...

...and The Creative Exchange

you are your own muse

2011-11-04T06:57:00.002-04:00

I started Vivienne McMaster's You Are Your Own Muse class this week. It's a 6 week online class about self-portraiture--I've heard good things about it and I thought it would be fun to get a few new tips and inspiration from Vivienne and the rest of the class. I am hoping that this community will be just the thing I need to help me to make it to the finish line of my 52 Weeks of BAM project on flickr.

This week in class we were encouraged to use a prop in our selfie. To keep with the Halloween theme, I grabbed for my pink wig, turned on some music and did a little dancing for the camera.

{texture by Ellenvd}

In a desperate attempt to start learning how to use actions, I tried My Four Hens Newbie Fix. I had no idea what I was doing, but I clicked around turning the layers on and off and played with the opacity until there was something I could live with. I like it, but I don't love it. I've still got lots to learn with actions.

This also coincided nicely with my 52 Photos Project prompt for the week--"trick or treat", so I am linking up with Bella over there today.

And linking at Photo Art Friday where we were encouraged to try something new with our editing this week. I think my actions qualify for that!

Have a great weekend all!

winter, over autumn

2011-11-03T07:42:00.000-04:00

Winter briefly covered over autumn last weekend here in New York City, in a rare October snowstorm.

In an instant, the beautiful colored leaves were covered over by snow and ice.

Their bright and lovely forms shining through the wintry cover, trying not to allow their time on the ground to be cut short by an early snow.

{all photos taken with iPhone, processed with lo-mob and camera+}

Sorry I haven't been around much lovely blog friends. Work has been busy, but I've got to find the time to post a little more regularly. I promise to come around visiting when I get home from work tonight!

Sharing at The Creative Exchange today.

when virtual friends become real

2011-10-29T14:30:00.003-04:00

I was so fortunate this week to be a part of a meetup of 15 beautiful ladies from flickr who converged in New York City for an afternoon of fun and photography. For me it all started with my fellow Mortal Muse friend Kirstin who was visiting NYC from London for the week. She and I had planned to get together at some point, but then this meetup started coming together so instead of just meeting Kirstin for the first time, I got to meet ALL of these other fabulous new flickr friends too. Here's part of the group posing in the New York Public Library for a quick Polaroid spectra shot.

We first met up at Grand Central Terminal--in the midst of the chilly, rainy-day crowds we all came together one by one. And even though most of us had never met before we still recognized one another from self-portraits and avatar photos. I'll admit I was a little nervous as I approached this group of "strangers", but within minutes all the apprehension just faded away.

This photo below was taken by Kirstin's husband Tom. The idea came from Deirdre, who also took a cool shot like this one. I love how the long exposure shows us all standing still in the the blur of people around us.

{this photo by kirstin's hubby tom}

There are so many great photos from our day posted on flickr--because these ladies have some serious photographic talent. There are a couple of fun group shots here and here. And I love this one of me taken by the wonderful esra as I looked at an instant photo I had just taken. Oh, and this digital photo taken of one of my Polaroids--it's so creative and beautiful, thanks Heather.

Unfortunately it rained all day, but although we didn't get to be outside much we still had a wonderful time. With good friends--and I'd guess over 20 different cameras--we made a gloomy day turn magical.

The connections we make through our blogs and flickr amazes me. We get to know little bits of each other's lives through photos and words over the interwebs, but I tell you, in real life these ladies are even more beautiful and fantastic! I live in the city so it wasn't much of a stretch for me to make it to our meetup--I even went to work in the morning. The rest of our crew came from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, upstate New York, Long Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts and London--thanks to all of you wonderful gals for making our day on Thursday so fabulous. I can't wait to do it again.

If you have a chance, you can visit each and every one of my cool new friends by clicking on over to their flickr photostreams when you have some time and want to see some gorgeous photos. Here they are...enjoy!

Debbie (damiec), Heather (htekmo), Deirdre (superdewa), Kirstin (Kirstin McKee), Amy (a.commonplace.life), Jaime (jaime973), Holly (soupatraveler), Audrey (MamaOwlPhoto), Esra (*esra*), Camille (CarmNSandiego), Liz (lizzard_nyc), Jill (grey cottage studios), Debbie (sparkleplenty_fotos), Linda (sidemtess | linda).

found on the street

2011-10-26T08:15:00.000-04:00

Linking up today at The Creative Exchange. I'm also over at Mortal Muses today blogging about the power of keys if you want to stop by. Have a great day!

fall shadows

2011-10-23T08:20:00.002-04:00

It's been a while since I posted any good shadow shots, so to celebrate Shadow Shot Sunday, here we go. This is me and Willow out for a walk early yesterday morning. I like how in the second photo below you can see that her ears and her tail went up as she spotted one of her dog friends coming towards us from a distance.

This last one is at a dead end street that has a tall fence and a big gap between the buildings that allows the low morning sun to shine on through.

{all photos taken with iPhone and processed with Camera+}

It's been a quiet weekend here for us. Hope you are having a great one!

are you scared of self-portraits? i was too.

2011-10-21T06:42:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday everyone! I am blogging over at Mortal Muses today and I hope you'll come by and say hello. Every 4 weeks one of the Muses writes what we call a "Muse University" post. I've only done one of these before during my time as a muse, and to be honest, it makes me nervous. I mean, I'm no photography expert and when I sit down to write these things I wonder what knowledge can I possibly impart that everyone doesn't already know? I tell you, it's intimidating.

I reflected on my recent obsession with self-portraits. First, you should understand--if anyone I know tries to take my picture I run screaming out of the room. It's not pretty. But lately, I've been turning the camera on myself and it somehow feels....right.

So I started thinking about why that is. Why have I decided not only to take photographs of myself, but to show my face in the blogosphere--something I didn't do for the first year of this blog. I came up with a list of "tips" that have helped me ease myself around to the other side of the lens, and I decided to share them with you all today.

Mind you, it's not rocket science, and like I said, I am NO expert, but these are the little things that seem to have helped me overcome my fear of selfies. If you are interested in reading about it, click here to get to the post at Mortal Muses. There is a great collection of self-portraits over there from some talented ladies who are members of the Muse flickr pool, so go check it out!

Linking up today with Photo Art Friday and 52 Photos Project.

52 photos project {handwriting}

2011-10-15T10:08:00.000-04:00

"time stands still best in moments that look suspiciously like ordinary life." -storypeople

I am experimenting with layering handwriting on a photo today, thanks to Bella at 52 Photos Project. I think I need more practice! This will have to do for now.

before i die...

2011-10-12T01:10:00.012-04:00

Have you heard of this project? It's called "Before I Die" and it was created by artist Candy Chang. The first installation was in New Orleans earlier this year. Basically, it's a giant chalkboard where people can write their hopes and dreams for the world to see. One of the goals of the artist was to transform a neglected space into a constructive one. This wall in Brooklyn, NY surrounds a construction site on the Fulton Mall.

There are little baskets attached to the wall with colored chalk in them so any passerby can take a minute to add a note about what's important to them in this world...

Or, they can just walk on by, keeping their thoughts to themselves...

There is so much written on these walls that you can barely decipher some of it. There are many funny and outrageous things on the wall, and also some words and phrases that are heartbreaking and sad.

I didn't write anything of my own, but here are some of the ones I read on the wall.

Before I die I want to...

See my brother make something of his life
Become immortal
See my kids
Meet Derek Jeter
Be President
Find a cure for HIV
Make peace with myself
Love with everything I have
Write a novel
Be happy
Dance!

It's an interesting thing to think about isn't it? How would you complete this sentence? On a related theme, I'm over at Mortal Muses today blogging about how life can move so fast sometimes it becomes a blur. Stop by if you have a chance!

Sharing at The Creative Exchange today.

pigeon ladies

2011-10-09T08:08:00.001-04:00

I recently saw these two women in a small park on 6th Avenue in Greenwich Village. After watching them for a less than a minute it was obvious to me that feeding these pigeons is a daily ritual for them.

The pigeons were quite happy--and the women seemed very comfortable with hundreds of birds swarming around them.

If you look closely you can see a couple of the birds perched on her toes and sitting in her lap!

Although I was a little creeped out by how close they got to the pigeons, I couldn't help but stop and capture their happy moment.

52 photos project {a circle}

2011-10-06T20:09:00.003-04:00

i'm just a coffee coaster to you now...

For 52 Photos Project theme {a circle}.

i'm like a bird

2011-10-04T08:06:00.002-04:00

i'm like a bird, i'll only fly away...

-nelly furtado

Another beach shot, another self-portrait, another black and white photo. I hope you aren't too sick of them yet! This photo has 2 layers of Kim Klassen's "water stained frame" texture with the edges of the texture pulled out, plus a layer of "midsummer" by Isabelle Lafrance and a layer of an unknown texture by Cat Hair Studios. I think it works...I played with it forever.

If you are feeling like you want to hear this beautiful Nelly Furtado song from back in 2000 now, you should check out this acoustic version, it's pretty good.

random sunday

2011-10-02T08:48:00.000-04:00

Happy Sunday everyone! I am excited to be going to the Yankees game later today. My friend scored some seriously awesome seats from a client at work and I get to go with her :) The sun is out and hopefully it will be a beautiful day for October baseball.

On another note, here are a few random shots from my iPhone...

These two cuties were waiting patiently with their father the other day in the subway station.

This is just a random shot of a couple sitting in a passing train. I like to try to frame people inside the subway windows when I can get the shot off in time.

And me and Willow on a sunny day up on the deck of my dad's beach house. Woof!

I'm a little late, but sharing today with InstaFriday over at Life Rearranged.

And also hooking up with Hey Harriet's Shadow Shot Sunday and Unknown Mami's Sundays In My City.

endless summer

2011-09-29T11:25:00.000-04:00

A few more beach shots today. This one for 52 Photos Project prompt "along the fence"...

{kim klassen break free texture}

And a shot of my cuties taking a walk on this cloudy day...

I am blogging today at Mortal Muses--a little talk about iphoneography and macro lenses--if you want to stop by. I also had a guest post at These Moments yesterday if you have a second to check out their lovely blog!

textured skyline

2011-09-27T07:33:00.001-04:00

Ahh, I've lived around here all my life and I never get sick of the NYC skyline--I just love it. I was in Queens on Saturday for a friend's baby shower--there are some fantastic views from there as you can see.

{mouse over for before and after!}

It's Texture Tuesday over at Kim Klassen's today. I used Kim's texture "autumn burst" on this photo, as well as "vintage tinted lens" from Shadowhouse Creations. I like how it gives the photo that sort of greenish vintage look. If you want to see the before and after, just mouse over the photo (thanks to Kim for posting a tutorial on how to do this on her website!)

I also snapped this photo with my iPhone...

Also linking up with Lisa at The Creative Exchange!

And the fabulous ladies at Communal Global.

beach textures

2011-09-23T07:46:00.001-04:00

I think I'll be showing you images from my weekend at the beach last week for a while. Although I am excited for the fall season, I am not quite ready to let summer go this week, so here is one more for you today...

I am linking up today with Photo Art Friday at Pixel Dust. This little birdie photo above uses one of her fabulous free textures called "renaissance music" (thanks Bonnie!)

Have a great weekend all!

sunrise

2011-09-22T11:32:00.000-04:00

Who doesn't love a good sunrise? When we were at the beach last week I made a point of getting up early one morning to catch the glorious sun rising up at the start of the new day. I talk about doing this all the time but then when the alarm goes off, well...you know...it doesn't happen. But this time it did. I even got Hub and Willow to join me. The sky took on these beautiful reddish orange tones. It was such a beautiful sight!

It was totally worth the loss of sleep--there were lots of clouds to reflect the light which made for some interesting photos, even in black and white.

And the fabulous Hub complied when I asked him to do a jump silhouette for me.

We got this on the first try!

The theme at 52 Photos Project this week is "red"--I am calling these "reddish" and hope it's not cheating too much :)

reach for it

2011-09-19T14:03:00.003-04:00

We took a much needed break from the city this past weekend. Spent some time at the beach with the Hub, Willow and my dad. It was cool and cloudy most of the time, but I kind of liked our little fall preview!

{self portrait; polaroid spectra; PZ680 color shade film}

Linking up with 52 Photos Project where this week we were asked to layer a quote or some text on a photograph...

...and with Lisa at the Creative Exchange.

underground

2011-09-16T08:38:00.000-04:00

airplane ears

2011-09-15T07:30:00.000-04:00

I haven't given a Willow update in a while so I thought I'd do that today. If you are new here, the back story is that my beloved dog Willow was VERY sick back in April and we almost lost her. It was a scary time for us but we made it through and she is doing really well!

Today she is walking again all on her own with no problems and she has completely recovered from her surgery. As you can see, she is eating again and putting on her thick winter coat!

It was a very windy day down by the Hudson River when I took these shots last week and her ears were really catching the wind! I thought she might take off at any moment...

Don't you just love the story a close-up image of a face can tell? I am musing about faces over at Mortal Muses today if you want to drop by. And tomorrow, we'll be having our regular (every other) Friday Mosaic Muse link up for the "faces" theme. If you have a flickr photo or blog post about faces, be sure to grab a button and stop by to link up tomorrow!

a quiet place

2011-09-13T08:08:00.003-04:00

First, I'd like to thank everyone for your kind comments on the post I wrote on 9/11. It wasn't easy to write and I can't tell you how many times I almost deleted it after I published it! I am not one to share too much personal stuff on my blog, so thank you for you indulgence and your beautiful words.

Now, on to other things. The prompt last week at 52 Photos Project was "a quiet place" and I am behind! I went to one of my favorite places on Saturday with Willow. This is Ft. Tryon Park, a beautiful 67-acre park in northern Manhattan that has an endless number of winding paths, stairways, lawns and serene spots where I can escape to relax and think when I need the space to just be.

{textures by Kim Klassen: autumn burst, crackerjack}

As always, Willow was a willing and well-behaved photographer's assistant. Just hanging out on her blanket while I ran back and forth using the self-timer on my cameras.

{taken with iPhone; Instagram}

In the end, I let her get into one of the photos with me. As you can see, I am still experimenting with my Polaroid Spectra--it has a handy built-in self-timer.

Linking up today with Anika at Pasando for the final run of her fun Phonography weekly link. Thanks Anika for all the inspiration over the past year!

the colors of 9/11

2011-09-11T07:32:00.001-04:00

Blue. Red. Yellow. Gray. White. Black

The sky was blue. It was the kind of crisp, clear, blue-skied September morning that makes you want to get out of bed and start your day. We still talk about that blue sky sometimes--on certain Tuesday mornings when the air is just right and the sky reaches that perfect shade of cerulean, it brings back the memory of that day. I was underground when the first plane hit. On the A train on my way to work in Brooklyn. We probably rumbled along right beneath the twin towers, oblivious to what was happening on the streets above us at 8:46 am.

My sweater was red. Wrapped around the shoulders of a black and white dress that I had thrown on that morning as if it were any other day. After watching the first tower collapse on the television in my office, I walked out to the promenade on the Brooklyn waterfront known for its spectacular views of downtown Manhattan.

The sky was yellow. The familiar skyline on the other side of the East River was no longer there--literally hidden by the thick, smoky, acrid air that soon completely enveloped us all the way over in Brooklyn. Pieces of paper and ash danced through the sky landing in my hair, turning the shoulders of my red sweater temporarily gray. I stood motionless in this spot for several minutes, pressed up against the fence, staring out at nothingness.

Their bodies were white. People streaming across the Brooklyn Bridge, trying to get away from Manhattan were covered in soot and ash. They looked stunned, and scared. I worried about friends who worked in and around the towers. The rest is a blur of chaos, confusion, sadness, and fear.

I remember the subway the next day--it was unusually and stunningly quiet. Heads buried in newspapers, the horror of the previous day's events plastered on every front page. No one said a word as reality began to set in. The streets were splashed with flyers. Fences, lampposts, parking meters, building facades all covered with tape and paper, the faces of the missing staring out at me everyone I went.

The days and weeks that followed were black with sadness. We worked 15+ hour days for months at the city's disaster response center. One broken family after another coming in to report the missing, tell their story, apply for assistance. We did everything we could; often times it wasn't enough. The response lasted several years and it was the most difficult but rewarding work I'll ever do.

After all the tears and despair, the colors slowly started to return to normal in our lives and in our great city. It's sometimes hard to believe that I met my husband during that time after 9/11 as we worked side by side in the relief effort. How such happiness could come from such tragedy is difficult for me to comprehend to this day. But we move forward accepting our fate--and hope that in celebrating those who died, we can also celebrate life.

******

These are just fragments of my 9/11 story--the words that I am able to get down. The events and emotions of those months and years stay with me always; words never seeming adequate to describe them. I have never written about it before, and I thank you for sharing this small part of it with me.

I didn't take one photo during that time. Not a single image taken by me exists to illustrate the ups and downs of those unimaginable days that followed 9/11. Sometimes I wish I had a few photos to document that unbearable but incredible time in my life, but most times I am glad not to have a physical reminder and I am satisfied with the pictures and memories etched forever in my mind.

I ♥ NY

2011-09-09T08:50:00.002-04:00

The city I love. The skyline that changed forever.

rainy morning reflections

2011-09-07T07:56:00.002-04:00

I was early for a meeting yesterday morning so I decided to walk through Times Square to kill a little time. You should know that 8:00 in the morning is pretty much the only time I will walk through this neighborhood if I have any say about it. It's just too crowded with tourists and business traffic any other time of the day! But in the morning, especially a rainy morning, it's kind of nice.

At one point I found myself behind these two lovely tourists. They were speaking to each other in a language foreign to my ear, looking up, pointing, and taking pictures with a look of wonder and amazement on their faces.

They seemed to be having a nice time. Awwww...

It made me long for a vacation to a place far, far away!

Linking up today with Ankia at Pasando for her weekly phonography meme. All of these photos were taken with my iPhone and processed with camera+ and diptic.

And with the ladies at Communal Global...

on the street and in the park

2011-09-05T08:11:00.001-04:00

I spent a couple of hours shooting on the streets on Friday--something I haven't really done for a while. I got a few good shots, including the one below of this man who I believe to be a dog walker. I didn't notice the man walking behind him until I got home. I think he adds a certain bit of wonder to the photo. I kind of want to know what his story is.

After capturing life on the streets for a while, I headed into Madison Square Park and saw this cool art installation.

This 44 foot tall fiberglass sculpture was made by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa. You can often find interesting public art in and around this park which covers a few blocks between 5th Avenue, Madison Avenue, 23rd Street and 26th Street. Unfortunately, I don't get there to see them all, but I blogged about one of my favorite art installations near this park last year if you want to check it out.

I hope you all have a nice Labor Day! Linking up today with Lisa at The Creative Exchange.

happy world pola day!

2011-09-03T12:12:00.002-04:00

In case you didn't know it, September 3rd is World Pola Day, a celebration of instant film photography. If you've been here recently you know I am new to this but in the span of 6 weeks I have become the owner of not one, not two, but three instant cameras! I have an SX-70 original land camera that needed a little fixing--I just got it back this week so I haven't even tried it yet. I also have a Polaroid Spectra and a cute little Fuji Instax Mini that a friend got as a gift and didn't want--say what?--so I was happy to give it a good home!

It's no secret that I've been struggling with this new venture. The Impossible Film--although wonderful--is rather finicky. Depending on light and temperature you never know what you are going to get. It's a slow road of one step forward, two steps back. Yesterday I got this shot of the Flatiron Building--it's good, but still not where I am hoping to be.

{Polaroid Spectra; PZ680 color shade expired}

This morning, the Hub, Willow and I went for an early morning walk and I brought along the Spectra and the Fuji {as well as my DSLR and my iPhone!}. The goal was to get out there before the temperatures got too warm because that's what really causes that orangey tint to the photos. I got this shot of the Little Red Lighthouse under the GWB. Again, OK, but not great. Breathe deeply :) it will come eventually.

{Polaroid Spectra; PZ680 expired}

Then we had some fun with the little Fuji camera. The film is a lot less unstable and we were able to get a few fun shots. These photos are small--like the size of a business card.

{Fuji Instax Mini 7S}

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend. I'll be out practicing some more!

negative space and free hugs!

2011-09-02T07:26:00.003-04:00

I hope you will join us over at Mortal Muses today for our Friday mosaic link up. This week's theme is negative space.

{texture by kim klassen/stamped softly}

Head on over before Sunday night to link to your negative space blog posts and flickr images.

See you there!

Also, sharing some free hugs with you today! This guys was in Union Square--and no, I didn't get one :)

{taken with iPhone/processed with Instagram}

i feel tall today

2011-09-01T06:47:00.001-04:00

{in the garden}

2011-08-31T07:41:00.000-04:00

It's time to post my 52 Photos Project image for this week. The prompt was {in the garden}.

{texture by Isabelle Lafrance/honey glow}

This photo was taken in the beautiful English garden that is on the property of my aparment complex. A lovely little piece of bliss in the middle of the city.

after the storm

2011-08-30T07:07:00.001-04:00

I'm lucky that I needed to use Kim Klassen's "water stained frame" texture on this photo instead of dealing with the real thing. Although we escaped major damage from the storm over the weekend others were not as lucky.

The theme over at Kim's today is "orange". I went for a subtle approach..see it in the background? Let's pretend there is more orange in this photo than there really is. Thanks.

c'mon irene

2011-08-28T15:38:00.000-04:00

I had the song C'mon Eileen in my head all weekend. Except the lyrics were changed to C'mon Irene. At one point I heard my Hub humming the tune aloud and I asked him if perhaps I had been singing the song and didn't realize it. He said no, he came up with it all on his own. I'll bet we weren't the only ones.

Anyway, the hurricane made landfall here in NYC this morning. I am happy to report that in my neighborhood, the highest natural point in Manhattan, we are safe from storm surge and all is well.

I was a little worried about the wind because we live very close to the Hudson River and usually get some strong gusts during big storms, but it wasn't so bad. We just got a little stir crazy, staring out the windows at the rain for over 24 hours.

So we went out this afternoon to survey the damage.

Lots of fallen branches, but nothing too bad. And it looks like there was a run on potato chips in the local store. Thanks for sparing us Irene. Hope everyone else out there was as lucky.

liberate your art!

2011-08-27T07:44:00.003-04:00

We are preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Irene here in NYC today. But I thought why not join the blog hop over at The Kat Eye View of the World anyway. Who says you can't have a little fun while waiting for a disaster to arrive on your doorstep?

Kat organized the Liberate Your Art postcard swap earlier in the summer. Participants created 5 postcards with their own original art and sent them to Kat along with postage for mailing. She then organized and swapped them and sent out 5 postcards (plus one of her own) to each participant. All told, Kat received and redistributed over 1000 postcards from 170 participants in 37 U.S. states and 13 countries!

I received these 6 lovely postcards in the swap. It was fun to get some real mail in this digital age where we email and text every word. Thanks Kat for bringing this lovely art into my life. Have a great weekend everyone! If you are on the East coast in Irene's path, please stay safe.

chelsea hotel

2011-08-26T08:35:00.000-04:00

{textures by Kim Klassen: greyday vintage, stamped softly, scratched magic july}

subway silhouette

2011-08-24T06:13:00.000-04:00

a quiet morning on the B train

we move swiftly across the manhattan bridge

the sunlight reaches inside the train

still, she sleeps.

sharing with the 52 photos project {silhouette} prompt for this week.

a little color

2011-08-23T07:20:00.001-04:00

Looking back over the past couple weeks of blog posts I am seeing all black & white here on my blog. So today, a splash of color...

{Thompson Street, NYC}

culinary shadows

2011-08-21T07:22:00.001-04:00

For several months each year the sun sets across the Hudson River between these two buildings, flooding an intense amount of light directly into our kitchen windows. Each night as we cook dinner, there is an endless number of culinary shadows dancing on the walls. We are about to lose the sun as it travels south along the horizon towards the next season, so I thought I would share a few shadows from my collection. All taken with my iPhone, of course!

pasta bowl ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ wine

spatula ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ sushi

Happy Shadow Shot Sunday everyone!

dogs and doughnuts {and a giveaway alert!}

2011-08-19T01:10:00.104-04:00

I took this photo while waiting for my friend and my husband outside this outrageous doughnut shop on 23rd Street in Chelsea. I've honestly never seen so many different kinds of doughnuts. And these weren't your run of the mill glazed and jelly filled--there was some serious creativity going on in this place! It was so crowded that I happily waited on the street with my camera.

This man above was waiting patiently while his wife went inside to get some delicious doughnut action for him and their two doggies. And below you can see the happy hands of my hubs and friend as they enjoyed their goodies after a 15 minute wait in line.

For the past 2 weeks on Mortal Muses we have been posting about the theme "two" (did you notice all the sets of two in my photos here?) I am wrapping up the theme over there today by kicking off a new feature--Mosaic Muse--that will happen every other Friday. One of the Muses will create a mosaic from the photos submitted to our flickr pool by our readers and open up a linky party for anyone to link up with their interpretation of the theme from their blog or flickr stream.

So if you have a good photo representation of "two", I hope you will hop on over there and link up. Oh did I mention that we are doing a giveaway! If you link up at Mortal Muses before 12 midnight EDT on Sunday August 21 you will be entered to win this fantastic necklace by violet bella. What are you waiting for? Head on over to Moral Muses for all the details. Good luck!

And while you are over there be sure to grab a button and spread the word to join us every other Friday for the Mosaic Muse linky party!

a busy, musical corner

2011-08-17T01:01:00.001-04:00

Street shot in black & white for the 52 Photos Project this week.

morning coffee run

2011-08-16T00:01:00.005-04:00

Brooklyn, New York.

Linking up with Anika at Pasando today!

shadow cat

2011-08-14T01:10:00.004-04:00

Happy Shadow Shot Sunday!

underground violins

2011-08-12T00:01:00.002-04:00

Twice in one week! And they couldn't be more different...

{my polaroid reflections}

2011-08-10T07:14:00.001-04:00

As I reflect on the past few weeks of experimentation with my newly acquired Polaroid camera I have one thing to say: "film is hard"! Not that we didn't know this already, but we are truly spoiled by our digital cameras, iPhones, and editing software.

{My mirrored reflection for the 52 Photos Project. I like this one better with the

white border cropped off}

Add on top of the general notion that film is hard the fact that some of the new instant films from the Impossible Project are super sensitive to heat and light, and you've got a real challenge on your hands. With this Silver Shade PZ 600 film you have to shoot only within a certain temperature range and then shield your photo from all light from the moment it ejects from the camera. Trust me, it's not easy, it's like a juggling act.

{I shared this shot on Mortal Muses last week, but thought I'd post it here too!}

But don't get me wrong, it's FUN, and I enjoy a good challenge. I like how I am forced to think through every shot more carefully--the subject, lighting, composition, and other elements of each frame take on a new meaning when it costs over $2.00 per image!

I am going to a workshop at the Impossible Space in SoHo on August 21 that I hope will help quell some of these newbie fears of mine. Until then, I'll be slowly and hesitantly experimenting, gaining a little more confidence each day. Any Polaroid shooters out there? Please feel free to share your experience and tips :)

Linking up today with Bella at 52 Photos Project for the {reflection} theme.

And with the Happiness Project because this Polaroid thing makes me happy!

because i'm having a twirly kinda day

2011-08-09T07:04:00.003-04:00

Sometimes it's the little things that can turn your whole day around.

Like twirling in a flowery dress.

{self portraits with iPhone, processed with gorilla cam, camera+, snapseed, diptic, and kim klassen's stamped softly}

on houston street, nyc

2011-08-08T00:01:00.002-04:00

52 photos project

2011-08-07T00:01:00.009-04:00

I found this jar on the back shelf of an antique store in Maine.
Pretty little thing just needed some love.

It's a gloomy, rainy day here today.

{ETA: I posted this photo before I saw that "reflection" is our new prompt for 52 Photos this week! I'll have to find another one to shoot before Wednesday.}

happy saturday

2011-08-06T00:01:00.006-04:00

I call this, "Never Give Up". Have a great weekend everyone!

Follow me on Instagram!

happy blogiversary! {and a little gift}

2011-08-05T01:10:00.009-04:00

As many of you may know, we've been celebrating our one year anniversary over at Mortal Muses for the past couple of weeks. All of the Muses, present and past, joined together for twelve days of inspired posts and photos. We also announced the retirement of several Muses and the start of five new Muses who will join us beginning next week.

I am wrapping up our celebration over there today and would love it if you'd stop by to say hello. In honor of our anniversary, I went back through the last two weeks of posts and comments and created this inspiration cloud of all the lovely and amazing words that were used on the blog during that time.

Pop on over if you'd like to get the link to print a copy of this little gift from me to you. Keep it for yourself during those times when you need a little inspiration. Oh, and I posted one of my first photos from my newly acquired Polaroid camera over there too. It's a self-portrait, and let me tell you, it made me appreciate film! Hope to see you over there!

red bricks

2011-08-04T01:10:00.003-04:00

{"helping hand", Brooklyn, NY}

to break or not to break?

2011-08-03T01:10:00.005-04:00

So, I think I am going to participate in the August Break. Well, sort of. Kind of. Maybe like an August mini-break.

Over the next month--here and there--I will just post a photo with no a few words. But then again sometimes I might just blog one of my regular posts with lots of pictures and words. I don't know. And I will still be linking up at my usual weekly spots. And for sure, I'll still be coming around and commenting on all your lovely blogs. That part is for sure.

Oh boy, yes, let's just call it an August mini-break.

week in the life {7}

2011-08-01T07:55:00.001-04:00

Well, it's finally here, the last day of Week In The Life. I have to admit I sort of ended with a fizzle instead of a bang yesterday--I didn't take many photos, but here goes.

We started the day with a much needed cleaning of our apartment. Not so fun, but oh so necessary, and so worth it when it was all done. Let's see, what else happened on our lazy Sunday?

The cat drove me crazy climbing all over me when I was trying to sit and watch the Yankee game.

Willow hung out in the kitchen hoping for someone to drop some food on the floor. {at certain angles she looks really chunky...this is one of them :)

I enjoyed a cocktail and played with the macro lens on my iPhone as we made dinner for our neighbors.

And, the neighbors came over with their adorable little baby for the evening. We ate and drank and talked and laughed...but I didn't take any photos.

That's all I've got for today. I hope you all had a great weekend. Is anyone participating in the August Break? I am curious to hear your thoughts if you are doing it this year or if you have done it in the past.

week in the life {6}

2011-07-31T07:48:00.001-04:00

Happy Shadow Shot Sunday everyone! Here are my photos from yesterday's installment of Week In The Life.

As usual, I started my morning with a walk with Willow...

Then I headed downtown to meet a friend for a movie and a pedicure. No photos of the movie or my friend, but I do have photos of the guy on the subway platform and the pretzel man outside the theater...

And by the way you should run, not walk, to see this movie. SO good! Funny, sad, sweet all wrapped into one. Great cast. Just fab!!

And when I came home from my pedicure, I was so happy to find my first postcard from the swap over at The Kat Eye View of the World.

This lovely postcard is from Olivia--she blogs over at Life, Love and Pictures and I was already a follower of her blog. What fun to receive real live mail in this digital world we live in. Olivia has a wonderful blog, you should go and visit her if you get the chance.

OK guys, one more day of Week In The Life coming tomorrow. We are cleaning the apartment today, so that should make for some fun photos. Not. Thanks for checking in, and see you then.

week in the life {5}

2011-07-30T08:31:00.000-04:00

Welcome to day 5 of Week In The Life. I'm going with a real minimalist approach with respect to words today.

Morning ritual...

A quiet Friday morning commute...

After I get off the subway, I walk a few blocks on the streets of Fort Greene, Brooklyn to get to my client's office. Instead of my usual feet photo, I made a short video yesterday to change things up (my first ever video here on the blog :)...

Lunch from the salad guy...

And finally, some interesting company on the subway ride home from work...

Two more days of Week In The Life to go. See you tomorrow!

week in the life {4)

2011-07-29T07:16:00.001-04:00

I have to admit, it's hard blogging every day. When I first started blogging in 2010, I had a few runs when I posted every day but then I settled into a nice routine of every other day or about 4 times a week. This every day thing is a bit of a challenge for this week! OK, enough complaining, I have a post to write.

Today I'll share with you a few shots from yesterday for the project I am participating in (and the reason I committed to posting every day)--Week In the Life. First, I cuddled with Willow in the early morning sun for an arm's length selfie...

I went grocery shopping (blah!)...

I waited on the hot subway platform for my train to work...

My train arrived, not a moment too soon...

I emerged from the underground, a few blocks from work...

I went to work but didn't take any pictures there! (maybe today) Fast forward several hours later--I waited for the train to take me home...

I was jealous of the woman eating ice cream on the train...

While on the train, traveling over the Manhattan Bridge, I took a photo of the Brooklyn Bridge (see it in the distance? not an easy capture).

I left some of my "Smile At A Stranger" notes on the B train! For more about that project, click here.

You may have noticed that I take a lot of pictures on the NYC subway. My current client is located in Brooklyn and my commute takes about an hour so I pass the time taking pictures on my way to and from work. Many of you emailed me and asked in the comments yesterday about how I take my subway and street photos of strangers. Some quick answers--no, I do not ask permission, it's all about capturing people in a moment for me. How do I do it? Well, I'll write a longer post about that sometime soon, but my two biggest tips are confidence and practice!

I am linking up today at InstaFriday over at Life Rearranged (thanks to modchik for turning me on to this). It's a weekly link for mobile photography which is perfect for me as all these photos were taken with my iPhone. Yay! Right up my alley. Have a fantastic weekend everyone.

week in the life {3}

2011-07-28T07:39:00.000-04:00

Hi all! A quick wrap up of yesterday's shots for Week In The Life. I saw these little guys on my morning walk with Willow...

{iPhone/Hipstamatic}

Then I came home and did some blogging over my morning coffee. A usual occurrence...

{iPhone/Instagram}

Before work, I ran out to do some errands. This woman lives near my branch of the NYC public library. I often see her hanging out in her doorway when I am picking up and dropping off books...

{iPhone/Camera+}

I also saw this gentleman. I love the movement of his clothing in this shot...

{iPhone/Hipstamatic/Top Camera}

I bought some flowers while I was out--and of course, used one of them as a photographic prop!

{iPhone/Camera+/PS Mobile}

That's all for today folks. I am enjoying this project. I'm not necessarily taking more photos than I usually do, but it's getting me to blog every day this week and is making me more aware of my everyday routines. If you want to check out more, Ali is doing a linky each day this week for all the participants in Week In The Life. See you tomorrow!

week in the life {2}

2011-07-27T07:05:00.000-04:00

Welcome to day 2 of Week In the Life (if you missed it, I explained what this is yesterday.) I am also still participating in the 52 Photos Project over at Bella's place, so let's start with that link-up today. This week's theme is "chocolate". I didn't have a lot of chocolate in the house so I had to improvise with a chocolate chip and the scrabble board.

{textures by kim klassen: paper stained & pumpkin grunge}

And, I was a little late to the link-up party for last week's "the table at mealtime" theme at 52 Photos but my image for that is over at flickr if you want to check it out.

OK, now on to yesterday's shots for Week In The Life. Today I am sharing my morning cereal and morning news ritual...

{"morning news, morning cereal", taken with iPhone, processed with instagram}

The Cat, taking part in her usual routine of messing with all the electronic and expensive things in the house...

{"iCat", taken with iPhone, processed with instagram}

And of course, no day is really complete without a subway scene from my commute...

{"oblivious", taken with iPhone, processed with camera+}

See you tomorrow, with my scenes from today for Week In The Life!

week in the life {1}

2011-07-26T06:55:00.004-04:00

Well, the heat wave finally broke here. The temperatures have dropped at least 30 degrees since the weekend, and we got some much needed rain.

{a walk through the park}

A fun new project called Week In The Life started over at Ali Edwards place yesterday. She's encouraging people to participate by documenting their days with words and photos (and other art forms) from July 25-July 31.

{my commute}

Ali has also set up a free community space to share photos and messages over at Big Picture Classes. I wasn't sure I was going to have time to participate, but I've decided to do my own "light" version taking a few photos each day, tagging on instagram (#weekinthelife) and posting to my blog every day this week with a photo or two from the previous day.

{my crew, minus the cat, but that's OK}

I hope you will consider joining us! A big thanks to Maureen over at Cottage 960 for encouraging me to participate in Week In The Life! I am also hooking up today with Anika over at Pasando for her Tuesday phonography link and with Lisa at The Creative Exchange.

hot in the city!

2011-07-24T08:17:00.004-04:00

Temperatures have been soaring this week across much of the U.S. It hit 104*F here in New York City over the past couple of days. The heat didn't stop me from getting out, although it did slow me down a bit.

As I walked down Canal Street it was clear that the heat was certainly not keeping the hundreds of vendors away from their trade. If you've never been, Canal Street is a crowded commercial area of lower Manhattan known for its shops and open air stalls selling everything from counterfeit designer bags, to hats and cheap jewelry, from clothing to DVDs to kitschy souvenirs.

I got several shots off of this man, although I don't think he was too happy about it. But how could I resist all that fabulous color!

The man at the shop at the photos I took below actually yelled and told me I had to give him a dollar for taking pictures of his NYC souvenirs. Uh, mister, I don't think so....

I think the heat was getting to this man...he wasn't trying too hard to sell these suitcases.

Now, the reason I was walking around in this area in the extreme heat is that the Impossible Project store is on Broadway just off Canal Street. For those wondering what the verdict is on my beautiful Polaroid SX-70 land camera...it needs a little repair. While I was disappointed to hear this, the guy in the IP store said it's in great condition and should be easy to fix. But since I needed instant gratification (pun intended) in shooting with a Polaroid camera, I bought a second (much cheaper) camera so I could start experimenting right away.

I'm still working on it, but hopefully will have some photos to show soon. In the meantime, stay cool everyone!

vintage instant

2011-07-22T08:42:00.000-04:00

It's crazy hot and humid in NYC today. The temps are expected to rise to 103 degrees F! It's been like this all week, not exactly great weather for any outdoor photo walks or street shooting. So I spent some time on eBay and bought myself a really fun new toy. And since it's so hot outside, I did a little indoor photo shoot this morning...

An original Polaroid SX-70 land camera. These babies were made in the early 1970s. Isn't she a peach? I have not film tested her yet, but she appears to be in really good condition. I got a pretty good deal on it so it was worth the gamble to see if she actually works. Lucky for me I live in NYC and we have the Impossible Project store downtown in SoHo... I am headed there today to test the camera and buy some film. I won't let the heat keep me away!

As you can see, The Cat is also pretty excited about my new purchase. I can't seem to get her out of the way in my photos the last couple of days. She did the same thing yesterday...

I took this photo above to use in my announcement of our new theme, "two", over at Mortal Muses today. If you want to join us, shoot your photo interpretations of "two" over the next two weeks and share them in our flickr pool. Hope to see you there! In the meantime, I'll hopefully be shooting some Polaroids.

{all textures by Kim Klassen}

the connections we make

2011-07-19T07:14:00.006-04:00

It's strange, this virtual world. On our blogs, flickr, twitter, facebook, instagram we often share intimate details of our lives. Sometimes with words and other times through a photograph that needs no narrative or description. And in this world we get to know each other even though we never meet. We come to expect and look forward to visits and comments from certain people, we feel like we know their dogs, their spouses, their children...their good days and bad.

I was touched recently when I started to see tributes to a blogger named "Char" who apparently died suddenly in June. I was not in her direct blogging circle, but some of the blogs I follow were connected to her. I have run across many lovely posts about her in recent weeks. It made me think about the importance of the connections we make on our blogs, the impact we have on each other, and how precious our webfriends are to us.

Similarly, I was shocked to log onto one of my favorite iphoneography sites on Sunday to find that a member of our little community died in a tragic motorcycle accident on Saturday in Oregon. While I never met him, Nacho Cordova was a wonderful photographer and artist, a fabulous and frequent commenter on flickr and iphoneart, and what I like to call, a bloggy friend. He was especially taken by my "Year of Restaurant Selfies" photos on flickr and always had the most thought-provoking comments about the way I was standing, holding the camera, tilting my head, whether my eyes were peeking over the camera. He actually made me evaluate my work in a way I hadn't before. (for an example, you can click the photo below and see one of Nacho's many observant comments.)

I featured this photo below of his on Mortal Muses back in March and he was so thrilled that he wrote an amazing piece about the site on his blog (which is unfortunately not functioning right now or I would link to it). When I shared it with the other muses we were all so taken by his words and how he described our photography collaborative in a way that we had never done ourselves. He just had that way about him.

{"who sings to us in silence?" by Nacho Cordova}

The outpouring of support and sadness about his passing has been incredible on iphoneart.com, flickr, life in lofi, EyeEm and various other iphoneography blogs and sites. Although we are spread all over the world, technology makes it so easy for us to connect but we can just as easily be separated by one moment in time that changes everything. I can't help this week but be very aware of the frailty of life. Although I never met Nacho, I and many others will miss his support and unique perspective. My thoughts are with his family and friends.

No linkys today.

if you look down

2011-07-17T08:32:00.004-04:00

Walking through the park with Willow the other day I found color...

And fun...

And apparently I found my way...

If only it was that easy.

Sharing today at...

those happy little surprises

2011-07-14T08:06:00.004-04:00

I am jumping for joy that I am guest posting over at Shutter Sisters today!

I took this self-portrait a few weeks back when we were vacationing in Maine. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that I captured my shadow in addition to my reflection on the lake. Don't you just love when those little happy accidents happen in your photographs?

I was equally surprised when Tracey Clark recently asked me to do a guest post over at Shutter Sisters. What an honor, thank you Tracey. I hope you will go give me some love over there today dear followers, it would mean so much to me :) Have a wonderful day!

If you are interested in joining me on my smile campaign that I've been blogging about this week, click on the button below for more info!

And finally, linking up with the "summertime" theme today at I Should Be Folding Laundry.

a summertime treat

2011-07-13T16:02:00.000-04:00

I've got to keep it short today, but I didn't want to miss my chance to link up over at the 52 Photos Project. This week's theme is "a summertime treat". So many things came to my mind for this one, but I didn't get around to actually shooting any of my cool ideas. Sigh.

One thing I do love about summer is the load of vegetables that I get to pick up every week at my CSA. For those not familiar, a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is a farm that brings their goodies into the city and sells them to urban black thumbs like myself that have no space for a garden of their own. We pay for the season in advance, which gives the farmer cash to grow his veggies, and we reap the benefits from June-October. (we also share in the risk so if there is no crop, it's too bad for us even though we paid.)

Here's a quick iPhone shot of my loot from yesterday:

We've got some mint, swiss chard, kale, peppers, garlic scapes (love!), kohlrabi, peas and more! For more summertime treats, click on the link below.

the train's frame

2011-07-12T07:53:00.000-04:00

Hello! Sorry I have been gone for several days, I was a little sick over the weekend but I am back now! If you missed my last post I hope you will check it out. I have been leaving notes on the NYC subway trying to get people to smile a little more. If you'd like to read more, and maybe join the fun, go here.

I'd like to think that this man is taking my advice, and smiling at the woman across the platform. I was just standing there waiting for the doors to close so we could get on our way and I noticed how the door frame and his body were perfectly framing her in the distance. I quickly whipped out my iPhone and snapped this shot.

{processed with camera+}

While waiting on the platform yesterday I saw this couple perfectly framed through the window of the Q train. Again, quickly snapped before they pulled away.

{processed with camera+}

And here again, someone framed by the window...I guess it has been a thing for me this past week, and I think there will be more of it coming. I need a way to pass the time during my commute!

{processed with lo-mob}

Hooking up today with:

{join me} smile at a stranger today!

2011-07-09T10:39:00.002-04:00

I've been working on a new project. It started out as something just for me, but perhaps you'd like to join me?

In a nutshell, I've been leaving notes that say "Smile At A Stranger Today" on the NYC subway. I leave them on the seats, taped to the walls, anywhere I can. Everyone is so serious these days, I'm just trying to lighten things up and bring some smiles back into it!

Maybe you'd like to make a note and hang it in a public place? It doesn't have to be on the subway--it could be on a lamppost, at the mall, in a restroom. Or maybe you want to hang one on your mirror, you know, just as a reminder to yourself!

For more details and photos check out my mini blog Smile At A Stranger and my flickr group. I'll be doing this all summer and I'd love to spread the smiles around!

in the garden

2011-07-06T07:34:00.000-04:00

The prompt this week at the 52 Photos Project is "in the garden". While city-living doesn't provide me with the opportunity to have my own personal garden, I am lucky to have gorgeous flowers on the grounds of my apartment building and a neighborhood with quite a few public gardens.

I took this with my iPhone, and since I am not feeling terribly colorful today, processed it in this vintage, grungy style with Iris Photo Suite.

work vs. play

2011-07-05T07:59:00.000-04:00

Work feet, play feet. Where have your feet been spending most of their time this summer?

For more fun summer feet images, check out my post at Mortal Muses today! And be sure to pop over and visit the wonderful entries at The Creative Exchange and Pasando Phonography too.

silhouette and shadow

2011-07-03T09:35:00.004-04:00

I took this photo several weeks ago and just got around to posting it. It's probably hard to visualize unless you know the spot, but it's the Hub leaning up against a short stone wall overlooking the Hudson River, the George Washington Bridge and the New Jersey horizon in the distance. I shot and processed this with my iPhone and liked the strong, stark contrast I got with this version--I think I used the format126 app.

And since it's Shadow Shot Sunday I have another shadow portrait for you today. Yes, another one! I hope you are not too sick of these, because I have so much fun taking and processing them :)

Hope you are all having a great weekend so far!

BAM! {an update}

2011-07-01T08:08:00.001-04:00

It has been a while since I've given an update on my 52 weeks of BAM! project. For those who are not familiar, BAM is a self-portrait project--one a week, or whatever it takes, to get 52 self portraits by the end of the year. There are some really incredible, creative selfies in the flickr group that I honestly can't compete with, but I am doing what works for me and it has been a fun creative journey so far.

Earlier in the year I posted the first five photos, then the second five, and then sort of fell off on sharing my selfies here on the blog. To celebrate being halfway through with this project, here is a sampling of the last 16 shots I've taken...

This first one above is also part of my "Year of Restaurant Selfies" project where I am taking a photo of myself in the restroom mirror of every restaurant/bar I go to this year. I've learned from this venture that I need to go out more :)

This one of me and Willow was a test shot when I was trying out my new tripod. This was taken right before she got sick...she is doing really well now by the way :)

This was taken on the fire escape outside my apartment. It's the closest thing we have to a backyard...NYC style!

Here, I was sending a message to myself after a rough start to the year. Note the cat in the background...I didn't know she had jumped into the background and I love her little bokeh selfie!

I'll leave you with my latest shadow portrait of me and my favorite friend--my iPhone! I took this one yesterday on the way to work when I stopped to buy my morning coffee. The processing I did really makes the street look extra dirty and gross, but it adds a certain texture to the photo, don't you think?

If you have been a regular reader here you may notice that this is a lot of face for me to be showing! It was one of my goals for the year to stop hiding behind the camera so much (although I still do that a lot too :) I hope everyone has a fabulous holiday weekend if you are here in the states--and Happy Canada Day as well!

the blue hour

2011-06-29T07:14:00.001-04:00

The prompt this week at 52 Photos Project is the "blue hour". This is the time of day just before sunrise and just after sunset when the sky is not completely dark but the sun is gone (or has yet to arrive) and the sky turns, well, kind of blue.

I've wanted to try to take a blue hour photo for some time, but the motivation just wasn't there--the morning time is way too early for me and at night I am usually settled in from a long day and don't really want to pack up my gear and go out for a photo shoot. But, thanks to Bella at 52 Photos I had all the motivation I needed this week. It had to be done, so I went to one of my favorite spots just down the street from my apartment.

I set up my tripod and played around with my camera settings a bit. All of these images were taken at f/8 or f/9, the shutter speed varied from 1 to 3 seconds and I set an ISO of 100 or 200. This photo below was actually one of the last ones I took and really has the darkest "blue" hue to it because the lighting was just right (about 9pm).

You can see the various different hues of blue as the following pictures were taken about 10-15 minutes earlier than the first one.

I like the car headlights from the Henry Hudson Parkway in the bottom left corner of the next two shots but it was still a little too light out to capture the best blue.

While I am not completely happy with these photos, I did manage to capture the blue-ness so I can't complain too much. I am very happy that I finally got myself out there with my camera to try this out--thanks Bella! If you want to know when the blue hour is where you live, check out this site where it tells you the time of the blue hour all over the world.

And yes, of course I had to take a shot with my iPhone, although the "blue" is primarily thanks to the lo-mob app because I couldn't keep the shutter open long enough to achieve the blue effect just within the phone's camera.

iFlowers

2011-06-28T05:40:00.008-04:00

I've been playing with some of my photography related toys this past week. I have a tiny macro lens for my iPhone and I don't get to use it much, but I had the opportunity to work with it a little more while I was on vacation. Darn, you really need a steady had to use that sucker. And the wind...well if there is even the slightest breeze, forget it.

And I am soooo happy with my new iPad2. A while back I decided that I was not going to update the operating system on my iPhone because I read about so many people having issues after they did it. The problem is, certain apps require a minimum level OS and some of my favorite apps just quit working on me. Now that I have my iPad I can use one of my real go-to apps again...the pictures above and below were edited with Lo-mob. Yay, I missed you Lo-mob!

I also can get some new camera apps with the iPad that won't even download on my iPhone since I have refused to update the OS. (and let's be honest, I am just biding my time now, waiting for the next generation iPhone so I can upgrade.) Enter Iris Studio...lots of cool vintage effects that I can't wait to play around with some more.

And I couldn't ignore trying a macro lens Hipstamatic shot--this one below was taken with the Salvador 84 lens, which gives photos a random surreal and dreamy effect.

And finally, I couldn't completely ignore my DSLR, so this last purple blast is from the gardens of Maine, with a little twist for Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen Cafe.

{textures by kim klassen, cathair studios and isabelle lafrance}

I hope you have a flowery day!