Duane Street Summer - a new Tribeca Summer Impression...

...from a photographer's notebook

It’s been quite some time since I’ve engaged in one of those late night visual fugues and turned one of my photographs into something more impressionistic…or, as I like to call it, “messing around with a few thousand innocent little pixels.”

Fact is, I’ve been rather busy with the “literal,” especially since purchasing my first full-frame digital SLR, the exquisitely capable Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, prior to my recent week in New York.

Nonetheless, as Canon celebrated earlier this year the 30^th Anniversary of its highly successful line of EOS auto-focus cameras, causing me to realize I had been an EOS shooter almost from the git-go, jumping aboard in 1988 with one of the first two EOS film SLRs, this became a rather special month, what with jumping, no...plunging!... into full-frame D-SLR shooting with one of Canon’s high end statements (and so glad I waited to do it for what the 5D-IV brings to the party!).

But neither this little ramble nor the product of my “messing around” has to do with my new 5D. Rather, it relates to that first EOS film SLR that competed with my trusty Nikon manual focus SLRs for this photographer’s affection back in 1988, the EOS-620.

After serving me quite well for a couple of years, the trusty little 620 stepped aside in 1990, for no fault of its own, to make way for the industrial strength professional iteration of EOS technology, the EOS-1, which I had to spring for once it was clear EOS cameras would be part of my shooting tools, and which I happily still use.

However, in shall we call it a wave of sentimentality (and if you know me, you know those waves crash often upon this shore), I purchased a “new” EOS-620 a few years ago, remembering in this era of menu-driven camera controls just how straightforward was its operation by comparison – sort of a part-time return to a more “comfort-food-y” experience with a camera that had the basic essentials for getting it done without a lot of unnecessary fuss.

The 620 also reminded me of my first exciting visits to both Paris and the Swiss Alps. And, if another excuse was needed, well, the price was right – a minty 620 for twenty-eight bucks, shipping included! Yes, by this point, in 2012, digital photography had pretty much knocked the bottom out of most of the film camera market. And besides, the EOS-620 had been superseded several times by newer EOS film camera models with more features, so in EOS terms, it was a very “old” model. But it was those solid “essentials” I was looking to have in my film camera arsenal once again. So, a happy “new” addition to the ol’ tool kit…

Becoming aware of the 30^th anniversary of Canon’s EOS system, I wrote a story about my (almost) thirty years of snuggling my eye up against various EOS cameras’ viewfinders, including both the one that got it started for me, the EOS-620 and that “new” 620 I got hold of in 2012. To illustrate the piece, I started selecting images from my original and “new” EOS-620s – an interesting voyage of re-discovery for me, as it combined shooting from the periods 1988-1990 and 2012-present.

In seeking out some from the latter period, the search led me to the original image from which the impression you see (a portion of) up top was created.

That “new” EOS-620 had come along with me to NYC in 2013 and served me well alongside the D-SLR and another EOS film camera. Indeed, the 620 was in my pack on the delightful first day of summer late afternoon that I discovered the inviting motifs of Duane Street in Tribeca. And while I was doing most of my shooting with the digital camera, I did make sure to use the 620, loaded with Kodak Ektar-100 film, to capture some of those moments in the golden light of a New York afternoon. Some of that shooting was capturing the human activities aspect of Duane Street, richly back-lighted from my point of view looking west along Duane to Greenwich Street.

The shots were fine, but, if you’ve read my blog story or listened to the accompanying “PhotoMoments” podcast about discovering the delights of this short street in Tribeca, you know how magical I found the experience. I could not have discovered this venue at a better time of the day with that special kind of afternoon sunlight that New York provides. And, somehow, the Ektar shots were almost too “literal,” not quite catching, I felt, the special sensual experience of my visit.

And so, my exercise late last night, using one of the original Ektar images, which I think did better capture that special Duane Street ambiance and the warm glow I felt in experiencing it.

This “Duane Street Summer” impression (see it in full scope here) will be available in archival prints on fine art 100% cotton fiber paper in a variety of sizes. If you’d like to own this little golden sunlit slice of Tribeca in summer, please be in touch.

©2017 Steve Ember

A Happy Day for "Lower Broadway"

...from a photographer's notebook 

"Lower Broadway" ©2015 Steve Ember

No, not a song title, but a felicitous confluence of events for a photograph of which I’m quite fond, and which made Friday pretty special for me.

“Lower Broadway,” a black and white study from my first explorations of New York’s Tribeca neighborhood, was shot along that thoroughfare in Lower Manhattan on a June afternoon in 2013.

Min Enghauser, who has over the years brought much of my work to life, whether in the darkroom or as a master printmaker in digital fine arts media, produced a stunning 24 x 36 inch archival pigment print of this and a companion image from my Tribeca explorations.

The interval since the photos were taken was a very busy period which included my career transition to…freedom!...so, while both images have been seen on my Foto-Community pages, Min’s lovely prints were under wraps until recently, when I decided it was time to get them out there in the real world, beyond their electronic incarnations.

I learned earlier this month that “Lower Broadway” was selected for inclusion in the Maryland Federation of Art’s “MD Art @ College Park” Third Annual Fine Art Juried Exhibition, so it was time to get this big fellow ready for display. Paul Nee and his associates at Capital Framing in Fairfax did their usual lovely work for me, nicely setting off Min’s exquisite print.

At the Opening Reception Friday evening

At the exhibit’s opening reception Friday evening, I was delighted to find that the photograph had received a Juror’s Choice Award from Yumi Hogan, Maryland’s First Lady and artist as well as art professor at the Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore.

The other happy bit of news attaching to this photograph was that, a couple of weeks ago, a fellow photographer had proposed “Lower Broadway” for the French Foto-Community Gallery. And a couple of hours before leaving for the reception, I received notification that the photo had been voted on by this peer group and accorded the F-C Gallery Star.

So, happy day indeed for a favorite image. And a big thank you to Taras Matla of the University of Maryland Art Gallery, who was responsible for hanging the show, for according my photograph a wall of its own, which, along with the fine lighting, made for a lovely gallery debut for a favorite NYC image of mine. And thanks also to Executive Director Joann Vaughan and Hannah Sturm of the MFA for coordinating this expansive exhibit.

The show will run through August 1. The Art Gallery is located in the Art and Sociology Building, University of Maryland at College Park. For more information, please call the Gallery at 301-405-2763 or the MFA at 410-268-4566.

©2015 Steve Ember

Duane Street, you delight!

from a photographer's notebook...

Duane Street, in the special sunshine of a Tribeca afternoon...

I wrote earlier about some of the delights of discovering Tribeca in June of 2013.

This section of Lower Manhattan proved rich in all manner of photographic motifs, both color and black and white.

Whether in architectural detail, the human element, or some wonderful patterns of light, Tribeca was a feast for the senses – and most certainly the cameras, including the two film SLRs in my pack.

When discovering new areas, especially when they are as motif-rich as Tribeca, I often prefer to concentrate on small slices. It gives me the chance to relax, visualize, and drink in the ambiance. 

Even the pigeons cast long shadows in the Tribeca late afternoon sunshine

One such “small slice” was the two block stretch of Duane Street that runs from Greenwich Street on the west to Hudson Street on the east. Just two blocks, but lots of visual inspiration. 

The Duane Park Patisserie occupies the ground floor of this Duane Street loft building  ©Steve Ember

Loft buildings, five and six stories tall with lots of ornate details, festooned with fire escapes and adorned by ironwork fronts, calling forth a history of Lower Manhattan commerce, a trattoria, a patisserie, a sushi bar, and a variety of shops and neighborhood joints, all creating this inviting mélange of textures, shapes, patterns, and long shadows in the late afternoon sun.

But, also, as New York seems to do so well in unexpected settings, a delightful little triangle of green where the street bifurcates, called Duane Park.

Oh, yes, and pigeons. Lots of pigeons. 

Laurie is a composer of modern music living in one of the loft buildings. She loves pigeons…and they love her right back.

Other residents smile at the photographer balancing three cameras and a tripod in the middle of the street. Some stop to chat on their way home with groceries, or a baguette tucked under an arm. Residents meet…chat…walk their dogs...ride their bikes.

Along Duane Street, Roberta Roller Rabbit brings a smile to a visiting photographer, while Mondo Cane evokes a favorite movie theme

A boutique called Roberta Roller Rabbit brings a smile as I can’t help but conjure up bunnies on roller skates traversing this mini canyon of old brick and cobblestones. And a neighboring shop, called Mondo Cane, predictably sets the needle in the ol’ Gray Matter Gramophone down on Riz Ortolani’s sensuous “More” theme from that 1963 film, as I luxuriate in the sun of this glorious June afternoon, fifty years later.

"Staple Street, Tribeca" ©2014 Steve Ember

There's a narrow canyon formed by Staple Street, which intersects with Duane, and it provides a bounty of interlocking forms and textures, including a little detail I’d not even been aware of until a year later, when I had some large exhibit prints made of my “Staple Street, Tribeca.” If you look carefully, up in the scaffolding, there’s a solitary construction worker in a hard hat at work behind a plastic sheet. (*) Guess his mates had already called it a day…

I love the quality of the late afternoon sunlight that New York provides photographers, and anyone else with eyes and sensibilities to take it in and celebrate it…the long shadows, the strong shafts of sunlight filtering through the architectural canyons that alternately delineate forms or bathe them in a luminescent glow.

It created some lovely motifs, especially for the roll of “old look” Adox CHS 50 ART I’d loaded in one of the film cameras. It’s a great afternoon for walking in the low humidity sunshine of this last day of spring. Even the little guy in the illuminated “Walk” sign along Greenwich Street seems to have a “spring” in his step.

Detail from "Duane Street Afternoon" (Adox CHS-50 ART film)

It's a great time for enjoying the warm sun, while sitting, as well, as the diners in the outdoor café at Restaurant ROC would attest. That same spot would find my appetite-stoked self just a bit later for an aperitif and some tasty pasta, before heading downtown to take the PATH train from World Trade Center over to Jersey City to savor the Lower Manhattan skyline at twilight from the promenade at Exchange Place.

(*) OK, if you couldn’t find him…look above the bridge between the two buildings .

More of my photos of Tribeca, as well as other NYC motifs, can be viewed here.

©2014 Steve Ember 

New Super-Heroes for Gotham City

...from a photographer's notebook

Detail from "Tribeca Dreamscape No.1 - Warp Speed" ©2014 Steve Ember    See it in higher definition here

Gotham City, 2 AM.

Move over, Batman, Spiderman, and all you other overexposed superheroes - you’ve had your day (and your night!)…

Marty McFly and Doc are back. They've moved to New York, and they’re ready to reclaim their rightful place in the Pantheon.

Marty has opened a trendy boutique on Duane Street called Mondo DeLorean.

But that’s just a  respectable  front, ‘cause Doc has set up shop in a garage in a rundown section of Queens, where he’s clandestinely giving new life to decommissioned Crown Victoria taxi cabs and other “Detroit Iron.” 

Read more »

Bunny Beats Last Bass Drum

           ...from a photographer's notebook

Detail from "Anybody Seen My Drum?" - Tribeca Moment No.11

Sometimes, “enough is bloody well enough,” according to an unidentified spokesperson representing the vigilante group Tribeca Citizens Against Noise Pollution.

After several weeks of complaints to the NYPD over a rhythmic low frequency thumping in the neighborhood at 3 AM, irate citizens, determining the racket was not coming from a disco or underground sewer gas explosions, focused their attention on a short stretch of White Street between Church St and Broadway.

Surveillance equipment recorded the unlikely sight of the Energizer Bunny beating a large bass drum as he walked repeatedly up and down the deserted street, from Church to Broadway.

When police detectives assigned to the case dismissed the video as “some kinda geeky YouTube hoax,”  TCANP vigilantes apparently took matters into their own hands.

On the afternoon of June 23, a visiting photographer, looking upward at architectural detail along White St, captured the grisly sight of the bunny hanging from a sign pole, drum beater still clutched in his left paw.

No trace was found of the bass drum, but area merchants reported anonymous notes slipped under their doors warning them not to sell Energizer-brand batteries.

©2014 Steve Ember

If you'd like to see the full image, including the Photo Note Card design click here.

My growing series of "Tribeca Moments," as well as other NYC images can be found in my New York City folder on Foto-Community.

Smile!

    ...from a photographer's notebook

Just a little smile-maker for anyone who may be in need of one today.

Last June, on a perfect, sunny, low-humidity afternoon, I came upon this smiling menagerie on West Broadway, in the Tribeca section of Lower Manhattan. 

In that great afternoon light, these "floaties" outside the Balloon Saloon presented a festive mix of color and whimsicality that had me smiling and looking for all sorts of angles and settings in which to capture them. Particularly liked that happy looking dolphin! But, of course, having a fondness for toothsome *Crocolators, his pal nearby was also a favorite. And doesn't that "killer whale" turn up the corners of your mouth?

I spent several hours on successive days exploring Tribeca and taking in the vibrant street ambiance, and plan to do more during future visits. If you follow my work, you may have seen some of my "Tribeca Moments." If not, this link will take you to my New York City images on Foto-Community.

Any of my Tribeca (or other NYC) scenes are available in archival gallery prints and as custom printed Photo Note Cards. For more information, contact me at the e-mail address in right column.

Oh, and don't forget to smile - you just might make someone's day...mine included.

* Oh, yes, "Crocolator?" Keeps me from having to guess if it's a crocodile or an alligator!

©2014 Steve Ember

In our little well-secluded cell of ceiling and walls...

...from a photographer's notebook

Does anything in this photo strike you as "odd?"

Tribeca, Manhattan on a rainy afternoon.

Regular visitors to this space know how the weirdly wired synapses that spark off messages behind the eyeballs and between the ears of your correspondent can go on a musically tinged tangent at the slightest provocation, often the mere click of a camera's shutter...

I am fortunate in being able to say that good music - and that covers a number of genres - has enriched my existence. I am reminded often of just how much that good music is imbued in me by just how easily I can be reminded of a song, by a serendipitous experience...such as the one I'll relate below. And in this case, it was a song that just had to be heard again.

Some narration recognition in the 2013 New York Festivals Awards led to a trip to the Apple for the Awards Gala last night (more about that in a future posting ;-)...and, considering it had been quite some time since I last enjoyed the City, I decided to carve out a celebratory week of it. Naturally, that would include the cameras.

I guess I've been auto-programmed (to use a camera term) over many years to stay at hotels in midtown. Convenient and all that...But in putting this trip together, I decided to cast a wider net, to ensure I'd be exploring at least one, hopefully camera-inspiring neighborhood not previously visited.

From my window, Freedom Tower

Fortuitously, this led to choosing the Tribeca neighborhood. TriBeCa stands for the triangle below Canal (Street). My hotel choice was the Tribeca Grand, which, interestingly enough, is triangular, situated in the three-sided block formed by Avenue of the Americas, Church Street, and Walker Street -- and was grandly cooperative when I requested a room with a view on an upper floor in booking my reservation. Indeed, the view that greeted me from my large top floor window encompassed the panorama of Freedom Tower (One World Trade Center) rising spectacularly just a few blocks downtown...across a cityscape of rooftop water tanks, lush roof gardens, and fire escape festooned dwellings...more modern buildings...and a clear shot to the Hudson and the Jersey City waterfront...all set off by a deep blue late day sky laced with wispy cirrus formations. What a terrifically photogenic introduction to Tribeca.

More cityscapes and individual examples of distinctive and/or unique architecture are to be captured in the days ahead, but if you're wondering about that title...and the inevitable musical tangent...

Well, you see, there's this building just a few blocks down Church Street from my hotel. At first glance, it most certainly fits one's expectations of modern Manhattan skyscrapers, often rising starkly amidst older, more traditional structures. It is known as 33 Thomas Street; but also as the AT&T Long Lines Building.

It is 550 feet tall, which would normally signify about 50 floors. But this is no "normal" building. It is a heavy duty telephone and data switching center whose twenty-nine floors measure much higher than those of typical skyscraper office buildings. But its real uniqueness has to do with how it can initially fool the eye into not noticing a notable architectural absence.

I actually had been shooting past it from my hotel "perch" as I composed certain downtown views toward Freedom Tower. Just looked like one of those modernistic monoliths.

Then, today, as I viewed it from the street plaza of the Tribeca Grand, while doing some rainy rush hour captures, it finally struck me - this 550 foot tall building has...no windows! I was chatting with Nikos, the hotel doorman, at the time and asked him about the windowless monolith down the street. When he told me it was the AT&T Long Lines building, it suddenly made perfect sense.

AT&T Long Lines Building as seen from the plaza in front of Tribeca Grand Hotel

Telephone companies often have such buildings, and they try to make them inconspicuous, such that they'll "fit in" with surrounding architecture. I've seen such structures closer to home and had easily figured out what they were. But New York has its own style - and scale - so it makes perfect sense AT&T Long Lines would require a skyscraper for its major switching center.

The building, designed by architect John Carl Warnecke, is in the Brutalist architectural style (think the futuristic cast concrete buildings  in Mexico City that director Paul Verhoeven chose as locations in the early scenes of "Total Recall.") but it does make more of a soaring statement, befitting Manhattan.

So...about that song that's been lurking in this narrative...a song I actually had not heard in twenty or more years, but which literally jumped into my stream of consciousness with such clarity that I could have been listening to it just yesterday, as I looked up at the AT&T Long Lines Building and took these shots...

In 1964, a musical opened on Broadway that was based on an acerbic novel written by Bud Schulberg in 1941 about a back-stabbing Hollywood scoundrel, who claws his way up the ladder of success from humble beginnings in 1930's New York. His name is Sammy Glick, and he uses people right and left. The name of the novel - and the musical - was "What Makes Sammy Run?"

Ervin Drake wrote a wonderful bunch of songs, which were superbly performed by Robert Alda, Sally Ann Howes...and Steve Lawrence, in his first role on Broadway, as the cad Sammy Glick. But this was the Broadway of 1964, and Sammy's character was softened accordingly. Certainly as played by Lawrence, a genuinely likable singer with genuine vocal chops, Sammy was oddly likable. 

A great thrill for me as a young man was seeing "What Makes Sammy Run?" at the 54th Street Theater in 1965 and meeting Steve Lawrence afterwards. Even got to say hello to the lovely Ms Howes.

But about that song brought forth so vividly in my mind's ear as I shot the windowless AT&T monolith...

My favorite song in Drake's rich score was the one in which Sammy seduces Kit Sargent (Sally Ann Howes) - you've perhaps guessed it by now? -  "A Room Without Windows."

It often amazes me how, with all the day to day detritus the brain must process, a great song lyric one hasn't heard in more years than can be counted on one's fingers can be tucked so securely in the gray matter nooks and crannies that it will spring to consciousness with near 100% accuracy - and such vibrancy - as occurred this afternoon.

It just had to be heard again - right away, if at all possible!

Satisfied with my rainy rush hour captures outside the hotel, I scooted up to my room, cranked up the PC, and did a quick search on You Tube with the hope of finding at least some audio for the cast recording of  "What Makes Sammy Run?"

No luck there, but I did find a nice clean upload of the song from a CD reissue of a Steve Lawrence album of that period, with Steve singing "A Room Without Windows," to a superb Don Costa big band arrangement.

As I immediately replied to Alan Glasscock, who had the great good taste to post this fine song, what can you say about Ervin Drake's lyrics - when one hasn't heard a song in so many years and it springs to mind almost word for word...Sadly, that kind of lyric writing craft is long gone.

A dreary, rainy afternoon in Manhattan perhaps, but not in Room 817 of the Tribeca Grand.

©2013 Steve Ember