Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Off the beaten track






Well....not really. These pics were taken on an excursion by horseback to some local caves where you can swim in the underwater pools, a fairly well known touristy trip. The title was more in reference to the style of photos. Compared to the shots below, they are slightly 'off the beaten track' in that they aren’t of conventional subject matter or conventionally composed etc. This is nothing ground breaking and the shots themselves aren’t anything too special but for me they are far more visually interesting than the shots below. This is one of my problems with photography is that, as in art, my tastes often differ from the norm. Without sounding patronizing to everyone else I’m sure photojournalists would prefer the shots above than those below because they don’t follows the ‘laws’ of photography whilst also posing questions rather than presenting facts. For me photography is a tool that is often dumbed down by magazines and publishers who have their own reasons for picking the pictures they do but which are often driven by sales targets and potential advertisers. Anyway, I try not to rant on this blog and want to try and leave the pictures to speak for themselves, on this occasion I have failed miserably. Nevertheless my intention was to raise the point and to see if anyone would be interested in adding their own opinions on the matter. Please therefore feel free to comment.

Dominican Republic




Wanted a break from New York so managed to get across to Dominican Republic on a last minute package deal, these are a just a couple of 'tourist guide' style pictures that I took.

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Baseball


These shots were taken in Brooklyn, just south of Bedford Avenue in a slightly poorer neighbourhood. The kid was practicing pitching whilst his dad played on the courts, it was nice afternoon and there was a real community feel to the whole thing, somebody setting a bbq up for example to feed the players and their families after the match.

Wall Street

Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn

This shot was taken along Bedford Avenue, a pretty trendy part of Brooklyn.

Monday, June 19, 2006

Manhattan Skyline

Coney Island




Think Blackpool, then try to imagine something even more tacky and with a bit more sun and you have Coney Island. This place certainly does have character and a lot of history. Only spent an afternoon their and these pictures don't really show how thriving it was-for some reason though I don't really want to go back.

Diner

This is me in one of my favourite diners near Union Square, you can't go to New York without sampling their pancakes with choc chip and bannana. If there's one thing the Americans do well its food thats bad for you.

Top of the Rock - Rockefeller Building





snapshot




I have no idea why I like this shot-I just do. Its not funny, it doesn't really make a comment, it merely cpatures a moment and was shot more of an instinct, my arm moving and my finger tripping the shutter before my brain had caught up enough to ask 'what are you shooting?'

Apple Store - 5th Avenue

Gorillas - Bronx zoo



If the baby gorilla in the bottom picture could speak I'm sure it would be saying something along the lines of 'ello sailor'.....unfortunately we will never know.

New York by day and night






some of the sights...

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Handball, East Village, NYC







Handball-this is a really under-rated and under-exposed sport. All you need is a ball and a wall and your away. These guys play regularly in the lower east side and are completely passionate about it-all sorts play it ranging from doctors on their lunch break to kids from the street, as with all good sports it seems to unify people really well. Anyway I've been back a few times and want to build up a body of work on it-so watch this space.

Guggenheim Museum


Call me a pleb but the most interesting thing about this place was the lobby....

Evening light, east side, NYC


Monday, June 12, 2006

Louis the War Veteran - East Village, NYC



This old Italian American dude from Brooklyn had some interesting stories to tell. Mainly about his fascination with gambling and the Korean War, although not the two together...

Downtown Manhattan