September 2010
Murder on Vanderbilt (Prospect Heights)
Last night, there was a murder just a couple of blocks from my studio, at a bar called Branded Saloon. Apparently it began as an altercation between two dog owners whose dogs were yapping at each other while they were leashed to the fence outside. In the end, a previously convicted murder named Daniel Pagan stabbed and killed one of Branded’s bartenders, Chai Eun J Hillmann, and slashed another Branded employee, Daniel Hultquist, who had rushed outside to defend his friend. Pagan was apprehended quickly—fortunately. Hopefully this time the criminal justice system will work correctly and keep the murderer locked up forever. More about this tragedy here.
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Alex Katz Catalogs
28.09.10 | 21:26 • Filed in: Art
Two more catalogs featuring my art reproduction photography were published recently: Alex Katz: New Work by the Farnsworth Museum and Alex Katz, Vincent Katz Poems by the Luciana Brito Gallery in Sao Paolo. On the top left is the exhibition card for the Brito Gallery show.
Max 2nd Birthday Studio Shoot
Though he turned 2 on August 22nd, I didn’t get a chance to properly photograph until a month later. Less a baby than a boy now, but still damn adorable!
Atlantic Antic (Borem Hill)
26.09.10 | 21:27 • Filed in: Brooklyn:Street Photography
Between the mozzarepas and the grilled jerk chicken, were a couple of photographs for sale at a flea market.
St. Joseph's Church Interior (Prospect Heights)
21.09.10 | 22:15 • Filed in: Brooklyn:Architecture
I wanted to test out the image stabilization on a new lens, so I went into St. Joseph’s down the street from my studio and took some handheld shots of the interior. The whole church has been undergoing an extensive renovation, with new stained glass, new belfries, and a new rectory.
Mexican Hat Dance (Flushing Meadows Park)
19.09.10 | 23:44 • Filed in: NYC:Street Photography
Stilts Under the El (Roosevelt Ave, Queens)
19.09.10 | 23:18 • Filed in: Street Photography:NYC
Caminata por la Justicia (Elmhurst, Queens)
Julie’s organization, Make the Road New York, held a rally and march through Elmhurst and Corona Park, Queens. The Walk for Justice raised nearly $50K for MRNY and its support of NYC immigrants. Never wanting to miss out on the Latino vote, local politicians, including City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, arrived for the kickoff speeches. Read more about the walk here.
Ernest Withers, Civil Rights Photographer, FBI Informant
You probably know many of Ernest C. Wither’s photographs. He documented the Civil Rights struggle in general and Martin Luther King in particular. He was even with MLK during the Memphis assasination. A few days ago, Memphis’ The Commercial Appeal, published a damning investigative report called Ernest Withers: Exposed, alleging that the photographer was a long-term FBI informant. Withers, pictured on the left, who died in 2007, was informant ME 338-R to the FBI. The thumbnails above reference Withers’ tips to FBI agents he made at MLK’s funeral. The Withers family is outraged at the accusations, understandably, and fear that the photographer’s legacy may be tarnished. While I haven’t had enough time to inspect all of the documents released under FOIA, the evidence appears to be convincing. The big question is why? Money seems a likely motivation. But who knows? I’m sure a book or two is underway.
9/11 Lights (Brooklyn Heights Promenade)
Photographed with my iPhone at around 7:40pm on 9/11. There was quite a crowd on the promenade, and I bet hundreds of blogs are featuring photos like this.
Decommissioned (Governors Island)
Governors Island is now a primo tourist destination for the artsy international crowd. With its art installations, open spaces, cheap bike rentals, fantastic views, hammocks, great food, and free ferry, it’s a no brainer for a weekend visit, especially if you have kids. More about the arts here, here, and here.