NYC
Amanda and Don (SoHo)
26.02.14 | 23:31 •

Two of Alex Katz’s assistants, photographed with the 80-megapixel PhaseOne back, rented to photograph one of Alex’s paintings for a giant mural for the Whitney.

Max (Staten Island)
13.08.13 | 17:46 •
LuLu on Union Square
16.07.13 | 23:14 •

Had a photoshoot with my good friend LuLu LoLo who is creating a performance piece for Art in Odd Places in October.
Chinese New Year (Chinatown)
16.02.13 | 07:30 •


It’s the year of the snake, not a very auspicious one apparently though good for science and technology. At any rate, we had a lot of fun popping confetti canons, following the lions and marching bands hitting up businesses for donations, and eating dim sum at Jing Fong.


Times Square 360
03.07.12 | 18:38 •
Times Square
30.06.12 | 17:34 •

If you’re not a tourist, you almost never go to Times Square. I was very surprised at how packed it was on a hot summer Thursday night. Marketing was everywhere—on neon, on billboards, and on foot, in the guise of TV characters, especially Elmo. And just about everyone was taking pictures, including me.









Art and Guavas (FDR)
17.06.12 | 23:26 •

While snarled in traffic on the FDR, I saw this season from the passenger seat of our Prius. A kind of Saul Steinberg conceptual piece next to what looks like the remains of partially eaten guavas and watermelons.
Panorama from the Monti Building (NYC + Crown Heights)
15.06.12 | 23:15 •

The view from the fourth-floor terrace outside my studio. From the Empire State Building to the S train. Click on the photo for a bigger image.
Central Park
20.03.12 | 22:50 •
My 9-11 Photos
11.09.11 | 10:58 •

September 11, 2011 was primary day, so after I voted I took the subway to a Union Square studio where I was in the midst of a 5-day shoot. When I finally got to the studio, this was the scene that greeted me out the bay windows. While I had access to some very long lenses, 600mm and longer, after I put them on my Nikon D1, I found I couldn’t take pictures of the people jumping. It was just too horrifying and opportunistic and saddening. I did manage to take these photos before and after the towers fell. As you can see, there were a handful of workers repairing the side of a building in the foreground who didn’t seem to know what was going on, until the giant boom of the towers made them scramble onto to the roof. It was a surreal day, and unlike most of the world, I did not watch any of it on TV, just with my own eyes. Later in the afternoon, I walked back to Brooklyn over the Manhattan Bridge, through the dust, swirling papers, and stench of burning buildings. The chemical odor was so bad I had to wear a bandanna. The saddest part of the next few days was the city-wide sense of denial, the naive hope that somehow thousands of wounded survivors would emerge from the rubble and be rushed to St. Vincent’s and Beth Israel hospitals And then there were the thousands of missing person signs posted on telephone poles, at subway entrances, on car windshields, and handout fliers. All those enlarged, blurry snapshots of father and mothers and sons and daughters who’d never come home again.





Over the next couple of days, I took the following photos (excuse the bad scans) at various vigils and impromptu memorials to the missing.









LuLu (Union Square)
03.08.11 | 22:45 •

Yesterday in the sweltering heat, I photographed my friend LuLu LoLo as a dandy of yesteryear who offered Union Square passerbys “a tip of his hat.” This is part of LuLu’s performance for this year’s Art in Odd Places, which will take place around 14th Street, Union Square this October 1st-10th.


Union Square
03.08.11 | 22:40 •

A lot of activity on Union Square when I was walking back to the subway. A sand painter was busy on his hands and knees and a crowd gathered around to watch and take pictures and videos (mostly of themselves with the art in the background). Somebody was even making a music video.


Kid Piano Player (Union Square Station)
08.06.11 | 21:14 •

He plays beautifully, exclusively classical (Beethoven, Mozart, and Chopin mostly). I’ve seen him a few times around the city, mostly in subway station and unfortunately never got his name, but Googling around, I found it: Jason W. Cordero, now around 13 years old. There are a bunch of videos of him at play here. And somebody has already profiled him on their blog here.
Night Clouds (Harlem)
21.05.11 | 13:54 •

Cloud over midtown and Times Square (left center), as seen from a rooftop on 116th Street. Below, a cloud over the Hudson.

Katz Studio
29.04.11 | 23:54 •

Photographed a new set of Alex’s paintings. Above is 3 Dancers with Don, one of Alex’s assistants prepping the cartoon drawing for shooting.


Magnolias (Union Square)
14.04.11 | 22:50 •

Rented two 100mm macro lenses during Adorama’s Passover break: the Nikkor 105mm F2.8 VR and Zeiss’s 100mm f2. Both are great, both are expensive. Will have to run some more tests in the studio to see whether either beats my 85mm tilt shift for sharpness. These were taken with a lowly D40 body.


Monument to Andy (Union Square)
14.04.11 | 22:48 •

There’s a new statue of Andy Warhol right near his old studio, what is now Barnes & Noble, on 17th Street and Union Square.
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Anniversary (Village)
20.03.11 | 15:40 •


This Friday, March 25 is the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the city’s worst fire which claimed the lives of 146 garment workers, primarily young immigrant women, many just teenagers. I’ve written about this before because I’ve participated in artist Ruth Sergel’s annual chalking art project, Chalk, which asks volunteers to write the names of the deceased in front of the brownstones, tenements, and other buildings where these women lived at the time of their deaths. All week long, the Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition is sponsoring events commemorating the fire. An HBO movie is set to be broadcast. A parade will take place at 11am by the site of the fire on Washington and Greene, now NYU’s Brown Building. Books, lectures, union talks, and on an on. A big deal, especially at a time when unions are being mightily threatened by Republicans all across the U.S. My good friend LuLu LoLo has also been performing excerpts from her solo show, Soliloquy for a Seamstress. In her one act play, LuLu dramatizes the tragedy through the life of Sara Saracino, a young seamstress who grew up not far from LuLu’s home in East Harlem. In three scenes, she plays Sara’s mother, Sara from the time she learns of the fire breaking out to the moment she jumps, and an William Gunn Shepherd, The World reporter who broadcast news of the unfolding fire. Some photos from her performance in front of the NYU Brown Building on Saturday follow.







Katz Studio (SoHo)
18.03.11 | 21:17 •
Bloomberg (City Hall)
13.01.11 | 18:02 •

The mayor, under a painting of Alexander Hamilton, after signing a bill. The richest and most powerful man in NYC was shorter than I expected.
Empire State at Night (from Chelsea)
21.10.10 | 23:28 •

Just testing out a new lens, how handholdable it is even at night. Not bad for a heavy 25-year-old 80-200 zoom.
LMCC Open Studios (Wall Street)
20.10.10 | 18:38 •

It was a night of beards. Sadly mine was to scruffy to compare. A few of my LMCC 2007-8 fellow residents came out for the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s Open Studios evening, from left to right: Mike Estabrook, Clive Murphy, and John Talbird.
Stilts Under the El (Roosevelt Ave, Queens)
19.09.10 | 23:18 •
Caminata por la Justicia (Elmhurst, Queens)
19.09.10 | 23:12 •

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.











Decommissioned (Governors Island)
05.09.10 | 23:59 •

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.
Queens Museum Diorama (Flushing Meadows)
27.08.10 | 22:52 •
Manhattan Panorama from Roosevelt Island
09.07.10 | 23:32 •
Ravenswood Powerplant (L.I.C.)
06.07.10 | 23:29 •

The giant power station just across from Roosevelt Island. One quarter of NYC’s electricity is generated inside this.
Ranbir (Chelsea)
07.05.10 | 22:31 •
A Tale of Two Braids (Brooklyn Bridge Park)
04.04.10 | 23:44 •
Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 1
04.04.10 | 23:39 •

In mid-March, Bloomberg et al commemorated the first part of the Brooklyn Heights new park known as Brooklyn Bridge Park. Formerly a bunch of abanoned docks and warehouses, this land that borders the last part of the East River is now verdant and hiply designed. The first part, Pier 1, is open to the public. Other adjacent piers are being converted and should be open by summer. Read more about the plans here.

ABC No Rio Opening (L.E.S.)
21.03.10 | 22:52 •

Fellow artist, Fred Fleisher, was part of the giant 7th Biennial at ABC No Rio which opened on Friday night. Also featured were a couple of artists from my LMCC residency, Mike Estabrook and Nanna Debois Buhl.





John Talbird Reading at Jimmy's # 43 (East Village)
20.03.10 | 22:47 •

John Talbird, one of my fellow residents at Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, gave a fun reading at the subterranean bar, Jimmy’s No. 43, an event sponsored by Essays and Fictions literary journal.
The Straitjacket
21.01.10 | 22:28 •

My friends LuLu LoLo and Dan Evans are staging a production of The Straitjacket, a fictionalized play about Emily Dickinson in the Metropolitan Playhouse’s Another Sky program on American women writers.
Highline (Chelsea)
17.01.10 | 23:03 •
Alex Katz Studio (SoHo)
16.12.09 | 21:40 •

Finishing up my last shoot of the year, I discovered some scaled-down maquettes of paintings used to design an upcoming exhibition of Alex Katz’s work.
Reading at Motorcycle Federation (NoHo)
13.12.09 | 23:36 •

Though it was a rainy night, a big crowd turned out to listen to yours truly, Nikki Sprinkle, Roberta Bernstein, and Jean
Monahan (pictured) read at Motorcycle Federation’s cafe.
Lasagna (The Bronx)
08.10.09 | 23:55 •
Irving Kriesberg's Palette
06.10.09 | 22:53 •

A blurred closeup of Irving Kriesberg's oil paint palette. More about the 90-year old artist, whose work I have been documenting, in future posts.
A Sad Sight (Port Morris)
06.10.09 | 22:52 •
Port Morris (Bronx)
01.10.09 | 22:36 •



Nary a tree grows in Port Morris, this industrial neighborhood of the Bronx near Hunts Point. Here it's all warehouses, autobody, construction, storage, oil refining, and potholed streets.
Locust Restaurant (Port Morris, the Bronx)
01.10.09 | 22:31 •



The prices are cheap and the servings are huge at The Locust in Port Morris, the Bronx. I've been on an intensive 3-week photoshoot, documenting the paintings of Irving Kriesberg in an industrial warehouse. Lunchtime has been truly a pleasure at this most unlikely diner-like restaurant with great, friendly service and a homey atmosphere.
LuLu's Final Bow (Astor Place)
19.08.09 | 12:24 •
38 Witnessed Her Death
13.08.09 | 23:25 •
LuLu & Dan (Robert Moss Theater)
13.08.09 | 23:24 •
34th Street
02.08.09 | 23:41 •
Union Square Station, N Platform
28.07.09 | 22:54 •
Through the Strand's Window
28.07.09 | 22:52 •
Jazz Band (St. Marks Square)
28.07.09 | 22:52 •
14th Street
28.07.09 | 22:51 •
Art in Odd Places 2009 Benefit (East Village)
28.07.09 | 22:47 •
LuLu as a Newsboy on 14th Street
28.07.09 | 22:41 •
Union Square
28.07.09 | 22:40 •
Gandhi Statue (Union Square)
28.07.09 | 22:39 •
Bloomingdales Windows
14.07.09 | 23:01 •
Con Ed Steam Pipes (57th Street)
14.07.09 | 23:00 •
Union Square
08.07.09 | 22:58 •
Rain Again! (Upper East Side)
30.06.09 | 21:05 •
Norteño on the Q (Manhattan Bridge)
23.06.09 | 23:58 •
Dennis Oppenheim Opening (LES)
04.06.09 | 23:26 •
Grafitti (LES)
04.06.09 | 23:25 •
Flowers and Peanut Shells (Chinatown)
04.06.09 | 23:24 •
South Street Ferry from the Promenade
08.05.09 | 13:42 •
Moonrise over Long Island City
07.05.09 | 23:05 •
Manhattan Blur (from LIC)
07.05.09 | 23:04 •
Manhattan Panorama from LIC
07.05.09 | 23:02 •
(Split ;-) ) Beaver Street (Financial District)
02.05.09 | 23:38 •
Skirt (42nd Street)
25.04.09 | 20:17 •
St. Patrick's Cathedral
25.04.09 | 20:16 •
Fifth Ave., Midtown
25.04.09 | 20:14 •
Mannequins in Saks Windows (Rockefeller Center)
25.04.09 | 20:13 •
Penn Station
23.04.09 | 22:39 •
Handball (Chelsea)
23.04.09 | 22:11 •
SJ Rozan Reading
25.03.09 | 23:36 •
Upper East Side
05.03.09 | 22:46 •
Lays (Chelsea)
05.03.09 | 22:45 •
Dodo, Antique Shop Window (UES)
05.03.09 | 10:47 •
Subway Stairs (59th St.)
05.03.09 | 10:44 •
Marmaduke (Tomkins Square Park)
17.01.09 | 23:20 •
Obama Fever in E. Village
17.01.09 | 23:17 •
SoHo Vase
13.01.09 | 18:27 •
Rainy Empire State Views
24.12.08 | 23:29 •
Chelsea Holiday Windows
24.12.08 | 23:25 •
Union Square Station
24.12.08 | 23:24 •
Holiday Lights, Bokeh Style
15.12.08 | 23:39 •
Empire State at Night
25.11.08 | 23:30 •
Halloween Around Town
24.10.08 | 22:09 •
Forget Joe the Plumber...
15.10.08 | 08:44 •
Alex Katz in His Studio
10.10.08 | 23:44 •
Necchi Sewing Machine Ad (Chelsea)
08.10.08 | 23:09 •
Walk and Talk (Chelsea)
08.10.08 | 23:06 •
LMCC Custom House Reading
18.09.08 | 23:32 •
Around Penn Station Near Sunset
15.09.08 | 22:31 •
WTC 7th Anniversary
11.09.08 | 23:00 •
Final Reading of LMCC Residency
03.09.08 | 22:13 •
Wall Street Wide Angles
21.08.08 | 23:05 •
Near the WTC
15.08.08 | 22:50 •
5th Ave on a Rainy Night
14.08.08 | 23:46 •
Saxophonist in Fulton Subway Station
14.08.08 | 23:45 •
Near the WTC Site
13.08.08 | 22:43 •
More Wall Street from the Hip
04.08.08 | 23:05 •
Lunch Hour, Wall Street
30.07.08 | 23:01 •
Statue of Liberty and Eliason Waterfall
28.07.08 | 22:51 •
More From the Hip (Wall Street)
25.07.08 | 23:18 •
More Wallstreet from the Hip
10.07.08 | 23:45 •
In Praise of Shadows (and Women)
03.07.08 | 21:45 •
In Praise of Redheads
03.07.08 | 21:45 •
Chelsea Hot Summer Afternoon
03.07.08 | 21:43 •
Canal Street Bargain Hunters
20.06.08 | 19:57 •
Wallstreet Mosaic
17.06.08 | 19:54 •
I can't get enough of the skyless grids of downtown skyscrapers. I like the compression of space, the flattening of textures. The landscape becomes a carpet.


LMCC Open Hours
29.03.08 | 23:00 •
Seagulls at Battery Park
13.03.08 | 23:29 •
Custom House Outside Details
08.02.08 | 22:29 •