Jealous of merchandising

You are walking hands in hands with your partner and you notice she is looking at the huge sign taking three display windows. The sign shows a man wearing nothing but jeans, half his buttocks exposed. You already know when she likes something; and this she likes.

Should I care? Should I get jealous that this woman, walking right besides me, now wants a man that at present time is not even real. My brain tells me that I'm the idiot here if I even say something but being a man I am a bit reasoning deficient. So I ask... "What? You like him better than me?" Just as soon as the words come out I know, instantly, that I said something stupid. Yet I wait for an answer. I can't just apologize and move on. Now I have to meet her silence with another stupid comment. "Want me to drop my pants like that?" Even I know that the sight would be nothing like the man in the sign. Bless her heart for putting up with the extra pounds I carry. Now I'm hoping she says no because it would be embarrassing to pose like that man. I don't think I can do it even if I tried; I might get down but I'm not going to get up.

Bored

What is the purpose of writing if no one reads. I am getting bored with this assignment; I find it without purpose and there are definitely no rewards. No one gives you feedback, no one cares what you write about, and no one gives a shit.

How do I know that what I'm doing is the right thing? How do I learn from this? I can't even make money by monetizing this blog because no one visits.

I have no choice but to continue with this assignment for another two or three weeks; then I'm stopping altogether. I think I may even delete the blog. Hey, it could be that today I'm very tired. I have been listening t people's problems for a whole day. I, contrary to the people that make me write on this damn blog, care about what others have to say.

Manhattan

The night was hot and the air was thick and sticky.
I thought about staying home; the ac pumping cold air and making me feel comfortable, but I decided to drive to Manhattan and walk around.

I drove through Queens and crossed the 59th street bridge. I found parking around 68th and walked towards Lincoln Center. The fountain was lit and people gathered around it, taking pictures, and admiring the symphony of water noises as the water from the fountain jumped all over the place.

I also had some very good and tasty gelato. There wre about 2o flavors to choose from which it always makes it difficult for me since I like them all. I thought the colors looked somewhat pretty so I took a picture of the gelato selection. The display made them all feel so inviting that I had two scoops; one of vanilla and the other one was mint. After awhile I went to the movie theater at 68 street to watch "Despicable me". It was better than I expected and I had a great time. I do this things once in awhile. Hit the city by
myself and be just another tourist. New York is a very inviting place even if you are just wondering about by yourself. There is always something new that attracts your attention and the way you feel, knowing that for a couple of hours at least, it's just you in one of the biggest cities in the world, is exhilarating..

Colors

I don't know if it's true but they say dogs see in black and white. Although I do like black and white photography I am glad that we get to see in color. Differentiating objects by their shape, smell, or feel is interesting but adding color to our environment changes the whole picture, pun intended.

The picture to the left is of flowers in a supermarket stand in Ridgewood, NY. They are beautiful to look at and they make a nice composition.

Now look at the same exact picture in black and white. It loses its magic. So that is what color is to me: the magic that makes our brains enjoy the things we like to do. Even marketers use color to their advantage. A restaurant will paint their walls red or a shade of it to get out the door quickly. A cafe may paint their walls blue to make feel at home, relaxed, and to allow you to linger a bit longer.

Watch commercials about depression and you'll notice that they represent depression as black and white; once you take their pill the whole world becomes alive with color.

I think we all need a little bit of more color. When you feel down or in a bad mood try looking at colorful things and you'll see how quickly your mood turns around. At least that works for me.

Canyon of Heroes

This is one of my favorite pictures. It was taken during the 2009 Yankee Championship celebration in Manhattan.

The parade took place in the Canyon of Heroes and there were thousands of people celebrating with the NY Bombers. At the end of the parade, after everyone took off, Broadway was left out littered with tons of papers and ticker tape. I was trying to get a photo of the street when this man cut me off and put himself in the frame. A soft breeze picked up his coat at the bottom and I snapped away.

After I got home I started playing with the colors and came up with this shot. Just enough color
to make it interesting. I have a long way to go in making my pictures look better but I enjoy the process of changing them.

Doors

Doors are mysterious. You never know what's behind them even if it's a door you know. Is someone hiding behind it? Is there any mail waiting patiently on the floor to be picked up?

If it is a door you haven't open before the mystery is even bigger. What kinds of smells or visual motivations lurk waiting for you? My friend works as a recruiter. She knocks on doors for a living and has many stories to tell. Once she stood in front of a twenty-something year old, recruiting the young fellow while he listened patiently and naked to her speech. It turned out he wasn't interested.

I myself have found surprises behind known and unknown doors. A meat cleaver once came down on me shining on the kitchen light before splitting open my head. I can still remember the warmth of my blood as it came down my face. Doors are mysterious, indeed.

I also like doors because people can't leave them alone. Some reek of urine, while others provide shelter to the homeless. A door can instill fear of what, or who, is inside or it can bring back memories of good old times. I simply think that doors are fun in the way a hunted house or a scary ride is fun.

Japanese Garden

The path turned sharply right hiding from view the wooden gate, doors now ajar, that welcomed us into the Japanese Garden. As soon as I saw it I knew I wanted a black and white of it.

From the time you cross it Japanese flora surrounds you; I won't even try to mention the flowers and trees names because I didn't stop to learn their names. I was there to photograph nature using my style. I can take five to ten pictures of the same object from the same location; the exact same picture. I do change the settings on my camera and then I study them to see which aperture or f-stop gave me the best results.

The one reason I like black and white photography is because the picture takes on a different aspect that goes beyond just the lack of color. It makes my mind wonder into a time in the past in a way that color photography doesn't do it. I also find b&w photography more artistically satisfying.

It is amazing how nature uses colors to bring you peace. I could sit in a corner in the Japanese Garden looking at the koi pond and enjoying the greens and reds and yellows, all in a canvas of perfection. Add to the same canvas a colliding force of chirps, waterfalls, and children laughter to make a day at this amazing place one to remember.