Lens to the Ground

Autumn in Crown Heights

2011-10-24T22:20:00.000-04:00

A new condo building behind a junk yard.

Scranton, Again

2011-09-08T21:47:00.001-04:00

Bird seed was finished off in two hours

Resident pigeons

Lackawanna County Courthouse

"For Rent"

Squirrel and recyclables

Lake Scranton

Dam

Reflection

Aquatic plants

The Storm Is Over

2011-08-28T21:55:00.003-04:00

A Special Blankie

2011-08-23T21:06:00.003-04:00

A blanket woven in Kashmir, India. It's at least 20 years old.

My latest bamboo acquisition.

Basil

2011-08-07T12:37:00.003-04:00

A basil leaf as large as my hand. (Not from my potted basil plants.)

Scattered Showers in Red Hook

2011-08-07T09:42:00.008-04:00

Behind the Fairway supermarket is a garden and a view of upper New York Bay.

An Evening at Prospect Park

2011-07-26T19:45:00.004-04:00

Balloons at one of the many barbeques held on Sunday evenings in Prospect Park.

A peaceful moment interrupted by a water gun.

Boys yearn to shoot others... with water.

A pigeon got very close to me while I modeled for a friend by Prospect Lake.

New Bamboo

2011-07-25T20:24:00.001-04:00

My Findings

2011-07-24T20:20:00.004-04:00

My new bamboo.

I found a '70s-era fan on the sidewalk in Park Slope. It's small, sturdy and functional.

Breakfast in Hoboken

2011-07-16T18:22:00.003-04:00

At the Cinnamon Snail, a vegan food truck run by a man with a great imagination and fine plating skills. My buddy had the fresh fig pancakes with pine-nut butter and chamomile blood-orange syrup.

I had the 200-Year-Old Frog Man Breakfast Jamboree, which consisted of maple-pecan waffles with maple-pecan syrup, chipotle seitan, scrambled tofu and mustard greens. I later wished I had asked for the meal to stay so I could've had better plating for a nicer image.

Cat Hunk

2011-07-14T19:16:00.007-04:00

I've started a new cat photography service called Cat Hunk.

Why cats? For all their allergy-producing dander and attitude, I still find them irresistible. I haven't yet acquired much experience photographing dogs, but the time will come for that, too.

So in the meantime, consider my offer, which I've advertised on Craigslist:

Your cat is a hunk. You know that. He knows that.

Let me capture your cat's essence in a 2-hour photo session for the introductory rate of $59, offered to the first three people who respond to this ad.

This limited-time offer includes a CD with at least 50 full-size jpg images of your cat at his (or her) best, with which you can do as you please. (We can talk if you'd also like a photo book to treasure.)

*Destination must be easily accessible via public transit and within a 1-hour commute of Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

Summer Views of Other People's Backyards

2011-07-10T20:00:00.005-04:00

A rainy Sunday.

A sunny Saturday afternoon.

What Saturday evening looks like in my neighbor's backyard.

One Last Fireworks Photo

2011-07-05T21:39:00.001-04:00

Because I think it looks spectacular.

Fireworks from Hoboken

2011-07-05T00:45:00.007-04:00

I took a similar photo on an overcast day, from Pier A in Hoboken, N.J.

Downtown Manhattan, with boats lined up, awaiting the fireworks show. If you click on this photo to enlarge it, you can see the buildings turned a shimmering gold in the sunset.

Reminds me of Christmas lights.

Looks like Saturn on left.

A Peachy Sunset

2011-06-28T23:46:00.003-04:00

Eye Candy

2011-06-27T19:35:00.008-04:00

Lychee.

From top left, clockwise: Mangosteens, dragon fruits, little mangoes, kiwis, pomegranates, blueberries.

Mangosteen skins.

Mangosteen.

Wang-pei.

Durian.

Spike, a bearded horn lizard.

Dragon fruit.

The innards of dragon fruit.

Pomegranate.

Fresh coconut and coconut water.

Trying my darndest to pose with the garden's flowers.

I attended New York Fruit Hunters's first party of the year at El Sol Brillante, a community garden on the Lower East Side. It was delicious.

Dreamy Anacapri

2011-06-26T18:35:00.001-04:00

Anacapri and the Mouse

2011-06-25T11:00:00.000-04:00

Where's the mouse hiding?

Checking out her target.

Jumping for it.

Chasing it.

Taking a break.

Going for it.

Creeping up on Desmond as he sunbathes.

Hot Date with Orange Kitteh

2011-06-23T19:56:00.008-04:00

I did another photo shoot with Anacapri and Desmond, two cats who have since made Park Slope their home. Today, you see Desmond Orange Parrucci, a furendly, wiry guy. Check back this weekend for images of Anacapri, his femcat roommate.

Scranton

2011-06-01T23:02:00.004-04:00

I spy Scranton.

I spy birdseed.

I spy a skittish pigeon.

I spy a local rapper named DJ RocnRol.

I spy fresh air.

Anacapri and Desmond

2011-05-21T13:04:00.004-04:00

Anacapri, a reserved lady who braved coming out of the bedroom to meet a stranger.

Desmond, a furendly toothless mancat who's roughed it on the streets.

I had the pleasure of hanging with my friends' cats for an evening as their place was being packed up for a move.

The Forecast Called for Rain

2011-05-18T22:12:00.008-04:00

I happen to work many stories above the street and very close to the Empire State Building.

Not that being so close to the tallest building in New York means much to me. Landmarks fail to excite me. Rather, what I find interesting is how different any one thing can look on any day. With New York's unpredictable weather and the ensuing human dramas, there is no end to the story.

The Empire State Building's shape is particularly interesting because no matter how foggy it is, the antenna may occasionally peek out.

Above is what I observed last Wednesday evening. My building is being worked on, so cables are part of the landscape. Below are photos I made today, which is the third consecutive wet and foggy day in New York.

A Well-Lit Cat

2011-05-14T19:21:00.004-04:00

I couldn't have asked for better light.

Running away from me.

Mystery Mancat

2011-05-13T13:13:00.002-04:00

I had a hot date Friday night in Central Park with a mystery mancat. He is A-dorable, laid-back and all smiles, except when he's lifted into the air against a warm sunset. To see more photos, check out my Facebook fan page. And while you're there, "like" me.

Lamp and Bangles

2011-05-05T21:52:00.003-04:00

New Leaves

2011-05-04T21:41:00.003-04:00

Sakura Matsuri

2011-05-02T00:08:00.008-04:00

I rarely photograph flowers. But I happened to visit Sakura Matsuri, the Cherry Blossom Festival at Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

A Spring Diptych and City Hall

2011-04-27T20:23:00.003-04:00

Burgundy and Ochre Yellow

2011-04-26T19:59:00.001-04:00

Reaching Out

2011-04-25T19:09:00.006-04:00

No Left Turn

2011-04-24T20:29:00.003-04:00

Spring

2011-04-23T09:03:00.004-04:00

I saw a helicopter.

Interior Observations

2011-04-18T22:58:00.003-04:00

Roaming Crown Heights

2011-04-10T18:41:00.003-04:00

I know there has to be a great story to how this hair piece wound up on the street. It's a bun, and I imagined someone having this pulled right off their head during a Saturday night brawl. It's still that kind of neighborhood.

Artificial flowers inviting folks into a community space.

The Franklin Avenue mural by the Crow Hill Community Association.

Pink Sunset

2011-04-09T22:40:00.002-04:00

View from the New Pad

2011-03-15T20:52:00.004-04:00

Rescue Ranger.

Someone else's backyard.

Hues

2011-02-12T23:40:00.003-05:00

Blues and grays. The 86th Street view.

Red, yellow and green. The sprouts that never sprouted.

Blue, yellow and brown. Another visit to Ammachi's.

Blue, yellow and brown.

Moon After Sunset

2011-01-22T15:38:00.004-05:00

Two forgotten photos of 2010. Walking home shortly after sunset in March. The sky was still bright, but dark enough to frame the moon.

Bad Cat

2011-01-12T21:08:00.005-05:00

I bought the "Bad Cat" desk calendar as a Christmas gift for my brother. It's based on a book. I liked the box so much, I kept it on my nightstand. Yes. This is what thrills me.

Noel on New Year's Day

2011-01-07T02:38:00.002-05:00

Holiday-Season Highlights

2011-01-05T15:26:00.011-05:00

Olive-oil cookies I made with this oil, orange zest and grated cinnamon. Based on Mark Bittman's recipe in "How to Cook Everything", without the eggs and savory spices. They are 1 inch in diameter, crunchy and not too sweet.

Two-year-old and her blocks.

I made these for a holiday cookie party. It's Isa Chandra Moskowitz's recipe, but I used olive oil instead of canola oil.

Tiger Lily being lonely at the holiday cookie party.

My fourth-grade class learned to make delicious candy-cane cookies. I can still taste them all these years later. These candy-cane cookies, however, turned out terribly because I experimented with coconut oil and I worked the dough too much. It was too much work trying to wrap red dough around white dough that I didn't bother giving it a second try.

A great gift of raisins from California via Atlanta. Note she addressed it to Julie H. Brad. :D

My work packaged these gift boxes for employees. $88 worth of high-end food products. And only two items weren't vegan friendly.

A fitting stamp from the raisin sender. It looks like Brad!

Vegan nog cookies from "Vegan Cookie Connoisseur" turned out very well for Christmas Eve. Delicate texture and soft crunchy bottoms, topped with sweet rum icing. Mmm.

Best of 2010

2011-01-04T19:42:00.005-05:00

Sunrise over Keuka Lake, upstate New York.

Every year, I take stock of my photography, assessing my progress as a storyteller and as a person. Last year's best work has been curated and placed into albums on my Facebook fan page. While you're there, consider "liking" my page.

If you're curious about 2009's "best of", click here. And visit my Facebook album for 2008 favorites. (Please let me know if it's unviewable.) I think you'd have to agree I made great leaps between 2008 and 2009.

Night Travel

2010-12-29T22:24:00.005-05:00

White tape on the glass enclosure at the Mount Vernon West platform for Metro-North Railroad's Harlem line. Clever.

Seen from the Harlem-125th Street platform of the Metro-North Railroad. I guess the "1-800" lights burned out.

The black-and-white version looks eerie.

Snowed In

2010-12-27T19:24:00.012-05:00

Living in the New York City area, the horizon is almost always blocked. I decided to be lazy and get a view of the sunset from my usual spot, the dining room window.

Casting long shadows on my neighbor's backyard.

I heart winter sunsets.

The road in front of my driveway is never cleaned well on the day of a snowfall, nor the day after.

Night lights in my neighborhood.

My Little Hunter

2010-12-06T23:13:00.002-05:00

He's always ready to pounce.

An Intimate Moment with Noel

2010-12-05T19:26:00.003-05:00

I picked the last photo not so much for its technical value -- it's poorly composed -- but because Noel has that "come, hither" quality in his eyes.

Curtain Drama

2010-12-02T21:05:00.004-05:00

The second photo was in the November 30 post; I thought it needed to be here, too, to better illustrate the story. I'll be more thoughtful when I next break up a series, so it doesn't happen again.

A December Sunset

2010-12-01T23:23:00.004-05:00

Outdoors, indoors

December sunsets are memorable because the cold sky sometimes gives way to a cooler, muted sunset. After a heavy rainstorm today, the clouds cleared just in time for the setting sun to makes its appearance.

The result: An unusually subtle green cast that my camera failed to capture, and my photo-editing software failed to re-create. I suppose the lesson is some things are best left unrecorded.

Noel Lives the Good Life

2010-12-01T11:15:00.003-05:00

His view.

His cute reflection on the sliding door as he peruses the night skyline.

More Cat Action

2010-11-30T14:24:00.002-05:00

Catsitting Noel

2010-11-29T14:06:00.005-05:00

The most in-your-face cat I've met. He will jump on anything that moves, including short, menacing humans who like to give signature triple head-pats.

Another Sunrise

2010-11-28T14:18:00.009-05:00

My skyline.

On the Metro-North Railroad, crossing the Harlem River.

Sunset in DUMBO

2010-11-16T23:52:00.005-05:00

Shadow of traffic on the Manhattan Bridge overpass.

Found in Brooklyn Bridge Park. We need a National Garbage Can Appreciation Day.

Re-development occurring near Brooklyn Bridge, behind this gate.

Bird and helicopter.

Dusk in DUMBO

2010-11-15T13:19:00.003-05:00

DUMBO stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass.

It's Elmo Live on 42nd Street

2010-11-14T17:02:00.005-05:00

The photographic highlight of last night. The Empire State Building is lit in blue and white in honor of World Diabetes Day.

Shelter Reform Rally in New York

2010-11-06T20:20:00.007-04:00

Waiting to be adopted.

Dogs visiting the rally.

Photos of animals that have been saved through the efforts of the Facebook pages, Pets on Death Row and Urgent Part 2. Photo credit for some images: Mark Ross.

A dog who visited the rally takes a break while her human checks out a nearby performance.

NEW YORK -- A rally was held today in Washington Square Park to push for reform of Animal Care and Control of New York City, following
recent service cancellations at the nonprofit organization
.

Phone service was shut off, making it difficult for prospective adopters to inquire about animals at its Brooklyn, Manhattan or Staten Island shelters. Also, anyone missing a cat or a dog will have to search through the agency's Web listing of found animals, instead of being able to call.

Meanwhile, the nonprofit -- which receives much of its funding from the city -- has euthanized hundreds of animals this year, despite working toward becoming a no-kill agency. The reasons have ranged from the animal having a cold or gingivitis to being "too young".

On Using Your Imagination

2010-11-05T11:10:00.005-04:00

Ammachi, May 2010

I usually don't write on this blog (it was created and is still meant to be a photo blog). But a discussion I had last week on Facebook with a friend and his two photo-enthusiast friends got me thinking about how often I am approached about the quality of my photography. (I'm not bragging.)

I'm usually asked these questions:

"Which lens?"
"Which camera?"
"Do you use Photoshop?"

All these queries really probe for this: "What tools do you use?"

I started actively photographing more than two years ago when I bought a Canon Digital Rebel xTi. I use the following lenses: The 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6 and the 50 mm/1.8.

Those questions are the unfortunate result of an Industrial Era mindset, which looks for a formula to apply or a tool to work with to create a consistent product. But art, that does not make.

I often think about the creative process. I know from my experience that no amount of money -- nor any tool -- will make better photos. Rather, it starts with having an "eye", that intuitive ability to create an aesthetically pleasing balance of shapes, lines and colors. A "good eye" also is the judicious ability to determine what needs to be left out of the frame. (Whether we're graphic designers, web designers, illustrators, painters or photographers, we're working within a box.) You also need to critically think, effectively solve problems, be discerning and engage your subjects.

I never studied photography in a formal setting, I don't teach it and I rarely socialize with other photographers (No, I'm not a hermit.). How I've learned to do what I do is from photographing, looking at others' work through their Web sites, and analyzing their portfolios, looking for elements that effectively tell a story. (I'll soon compile a list of links to my favorite photographers' sites.) I had briefly discussed this issue in my June 2009 post, An Old-Fashioned Education in Seeing.

Tools will always become "technically" better; faster lenses, better weatherproofing, more megapixels and even shorter F-stops will continue to be created. That's the evolution of technology. It helps support human expression in its various forms, but it doesn't foster it. That work is left to humans.

Here's an example: Shakespeare used a writing utensil (I'm guessing a feather pen). If someone who aspired to write plays had asked Shakespeare from which type of bird the feather came, I speculate he would have laughed. Instead, in order to create his works, he accessed something that couldn't -- and still cannot -- be quantified: His imagination.

So, here are better questions to ask when you photograph:

What is the story? That can be translated as: Why did this subject capture my attention?
What kinds of strategies do other photographers use to create dynamic images?
How do I access my imagination to think of better ways to approach my subject?

Gaining access to your imagination is another post itself. Please let me know your thoughts.

What I Saw

2010-11-01T11:52:00.005-04:00

Riding through Manhattan to Boston during sunrise Saturday.

Passed by a familiar apartment building in the Bronx along Interstate 87.

This photo doesn't even capture how crowded it was in the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival.

When I returned Sunday afternoon to Manhattan, I found these four women -- dressed as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for Halloween -- frolicking up Fifth Avenue and greeting folks.

Veggie Conquest Halloween Party

2010-10-31T22:51:00.011-04:00

The organizers took care of every detail. Graphic design by Michelle Cavigliano.

Photo credit: www.exercisecompassion.com

I don't usually post photos of myself, but I won a prize in the Funniest Costume category for dressing as a Wall Street Fat Cat. I'm appropriately posing in front of a large cat. No, those aren't real Crocs. These I bought for a science-training program for young journalists I participated in a few years ago.

My shadow.

That ribbon is now one of my most prized possessions.

Highlights from a Halloween party at DCTV in Chinatown. Veggie Conquest is an amateur cooking competition -- inspired by the Food Network's "Iron Chef" -- featuring vegan-friendly fare.

Another Afternoon with Ammachi

2010-10-24T21:14:00.006-04:00

Leaving her assigned seat in the dining hall because we brought her dinner.

Waiting for my mother.

Comedic moment: Notices I'm not in the elevator to go upstairs.

This photo is out of focus, but that's a great grimace while her finger is pricked for the evening blood-sugar check-up.

Staring at a ground-beef cutlet, with a turmeric-colored yogurt sauce in front of her.

A nurse's cart.

A special toilet in a shower room.

The View

2010-10-19T19:31:00.000-04:00

Ammachi's window.

My 'Hood

2010-10-10T22:51:00.003-04:00

Empire City Casino

Ammachi Continued

2010-10-09T21:49:00.004-04:00

She's a messy girl.

Her recent work from an arts and crafts workshop, under books and upside down.

I experimented a bit with tints. To see more of my work on Ammachi, click here.

Highlights from the Capital Region Vegetarian Expo

2010-10-04T10:40:00.006-04:00

The program booklet. Cover design by Alanna Facchin.

Free kisses from rescued dogs.

A model in the Expo's first-ever vegan fashion show.

Rescued dog dressed as a court jester in "doggles".

Some Oldies

2010-09-30T00:42:00.003-04:00

My grandmother's bed at the nursing home in February.

Dog I spotted in a bag as I rode the No. 5 train to the Brooklyn Museum one Saturday in April.

I was scouring Lightroom when I came across these photos I had somehow ignored and forgotten. Pays to go through one's images once in a while.

The Lone Toddler-sized Airwalk Sandal

2010-09-22T20:20:00.002-04:00

Zanzanas: Gato Negro

2010-09-20T20:13:00.003-04:00

Vintage postcards in a book store inside Grand Central Terminal. What are zanzanas? I'm not finding good results through Google.

Forgotten Momentos from New Orleans

2010-09-18T16:01:00.008-04:00

Part of the couchsurfing deal is sharing and learning new skills. During my stay at one host's house in New Orleans, I learned to make balloon-shaped animals and these origami pieces. Can you guess what they are?

*To see what I saw during my Gulf of Mexico tour, click here and check out other photos on this blog.

Last Night in Chinatown

2010-09-15T11:04:00.005-04:00

A life-sized cardboard cut-out of Princess Laya in New Work City, a space for freelancers to work, socialize, learn new skills.

Bank of America, Canal Street at Broadway. Notice the Chinese characters?

What I Cooked Today

2010-09-13T22:13:00.002-04:00

Labor Day Dogs

2010-09-06T20:07:00.004-04:00

Reuben and his muddy ball. Notice his baby teeth.

These four puppies created a media spectacle.

What I Saw Yesterday

2010-08-28T17:46:00.002-04:00

Basketball game

Stationery-store cat

One of my dogs on 241st Street in the Bronx

Keuka Lake

2010-08-25T12:26:00.002-04:00

Sunrise at Keuka Lake

Sailboats

An Evening on Interstate 90

2010-08-24T13:43:00.001-04:00

Closing Photo for the Weekend

2010-08-23T15:28:00.001-04:00

Empire State Building from Fifth Avenue and 30th Street

Clubbing With Quinnie D. and Jo-Jo

2010-08-21T08:04:00.004-04:00

Quinnie D. getting his tweet on!

He refuses to get off when it's time to change sheets.

S'more Protection for the Oceans Fundraiser

2010-08-10T16:48:00.003-04:00

The fundraiser, held the night before National S'mores Day, benefited the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

It Was Raining

2010-08-04T21:18:00.003-04:00

Yonkers Avenue

In My 'Hood

2010-08-02T16:57:00.001-04:00

I'm assuming they were washed and set out to dry in the sun, but they looked like beach chairs in this position.

Ammachi's Fashion Sense: Loud and Proud

2010-07-27T22:19:00.004-04:00

Do you see how many colors she is rocking? I sometimes forget that she doesn't dress normally. Her style is gaudy. See more here.

This Is Why I Like Rain

2010-07-26T22:43:00.003-04:00

The slot-machine casino and raceway in Yonkers. Traffic is diverted in a way that I don't feel the impact living just a mile away.

After an afternoon with Ammachi.

Why Doesn't the Cat Like Me?

2010-07-25T10:54:00.002-04:00

Zara the Cat didn't like my rough pats on her head.

Cats have dreams, too.

Hiding because I got on her nerves.

More in D.C.

2010-07-20T14:05:00.004-04:00

I got a better photo of Washington Monument. I figured everyone knows what it looks like so I hid it.

You don't know how happy I was to get this photo on Pennsylvania Avenue during lunch time.

A fountain in the gentrified area of Columbia Heights.

A hot dog and a cinnamon bun at Sticky Fingers Bakery, a popular vegan establishment.

Another Small Trip

2010-07-19T15:41:00.007-04:00

Those who attended the 2010 Animal Rights National Conference were allowed to bring dogs.

Zara the Cat, my couchsurfing host's companion.

Mount Vernon, George Washington's estate.

His wharf on the Potomac River.

Washington Monument.

Zooming In On Ammachi

2010-07-13T18:07:00.006-04:00

You can see more new photos here, which are part of my documentary project on my grandmother.

I've been struggling with whether to spell the Malayalam word for grandmother "Ammichi" or "Ammachi". I'd been sticking to my guns and spelling it Ammichi for the longest time because of the way it sounded. Malayalam has its own alphabet, so I can spell any word as I please when I transliterate it into English.

Then I concluded Ammachi makes sense because it is based on the root word "Amma", which means mother. And it's also the way everyone else seems to spell it.

I've seen Varughese also spelled "Varghese" and "Verghese". It all depends on pronunciation.

A Few of My Favorite Things

2010-07-10T18:29:00.006-04:00

The random give-away.

Yonkers city government announced garbage collection would only happen on Fridays because of budget cuts. But piles like this were on Bronx River Road today.

UPDATE: This issue was featured July 12 in a local CBS newscast (and perhaps on other stations, but I don't keep track). Does that mean it will be fixed? Forty-eight sanitation workers called out sick, causing a job slow-down. The city needs to re-hire the 30-plus sanitation workers who were laid off so Yonkers will have twice-a-week garbage pickup again. Stagnant garbage during these heat waves isn't pretty.

Red, White and Blue

2010-07-04T17:34:00.003-04:00

Happy Fourth of July! This photo was taken yesterday at a vegan potluck "pignic" benefiting Farm Sanctuary's Adopt-a-Pig project.

Gulf Impacts Roundup

2010-07-01T18:51:00.005-04:00

A vacant home in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans.

Click here to view all of my work from my trip to the Gulf of Mexico last month. I documented the lingering impact of devastating flooding caused by Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans and the BP oil-spill impact in Alabama, Florida and Mississippi.

In the Sky

2010-06-25T21:45:00.003-04:00

Leaving the beautiful skies and humidity of Orlando.

Smog over Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan (Brooklyn Bridge is the lower bridge).

Crossing the Long Island Sound to land at LaGuardia Airport. Sun rays filtering through smog created this effect.

Gulf of Mexico Tour: Day 11 in Orlando

2010-06-25T09:14:00.006-04:00

As I depart today for the grime and intensity of New York, I leave my viewers with images of Kayla, who tolerated my harassment last night.

Then she got tired and ignored me.

Gulf of Mexico Tour: Day 10 in Winter Park

2010-06-24T22:40:00.002-04:00

The dogs (human and non-human) of downtown Winter Park, Florida.

Wendy taking in a breeze at the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens in Winter Park, situated on a lake.

I command Kayla to enter the light of the setting sun. She does not listen. Notice a red dot on the tile above my index finger.

At the Drunken Monkey, one of a few excellent vegan friendly dining spots in Orlando, Wendy and I tried the Southern Fried Jesus, left, and the Vegan Monster Truck. The former won out.

Gulf of Mexico Tour: Day 9 in Longwood

2010-06-23T22:10:00.009-04:00

Jamie helped Ruby find shells while we took a break.

She found one.

Jamie helped tug our boats over shallow waters.

A stranger's dog tried to jump out of their boat when it saw us.

Kayaking with friends in the Wekiva River near Orlando, Florida.

Gulf of Mexico Tour: Day 8 in Orlando

2010-06-22T22:35:00.004-04:00

I spy a transient who befriends birds.

I spy backyard banana trees.

I spy Michael.

I spy Olive.

I spy mulch. My host joked I would be made to move it to the backyard as part of the couchsurfing deal.

I spy ducks in a downtown Orlando park.

I spy a Southern forest and pond.

I spy a sunset over an Orlando lake.

Gulf of Mexico Tour: Day 7 in Orlando

2010-06-21T23:50:00.004-04:00

How do you molest an alligator?

A palm at Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando, Florida.

Leaf imprints.

Gulf of Mexico Tour: Day 6 in Perdido Key

2010-06-21T23:05:00.007-04:00

Many canceled hotel rooms on the Gulf coast of Alabama and Florida despite seemingly beautiful beaches and clear water.

This vendor sold two beers in four hours. The Flora-Bama, right, a beach bar in Perdido Key, Florida, had a handful of patrons. Cars filled up to the third level of the usually packed garage, which is on the Alabama side.

A few workers disembarked a cart after a day's work. Oil had made landfall a week and a half ago.

Off in the distance, a shrimping boat works as an oil skimmer while a boom rig, left, separates oil from water instead of drilling for oil or catching bottom-feeding fish.

Sunset over Perdido Key on the Alabama side.

I stepped on an oil blob, which squished and crumbled like Play-Doh. I found many of these on the beach at Gulfport, Mississippi, but I had no idea at the time what they were until someone educated me in Perdido Key, Florida.

Gulf of Mexico Tour: Day 5 in Mobile and Pensacola

2010-06-19T20:38:00.006-04:00

Riding in a Greyhound bus on Interstate 10 in Mississippi Friday evening

Oil in Mobile Bay?

Torrential rainstorm in Pensacola, Florida

I unfortunately didn't take any photos in Mobile, Alabama. That means I have to go back, right? One of these days...

Gulf of Mexico Tour: Day 4 in Gulfport

2010-06-18T16:34:00.008-04:00

Gulfport, Mississippi has two casinos and a beach.

A lone crab. The only creature I saw in two hours on the beach.

Workers trained on this beach to prepare for an oil-spill cleanup if it makes landfall.

The water in the Mississippi Sound -- which is between mainland Mississippi and barrier islands that abut the Gulf of Mexico -- looks strikingly yellow. A local told me muddy water is normal.

A thunderstorm looms ahead.

Can you spot a typo? -- U.S. Route 90

Gulf of Mexico Tour: Day 3 in New Orleans

2010-06-17T18:17:00.003-04:00

The Mississippi River as seen from the French Quarter

Hot sauce for tourists?

After a rainstorm -- Canal Street

The Big Easy isn't all depressing. And I'm finally pronouncing it like a local: New OR-linz.

Gulf of Mexico Tour: Day 2 in New Orleans

2010-06-16T18:58:00.004-04:00

Lower Ninth Ward

Garbage -- seen in front of this Lower Ninth Ward house -- is commonly discarded on sidewalks in New Orleans. Recycling has recently been instituted for the first time since Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005.

Lower Ninth Ward

I asked him why he sat behind a locked gate. He mumbled shyly, "I like it." -- Garden District

Lower Ninth Ward

I spent some time this morning documenting the Lower Ninth Ward. Much is abandoned on Saint Claude Avenue, a main thoroughfare. Barely any people walked the streets. Only one bus goes through it, despite New Orleans' good public transit system.

Gulf of Mexico Tour: Day 1 in New Orleans

2010-06-15T19:08:00.003-04:00

I'm still pronouncing it like a Northerner, or perhaps like any outsider: New OrLEENZ. I quickly realized how lame I sounded the minute I heard big-band music through the speaker system as I entered Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.

Needless to say, the natural landscape is gorgeous. The cityscape is strikingly funky, in a Southern way. (My couchsurfing host took me on a tour of the Garden District.)

Today, I only have these airplane photos. This is the Louisiana Gulf coast right after a summer rainstorm, which is ideal for my purpose.