Calm Photos

The two images I’ve included with this post illustrate the variety and rush of experiences I’ve had during the last 10 days of April.

One week I’m in Hocking Hills, Ohio, photographing the early spring landscape and volunteering as a judge in the annual Shoot the Hills photography competition. Then it was back home to close on the sale of our home in Kettering and clear away the last remaining items in a three-day garage sale. Immediately after that, last Monday, was a full-day, architectural photo shoot assignment for Housetrends Magazine, and then on Wednesday morning I was headed to the Big Apple for a slide presentation on my work with the Ohio landscape to the photography committee of NYC chapter of the Sierra Club.

I packed light for my trip to New York, so the only camera I had with me was the one that comes with my iPhone. The pic above was one of the views from my hotel, located near Central Park in Midtown Manhattan.

It was good to go back to New York for that short visit. The city is full of energy with sights, sounds and smells that at times can overwhelm the senses, and not in a bad way.

The last time I was in NYC was on September 11, 2001. I spent the entire day over at the Clarion Hotel next to LaGuardia in Queens. This past Wednesday I flew into that same airport. It was slightly strange, but after six and half years I can safely say yes, despite the horror and tragedy of that event, life does indeed go on.

I truly enjoyed the experience of sharing my photographs of Ohio with the Sierra Club. Lots of positive reactions, insightful commentary and good questions.

My first time in Midtown Manhattan I was impressed that I was able to walk with ease and without getting lost from my hotel to the meeting location. On the way I had the opportunity to walk through a portion of Central Park. It was beautiful. In the future I’d like to return just to spend a day or two photographing this natural sanctuary in the middle of the city that never sleeps.

The only odd experience I had was watching “Cloverfield” in the hotel later that night, which was shot mostly on location in the very area of Midtown where I was staying. Kind of weird watching the movie while inside one of the high-rise hotels destroyed by the movie monster, especially in the unique Blair Witch-style of film making that was used to shoot “Cloverfield.” Needless to say, strange dreams came calling that evening.