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A Few More Photos

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged brick, cathedral, diner, horse, lady godiva, Pawtucket, PF Chang, photo, photography, postaday, providence, renovation, the modern diner, tian, veterans for tomorrow on March 9, 2016| 3 Comments »

This batch is all Rhode Island. First I have a couple pictures from the mall. If you don’t call the mall Providence Place, people aren’t sure if you mean the Arcade. I’m having a hard time keeping track of the local names. You have the Rhode Island Convention Center, which is not the same as the Civic Center (is that the Dunkin Donuts Center?), which is totally not the same as the same as P-PAC (Providence Performing Arts Center), which is not the same as the Veterans Memorial Auditorium …

Back to the photos. Lady Godiva hangs out in Providence Place, as does PF Chang restaurant’s fine-looking Tian horse. Next, I’m posting a glimpse of some old brick buildings that were merged and renovated to house my new workplace. I love the view out this conference room window.

The archway is from a different renovated building, the historic Heating & Cowling Mill, which has beautifully repurposed to house formerly homeless veterans.

Several homeless people were watching me from the steps of the cathedral early one morning like wary deer. I took an unobtrusive picture around the corner, where the sun was warming a quiet nook.

The Modern Diner is in Pawtucket and serves breakfast all day, but not breakfast only. It was recently featured on the Food Network show and made a list of top diners in New England. Check out the Providence Journal report.

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North Korea Favors Pastel Buildings

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged David Guttenfelder, everydaydpk, Khrista Rypl, kindergarten kitsch, national drama theater, north korea, oliver wainwright, Paektusan Academy of Architecture, pastel, photograph, photography, postaday, Pyongyang, studio 360, wes anderson on February 12, 2016| 2 Comments »

A couple years ago, I was taken with a newspaper photograph of pink and blue buildings in a lonely North Korean square. So foreign. So melancholy.

I tried to get in touch with the photographer, David Guttenfelder, to see if I could buy a print. That didn’t work out, but I learned quite a bit about him and his special status as an approved photographer for Western outlets in North Korea. I became a follower on twitter and instagram, where I discovered that his photos of everyday life in the isolated country had inspired other Westerners living there. Now I follow posts on instagram by a group of people calling themselves everydaydpk.

So I was intrigued when Studio 360 also took an interest in photographs from North Korea.

Khrista Rypl posts on the radio show’s website, “North Korea’s seclusion makes pictures from inside the country irresistible novelties. But while the country’s borders are tightly controlled, visiting isn’t as difficult as you might expect. Almost anyone with enough cash can book a tour (although the US State Department advises against it) and people even travel there to run in an annual marathon. Officially, North Korea says it hopes to attract two million visitors by 2020.

“One of the tours available is an architectural survey of the nation’s capital, Pyongyang. Oliver Wainwright, architecture and design critic for The Guardian, recently visited the country with that itinerary. He’s been posting photos of interiors of the city’s buildings, and wrote a nice piece about his visit. It’s a fascinating glimpse inside a closed society. The empty interiors look like they’re part of an abandoned theme park from the 1980s.

“Wainwright notes that pastel colors appear everywhere in the city and calls the aesthetic ‘kindergarten kitsch’ — ‘the logical next step for a regime intent on projecting an image of carefree prosperity.’ …

” ‘In every refurbished building we visit, there is a peculiarly consistent style of preschool colour schemes and shiny synthetic surfaces, the pastel palettes and axial symmetry giving an eerie feeling of walking into a Wes Anderson film set, or a life-size Polly Pocket toy,’ [he adds].

“The decor certainly has a child-like quality, both in the color palate as well as in how each room has been pared down to a few essential elements, like a dollhouse.”

See if you agree, here.

Photos: Oliver Wainwright/Tumblr
The National Drama Theater in Pyongyang

Below, a rendering of an architectural project from the Paektusan Academy of Architecture in Pyongyang

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January Photo Roundup

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged architecture, art, berries, light and shadow, photo, photography, postaday, providence, small point cafe on January 21, 2016| 1 Comment »

The first pictures feature berries, shadows, rain, and snow. I took them in Massachusetts.

The others are from Providence, which has long exuded an artistic vibe. I liked the sunrise on rooftops in one photo and a beautiful ornate building, sadly neglected. More-contemporary art pops up in unexpected places: the robot-like sculpture at a busy intersection and the robot in the ladies room at Small Point Café.

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Marine Wonders

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged ancient mariner, Hanging stomach jellyfish, maria popova, photo, photography, postaday, spineless, Stomotoca atra, susan middleton, sylvia earle, undersea on January 13, 2016| 2 Comments »

What’s not to love about undersea creatures? They are so wondrous I’m having a hard time picking just one of the photos from Susan Middleton’s 2014 book Spineless.

Maria Popova reviews the book at Brain Pickings.

“In Spineless, visual artist, educator, and explorer Susan Middleton turns her luminous lens to … the exquisite and enigmatic world of marine invertebrates, which represent 98% of the known animal species in the oceans and are thus the backbone of life on our blue planet, on which 97% of the water is ocean. …

“Using a special photographic technique she developed, Middleton captures an astounding diversity of creatures, ranging from giant squid to tiny translucent jellyfish to two species so new to science — the Kanola squat lobster and the Wanawana crab — that they have been formally named based on the very individuals in the book. Her photographs are at once austere and deeply alive — against the plain black or white background, these creatures fill the frame with striking intimacy of presence.”

(Doesn’t Popova write beautifully? She is from Bulgaria. I just mention that because one of the the best writers I worked with at my old job was Bulgarian. It can happen. We all know about late learners of English who became masters: Joseph Conrad, Vladimir Nabokov, Tom Stoppard.)

More on Susan Middleton’s book here. Marine defender Sylvia Earle wrote the foreward.

Photo: Susan Middleton
Hanging stomach jellyfish (Stomotoca atra)

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Christmas 2015

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged christmas, christmas tree, creche, grandchildren, photo, photography, postaday, presents on December 25, 2015| 6 Comments »

Wherein the grandmother is too tired to talk but will describe the photos. Wreaths on the Colonial Inn, grandson with new truck, church nativity scene early Christmas morning, Christmas tree at John’s house, grandfather with two granddaughters.

So much fun to be around little kids at Christmas. Also very good for sleeping soundly the following night.

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Photo Exhibit: The 1950s in Ghana

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged accra, africa, Autograph ABP, Clementine de la Feronniere, colonial, Ever Young, ghana, independence, james barnor, nicole crowder, photographer, photography, postaday, transition on October 28, 2015| Leave a Comment »

The uncle of my co-worker from Ghana is a very fine photographer who chronicled much of the last days of colonialism and the beginning of independence in his native land.

Another colleague was reading an article about the uncle’s new book in the Washington Post and thought, “Could they be related?” They are.

Nicole Crowder wrote at the Post, “In 1957, after over a century of colonization, Ghana gained independence from Britain. Just 30 years prior, in 1929, photographer James Barnor was born in the country’s capital Accra — then the Gold Coast colony — and over the course of a career that spanned more than six decades would become one of Ghana’s leading and most well-known photographers.

“Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Barnor created a definitive portfolio of street and studio portraiture depicting societies in transition: images of a burgeoning sub-Saharan African nation moving toward independence, and a European capital city becoming a multicultural metropolis.

“Ghana in the 1950s was experiencing a radiance of post-colonization as well as its ‘heyday of Highlife,’ a fusion of traditional African rhythms, Latin calypso and jazz influences that would soon spread across Ghana’s borders to West Africa and beyond. … Barnor captured all of this energy, playing at once artist, director, photographer and technician, by offering a well-rounded portrait of Ghanian life from many walks of life.

“On Oct. 8, Autograph ABP and the gallery Clementine de la Feronniere [released] the book ‘Ever Young‘ showcasing Barnor’s extensive archive, followed by a corresponding photo exhibition in Paris through Nov. 21.”

More at the Washington Post.

Photo: James Barnor/Autograph, ABP
Nigerian Superman, Old Polo Ground, Accra, 1957–58.

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Artsy Utility Box and Other Photos

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged artist, photography, photos, postaday, south boston, utility box, wormwood park on October 3, 2015| 6 Comments »

Adding appeal to a neighborhood by having local artists decorate utility boxes has become a thing. The adorable utility-box sea creatures below, however, have their work cut out for them as the only agreeable aspect of a heavily trafficked truck route between parking lots in South Boston.

I’ve taken photos of quite a few decorated utility boxes in the last couple years, and I think they work best in places where they support other amenities — trees, flowers, attractive storefronts. Otherwise they seem to be fish out of water.

The unusual mural in downtown Providence is an example of street art with companions. The crazy Alice in Wonderland-type clock, for example, is nearby.

From other recent photographic undertakings comes shell art in Wormwood Park, sun-drenched crab apples, and a floating flower in the Greenway.

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Late Summer Scenes

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged beet poet, garden, harbor, jubali, ocean, photo, photography, produce, sand sculpture, summer, surf on September 6, 2015| 5 Comments »

Signs and portents. Summer is winding down. The writing is on the telephone wires. The sidewalk squirrel is gathering nuts. My neighbor’s garden is producing bounty. A dragon has appeared on the beach. We seized our last chance for a ladies’ lunch overlooking the harbor. I bought Jubali beet-cucumber-apple juice at the farmers market because it was called Beet Poet.

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Blooms and Blooming

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged blossoming, children, growth, lotus, photo, photography, postaday on August 26, 2015| 4 Comments »

Two of my grandchildren just got back from a month in Scandinavia with their parents, visiting the Swedish side of the family. It’s amazing how much kids can develop in one month.

The baby left here with four teeth and came back with eight. She could barely reach for something without falling over and now crawls like a demon. Her older brother is more of a conversationalist than ever and has returned with new ideas for playing with old toys.

The children bloomed and blossomed with all the love and attention of their Swedish family.

The lotus below was also blooming during the past month.

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A Camera that Flies

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged calgary, canada, DJi Phantom 3 Professional Quadcopter, drone, flying toasters, photo, photography, postaday, rob moses, zoo on August 15, 2015| 3 Comments »

The first time I really got into the Internet and computers was in 1994 when I was working at HBR. We all loved experimenting with kooky screen savers. Do you remember flying toasters?

Flying toasters are what I think of when I look at what reader Rob Moses is doing with his camera on a drone. Here are photos from a flight over the Calgary Zoo. (Rob lives in Canada.)

He writes, “I have been flying around this DJi Phantom 3 Professional Quadcopter lately. I took this picture with it flying over the Calgary Zoo. One of the most fun things around flying one of these things is having the ability to shoot photos of views people don’t really see. This picture is a good example of a view not seen. I only wish there was some animals walking around in the picture haha.”

Seeing what your flying camera picked up must feel similar to riding on a train through people’s backyards, where you get a sense of lives as they are lived that you never get from a front lawn.

Be sure to check out the Rob Moses Photography blog, here.

Photo: Rob Moses Photography

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Summer in New England

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged band, boston, fort point, harbor, new england, photography, photos, postaday, rhode island, sidewalk sale, stone wall on July 25, 2015| 2 Comments »

There was a band at the July 25 sidewalk sale, and I tried to capture the exuberance of a young lady who knew exactly what to do. Then I passed by and bought lots of sidewalk sale cut-price goodies.

Next I’m posting three photos of the Fort Point section of Boston. I never tire of the old buildings. Do you like the iron railing and the way light is cast on one wall in the way we think of shadows being cast? Another building has a shadow of backwards words from a sign. If you look closely (and can read reverse images), you can almost see the word “industrial.” It’s a ghost. Very appropriate for Fort Point, where industry is now mostly a ghost among glass-box office buildings.

From there, we move on to Rhode Island on a gray day — a stone wall gate and a quiet harbor.

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Fountain and Other Boston Photos

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged #designbiennialboston, @hellogreenway, dewey square, farmers market, greenway, photo, photography, postaday, state house, sunflower on July 21, 2015| 4 Comments »

The little Vine video is of the fountain that children love in the Greenway. Nearby is the old State House, looking refined in the shadow of tall, impersonal modernities.

I took a photo of the sign explaining some new sculptures. They turn out to be part of the Design Biennial in Boston.

In the Dewey Square section of the Greenway, I also love the farmers market that materializes Tuesdays and Thursdays. Note the sunflowers, flourishing in the Greenway’s demonstration garden. The narrow, decrepit building behind them always intrigues me. What would you do with it if it were yours? It’s a valuable location that no one seems to want. What about a pocket performance space?

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July Photos

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged arlington, block island, greenway, new shoreham, photo, photography, postaday, rhode island, sam and leslie davol, southeast light, uni on July 14, 2015| 2 Comments »

This group of photos starts with four from New Shoreham, including the Southeast Light and the posters on the food truck.

Next we have two sides of a utility box in Arlington, Mass. — the work of local artists. Many other utility boxes around town are painted, all charming.

The old, unused water works building always strikes me as a perfect setting for a mystery novel. The dog in the next photo is checking out the portable Uni library in the Greenway, an initiative of Sam and Leslie Davol.

The lushness of the hydrangeas this year makes me think of sheep. I start singing, “Sheep may safely graze and pasture/ In a watchful shepherd’s eye.”

And you know clouds.

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Crabby Lager and Other Photos

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged barking crab, bindweed, boston, crabby lager, envoy hotel, fort point, photo, photography, picture, postaday, seaport, wachusett brewing company, warehouse on July 7, 2015| 4 Comments »

I liked the Crabby Lager poster outside the Barking Crab today. The popular restaurant is as rough-hewn as ever, but its Seaport neighborhood has gone upscale. The Barking Crab now shares a spanking new sidewalk with a boutique hotel called the Envoy. (The lettering for the hotel’s name is too esoteric for words. Took me 10 minutes to figure it out.)

In other photos, I couldn’t resist beautiful weeds in grungy corners. I don’t know the name of the purple bells, but the other flower is bindweed. Or maybe Morning Glory.

The old warehouse (I can’t resist old warehouses) is in Fort Point, a part of South Boston that the artist in the last photo is painting from the other side of the channel.

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Can’t Stop Taking Pictures

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged boston, brattle books, citgo, downtown crossing, fort point, photo, photography, postaday, street art on May 2, 2015| 2 Comments »

The snowstorms were great for pictures, but spring seems to bring photo ops everywhere you turn.

Here you have a flower pot outside Sally Ann Bake Shop, my neighbor’s weeping cherry, an excavator at my house, a utilitarian fence that is always being decorated by Fort Point artists (this time with bells) or by nature (a flowering tree) or the government (“No Trespassing”).

The lion lives in tiny Wormwood Park. The street art riffing off Boston’s famed Citgo sign is on South Street. The harbor arbor is putting out shoots. At the Brattle Book Shop on West Street, books have come out again in the warmer weather.

Finally, please note the upside down car reflected at the Downtown Crossing CVS.

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