Wednesday, June 8, 2011

beautiful places



Well at the risk of staining my blog with incohesion, I thought it would be nice to blog about something from the top of my head. I just thought it would be interesting and more personal to spontaneously blog. Well lately I've indulged in a vast amount of art and pictures from beautiful places. I've been thinking a lot, and I kind of feel a little sad. I really want to travel the world, with an amazing camera and just experience everything this earth has to give. In no way do I see it happening anytime soon considering I would need an income to support my desire. Its maddening seeing all of these beautiful places and not being able to be there and experience the lovely scenery or people. I want to learn and grow so much more than I could in New York. This world holds beauty so incredibly celestial it humbles me. This world is home to things more visually stunning than my flesh, my wardrobe, and my art combined. I understand I'm but a mere ant in this grand spherical world, and I want to witness all of its gifts. A lot of people have this notion that I feel as if I'm greater than most, all, or everything. I don't believe that, I am but a man, my dreams and creativity are the only things that give my own existence meaning in my eyes. It is this belief that compels me to find inspiration and grow and grow, until I am complete and fulfilled. I know my own insatiability has an appetite I could never satisfy. I still want more, people, relationships, experiences, beauty, art, clothes, ideas, etc. I apologize for the rant people, I go off on tangents but know its only because this blog is so personal. This blog is an accurate reflection of my thoughts. Its basically the best way for anyone to get to know me, and for all my habitual readers I sleep well knowing that although we might have never met, you have an idea of who I am. I put my heart and soul into post like this, so I really hope you guys take the time to appriciate them. But before I bore you to sleep here are some pictures that send me into ecstasy.



















Monday, May 16, 2011

Travel Photographer Of The Year At The RGS

Photo © Matjaz Krivic-All Rights Reserved-Courtesy TPOTY
I am envious of my readers in the United Kingdom as they get the opportunity of attending The Travel Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Royal Geographical Society which runs until 10 June 2011. Well, I hope to be in London a day or two before its end, and see it myself...fingers crossed.

The best entries from The Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) 2010, along with some of the best of the society's own archive images, are at the exhibition but those who can't attend it in person can view a fantastic BBC audio slideshow.

TPOTY has signed a five-year agreement with the RGS to hold exhibitions at its 1 Kensington Gore (London) location.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

The Leica File: The Jinghu Players Of Chinatown

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

I"m happy to report that the kerfuffle pitting the NYPD against the senior citizens of Columbus Park in Chinatown seems to have been resolved. As you may have read in an earlier post, the NYPD disbanded the amateur Chinese opera bands that played at the park for years, and were filmed apparently using unnecessary force to do so.

But never underestimate the resilience of the Chinese...the cacophonous opera singers and their loyal musicians were back in force and in full form yesterday ...however minus their portable amplifiers. Amps and microphones violated the New York City Noise Control Code, and the NYPD swung into action. However, not only were the musicians back, but I've never seen so many chess, mah jong and card players despite the faint drizzle.

The musicians use a panoply of Chinese traditional musical instruments, such as the yangqin, a sort of dulcimer with a near-squared soundboard, and played with two bamboo sticks, as well as the jinghu, a small two string fiddle, a circular bodied plucked lute called the yueqin and the recognizable gu and ban, a drum and clapper.

As you can tell, I used a 1.4 aperture in those two photographs. I'm currently enamored with extreme shallow depth of field!