Some Quick Fun In The Snow

New York was blessed with a fresh bed of snow today and I was amped to go out and play in it.

Never too old to have some fun in the snow making a snow angel. Yep.

The Keys To NYC

I think today is Thursday but it feels so much more like a Friday. Hold on…wait…wow…it is Friday.

The first two above lines are what I like to call starter lines. It is the section of the post that I write but rarely ever publish. It is a technique I use just to get the ball rolling when I am drawing a complete blank. Pretty much my literary catapult or my creative ice breaker to pick up where the caffeine dissipates. Try it, love it, and expect more of it from my end. Especially since, even at this very point in the post, I still don’t where I’m going with this.

I think I know the angle I’m going to take with this one. I’m going show a dozen or so images and then write captions under them. Does this sound like something that you’d be interested in checking it out? If so, you can get your scroll on…now!

Key West

Skipper, Sunshine, and I headed to The Keys for an expert shoot with Smart Travel Expert, Mitzi Gordon. Here are Mitzi and I taking a smile on Duval Street.

One of the many highlights of the shoot was the Hemingway House. We were granted access behind the great steal gate that guards Hemingway’s writing studio. After the interview, I got to sit in Mr. Hemingway’s actual chair and pretend to type on his typewriter. I gotta admit, I was a little inspired.

On the way to the Kino Sandal Factory, I found this street stencil of Mr.T and Rocky. I don’t remember the movie, but I will remember that day for the rest of my life.

Going to Key West and not taking a picture in front of this monument is like going to Paris and skipping the Eiffel Tower.

New Kicks

When we were heading back to the lab from Destin, I stopped by the Reebok Outlet and dropped 30 bones on a sweet pair on Ventilators for my adventure back to NYC. To see the whole sneaker, stop by my office tomorrow and I’ll see what I can do. Bring Jelly Belly Beans.

South Jamaica Queens

Here is the intercom to get into the building where I grew up. Why am I showing you this? Because I have your attention, yo.

Money-Making Manhattan

I took this picture waiting for my sister to call me back before I hopped on the train.

While I was waiting, I suddenly became infatuated by the style of this crosswalk sign.

Grabbed a pic of one of the music spots I used to hit when I was in high school. If you don’t know about Colony, then you don’t know about music. Well, maybe you do. Plus, I was just kiddin’. Sheesh.

My Little Sister

This is my little sister, Delilah. She is about as cool as little sisters get. Just don’t ask her to make you a sandwich with mayo on it. She hates the stuff. Won’t touch it. D if you are reading this, your Swiffer Sweeper is on the way. Congrats on your new apartment.

Staten Island

My grandmother lives out on Staten Island. When I was a kid, my family and I would take 2 buses, 2 trains, and the Staten Island Ferry just to get to my grandparents’ house. Nowadays, there is a bus that will take you there in a jiffy, but I thought it would be fun to travel the old way.

While on the ferry, I looked at my mom’s wrist while she was eating a bag of pretzels. I thought her bracelets had a cool texture to them and I took a picture.

This image is on a wall in my grandma’s home. Ever since I can remember, this drawing has been there. It is my mom back when she was 18. The artist sketched it about the size of a movie poster.

These are my grandma’s hands and my favorite picture from my whole trip. She thought I was joking, but I’m going to sell this one to a coffee shop and she is going to be famous. You’ll see. You’ll see.

I bought this sculpture for my grandma one Christmas and I love taking pictures of it. They never quite come out right but this one made the cut.

Back In Queens

This is a small sign somewhere in my uncle’s shop, better known as Ritz Auto Body. It is one of the staples of the neighborhood as well as of my upbringing.

Here is my cousin Rush fixing a van for a client at the shop. I can’t think of too many cars he can’t fix. As a matter of fact, he is building a car from scratch! Can your cousin do that? I didn’t thinks so.

And here is his boot. This picture is also going to the coffee shop.

If this Go-Kart could speak, it would probably tell humorous tales of me and Rush driving wildly through Brookville Park. Coincidentally, his driving style has not changed much since we were kids, yet it’s still fun driving with him.

Here is my other cousin. He doesn’t speak much but when he does, I listen. I seriously expect big things from this dude.

This is my other cousin who is also an artist. While I was there, she showed me a few of her latest pieces and let me get a few shots of how she does it. I was seriously impressed by her work and by the fact that she was welding. I’m very curious to what she’ll be creating in years to come.

This is one of my cousin’s art pieces. She gave me the run down on what it means, but I don’t quite remember. If you really want to know, drop me a line. I will give her a call, and then I will reply to your email with the back-story.

I got a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens a few months ago and this picture pretty much explains why I love it so. There was an old oil drum somewhere in my Uncle’s shop and these bolts were on it. I took a picture.

The East Village

I took this picture on a walk-by because I thought it looked cool. Inside, there were people in the windows recording their radio show live on the air. I tried to take a picture but all I got was wild reflections. I deleted the image and kept walking.

New Jersey

At one point during my trip back home, I ended up in Jersey with my sister, Liz. She invited me to a BBQ and we had a few hearty laughs.

The food at the BBQ was incredible. As they say in some of the smaller towns throughout Florida, “Now That’s Good Eatin’!”

Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse

Three days ago we headed up to Daytona to film our good friend Lucy Beebe Tobias. We all climbed 203 steps to the top of the lighthouse behind me. The trek was worth it for two reasons. The first is a given, and that is the view. The second was my favorite, and that was the breeze.

Well people, I love you but I gotta go. Thanks for stopping by and I’ll see you at the beach…I can’t say that. That is David McRee’s line. My line is:

Till Next Time,

Amon Focus

Bruce Gilden

I’ve just become an instant fan of Bruce Gilden after watching the way he takes pictures in NYC. He’s in and out of your face before you get a chance to care about what he is doing.