It has been a few days since I’ve posted to the blog, and it seems like today is a good time to do so. Mike Pittman Photography’s “World Headquarters” have been buzzing with activity.  I’ve been busy editing the photos from Matt & Di’s wedding as well as moving my entire photo archive (at least the part that’s digitized) back to 2000 from SmugMug to Flickr.  I really enjoyed SmugMug, but Flickr has a better offering for my requirements.  There are also some not-so-secret changes taking place behind the scenes, but for now I’ll let those remain “not-so-secret” and unveil the curtain at a later date.

Anyone who has been to New York City knows the Flatiron Building.  Then again, most people who haven’t been to New York City know the Flatiron Building.  It’s famous for it’s triangular shape, and is historical for being one of the city’s first skyscrapers.  The HDR photo above was taken on a cold winter night, just before sunset, as the reflection of the setting sun made it’s mark on the east side of the building.  Sometimes these things just align, and this is one of those days.  I was out and about with my trusty Canon G11 and looked up to see the reflection.  I braced myself against a light pole, and started shooting bracketed sets.  I was able to fire off six frames, and the beautiful light was gone.  At sunset, patience is not a virtue.  Shoot through the sunset, and worry with the perfect light later.  If you wait for the light to improve, you may well have just missed the best light of the evening.

Yet another photo from my European vacation.  This one is also from Croatia… also from Dubrovnik… but from an island just off the mainland called Lokrum Island.  You can read more about Lokrum Island if you want to, but really all you need to know is this:  it’s beautiful.  The view back to the mainland is fantastic, and a short walk to the other side of the island and you see nothing but the sea.  Beautiful sea.  Then again, if you walk to the left when you get off of the boat docks, you might get to see more than you bargain for.  I’ll let you look that one up on your own.

I’m sure this boat has a story to tell, at least it looks like it does.  I’m glad I stumbled across it while we spent our day on Lokrum Island.

New York City – just say the name and anyone who is alive in the modern world will understand you.  The name transcends language barriers.  It’s a city known for iconic landmarks: the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, and the list goes on and on.  But between these landmarks are other places and things just as synonymous with The City as the other: vendor carts.  There are times it seems you can’t walk a block without smelling hotdogs, roasted nuts, pretzels, coffee, etc.  These street-level landmarks are every bit as much a part of The City as the buildings are.

This photo was shot on a cold, blustery, December day.  We were walking across the street and the colors and lights of this hot dog cart popped out from the rest of the gray, bleak, overcast day.  When I looked at the image on screen, it didn’t capture the look that I saw when I took the photo.  What popped out at me then was the people – people I hadn’t noticed before.  The lady speaking with the vendors; the young man eying the cart; the lady crossing the street chewing on her recently purchased food; the others blissfully unaware of the cart.  I could probably edit this photo and get back to the look I saw that day, but I rather like the subdued look of the cart – it allows me to see the other thing that makes The City unique: the people.

Cold Meter

When I arrived in New Haven and told people I’d just moved here, all I heard about all summer was how bad the winters are.  Bitterly cold, windy, snow all winter, etc.  I was excited!  I love snow, and I’m one of those people that thinks winter should be cold, summer should be hot, and spring / fall should be somewhere in between.  December of this year saw the coldest temps we’ve had so far:  highs in the low 20s, and lows around 10.

This photo wasn’t taken in December.  Last week I was walking through Yale’s campus early one morning and saw that this parking meter had apparently grown tired of the cold, and put on a nice wool coat.  I knew it was cold out, but I didn’t realized the parking meters knew it.