it’s all about the bean

It’s not as though the impossibly shiny, seamless stainless steel reflections of The Bean are flattering! But you can’t help be fascinated by them, and you can’t stop marveling at the crazy distortions of Chicago, and all the visitors drawn by the visual magnetism that is The Bean.

about faces

Here’s an idea… stick with me… let’s design and build, not one, but two giant LED glass block towers, and have them face each other. Then, let’s have water cascade down from the top of these towers. Then, let’s project a video of a giant face on the giant glass block towers. Then, let’s video the face changing, as if to expel water from it’s mouth, and at just the precise moment, we actually shoot a stream of water from the mouth of the giant LED face. Cool? Right? Thank you Jaume Plensa.

scenes from a park

2019 has been a wonderful year, and a busy year. Our family is growing and lots of activity and change (the good kind) professionally, so, I am not able to get out and shoot as much. Here are a few moments from a park with two of my grandchildren.

three things

  1. It is wonderful to see corn! We have had rain drowning the midwest this year, so, it is so good to finally see cornfields…. with corn!
  2. It is wonderful to ride!
  3. Wind farms are so cool!

the unexpected

This was taken near the end of my walk around the Montauk Point Lighthouse. Along the right edge of the image you can make out the “road” that was made when these giant boulders were laid along the shore to protect it from erosion.

What I didn’t expect to see at the end of my walk were these stone markers along the edge of the sea. Suddenly I felt like I was in some kind of sacred space where each of these represented a story or some kind of memorial.

I was alone in this field of small stone towers…

light stairs

It was a dizzying climb to the top of the lighthouse. The relatively small space and limited field of vision was disorienting, in a fun kind of way.

The Lighthouse was completed on November 5, 1796 and is the oldest Lighthouse in the State of New York and the 4th oldest Lighthouse in the United States. The Tower is 110′ 6″ tall and there are 137 iron steps to the top of the tower. Thanks for that Google.

If you would like to explore the story and history of the Montauk Lighthouse a bit more, this is a good place to start: https://montauklighthouse.com/info/lighthouse-history/ Next: what I found at the top.

fresnel art

I wonder if there are any still living who possess the creativity, artistry, and craftsmanship represented by these Fresnel lenses. They are truly magnificent!

Next post (I promise): we start climbing!

perspective

We all need it sometimes. (Click the image for a larger view.)

the landing

Let’s bring back Art Deco! Part of the charm and beauty of Jones Beach is the beautiful buildings and bath houses in the Art Deco style. The Landing is a restaurant at Jones Beach.

ultimate beachcombing find

Or, “That’s where we parked the CAT.”