Winter Sport --Swimming Outdoors? [Orange You Glad It's Friday]

   Since the Midtown AC outdoor [heated]-pool season came to a close on Sun. Dec.15, I thought I’d share a few more pics in connection with my other passion, swimming [scroll back to the Nov. 28th (Sky Watch Friday) posting for additional shots of the pool in winter]. One of the amenities that the Club provides is a roaring fire each Fall Friday morning in the outdoor enclosed lodge by the pool [along with complimentary refreshments]. On Fri. Dec.13, cell phone cameras made these shots of the fire and polar bear [me]. Hope you all had a Merry Xmas!

Berlin's Sony Center [Sky Watch Friday]

    I’m tired of gray Rochester skies. So, I thought I’d peruse my archive for some blue sky images that evoke good memories. The shots below were taken in Berlin’s Sony Center, a place where one can point and shoot in any direction and obtain a decent image. I’ve been to Berlin before, during and after the Wall -- and, following the reunification, it has become my favorite city in Germany, with München a close second [well, my wife’s hometown, Braunschweig, ranks high up there too]. The former East Berlin has undergone a spectacular facelift, with the Sony Center being one of the main attractions for me. I won’t bore you with details describing it; that you can obtain on Google. I just want to say that the 'roof' is a magnificent assembly of metal and canvas that resemble sails. Beneath that, along one side, are several stories of windows that make wonderful reflections when viewed from the right perspective. If you look closely at the lower pic, you can see several people along the lowest level, which will give you an idea of the scale of this structure.

Rochester Wall Art 9

  Continuing our walk through Rochester, wall art appears in places that are not always convenient for photography. Today's images were partially blocked by high wire fencing, so I was forced to shoot it in separate portions. This display was quite an eyeful, but I still haven't figured out what the artist was trying to convey. Having said that, let me convey my wishes to you all for a Merry Xmas.

Rochester's Gray Skies [Sky Watch Friday]

   Like last week, today’s postings features Rochester’s gray wintry sky as the backdrop to familiar architectural structures. The top image is the oft photographed Lincoln-Chase Tower. The Genesee River runs through Rochester, so a number of pedestrian and auto bridges span it. These provide some nice vantage points from which to set up shop for photographing. The two images below were shot from one such location. While there may be too much negative space in the water, I decided to not crop that out, in favor of showing the space as it was.

Urban [Orange] Photography 4 [Orange You Glad It's Friday]

   Orange brick buildings must have been popular at one time in Rochester. I posted a few such cases in last week’s OYGIF, and here are a few more. At one time, Rochester abounded in breweries and men’s clothing manufacturers/retailers. Few remain of either -- although one stumbles across evidence in unexpected places. World Wide News has been a fixture in the heart of downtown for over 70 years. It sells foreign newspapers, as well as from all over the country, and every magazine you've ever heard of [including dozens that you haven't. Add to that all sorts of items (gum, candy, tobacco, liquor, and a large enough book selection that it rates as one of Rochester's better independent bookstores). Oh, add to that the fact that it is open 24/7 and you can expect quite a diverse clientele.

Rochester Wall Art 8

Continuing along our walks through Rochester, some of the wall art dimensions proved to be stunning. Last week's post was an example, and two more are added today.

Urban [Orange] Photography 3 [Orange You Glad It's Friday]

As I have mentioned previously, orange objects keep appearing at unexpected times. Here are several images I shot while on photo-shoots in downtown Rochester. In the image just below [shot in 2010], the scene is enlivened by the bright orange brick building in the background [I may have given it some assistance in Photoshop].

The images below were shot earlier this month. Here, the Main Street area was revisited because the city is generally quiet on Sunday [especially in cold weather], and parking is free of charge.

Rochester Skies continued [Sky watch Friday]

 Rochester, like many other cities, seems to be known for its gray skies. The plus side of that is that we really appreciate it when we see blue sky and white clouds, not to mention a brilliant sunset. In fact, we have it all -- and that forces a photographer to sharpen his//her skills by making the best of what the elements have offered up. Today's postings feature our bright gray sky, which offered a good backdrop for the wintry weather.
The top image features several of Rochester’s iconic architectural structures, of which I have posted separately on several occasions. For example, from left to right are a portion of the Freddie-Sue Bridge, the figure of Mercury, the First federal Building [with its now defunct revolving restaurant, and the Winged Victory atop the Times building.

One does not see fire escapes that often in Rochester. I thought it would be cool to shoot this one against the sky and try to catch its reflection in the windows. Fortunately, the sky did not get blown out. 

Like fire escapes, balconies also fascinate me. This [low rent] apartment building was constructed right in the heart of downtown and on one of the major arteries through town. It hasn’t done a lot to revitalize the city, but it is what it is [an interesting building to photograph].

Rochester Wall Art 7

These images belong to my Rochester Wall Art series. The building was actually was obscured from view as I happened to head down a side alley by Rochester's German Club. As I reached the end and turned the corner I was blown away by what I saw. The scale and nature of what I saw was breathtaking. Even now, it is somewhat surprising, if not startling, to look at. 

 

Rochester Wall Art 6 [Orange You Glad It's Friday]

  Today’s posting continues my series, Rochester Wall Art, which features ‘graffitti’ spray-painted on the walls of various buildings around the city. In addition, these images belong in the Orange You Glad It’s Friday meme, as well. Hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed shooting them.

Rochester Skies [Sky Watch Friday]

Quite a few folks have posted wonderful SWF images shot with their cell phones. They deserve special recognition considering how difficult it can be sometimes to even see anything [except one’s reflection] on the screen. Those occasions really give meaning to ‘point-and-shoot’ [and hope for the best]. I’ve experienced that myself. But, with the right light, seeing and composing a shot is feasible. The sunset [top image] was shot under such favorable conditions. The two morning shots were taken with my DSLR camera.

Rochester Wall Art 5

There seems to be no end to the wall art around town. Here are two with wonderful splashes of color.

Midtown AC Outdoor Pool [Sky Watch Friday]

   Temperature was in the low 20s F last Sunday A.M., but the water at the Midtown Athletic Club pool was an inviting 82 F. Here are some cell phone shots I took before stripping down and hitting the water. During the course of my workout, every lane was occupied by one or more swimmers! Can you believe it, the pool will be kept open until Dec.15th -- I’d hate to see the heating bills. Since the pool season began on March 15, I have logged 287,000 yds [ca. 152 miles]. I think I'm a chlorine addict --lol--

Urban [Orange] Photography 2 [Orange You Glad It's Friday]

  While the grandkids are out playing in the snow, I’ll sneak in here and do my posting. Although part of my ‘Urban [Orange] Photography’ series, these images are not what one might generally expect to find in an urban setting. However, all three were taken on three independent photo-outings this month. They serve as a last reminder, to those of us in the northern hemisphere, of the colors we enjoyed this Fall. 

Rochester Wall Art 4

  I'm a little late with this posting -- family all here for Thanksgiving/Hanukkah, so our concerns about their travel through bad weather were unfounded, thank goodness. OK -- here I add to the series of wall art/grafitti around Rochester. These are quite an eye-full. Enjoy!

Urban [Orange] Photography 1 [Orange You Glad It's Friday & Sky Watch Friday]

    I noted in an earlier OYGIF posting that I’ve suddenly begun seeing orange everywhere. In fact, during several recent photo-shoots, I’ve acquired several dozen new images that I will post over time.  So, today marks the start of my ‘Urban [Orange] Photography’ series. West of downtown Rochester are several side street with turn of the century [19th-20th] buildings. Some of these structures are under renovation for conversion to living space. Along Cascade Street, we came across some heavy equipment that was probably used in work on the windows. The top two images are what I saw and photographed first for OYGIF. 

    As I walked down the block, I turned back. The sight just about ‘knocked my socks off’. I saw the heads and necks of two dinosaurs spanning the street and silhouetted against the sky. Wow! What a find -- which only reinforces the principle to LOOK AROUND. The image below is what I saw. I am using it as the thumb-nail in the link to Sky Watch Friday, too.

Rochester Wall Art 3

   There is not much more I have to to say about the images in this series. I know that I do not tire of looking at them because they abound with movement and explosive color. It is mind blowing to realize that the artists performed their wall transformations in all sorts of environments, including back alleys, besides railroad tracks, on railroad cars, on commercial buildings, etc. The three images below were on abandoned and run down buildings.