Saturday, January 31, 2009

Friday, January 30, 2009

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Winter Comes To Middletown

We had some of that winter storm that gripped the country this week. Snowfall amounts only added up to two to four inches, just enough to add beauty to an otherwise somber scene.



I wanted to call this post "In The Dead of Winter" but maybe that would be tasteless.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Main, Looking East

It's a nice town, even on a cold winter day.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Lamp on Municipal Building

Something as ordinary as a light on a building can look interesting and artistic.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Saturday, January 24, 2009

W for What?

I like the lines in this shot, but I don't actually know what the W is for. It is on the front of a building on Main Street.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Skywatch Friday: Redish Sunset

This is the same sunset as shown in last Friday's post, photographed only twenty minutes later. It is amazing how much can change in just a few minutes.



CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL THE SKYWATCH FRIDAY PHOTOGRAPHS.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Shelter Vista 2

This is another part of the same picture I posted yesterday.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Shelter Vista 1

This is a view of Braddock Mountain in the distance looking through a park shelter.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Monday, January 19, 2009

Sunday, January 18, 2009

The Boss in Middletown?

Bruce Springsteen is not really in Middletown, but he is only 40 miles away in Washington DC. He is one of many performers playing the We Are One Inauguration Concert this afternoon at the Lincoln Memorial.



Visit my other photo site for more pre-inaugural photos I took yesterday.

Cold, Damp and Interesting

Here is another in a series of winter photos taken in Middletown Park.



When I started this site last summer, it was easy to go out and take pictures. The weather was warm, the scenery was colorful and there was a constant stream of photographic inspiration.

Now it is cold with less daylight and color and seemingly less inspiration. Yet if I open my eyes to the possibilities (and wear a heavy coat), I can still find interesting images.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Bleak and Beautiful

The park is cold and empty in the winter. The only sounds on this winter morning were the wind and the thump-thump-thump-thump of hardy jogger.


The color original of this photo is almost as monochromatic as this altered version. Either one shows the serenity and quiet beauty of a January day in Middletown Park.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Skywatch Friday: Blueish Sunset

I was walking past a window in my house recently and saw an incredible sunset setting up. The clouds and color change fast, so I grabbed the camera and started shooting. This is one of the shots:


Drop by next Friday to see how completely different this same sunset looked just twenty minutes later.

CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL THE SKYWATCH FRIDAY PHOTOGRAPHS.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Passing Through?

Last time I was in Middletown Park, a few weeks ago, there were hundreds of geese in the lake. A few days ago, only these geese were there. Maybe it is because almost half the little lake was topped with ice.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Church Tour 4

This is an interior view ....



... of one of the windows in this picture ....



The rope that rings the bell was right next to me but I resisted the urge to pull on it.

I was trying to get into the top of the bell tower to take some photos of Middletown from that vantage point. Unfortunately there was no light at the top of the narrow stairs and I could not see find the entrance to the bell area. My tour guides promised me another attempt in the spring.

Visit my other photo site for a few more pictures of this wonderful church.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Church Tour 3

Here is the inside of the sanctuary.

Monday, January 12, 2009

Church Tour 2

Here is the full view of the window in yesterday's post.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Church Tour 1

I recently mentioned being told about some beautiful stained glass windows in two of the churches in Middletown. A couple of weeks ago I posted a few pictures of windows in Mt. Zion Church.

Andrew and Tiffany, members of the Christ Reformed Church, gave me an insider's tour of their facility yesterday. This is the same church featured in the Brick Pattern series. Here is the first in a series of photos taken from the inside.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Happy Hour

It looks like they are sitting at a bar during a late afternoon "happy hour."

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Steep Incline

I don't think I would like driving on this street in an ice storm.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Brick Pattern 3

Two earlier posts this week showed off the brick pattern on this building. Here is the whole building.


It is the Christ Reformed United Church of Christ building on Church Street, just south of Main Street.

I've been offered the opportunity to photograph the stained glass window from the inside, and I will definitely accept that offer. Look for those pictures soon.

Monday, January 5, 2009

Brick Pattern 2

We're going back to the brick pattern for a couple of days. This is another shot of the brick wall I posted two days ago. If you are local, do you recognize it?


I am fascinated by the little details and closeups of larger objects, buildings and landmarks that we see every day. We notice the big view but often miss the small, interesting stuff.

Tomorrow I'll post a picture of the whole building.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Friday, January 2, 2009

Skywatch Friday: Moon and Venus

I shot this last night, a short while after sunset, from the same spot where I photographed my first Skywatch Friday picture. I could have walked around searching for a better spot but the temperature was 26 degrees and my camera, tripod and ungloved hands were all very cold.



The moon is roughly at its one-quarter phase and that little dot near the lower right part of the sky is Venus.

CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL THE SKYWATCH FRIDAY PHOTOGRAPHS.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Theme Day: Best Photo of 2008

I've published 227 photos on this blog since I began it last May and it was difficult to pick just one as the best. I am self-critical when it comes to my own work, but I do believe there are several pretty good shots in my collection.

After spending thirty minutes looking through the photos, I narrowed it down to three. Ten minutes later I picked this as the winner:



I love this type of photograph because of the combination of a bold line and multiple textures. I also like that it is an uncommon view of a building that Middletowners see every day.


Click here to view thumbnails for all participants