Lake and Snow

Skywatch Friday: Hazy Shade of Winter

Here is another shot taken right after the winter storm this week.



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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.

Main, Looking East

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

Lamp on Municipal Building

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

Main and Elm

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.

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.



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Shelter Vista 2

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

Shelter Vista 1

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

More Winter in the Park

Icicles

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.

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.

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.

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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.

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.

Church Tour 3

Here is the inside of the sanctuary.

Church Tour 2

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

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.

Happy Hour

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

Skywatch Friday: Cell and Pastel

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White Flowers

Steep Incline

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

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.

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.

Lonely Bench

Brick Pattern

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.

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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