SantaCon 2007

This weekend I was out shopping when I found myself in the middle of SantaCon. This is an annual pub crawl that takes place in cities around the world where all participants dress like Santa. I didn't have my DSLR with me, but chased after them with a point and shoot I carry every day for occasions like this. I think the best part was the utter confusion of the tourists.

I like how this one has a few regular folks caught up in all of this.




I like the reindeer in the back there and that his antlers mimic the tree branches behind him.



There's a lot going on in this one. I love the older man's look of disdain, but even more the death grip of the concerned mother on her son's neck.



As in the previous photo, I like that the sign just reads "Chris" like it might just say Christmas.

Tourist in My Own Town

Last weekend I had a friend visiting from Australia, so I got to play tourist in my own town. It was great to get a new perspective on things that have become so familiar.

The day we crossed the Brooklyn Bridge we didn’t have the greatest weather. Everything was super flat and well…boring. I still liked this shot.



The same flat day we took the double-decker bus tour around town. This was definitely a new perspective, since I hadn't done this before. It was cold, so we sat behind the glass shield on the upper deck. Not ideal for photos, but I think these capture the tourists in New York and the hustle and bustle we’re known for. I might have to go back on a day with better light.

Garden in Transit

Currently in NYC, there's this really cool public art project going on called Garden in Transit. It's part of Portraits of Hope and involves decorating the hood and trunk of taxis in NYC with flower decals painted by kids in schools and hospitals throughout the area. On Sunday, I volunteered with my friend Traci to help put the decals on the cars. We were out at the taxi holding area at JFK airport which was in and of itself an adventure. I really love the cause and am proud to have been part of this project. Plus, it makes the taxis so happy!

This cab driver wanted to choose his decals.



This guy was a professional decal applier from Houston. Fascinating.



All pretty now!



This was in the holding area where the flowers really stood out.

Coney Island

Last weekend I joined the masses of other photographers to document Coney Island before who knows what happens. I met up with a few people from my Maine Photographic workshop from this summer and despite most of the park being closed, we had a great time. I wasn't as selective this time. Oops.

I started in the aquarium where I got this shot. It was really dark and challenging to shoot, but I think the effect works here.



Hitting the boardwalk for the afternoon light, I couldn't resist this boy in his Spiderman towel. The end of a great beach day.



This is just a 'says it all' Coney shot.



This is the top of a kids' ride in that part that's still open with the Wonder Wheel behind it.



These postcards may have been here since the beginning of Coney Island. Loved them!



We didn't have a good sky, so we had to be creative with the sunset.

Central Park Zoo

This weekend I went to shoot at the Central Park Zoo. The zoo is a manageable size, so it's really down to timing it right with the animals. We didn't do well with the red pandas nor the monkeys, but did have luck with the often elusive polar bears.

I thought this nicely captured a family day at the zoo.



I included this shot for the unbelieveable light in this cove for underwater viewing. This is just one shot, but there were cool reflections and sometimes some very unfortunate placement of people's heads with the polar bear swimming away. You'll just have to use your imagination on that one.



A nice grab of Gus getting a drink of water.