All in New York City
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Suddenly, out of nowhere, I see former KISS co-founder, Gene Simmons, strutting down the street dressed in black and wearing model studded boots. All that security is not for him, but that doesn't stop him from enjoying the stage as he struts his celebrity. New York's finest are enjoying the spectacle, as Simmons poses for photos with dozens of cops.
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Two days in New York, and one 120mm lens. That was the right lens this past weekend. Although there were short spells of blue skies, for the most part, the sky was white or middle gray. None of my landscape shots worked, which I knew would be the case, but when I am there, I gotta try anyway. Close ups were the order of the day.
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The smell of sulfur was everywhere.
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Saul Leiter's maxim: "Shoot through it"
Saturday morning, New York City, Central Park, Bethesda Fountain, Fall. The smart looking street musician caught my attention. Gotta love the scarf, glasses, and exquisite beard. Performing Cat Steven's Morning Has Broken to nobody, although his collection plate was overflowing with money. And then this couple arrived, hardly noticing the musician, but they certainly noticed each other.
We caught the early set at the Comic Strip on 2nd and 81st. Nine young comics kept the laughs coming for the better part of 90 minutes. Without doubt, the standout of the night was Marshall Stevenson, a Manhattan native who now lives in the South Bronx. Unlike others, Stevenson doesn't have to go blue to get laughs, although he had some insightful thoughts about fertility clinics. Stevenson's delivery is animated and quite poised. Unlike others, there are no pauses or ahs in the routine.
In 2010, the Guggenheim tried to address the problem by requesting authorization from the City Landmarks Preservation Commission to build a permanent food kiosk in front of the Wright building. The request was denied because, according to Robert B. Tierney, then chairman of the commission, "It detracts from the landmark and causes it to compete with the main building." OK, I won't argue with that, but what about the food carts and merchants of tomorrow's garage sale?
