Over the last six months, I’ve been experimenting a lot with medium format photography using my beautiful old Mamiya C330F and a variety of films: negatives and slides alike. The experimentation can be both fun and frustrating, but it’s fascinating to see the results when I get them back from the developer every time.
The shots below are a few frames from my first late-night medium format outing around my ‘hood in the South Slope. The ConEd substation at 6th Avenue and 24th Street, a new condo building, even shadows up the block look more dramatic in the moonlight. I can’t wait to go night-exploring again sometime soon!
After my recent trip to explore the Domino Sugar Factory, I found myself wandering through the south part of Williamsburg and admiring the eclectic storefronts. Hat milliners, interior designers, lighting specialists and more display their wares along South 8th Street to the soundtrack of the JMZ trains rumbling a block away. For me, this street represents yet another timless vignette and a lovely glimpse of Brooklyn life.
Enjoy the photos below and have a wonderful holiday weekend!
Today’s guest post comes from the lovely Lucy Aboytes, who ran the Brooklyn half-marathon this past weekend. She brought a camera along with her to document the course, while her boyfriend, photographer Vitaliy Piltser shot some awesome photographs from the sidelines! Check out their joint post below and congrats to all who raced in the half!
Many thanks to Lucy and Vitaliy for contributing this photo essay; can’t wait to see more from them!
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Half marathons, at 13.1-miles, are quickly becoming my favorite distance to run, but it is especially great, and such a treat to run it in Brooklyn. Saturday’s race began with cheerful greetings from Brooklyn President, Marty Markowitz, the President of the NY Road Runners, Mary Wittenberg, and Councilman Domenic Recchia, Jr., who ran the race and finished at a respectable 2:58. The course took us from a double loop in Prospect Park to the tree-lined Ocean Parkway and on to a finish at the iconic Coney Island Boardwalk. The winners were Belay Kassa at 1:08:02, and Kelly Chin at 1:19:51 followed by more than 7,000 fabulous runners. I shot the race from the road (with a very light point & shoot), while Vitaliy caught the scenes from the sidelines.
First off: Warming up inside Prospect Park before the race!
Remember: Hydration is important.
Out of the park and on to tackle the road…
Sprinting down the boardwalk toward the finish line!
While hundreds turn out to support the runners…
… and give kisses at the finish line.
Evidence of one awesome race…who’s ready to go again!?!
Such a beautiful day; I decided to get some fresh air and an iced coffee. I was walking down the street and all of a sudden I hear a loud “boom” followed by flames and smoke shooting out of the manhole behind me.
The firemen were already at the scene when the second manhole blew several stories into the air, followed by a third explosion of 10 feet of flames from the manhole we were standing ten feet away from. Sorry I didn’t get a photo of either of these things, I was busy running and looking for something to hide under.
Today’s round-up of dreamy shots from the Flickr pool is inspired by the late-lingering evening sun that happily persists these days: the light is getting cinematic as we ease into June, and golden rays give into luscious blue night skies and dramatic shadows. And who’s to tell what the full moon this Thursday night will bring?! Hopefully more of these moody, surreal shots, that’s for sure!
I, for one, cannot wait for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend and the summer that will quickly follow. Do you have any exciting plans for the holiday? If so, share them in the comments!
Enjoy!
“Evening in the Burg,” by laconchalibre:
“Playland Shroud,” by Peter Puleo:
“Baby Love II & Substation & No Parking,” by 12th St David:
“Brooklyn Bridge,” by two3two:
“South Side BKLYN,” by Juan Beltran:
One of my favorite things about exploring Brooklyn is discovering neighborhoods where time seems to stand still. Conspicuously absent are the neon signs of mobile phone stores, the suburban sameness of fast food joints, shiny new cars and boutiques. Corner bodegas still feature their original throwback signs. Brooklynites of a generation past reign their front stoops to share news and chuckle at passers-by. Even the architecture is preserved, as if from a time capsule.
During our last meetup and photo walk through Gravesend and Brighton Beach, I found many artifacts of eras past. From a mid-century modern parking pagoda to tidy seaside bungalows lined up in a row, it felt like I’d stepped back in time. And for me, there’s a certain comfort in this Brooklyn. Everything changes, and it all stays the same.
Last Sunday, the strip of Fifth Avenue which runs through Park Slope was closed down for the annual Street Fair, which features loads of live music, a giant record sale, street vendors, and delicious food. For the Love of Brooklyn is happy to post the vignettes below from the fair, courtesy of photographer Claire Voelkel whose photostream we check religiously.
These images feature the gorgeous work she’s doing with her new Rolleicord III, a medium-format twin lens camera from the 1950′s.
Enjoy! (Who wants a puff of cotton candy?!)
It’s been a busy week at For the Love of Brooklyn HQ: giving out-of-town parents a whirlwind tour of Brooklyn’s finest, taking friends from DC to the new Brooklyn Bridge Park, and hosting an impromptu blog meetup in Williamsburg to discuss some exciting plans for the future. I’m looking forward to a relaxing weekend with plenty of sunshine and photos!
Hopefully everyone’s playing hooky and enjoying this beautiful Friday afternoon, but in case you aren’t: check out these quirky photos from the Flickr pool. I love their light-hearted spirit, and they all make me smile! Have a great weekend!
Untitled, by break.things:
Untitled, by BPOFotoPro:
“Lady,” by Ian T West:
“Three Amigos,” by BPOFotoPro:
“Greetings,” by Deana Rae:
Last night, the arts and culture media descended on DUMBO for the press preview and opening night shindig of the 2010 New York Photo Festival. The third annual international fest opened to the public today and runs through May 16th, featuring a jam-packed schedule of programming and lectures, portfolio reviews for aspiring photographers, main exhibits curated by an impressive line-up, and a wide array of interesting satellite shows.
For the Love of Brooklyn blogger Matt Nedbalsky is volunteering all weekend for the event, and reported today that the exhibits are well worth seeing; he even ran into Velvet Underground rocker / NYPH curator Lou Reed last night as the preview festivities came to a close.
For those of you interested in following along in real-time, check out the NYPH Twitter for a detailed account of the upcoming programs and events (hey, look! there’s a cocktail party that starts in an hour!). Their website has all the details if you’re planning a visit…
And if you need even more incentive get on down to DUMBO this weekend, Leica will lend you an M9 for the afternoon if you hand over a credit card and ID!! Seriously. (Drool.) Just bring your own SD card and steel yourself against the gear-envy that will inevitably transpire.
Hope to see you all this weekend!
Though the grey skies and misting rain dampened my motivation to go shoot today after work, I thought it would be fun to feature the bright and cheery primary colors that have been swimming through our Flickr stream! Check out the brilliant shots below to keep your spirits high!
“Red and Blue Swirl,” by Joel Zimmer:
“McKibbin Street,” by Jamie Boud / the known universe:
“7:45am,” by Peter Puleo:
“Breeze,” by Ian T West:
“Red Postbox,” by Kerith Kilhenny / goayogini:
“Playground,” by hoyachicknyc:
“580-730 Primary Colors,” by Joel Zimmer:
Sunday, June 6th, 2010 by Jill
tags: park slope, south slope