NEW YORK PHOTOS BLOG

On Fordham Road and the Grand Concourse
Bronx, New York
circa: 1990
Camera: Medium Format Film
www.BeckermanPhoto.com

Fordham Road and Grand Concourse, circa 1990
www.BeckermanPhoto.com

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Actually, photographed with large format view camera, and then layered and melded together until it is just about impossible to see where it all began but you might see things that weren't there.

The kaleidoscope, was a big thing for us as kids. For those who don't know what it is / was – it was a tube with two mirrors or maybe three inside that ran lengthways down the tube, and at the other end could be a frosted glass, or a frosted glass with bits of glass that would shimmer when you turned the Kaleidoscope.

At any rate, I lugged the big view camera to the edge of the Canyon about 20 years ago, and of course I was shooting b&w film (it was a 4 x 5 inch negative) and 20 years later I sit here before breakfast wondering what the shot would look like and if I could give it that effect.

It is so much more interesting to me than the original shot where I was trying to be Mr. Ansel. Warning to nature magazines – careful where you send me. I don't ever seem to be able to do "emotional" work with nature unless there are at least a few bits of human artifacts around. Very few of my images are devoid of at least some small reminder of the human species – even if it's just a squashed soda can.

www.BeckermanPhoto.com

Grand Canyon abstract. Read post for explanation.

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Oh I'll bet this has been asked and answered a billion times, but has anyone ever seen a good explanation between the difference between film grain and digital pixels.

What I mean by that is that you can take a nice "clean" digital image from a good sized noiseless sensor and with some interpolation you can go very large with it even though you are beginning with a file that is actually much smaller than a full 35mm scan which is about 78 MB (or somewhere in that area if it's RGB and 16 bit).

But as I say – I can take a much smaller digital file and easily go to that size with an interpolation program without seeing any noise or artifacts.

I'm not really saying it clearly but I remember when I began the switch from film to digital I had an idea that those grains corresponded to pixels and they just don't. Anyone ever go through the same conceptual enigma?

I had a very productive day (for a change) so I think I deserve to ask this question that has nagged at me for years.

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East Harlem, circa 1993
Medium Format B&W Film, what else can I say. I never did smoke Newport. My brand was Parliament. It's been two summers and half a year since I had a cigarette.

I do smoke one, maybe two cigars a day – but as the famous phrase goes – I don't inhale and I really enjoy a good cigar when I can get my hands on one. I suppose this might fit in with some theme but I'll let it go for now.

Those themes. We really do need to organize stuff don't we. Look – I'm not complaining. I do it too. But it's funny to step back and say, today I really want to see pictures of old signs. Tomorrow I'll put on theme channel 12 and be able to watch images of strange pets flow by in the great stream.

Again, don't flame me. Don't tell me what a hypocrite I am since I look forward to my personal favorite themes such as Caturday and TreeTuesday. But of course if you could easily categorize things on G+ you wouldn't really use the hash tag themes any longer.

"And now, with the winning entry for old signs with bottles in plain brown bags, we'd like to introduce…" I hope it's me. What will I say? I hope they shoot the red carpet in black and white…

"Thank you all… I had wrote something down and I know there were three people I want to thank: my mother, my father and… wait a second… oops!"

Alive With Pleasure. Where to find more b&w by Beckerman: www.BeckermanPhoto.com
Where else?

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Infrared Photography
Files / Prints: http://www.beckermanphoto.com/battery-park-new-york-castle-clinton.html
Previous posted in color.

http://www.beckermanphoto.com/battery-park-new-york-castle-clinton.html

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Under the FDR highway, going south, by East River.
Available at: http://www.beckermanphoto.com/bike-race-under-highway.html

http://www.beckermanphoto.com/bike-race-under-highway.html

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I've found a spot in Central Park – where there's this vortex – and if you just step on a certain rock you'll be transported back to – well – I'm not actually sure what the time was because no one could see me and the clock on my digital camera stopped working.

I went back again the other day to see if that vortex or portal was still there and it was. So I took a second picture of these guys playing ball in the park.

I can't stay in the past too long because I begin to feel sick to my stomach. But it's easy enough to just step on the rock when you want to go back, and then step off when you've had as much as you can stand.

I do wish that I could talk to the people there but not only don't they see me, but unless they're standing right next to the rock, I can't even touch them.

If you want to look for the rock – you can find it near one of the hotdog stands near the Great Lawn.

Hopefully one of my faithful readers can tell me what time period I transported into.

www.BeckermanPhoto.com

time travel in Central Park.

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2012-01-17

In album 2012-01-17

time travel in Central Park.

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