I visited the Rockaways first in 2007 and again last summer. Here is a Movie Short sharing these moments, including bull dozers on the beach during the recovery efforts post Hurricane Sandy.
Have a Happy 4th of July!
Until next time.
Teresa, 51art
adventure is life, live it! ®
As I walked back to my starting point, all I could hear was gravel crunching under my feet. It was completely quiet. I stopped to reload film one more time so I was ready to shoot the 2 buildings passed on the way to the tower.
The first was hidden in vines and brush. Somehow the graffiti artists were able to get deep inside this broken down structure. I wonder how long ago….
(These buildings were used for magazines when originally constructed.)
The second was a little more accessible, just needed to navigate overgrowth, rocks and branches.
When I poked my head into the empty space I was transformed by what I saw.
Overhead the roof was all but gone. Underfoot the floor was dirt and weeds. And the block walls were covered with graffiti. It was beautiful. Man and nature were collaborating in a true work of art.
Until next time.
Teresa, 51art
adventure is life, live it! ®
As a NYC photographer finding unique moments, unique opportunities to document black and white landscapes of the city is an ongoing challenge. Over the next 25 entries, I will share with you images partnered with interesting pieces of new york city history. Let the stories unfold…..
Al Jolson lived “The American Dream.” Born in Lithuania, Jolson rose through the ranks of vaudeville as a comedian and a blackface “Mammy” singer. By 1920, he had become the biggest star on Broadway.
Jolson was born Asa Yoelson in Seredzius, Lithuania, sometime between 1883 and 1886 and was the first openly Jewish man to become an entertainment star in America.
Al Jolson was to jazz, blues, and ragtime what Elvis Presley was to rock ‘n’ roll. He paved the way for African-American performers like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, and Ethel Waters.
*information found at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/broadway/stars/jolson_a
Until next time.
Teresa, 51art
adventure is life, live it! ®
On February 13th as I was walking to the subway, I noticed a message written on a discarded futon mattress: “become your dream”. (It was trash day…) My first thought was that a college student was creative and upon moving left a final thought.
Crossing over First Avenue in another pile of trash I saw the same message written on a discarded box: “become your dream”. The message began to resonate-it was powerful.
As I crossed Second Avenue I wondered where the message would surface on this block. I was not disappointed.
Today on April 13, (uncanny that it’s the same date 2 months later) walking by my local ice cream shop Sedutto, I saw the words “become your dream” on the base of their front counter. I had to go in. The manager stated the artist was “James De La Vega, a well known street artist“. A very simple message that has created a movement throughout the world.
You just never know where inspiration will be found!
Until next time!
Teresa, 51art
adventure is life, live it! ®
As with most of us, the details of our surroundings are taken for granted until we are ready to see them. As a NYC photographer, I am fortunate to live on the East River. Each day I try to appreciate the wonder before m
e. My view across to Roosevelt Island is not as exciting as the view back (where the residents see the NYC skyline), but I actually love watching the activity on and off the water. There is a little stone house across the way and seems lost among the new buildings. I wonder what its story is, how does it fit into the fabric of New York City history. And more than once after a summer shower, I have seen a rainbow end at this cottage. Could there be a pot of gold? Could the Wizard live there? These pictures of landscape are magical!
As you discovered in the “East River Mystery” , the river is salt water. Depending on which direction the wind blows it actually smells like the beach. And just like the ocean, the water can be active or calm depending on the storms and the tides.
On a daily basis there are many pleasure crafts, barges, tugboats and working vessels that sail down to New York Harbor and back. On this particular day, I noticed the water was very choppy and the wind was remarkably strong. The sun was brilliant and reflected off the river back to me like shimmering diamonds. I wanted to share these images with you so that you too could see what a beautiful, summer day was like on the river here on the East Side of Manhattan-a bit of New York City life.
When I came home that night the movement of the river was completely different from the afternoon. The winds were gone and the surface of the water was still. I wanted to capture the light reflection just as I did during the day. The night seems to be a bit more intriguing. I hope you feel the same.
Until next time!
Teresa, 51art
adventure is life, live it! ®
A Touch of Yellow in NYC 