Seize the Moment - Day 58 #CY365

This is "Team Norfolk" following today's Resilient Cities Workshop at Norfolk's Half Moone Cruise & Celebration Center. The team which includes many of my coworkers from the City of Norfolk government and dedicated partners from community groups, non-profits, businesses and other agencies. We are proud to be included as one of the first 33 cities in the Rockefeller Foundation's 100 Resilient Cities Centennial Challenge. We are creating a strategy to make Norfolk more resilient in the way it faces socks and stresses including flooding, sea level rise, poverty and others.

Canon G15, 1/1250 sec @ f/28, ISO 160.

Escape - Day 51

My escape today is performance art at the Chrysler Museum Glass Studio. I really enjoy art glass and have taken a few couses and made a few projects. But the Glass Studio takes appreciating the art of glass making to new levels with their Third Thursday performance art series. Tonight Hannah Kirkpatrick's performance of "Lights, Camera, Action" a created a giant camera obscura, 20 foot wide - 8 foot tall with hundreds of "lenses" for a dramatic live performance with music provided by members of Live Bison. In this photo we see Hannah and her team behind the "camera obscura" with glass neon lights she created. Below you see a photo of what the audience was seeing. Canon G15, 1/100 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 1600.

Canon G15, 1/8 sec @ f/2.2, ISO 1600.

These were challenging photos to capture given the almost total darkness in the studio. You can tell my Canon point and shoot was really pushed with a high ISO of 1600 and wide apertures of f/2.8 and f/2.2 and in the case of the second photo some camera blur resulting from a super slow shutter speed of 1/8th second. These were all taken using full manual control as the camera's light meter wasn't much use in the dark environment.

Amore - Day 45 #CY365

Today's challenge was "Amore". It was a great day, Valentine's Day, Friday, payday, 3 day weekend, and most of all sunshine after days of gray and gloomy skies. So I captured my morning shadow cast by the lovely morning sunshine. Canon G15, 1/640 sec @ f/6.3, ISO 200, post processed using the Lomo-ish filter in Google's Picasa.

Red - Day 43 #CY365

Everything about the Chrysler Museum's Glass Studio is hot! Including the bright red lacquered galley seats. Canon G15, 1/25 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 400.

A Little Heart - Day 40 #CY365

A Little Heart - I made this blown-glass heart today at the Chrysler Museum Glass Studio's "Hot Glass Hearts" class. Cindy and I have done a couple of other glass classes at the studio and really enjoy working with glass. The red in the picture is molten glass, the cooled and finished heart will be purple-rose and dark blue. Can't wait to see how it looks after it has cooled slowly in the kiln for about 24 hours. Canon G15, 1/100 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 800 in macro mode.

Hand Tinted - Day 39 #CY365

Day 39 - Hand Tinted - Berkley sunset in Norfolk Virginia. Canon G15, 1/500 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 800, tinting applied using Color Efex Pro plugin in Lightroom 5.

Lively - Day 29

Day 29 - Looking down an old fashion metal slinky at my tiny keychain camera. Canon G15, 1/800 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 800.

Fresh Air - Day 24 #CY365

Seagulls enjoying a little fresh air. Canon G15, 1/800 sec @ f/8, ISO 200 converted to black and white using Silver Efex Pro 2 plugin in Lightroom 5.

Reserved - Day 16 #CY365

The reserved parking spaces for Norfolk's City Council members just off of Union Street under the Berkley Bridge approach ramp. Canon G15, 1/15 sec @ f/4, ISO 800, converted to black and white using Silver Efex Pro plugin in Lightroom 5.

In the Air - Day 15 #CY365

It was a very foggy morning and historic Elmwood Cemetery in Norfolk Virginia seemed the perfect place to capture today's theme "In the Air". Canon G15, 1/320sec @ f/6.3, ISO 200 converted to black and white using Silver Efex Pro plugin in Lightroom 5.

Where I Stand - Day 9 #CY365

Today I stood at the edge of the Elizabeth River in Norfolk Virginia reading letters cast in bronze at the Armed Forces Memorial in Town Point Park. Each letter to a loved one from a American serving their country, who died at war is heart wrenching.

This a letter 2nd Lt. Francis M. Tracy sent to his wife from the front in World War I. He was killed in action a week later.

September 20, 1918

Dearest Woman,
. . . . My girl, my girl, how I do miss you. I didn't think it possible for one to be possessed of the longing I have for you. At night I lie awake and think and think of you, the roar of the big guns giving way before the press of mental pictures of you . . . if I had to go over the same road with you again, I am quite sure the way would be easier for you. The mistakes I have made, the heartaches I have caused you stand out like the shell holes that deface so much of this country, that was once so beautiful. I am learning my lesson, honey, and this experience, this absence from you, is burning its brand into my soul . . .
. . . We are certain to move very soon, and when we do, we will not be able to write letters . . . . I trust, and feel sure, that you and all of my real friends are saying a few silent prayers, that we may all do our duty completely, and live to tell those whom we love how we did it . . . . Pray for me and all our boys . . . . Your devoted Hubby.

Francis M. Tracy
d. September 27, 1918

So this is where I stand lest we ever forget the sacrifices made for freedoms by our Armed Forces and the ones they loved.

Morning Silhouette - Day 8 #CY365

Took today's picture on the way into the office this morning. This is Norfolk Virginia's Scope Plaza with the 2013 All American City banners backlit by the rising sun. I got some photo advice many years ago - "if the light is good, fine something and take a picture". That was the case this morning as I was driving in I noticed the early morning glow from the rising sun. When I saw this view, I whipped into a parking place, got out and took a picture.

Canon G15, 1/2000 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200.

Unique - Day 6 #CY365

Winter left a few dried blossoms clinging to the leafless hydrangeas. Backlight from the low angle winter sun brings out the unique details of each blossom. Canon G15, 1/640 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 200 in macro mode.

Moses Myers @ Night

The last in my month long daily series of Norfolk @ Night photos is the Moses Myers house at the corner of Freemason and Bank Streets. Built by Moses Myers a merchant of Dutch-Jewish ancestry who moved to Norfolk from New York, the house was occupied continuously by members of his family until 1931 when it was opened as a museum. Today it is operated by The Chrysler Museum and contains a large quantity of period furniture of American and English design, portraits of Moses Myers and of his wife, Eliza Judd by Gilbert Stuart, and a Thomas Sully portrait of their eldest son John. Canon G15, 1/13 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 800.

Old & New Norfolk @ Night

The old Norfolk Academy Building was completed in 1840 and designed by architect Thomas U. Walter, famous for his design of the U. S. Capitol dome and two other nearby surviving Norfolk landmark buildings. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The brick building is in the Greek Revival style modeled on the plan of the Temple of Theseus. The facade has a double portico supported by six Doric columns. Today the building is home to the Hurrah Players and it previous housed the Norfolk Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court and the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce. Rising behind it is Norfolk's newest skyscraper, the Wells Fargo Center completed in 2010. Canon G15, 1/3 second @ f/4.0, ISO 800, handheld with shutter released by the two second timer.

The Rear View

Heading into Norfolk early one morning chased by a spectacular sunrise. Canon G15, 1/40 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 400.

Main Street Tower @ Night

The Main Street Tower at 300 E. Main Street is shown reflecting the Dominion Enterprises Building and the last of evening sunset to the west. This 14 story black glass modernism office tower is home to a couple of U.S. Coast Guard commands and the Norfolk office of the USI insurance company. This tower is on the site of the National Bank of Commerce Building later the First and Merchants Bank which was also 14 stories. Built in 1905 and demolished in 1988, it was the city's tallest building for much of the first half of the 20th century and was noted as the home of Norfolk's Mace which was housed in a custom glass case within the banks's vault. The current Main Street Tower designed by Burrell F. Saunders began construction in 1988 but wasn't completed until 1994 including a period of 2 years when all work on the building stopped. Canon G15, 2/8 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 400.

MacArthur Square @ Night

The MacArthur Square includes two city blocks in the center of downtown Norfolk Virginia. It contains the MacArthur Memorial and The Tide light rail station. This is the Christmas Tree taken from the light rail station looking to east with the MacArthur Memorial in the background. Canon G15, 1/8 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 400.

Downtown North @ Twilight

Looking at the northern part of Norfolk Virginia's downtown during a lovely twilight evening. The Wells Fargo Tower catches the last of golden sunlight in its windows below the green and red holiday lighting of its penthouse. You can also see the Freemason Street Baptist Church's steeple - once the City's highest structure, Norfolk Scope, Chrysler Hall and MacArthur Center. Canon G15, 1/40 sec @ f/3.2, ISO 800.

City Hall @ Night

The Norfolk Virginia City Hall Building @ Night. Bet you didn't know there's a six degrees of Kevin Bacon associated with my photograph of this building. Here we go:

1 - I was hired to work for the City of Norfolk by City Manager Marcus Jones;
2 - Marcus Jones was recruited to be City Manager by Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim;
3 - Paul Fraim has been Mayor of Norfolk since 1994 and his office is located on the 10th floor of the City Hall Building;
4 - Norfolk's City Hall Building was designed by Philadelphia architect Vincent G. Kling;
5 - Vincent Kling was a close associate and collaborator‎ of renown Philadelphia architect and city planner Edward Bacon;
6 - Edward Bacon is the father of actor Kevin Bacon.

So there you have it. Canon G15, 1/15 sec @ f/3.2, ISO 800.