International Landmark

My first impression, seeing the previous entry, was shadow.   A very tall shadow.  Gearing-up for today’s turn I was also thinking tennis, court, ball, clay, grass, etc.  Unable to release my mind from a sports and field thing, I was reeling. Then it occurred to me that Russ’ shadow was tall, and the posture somewhat confident.  “Standing tall” became my mantra for today, and this image stood out in my mind. Standing tall, detail in the shadows, fits pretty well.  It’s also blue, contains a flag… pretty much, my signature themes. — Also my last play for this round, a nice parting shot.  Great experience, playing Daily Photo Game.  Thanks to all of my fellow players for the challenge and the inspiration. JP

Capitalizing on the rotunda theme, and being pressed for time, I’ve pulled an image from my files that I made almost exactly twenty one years ago, May 11, 1993.  I had gone to Washington to shoot some travel stock, thinking that it would be my last chance to get out of town for a while as I was expecting the birth of my first child in about six weeks. I’d been there a couple of days and had an idea to shoot The Capitol.  I set-up my camera and my 600mm f4.0 lens on two tripods, right on the center line of Pennsylvania Avenue, and had just begun shooting when a DC policeman came by and told me I had to move, the President was coming through.  My assistant and I picked-up the entire rig and moved off to the sidewalk.  Sure enough, a couple of minutes later, the President’s motorcade passed.  We waved at Bill Clinton, he waved back, all the cars went by, we picked-up the rig and moved back to the center line.  A few adjustments later I was shooting again. I’d managed to squeeze-off about seventy frames when the same DC policeman from before reappeared, told me I had to move, the President was coming through.  My assistant and I picked-up the entire rig and moved off to the sidewalk.  Sure enough, a couple of minutes later, the President’s motorcade passed.  We waved at Bill Clinton, he waved back, all the cars went by, we packed-up the rig and went to meet a friend of mine for dinner. Later that night, returning to the hotel, there was a note from the manager stuck to my door, asking me to come to the office.  While I was doing the stock photo thing on Pennsylvania Avenue, my wife had prematurely gone into labor at NYU Medical Center in New York.  We rushed back to NYC over night, dumped the equipment at my studio and made it to the hospital.  My son, Aron, was born the next day. Leaving the hospital that evening, totally exhausted and struggling with the weight of being responsible for someone new, I was attempting to leave the parking lot when a NYC policeman came by, blocked me in and told me to wait, the President was coming through.  Sure enough, a couple of minutes later, the President’s motorcade passed.  I waved at Bill Clinton, he waved back, all the cars went by, and I went home to bed.

“Bows and flows of angel hair, And ice cream castles in the air, And feather canyons everywhere, I’ve looked at clouds that way…” Charley, Jay, Bob and Russ all recently photographed clouds.  Charley and Russ went surreal, Jay and Bob more literal.  I could have done the same, something like that, but one more beautiful sky or Photoshop trick may miss the mark as I doubt I could be as clever. I’ll be metaphoric and Photoshop tricky all in one, hopefully without being boring or obvious.  My image plays off Russ’ very cunning popcorn-as-cloud image with an image of  “Cloud Gate,” the Chicago sculptural attraction popularly known as the bean.   Cloud Gate, a public sculpture by Indian-born British artist Anish Kapoor, is the centerpiece of the plaza in Millennium Park.  My image is inspired by the cloud images which came before, yet is Photoshop tricky because it’s composed of elements of six different pictures. David, I understand, is in New York, my other home town, and I can’t wait to see what he has up his sleeve.

She stands at the gateway of our nation, just north of the place where the mighty rushing Hudson meets the Atlantic.  She watches over the harbor, sees the ships that pass in the night, knows the secret aspirations of our immigrants, she is the greeter of a minion of untold millions.  She lifts the spirits of the broken, bolsters the morale of the faithful, she lights the way.  Do not attempt to catalogue her knowledge… Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. “Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” – Emma Lazarus