A daytime summer skyline in Philly usually includes a fair amount of haze from the humidity in the air, so in this one I just decided to show that reality, but with some eye candy in the foreground. This area of natural beauty on the way to the airport was unknown to me until I started working in this part of the city, and I'd noticed that in August it really shines, so I shot it when I got up the nerve. The nerve? Well, to get this shot you have to be standing on the shoulder of I-95 and feel the highway shaking under your feet as tractor-trailers rumble behind your back at 60-plus mph. Needless to say, I work quickly and get the hell out of there. Here it is - - an oasis from hazy, hot & humid Philly. JKEL
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Summer Skyline
I felt a skyline shot calling me, so I headed down to one of my favorite spots, Palmyra Cove, just across the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge. There's usually nobody around after sunset, so it's usually just me and some gnats and mosquitoes. There's a bit of walking involved to get to this spot, but it's well worth it. The shores of the Delaware here are a bit uneven, so I rigged up a portable, flexible tripod on top of my regular tripod so I could get a level shot. The sun was setting and I was loving the color it was leaving on the right sides of the buildings, but the Comcast Center's (tallest building on the right) crown lights didn't come on until the last moments before that color vanished. Got it! JKEL
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Blue Schuylkill
You might think that I was just sitting by the river with a cold drink nearby when these two geese floated by, but believe me, it was nothing like that. Some of the most serene scenes that I've shot have seen me in full frantic mode, and this one was no exception. I was driving along Kelly Drive headed for another spot along the river when I spotted these white geese (which I'd never seen on the Schuylkill before), so I slammed on the brakes & quickly turned in to the nearest parking area, jumped out of the car & walked quickly towards them, then crouched to include the bridge. I kept shooting as the geese twisted & turned, giving myself many choices for their most graceful pose in unusually blue water here.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Harold Melvin's Blue Notes
I really lucked out on this one. I had wanted to do something with the Phila. International Records site, but had pretty much given up on creating an interesting shot. Today, I was headed elsewhere when I saw these four guys dressed in blue come out and pose on the island. I asked a guy waiting by his SUV if he knew who they were & he told me it was Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. Well, I guess he was right because they quickly climbed into his SUV and were on their way. A little research revealed that Harold Melvin himself passed away in'97, but the group still performs under that name with a few original members. "The love I lost, was a good one..." JKEL
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Daddy, I'm scared...
I'm really glad I was here for this moment, & it was due to a decision I'd made about 15 mins. earlier. I was at the end of a long day of roaming the city & shooting and finally arrived at 12th & Market with aching feet (having a flare-up of plantar fasciitis.) The car was nearby, & getting to City Hall & back would be pushing it. However, this was a location I wanted to shoot, & I just had a feeling that I should get there. I was still working on composing the shot & deciding on flash or no flash when this scene unfolded & I remember thinking "this is too perfect." Somehow, the feet didn't hurt quite so much afterwards. JKEL
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