WhereaboutsPhoto

Empty glass from the night before at a waterside restaurant at the Baltimore harbor.

The great Barnes & Nobles building near Pier 4 at Inner Harbor adjacent to one of the survivor Coast Guard ships from Pearl Harbor.

A perfect summer day in a perfect setting will always bring out lovers.

Old ship mast against the perfect summer sky.

Haven’t visited the Baltimore Inner Harbor area recently?  Well you should, and you will be immensely impressed by the complete renovation that has taken place along the water.  Not that this harbor dating back to the 1700′s lacked charm to start with, but it is obvious that the city and its many developers have taken the place to some new incredible highs over the past ten years or so.  The area has been dramatically “gentrified” with a whole slew of expensive condos, hotels, and eateries of every kind.  Of course, the old standbys are still there: the USS Constellation and the National Aquarium.  But the harbor has really been transformed into much more than a historical place, even if that is perhaps the primary reason to visit the place.  Basically, it has become a great place to photograph, sight-see, and party.  OK, the party side I’m kind of imagining because I was there during the day, but the multitude of venues like the mammoth Hard Rock Cafe with its over-the-water bar and stage are a dead give-away that some rocking does take place here at night.  Sight-see all day, party by night.  Baltimore definitely got this right.

But the old “if you build it, they will come” principle applies to this place with a vengeance.  After about 11:00 a.m. you would think that a million people had descended into the place.  The short lines to enter into the National Aquarium now become as long as those you see in DC when the government is handing out handouts for free.  The long, empty piers that photographers just love to photograph during the early morning hours now also become overcrowded with tourists that don’t quite add much to your photos.  Of course, tourism is why the place exists in the first place, but if photography is what you have in mind, do get there around 8:00 a.m. and you’ll have the place to yourself.  An early arrival will also give you a chance to drive around the block a few times in order to find cheaper parking (usually around $15/day) than what you are going to pay if you park at the $22, albeit more convenient, Pier 4 parking facility steps away from all the action.

Softball tossing booth attendant.

What's a county fair without its fair share of cattle?

Sometimes business is slow.

If it is summer, it is time for local county fairs all over America.  These events always present tremendous photo opportunities for photographers and just about everyone seems quite amenable to having their picture taken.  Of course, it doesn’t hurt to pay for some of those darts to see if you can pop a good set of balloons and thus keep your photographic subjects happy.  Heading into the fairs I always like to travel with a mid-range telephoto lens (usually a Nikon 24-70 f/2.8 zoom), because while sometimes you can get fairly close to your subject, most of the time you need to shoot from behind people, but right over their shoulder (which you don’t want showing).  The resulting photos will have so much color and character, that they will need very little tweaking on your computer.  Your biggest challenge: remaining behind the camera shooting all day instead of sitting behind the endless BBQ pits consuming everything that is grilling over those hot coals.  This choice is sometimes a very hard one to make.

View of Leopold Kafe at Cady's Alley in Georgetown.

The shops at Cady's Alley.

Landmark bicycle shop at the entrance of Cady's Alley.

Cady’s Alley in Georgetown must be one of the most famous and less known places in the District of Columbia.  Admittedly, it is not easy to find, and most locals have never heard of it.  There may be a reason for this.  The alley is not only quite small, but also full of the type of stores that would put a serious dent on your trust fund if you succumb to their temptations.  Another reason may be that people could be having a little problem pronouncing or spelling the names of some of the resident businesses, like Ives Delorme, Ligne Roset, or L’Eclat de Verre.  They even sound expensive.  But most people making the trek to this well-kept secret location between 33rd and 34th Streets in Georgetown are doing so to indulge in the delectable Kafe Leopold and its Germanic cuisine.  In fact, that’s where all the activity appeared to be taking place during my Saturday visit.  The rest of the alley seemed devoid of life, which kind of made for good photography when you think of it.

The alley is really a study in contrasts, with just about all the action taking place on the 33rd Street end of the place.  The 34th Street side of the alley is dominated by the somber Ukrainian Embassy, with its fortress appearance enhanced by all the shut windows secured by iron bars.  Better stick to the other side of the alley where the window shopping is a lot better and Kafe Leopold’s wine list will keep you happy for a while.  When you are done, then you can walk one block to the main attraction: M Street and its always vibrant atmosphere.

Graffiti Wall at Culpeper, Virginia.

Education statement, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Graffiti art, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico

Graffiti is one of those universal forms of art that we don’t seem to notice as much these days.  This is perhaps because we have gotten used to it, or because local governments are coming down on this form of expression (which admittedly sometimes is more vandalism than art).  But walking around as I do with my camera, it is impossible to miss, and while I am no art critic by any stretch of the imagination, I’m kind of liking what I’m seeing out there.  Photographically speaking, recording graffiti has to be one of the easiest thing for a photographer to do.  It’s pretty much point-and-shoot without too many concerns for exposure, grain, and all those other technicalities that photographers worry about all day.  What makes good graffiti hard to photograph, though, is the need to find it in the first place (all the examples above where in out-of-the-way places).  Drive by in a car and you will never see them.  Walk into nondescript parking lots and alleyways and viola, there they are in full color regalia.

The fact that in order to enjoy most artistic graffiti today you need to travel a somewhat unconventional road is indeed a testament to the virtues of moving slow.  Another key ingredient for discovery seems to be a certain element of randomness.  For a street photographer this is simply the ability to never walk in a straight line while letting your curiosity dictate your direction of movement.  Walk down an alley past the trash bins, sit at a park to see what happens around you, enter the old hardware store, or linger a little in places where you would not dare to live.  It is precisely in these out-of-the-ordinary places where you will find out-of-the-ordinary photo opportunities, like graffiti as an art form.  The settings may not match that of the leading art galleries around the world, but these “life” galleries will nevertheless get you closer to those creative artists than you’ll every get.  That is because you will be standing on the very place where they created their masterpieces.   How neat is that?

View of Boston from the top floor of the Institute of Contemporary Art.

Performing mime at the Public Garden near Boston Common.

The famous Quincy Market near City Hall.

Washington Street vendor adjacent to Boston financial district.

I’m not totally sure how to describe this wonderful city, as it seems to be so many things to so many people.  In fact, Boston seems to cater to just about every lifestyle there is.  Galleries, bicycle paths, sailing, high-tech, great restaurants, leading universities, you name it and Boston seems to have it.  OK, there’s also the inevitable homeless here and there, but frankly, they are hard to notice when you are feasting your eyes on this busy city.  The entire downtown area is anchored around the sprawling Boston Common park and the world famous Quincy Market, where it is virtually impossible to walk through its long corridor without loading up on calories.  The food practically jumps at you from every corner at this culinary gauntlet.

Less busy and perhaps even more inviting is the rapidly-developing part of Boston known as the Seaport District.  Public transportation is the cheapest way of getting there from the downtown area, but perhaps not the fastest (cabs are faster, but be prepared to part with a good chunk of cash).  No matter how you get there, you will be amply rewarded by by great restaurants and the imposing city and inner harbor views from the Institute of Contemporary Art or from a window table at the seafood heaven that is Anthony’s Pier 4 restaurant.  Of course, there are many other restaurants in the area (like Sam’s on top of the modernistic Louis Boston building), so food and views are practically guaranteed anywhere in the area.  And that’s the great thing in this city of neighborhoods: great food and great sites will never be in short supply.

Local hangout near 4th & South Street intersection.

Tourist carriage ride originating near Indedpendence Hall for visit to Philadelpia's historical neighborhoods.

Traveling street performers add color to the South Street neighborhood.

Mosaic walls are everywhere in the South Street area, adding a colorful backdrop to a very colorful neighborhood.

One of the first things I head when visiting Philadelphia over the weekend was that the only reason anyone went to South Street downtown was to consume the delectable Philly cheese steak from Jim’s Steaks.  I grant you that this local institution, which has been making cheese steak sandwiches for more than 70 years, is reason enough to visit the neighborhood, but it is certainly not the only reason.  OK, you can also go there to get a tattoo or to sneak into some of the local “adult” shops, but the colorful neighborhood with its mosaic walls and lively street life is what really attracts people to this part of town (at least I think so).  You can reach South Street from Independence Hall by walking down the quaint 4th Street, lined with some of the most exclusive (and expensive) properties in Philadelphia.  Along the way you will see some of the greatest city parks I have ever seen in any city.  They give the downtown a definite “green” look, and in a city this size, this is always a welcomed sight.  And then there are the historical cemeteries along 4th and 5th Street on your way to or from the South Street neighborhood.  Not to be morbid here, but for a photographer, these cemeteries with their Colonial era backdrops and twisted, weather-beaten tombstones, are the stuff people behind the cameras live for.

But the South Street neighborhood remains the main attraction, at least for this photographer.  This very informal part of town is not necessarily where you will find most members of the local tea society, but if it’s real people you’re looking for, this is indeed the place to find them.  Great coffee shops, cheap local restaurants, and street characters galore will keep you snapping those photos for hours.  In some sense, South Street could be considered the Bohemian side of Philadelphia, and worlds apart from the city’s historical center.  It is also quite an ethnic melting pot with over 60 eateries serving everything from the famous cheese steaks to fusion and Jamaican specialties.  For me, though, it was what was happening out on the street that made my trip there so rewarding.  People were extremely friendly, approachable, and didn’t seem to mind much the many cameras clicking away at them at a discreet distance.  Day or night, this is one of those unique neighborhoods you just can’t miss when visiting this great American city.

This is not a happy post.  I say that because after paying a short visit to what used to be a unique downtown section in Fairfax County, it became readily apparent that the relentless march of “progress” is slowly swallowing a big chunk of Virginia’s history.  My initial impression after walking the few local streets for a while was that of a desolate town that appeared to have had the wind knocked out of it by some invisible force.  Once a vibrant historical site anchored around the Old Fairfax Courthouse built just as the 18th Century was coming to an end, the Old Town section appears to be loosing the war against developers, law firms, and speculators trying to capitalize on the sprawling government complex housing the Fairfax County Courthouse and Public Safety Center.  This complex is the new town center, with its uninviting architecture and the uneasy feeling brought about by the knowledge that somewhere within its walls you will also find the county jail.  That’s right, this is ground zero for the county’s legal community and a sure one-stop-shopping for anyone committing a crime within this jurisdiction.  It just doesn’t make for a nice downtown.

But from my conversations with some of the locals, it appears that not everyone is “going quietly into that goodnight,” and some of the folks who have been around for a while continue to hang on as much as they can.  There are still a few quaint, elegant restaurants like the Italian Bellissimo and at least one good music venue like The Old Fire Station left in town (see photos above).  But walk through the Old Town on any particular day during the daylight hours and you are most likely to find yourself there alone staring at empty establishments.  The only real action in town these days seems to come from the multitude of people who have been summoned to court against their will, the lawyers with their overstuffed briefcases, and the bail bondsmen who most people would rather never meet.  What you will no longer see, though, are elegant couples walking in the early evening hours to the former world-class Bailiwick Inn, with its beautiful decor and small, gourmet restaurant that was the perfect setting for a romantic night out.  Where former lovers met at the start of some wonderful rendezvous, you will now find business offices, tacky signs, and a hanging business banner directly staring at the potential costumer visiting the courthouse across the street.  Sadly, the lovers appear to have moved away.

It seems that whenever you talk to someone in Copenhagen and say that you are going to cross the long Øresund Bridge in order to visit Malmo, Sweden, the question that pops up is: “Why would you want to go there?”  Of course, you start telling people that Malmo is the third largest city in Sweden and that its old town has the type of scenery that is every photographer’s dream, but I’m not sure even this argument would convince most of the Copenhagen locals.  But notwithstanding the humorous comments, the city of Malmo is definitely worth visiting.  Once you have a chance to stroll the city’s historical center with its great squares and cafes, it will become readily obvious that this sleepy city across the water from Denmark insists on moving at a much slower pace than its more cosmopolitan neighbor to the west.  Crossing the Øresund Bridge into Sweden was like moving from a busy main street to a much quieter, and less populated side street of a major city.  However, it was precisely this slower pace (and cheaper prices!) that made Malmo such a nice place to spend a sunny summer day.

Getting to Malmo from Copenhagen takes about 45 minutes when you allow for some of the local trains to be a few minutes late.  But the good news is that once you arrive at the Malmo train station, the city is just a short walk across the Rundan Canal bridge linking the station to the old town.  Follow Hamngatan street for about one block and you will find yourself at the imposing Stortorget square (see photo above), the heart of the old city.  From here any direction will take you to quiet side streets with quaint cafes and restaurants where you can sit and watch the day go by.  But if shopping is what’s on your mind, then you want to head on down the pedestrian Sødergatan street with its many shops and well-stocked department stores.  Of course, I’m referring to the ladies, as I am convinced that men only have one store in the world and it follows us everywhere we go.  Well, that didn’t seem to matter in this beautiful city, and at the end of the day I felt tempted to label Malmo the European version of “the big easy.”  Relaxed, civilized, and photogenic, the city leaves you with the feeling that you have only just begun to discover this wonderful Nordic country.  Yet another thing to add to my long and ambitious “to do” list.

There is no better day to visit some of the most magnificent Danish castles than on a cloudy, rainy day.  This was the case during my recent visit to the imposing Frederiksbørg Slot in Hillerød and the mysterious Krombørg Slot of Hamlet fame in Helsingør.  Both these properties are simply incredible, but they do evoke different feelings from the visitor, specially on a rainy day.  Where Frederiksbørg Slot and its beautiful gardens evoke romantic notions of gold-plated chariots and majestic ball dances in a glorious setting, the mere sight of Krombørg Slot and its imposingly fortified walls will make the hair on the back of your neck stand while your senses immediately go on high alert as if you were about to storm the fortress during its glory days.  These castles could not be more different, or more magnificent.  What a difference a century or so makes.

As you walk up the cobblestone road that leads to the fountain courtyard at Frederiksbørg Slot, this Dutch Renaissance gem from the 17th Century immediately begins to take your breath away.  Its imposing architecture and magnificent fountain at the main courtyard will make you think that you have just wandered into a Hans Christian Andersen fairytale.  But if you only stick to the castle while there, you will miss out on the sumptuous Baroque gardens with sections edged into royal monograms and the scenic walk around the moat surrounding the castle.  This place is simply a photographer’s dream.  But so is the dark and dramatic Krombørg Slot, which stands guard at the entrance of the Øresund while staring at Sweden right in the eye.  Adding to the charisma of this castle is the story that Ogier the Dane sits there in a pronounced slumber until the day that Denmark is in great danger, at which time Ogier will come out of his prolonged slumber to save the nation.  Let’s just hope that he will never have to do this.

A few blocks from the imposing King’s Gardens in Copenhagen, you will find the historic, but somewhat unassuming neighborhood of Nyboder.  At the center of this colorful district you will find the intensely orange housing units that were originally built to house members of the Danish naval forces.  But while these orange row houses seem to dominate the area, there is much more to Nyboder than these orange dwellings, which give the area its unmistakable “military” atmosphere.  Walking along the Gerdersgade street and past the imposing St. Paul’s church (see photo above), you get the feeling that this both a family-friendly neighborhood and a historical military district.  Of course, the fact that around 09:00 in the morning its streets were pretty much deserted kind of gives away the fact that the military no longer inhabits the neighborhood, but the past continues to live through the architecture and neatly-kept streets.  The center of activity on the morning I visited seemed to be the local bakery (see photo above), where people seemed to trickle in slowly, but steadily, as in an orderly procession to purchase some of the best baked goods I’ve tasted in a long time.

And then there are the roses.  All along Kronprinsessegade, which runs through the middle of Nyboder, the somewhat strong facade of the row houses is dramatically softened by row after row of colorful rose bushes which even in the early morning hours of the day were being meticulously cared for by local residents.  Roses seem to be quite popular in Copenhagen, but in Nyboder they kind of assume a more prominent role when splashed against the deep orange walls of its humble buildings.  Nyboder is indeed a great off-the-beaten-path neighborhood to explore on your way to visiting the adjacent Copenhagen University or the Gefion Fountain area with its views of the Opera House and the historic Kastellet.  What’s even better, this is a great place to take photos without having to bump into fast-moving tourist groups exiting large buses on their 10-minute stop.  No, on the contrary.  You’ll be pretty much alone here, but that is precisely what makes Nyboder such a wonderful neighborhood to explore.