Moments in my backyard

Profiles

Charlie
 and Joeli

Union Square Park.
Taking it all in.
And taking nothing in.

Hoping the squirrels have the answer

Listening to the clouds

Checkin' it out, yo.

Another shot from the Boulevard.

My 98 year old "Bubbe" goofing with us

Took the kids to California and spent time with my grandmother, their great-grandmother.

I probably took 500 pics of her and after a while she and my kids got tired of the constant shutter clicks. They got her going, making all sorts of faces at me, ending with the shot on the right (she had no idea what it meant until the kids explained it to her)

Then she said "I would never do that to your father."

To which they responded "why not. People do it to him in NY all the time."

Weighing the options on the Boulevard

Every city seems to have a Martin Luther King Boulevard (and for good reason). But why is it that they uniformly seem so neglected and disrespected?

Mack

Langur peek-a-boo

Purchased by the Bronx Zoo

Steven

This is my brother-in-law Steven. He's a porsche driving, cigar loving, poker playing chef, as well as a fan of Quentin Tarantino and Bruce Willis.
His meals and cigars are legendary.

Sometimes looks are not at all deceiving.

Another day, another latex glove

Another day, another older sister teaching her younger sister too much too fast

Another day, another layer of the ozone gone

Another day, another pound of glitter

Another day, another handshake

Another day, another "spit-take"

The 2010 Coney Island Mermaid Parade took place yesterday. It is Brooklyn's largest "we miss Halloween, it's summertime, we have a beach, a boardwalk and lots of hipster folks so let's play dress-up and have a big" party.

This man's father was one of the inal clowns at Coney Island way back when.

Stanley

Stanley likes mermaids (but only once a year) and a nice piece of fish (at least twice a week)

He said he always wanted to be in show business but the Coney Island Boardwalk is as far as he got.

Taken at the 2010 Mermaid Parade at Coney Island, brooklyn, NY

Another day, another knish

Ellis makes knishes. Has been for 56 years. He's gotten really good at it. So, so, so good at it...

Just out of the shower

Acknowledging small accomplishments

Another day, another happy tune not whistled

Creeping Ivy Publishing House

When talented, inspired, nurturing creative people come together, wonderful  things happen.

And when these wonderful things are cared for properly,
they spread.
And take hold.
Capturing imaginations and hearts.

This is the house where those wonderful, fantastical, ingenious and oftimes magical things are cared for.

Another day, another row to hoe

Jeff, one of the Master Gardeners at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, a world class sustainable farm, agricultural center and globally recognized restaurant just down the road from me in Pocantico, NY is run by Tim Barber (who won this year's James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef of the Year and also made Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential people list.) and his brother David.

I had the pleasure of spending a few hours shooting for and with the Barbers. Then I had even more pleasure dining with them and their team who are on the leading edge of the Locavore movement in America.

As a guy who loves great food, this was one of the most memorable days ever.

www.bluehillfarm.com/farms/know-thy-farmer

Two Gibbons contemplating Darwin's Theories of Adaptation and Natural Selection

"...hmmm, it's not an elephant"

     "Nope. And it's not a pig."

"It could be an anteater. Nah...nose is too short."

     "...it's not a hippo"

"Sure seems friendly enough. So whattya you think it is?"

An elegant portrait of a hairier relative

Monkey see, monkey do

A baby langur as fascinated with me as I was with him

Another day, another kiddie ride to supervise

Siri works the kiddie rides at Coney Island. He likes kids but hates the noise they make, the mess they make, and the annoying parents they bring along.

"So what's left?"

"Their smiles."

Another day, another wrench in the works

Nick was working the boardwalk at Coney Island. Literally. Hunched over drilling out the old screws and drilling in the new screws. For hours.
Asked what pain medication he recommended.
"Bourbon."
Made me laugh. A lot.
Made him laugh.
But only for a moment.