I have always been drawn to the rooftops of New York, an industrial landscape of pipes, towers skyscrapers, rooftops, terraces and steam, a world unto itself, only seem from high up. I got up this morning and watch this landscape come alive, it is as beautiful and touching to me as a rolling hill around a farm. This landscape speaks to me of what human beings can do, when they set their mind and skills. They can destroy, but they can build. It is hard for me to fathom all of the sizes and shapes, textures and imagination that went into these rooftops, somehow New York just seems to work, a daily miracle. The urban landscape at it’s most beautiful and inspiring.
We came home today to a donkey chorus of brays, a joyous and ear-ratting greeting that can be heard for miles. The donkeys were happy to us, and they let us know, nicking, braying, nosing us. Hugs and carrots for everyone, the dogs were happy to, but the donkey braying chorus can be one of the most joyous sounds in the animal world, it makes us laugh and smile and feel especially welcome. The donkeys love treats, but they are excited to see us, they seem keenly aware when we are not here, but then the donkeys are among the most intuitive animals I have ever been around.
It is bitterly cold here tonight, windy and heading below zero, we seem to be back in the arctic freeze. It has to end at some point, yes?
Got back from New York this afternoon, an exciting, meaningful and quite wonderful trip. Monday I went to B&H Photo with my Kickstarter money in the bank and was promptly talked out of the more expensive camera and into buying a new version of the one I have and love, we put the money into lenses instead as well as a new camera, which was a lot cheaper than the one I was going to buy.
I’m always grateful to the people at B&H, a wild place in itself, they always give me good and honest advice. I traded in four battered lenses and it was a great transaction all around, one I imagine will great impact my photographic work. I’ll provide some details later. I had a great lunch with my agent, made some important decisions about my publishing and book life. Tuesday Maria and I went to the West Side Livery Stables to meet Christina Hansen, we were with her when she pulled her carriage out, got King the horse out, connected the two, piled us and we headed off towards the park for what turned out to be an intense experience for me.
We spent more than an hour criss-crossing Central Park, we just got home and have to tend to the dogs, the farm, the animals. I am trying out three new lenses: a new 100 mm macro, a new 70-200 (the old one just fell apart) and a new 24-70, widely regarded as the best every day lens Canon makes. I decided to stick with what I know and love, at least for new, so I got a new 5D Mark III, my other was was pretty nearly shot. More about all of this later, I have a lot of photos to sort through, I am going to do a three part series on the carriage ride, it was powerful experience on several levels, different than I expected, I’ll write honestly about it. Have to sort out some things in my head.
I loved New York very much on this trip, Maria and I did our usual hours of walking and talking, I am worn out. I’ve found a neat way to use the Internet to get very cheap rooms right in mid-town I think I’ll be visiting the city regularly.
