Dust and Rust

Sandwiched between the huge arched glass windows at either end of Grand Central Terminal in NYC is a walkway for Metro North and GCT employees. The view from the walkway down into the main hall must be breathtaking, but there is no way to get in if you don’t work there. I stood around for quite some time capturing the few people that passed through. The shot below is my favorite of the lot…

I took my son back to the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome for the last show of the year on Oct. 14th. We got there early to get our biplane ride tickets, and we were on the 2nd flight to go up. I had purchased a Tokina 12-24mm lens for my D200 over the summer, and it was the perfect lens to put on for the flight.

They have added a second New Standard biplane to the ride schedule. It makes it much easier to get tickets. At $50 per person, for a 20 minute ride, some people might think it’s too expensive. Personally, I feel it’s a very unique experience, and worth every penny. The money from the rides helps keep the place running, so I think of it as a donation.

Our pilot seemed to be enjoying the flight. The wind was pretty strong, which made the ride even more fun than usual!

It’s very hard to speak and hear over the sound of the wind and the engine, but from his smile, I could tell Evan was enjoying the ride too.

My favorite part of the ride is always the landing. Seeing all of the planes lined up on the field, the hangers and old buildings, you really feel like you have traveled back in time.

This year was the first time I went for a ride in one of the classic cars. I highly recommend it, because it gets you on the other side of the airfield fence, and a different view of the planes.

This Pitt Special Biplane started off the show with a quick aerobatic demonstration.

They have been performing the same corny (in a good way) show since I was a Kid. The Black Baron kidnaps Trudy Truelove, and Sir Percy Goodfellow attempts to set things right. The Sunday show is always my favorite because it features the WWI fighters.

The bright colors and classic look of the Fokker D.VII make it one of my favorites.

The Spad VII takes off over the trees… you have to envy the pilots that get to fly these amazing planes.

Unfortunately, the wind picked up as the day went on, and they grounded many of my favorite planes like the Fokker DR.I Triplane . As a consolation, they let people get behind the fence after the show to get a closer look at the planes.

It’s hard to explain to people why I like this place so much. Part of my attachment is because of my childhood memories of the place. The Aerodrome is frozen in time, and I can travel back in time in more ways than one when I go there.

These photos were taken back in March of 2004. I was taking a class at the New York Open Center, and I had an assignment called “Movement”. I decided to go to the South Street Seaport to take some shots, and I came across these guys skateboarding behind the shops and restaurants. Their skills seemed a step above those of the average skateboarder I’ve seen… they were catching some incredible air.

I just got back from a trip to Mojácar in the Andalucía region of Spain. A group of friends gets together every year or so to rent a villa in a different destination… and Spain won the vote for this trip. Among the places I visited where the Alhambra, Agua Amarga, Nijar, and Bédar. I’ll be posting some shots from each location when I get a little time.

Agave Plant at the Villa

Empire State Building, early morning

I walk past the Empire State Building every work day. If it wasn’t for an assignment for a photo course I’m taking at the New York Open Center I probably wouldn’t have taken this shot. I haven’t gone to class to review the assignment yet, but I’m sure that the instructors point is that if you don’t look (or look again, and again) you may be missing something worth seeing (or photographing). My friend, the dead programmer has been working on a project with that idea in mind for some time now.