It’s Friday, and nothing says “time to relax” quite like watching the sunrise with a seagull.
Thursday, December 10, 2015 (Day 344)
One of the best compliments I receive is when someone looks at one of my canvas prints and asks, “Is that a painting?” I’ve even watched people debate with each other back and forth over whether it is a photo or a painting for a few minutes before I would step in to settle it.
I try to get my photos to look as realistic as possible, so when someone mistakes it for a painting, I don’t take it as them saying it doesn’t look realistic. Instead, it makes me feel satisfied to know that I accurately captured a moment that actually looked like a painting in real life.
Some photographers prefer to to get shots with bold colors and sharply contrasting light and dark tones, and they do a great job with it. But I usually prefer the softer palette that happens a little while before the sun comes up.
And that was the case this morning, where a light haze really helped to soften the scene. Shortly after this photo was taken, the clouds started to light up, but the soft glow at the horizon was gone. Most of the time, I will prefer the earlier scene…my favorite time of day.
Wednesday, December 9, 2015 (Day 343)
The boats are all long gone, but it’s been a pretty mild December with only a few weeks left in the year.
I’ve gotten away with not having to brave any crazy weather so far this season, much unlike the start of the year, and that does not appear to be changing any time in the next week or so. At that point there will only be about two weeks left in the year, so even if it gets really cold I will know the end is in sight.
This morning was cloudy, but there were a few minutes where a slight pink glow appeared at the horizon.
Tuesday, December 8, 2015 (Day 342)
I stood here at the edge of the river this morning and watched the waves from passing boats crash into the side of this wall. It appeared to be cloudy at first, but I noticed a bright, clear sky to the south. The contrast in light made it somewhat difficult to photograph, with thick clouds over the city and a patch of clear sky.
Monday, December 7, 2015 (Day 341)
Heroes.
Today is a day that will live in infamy, but it is also a day that we think about heroes.
Heroes are the ones who run toward danger, who face challenges head on, and who make sacrifices that no one else will. Heroes come in all types–whether it be someone who shields another human being from gunfire, or even someone who performs selfless acts in their everyday life or profession.
Today we pay tribute to those heroes who serve our country, especially those who paid the ultimate price on that infamous day 74 years ago at Pearl Harbor. And so there was no better place for me to be this morning than the World War II Memorial here at the waterfront in Hoboken.
Here, I had the pleasure of meeting a veteran who was also paying tribute. We talked for about 20 minutes, during which time I learned that served during the 1950’s, and he mentioned that he was “lucky” since there wasn’t much going on at that time.
But make no mistake–those who enlist in the military do so without any prior knowledge of what is going to happen. They have the courage and the willingness to put themselves out there, knowing they may be called upon at any time. And that is what makes all of them true heroes.