Yuval and Allen

My friends Yuval and Allen have been together for a long while now but have relatively few photos together. I decided that we would go out and rectify this situation. I'm very fond of the photos that I came back with.

At first they were a bit nervous and uncomfortable with the camera.

But we got to laughing and they loosened up.

 The setting sun really made them glow.

They were willing to pose for me and I got some cute shots of them lying in the leaves on one of the last warm days of the year.

This is by far my favorite photo from the shoot. I think you get a sense of their character in this one. I also love the red leaves framing them.

Transit Infrastructure - South Worcester

 For a group project I am doing in my Planning and Zoning course, we have been tasked with examining the transportation infrastructure in South Worcester. For those familiar with Worcester these photos were taken in the area near the South Worcester industrial park in the triangle that is defined by the two railroad tracks on either side and Cambridge St on the South side.

Although I was mostly taking photos to document the infrastructure and provide visuals of our plan I also tried to take some that showed the area.

This photograph was meant to document Grand St. It is one of the only SE/NW roads in the neighborhood but is unfortunately cut off by the railroad tracks on both sides. It has the potential to be an important through-way for the area but doesn't have as much action on it now. There are many residences and a couple of small businesses on the street which make it a small center of the neighborhood. I liked this photo because it had a bit more liveliness and shows some of the character of the residential part of the neighborhood.

Although this photo is of the railroad tracks I took it because of the feeling of abandonment. The shadow has a lonely feeling to me and there is a sense of forgotten-ness in the tracks which lie much below street level in this particular location. Although the tracks are still used, the area around faces disinvestment so the tracks also begin to feel abandoned. 

This was by far my favorite photo from the shoot. These old silos are iconic of the South Worcester Industrial Park. The barrier of the fence and the Road Closed sign add to the feeling of desolation. Despite large investment by the City of Worcester to make this land appealing to incoming industry, the plots still lie vacant. The hope is that one day the 20 acres in South Worcester will become a location for industry which creates jobs for the local residents. The plots have great rail and highway access so it could be a good location for industries in need of easy transportation access.

Mornings in Downtown Worcester

 Often in the morning I have extra time before work in downtown Worcester. Over the last month I have take photos during this free time.

I have taken photos of this statue on several occasions. The first time the light did not fall on their faces but this one is the best so far because the lighting fall on all of the statue but not the background.

I love all the lines in this photo making arch shapes. The blue and yellow colors complement each other and I like how the statue is in brightness. 

I would not have spotted these men working if it hadn't been for a man washing the windows of another building at ground level. He was not envious of the work these men had to do at over 10 stories up. I waited for the morning light to hit one side of the building and also managed to get the workers' reflection in the window to add to the dynamic. 

This is an iconic statue of Major Taylor which stands outside of the Worcester Public Library. I utilized the morning light to create a bright image of him and his shadow.

On a cloudier day I walked around the Pleasant St, and Crown Hill areas. This is Liberty Church on Chestnut St. As I took photos of this church a woman came up to me and told me about her conspiracy theories about this church. 

This church door seemed very warm and inviting. It is part of the All Saints Church on Irving St.

Cat Sisters

Last week I did not get much chance to get out of the house and take photos so I decided to take photos of something that is inside my house -- my cats! 

These are the two cat sisters. The closer one with longer hair is Ada and the further one away is Copper. I love this photo because they are looking in the same direction and have the same expression.

In a way I was adding to my family portrait collection from the last couple weeks with this one. It took this photo of my cat Ada to go along with my other family portraits. Unfortunately, I haven't got a good picture of  Copper, yet. I found Ada to be more patient and photogenic.

I liked the sense of motion in the one but wish Ada's face was clearer. I was trying to catch the kitties' playful side.

Ada is a wild lady. Although she's just yawning in this photo she does look a bit frightening.

The cats paused for a moment while wrestling which allowed me to get this shot without any blur. 

The angles of the legs here are what I like the most about the composition. The kitties often clean each other which is always a good time to capture a sweet moment of them.