Another Snow Day

These two photos were taken less than a minute apart but at different camera settings. The first one (top) was taken at a lower ISO and shutter speed, thereby giving the snow a stringy-like effect. The second photo (bottom) was taken at a much higher ISO and shutter speed and that is why you can see the individual snow flakes.

So which photo do you prefer? The low speed effect or the high speed look?

Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, MA

Here are some photos from my Boston trip last weekend. They were taken at the Plimoth Plantation, a re-creation of a village in Plymouth, Massachusetts that were built by English settlers to the New World in 1627. On the other side of the plantation is the Wampanoah village where the Native Americans lived. In the 2nd photo, you can see a man and a woman dressed in period costumes performing chores that were commonly done during that time period. The "actors" will answer any questions you may have about life in the village.

This is what I learned from them. 1. The early selttlers bathed only once a week but changed into freshly laundred clothes every day. 2. There were no functioning toilets but there were designated areas for people to do "their business". 3. Women were prohibited from wearing pants and men were not allowed to wear shorts.

So what modern conveniences would you miss most if you were magically transported back to the 1620s?

Deutsche Haus

This block of historically landmarked buildings, just south of Union Square, is known as the Deutsche House. According to its website, it is a New York University (NYU) institution dedicated to fostering German-American and international understanding.

What's interesting about this block is that it really stands out among the high rise buildings and retail shopping strips surrounding it.

So have you been to Germany?

Even Cowgirls Have the Blues

This is the front window of a restaurant in the Village called, Cowgirl that is located on the corner West 10th Street and Hudson Street. I have walked by it many times and heard the recordings of Patsy Cline blaring through the doors. So I thought it was a lesbian bar. Then last weekend, I noticed the beautiful decorations on the window and decided to take a peek inside. The place turns out to be a family-oriented restaurant that serves southern food. How wrong was I?

So have you misjudged the character of someone or something recently?

Halloween Party in the Village

Every year, the city organizes a Halloween parade in the Greenwich Village. So after work yesterday, I went downtown to take some photos of Halloween revelers on the street. I saw a lot of amazing costumes and everyone was willing to pose for me.

So here is the first collage of people and costumes from the street party. Click on the photo to see a bigger version of it. I will post the second and third collages in the next couple of days.

So which is your favorite photo?

Groovy for the 60s

I found this psychedelic Volkswagen van parked outside a building in the Village a couple months ago. I thought it was groovy because of the beautiful artwork!! I wonder if it belongs to an aging hippie from the 60s or a Wall Street millionaire with his new "toy"?

My dad used to own a vintage 1967 WV beetle when I was a young kid. It was a temperamental car (I'm trying to use PG-rated language here) that won't start on mornings when the weather was too cold. My brother and I would have to get out of the car and push it down the street hoping to jump start the engine while our dad steered it away on coming traffic through the windows.

So when I was old enough to get my own car, I specifically stayed away from a VW and bought a second-hand Nissan pick-up truck instead. Eventhough that truck had over 200,000 miles on it, it was super reliable and it gave me very little trouble.

So tell me about your first car.