Posts Tagged ‘Pickman’
Archives #032
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This week’s archives were somewhat difficult to gather together, as this is the part of the year where I’d normally be taking a break and offering single image shots. Under what were my normal conditions, Newtown Creek tour season would have just wrapped up and I’d be taking a minute to collect myself after a spring and summer’s worth of talking. I’m a chatterbox, admittedly, but after guiding dozens of groups composed of hundreds if not thousands around the creek, a break was always required.
These archive posts are reaching into Newtown Pentacle’s backups, and are randomly pulling posts that went public on this date, in their respective years, going back to 2009. This practice will continue until I’m back on both feet full time, and new photos and stories can be gathered. For anyone who hasn’t heard the news, I broke my left ankle at the end of September.
2015’s ‘distant whine’ discussed and bitched about the inequalities betwixt the two sides of the Queensboro Bridge, as far as how the municipal pie gets divided up in City Hall. Everything is Manhattancentric.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Some years, this calendar date fell on a weekend, or one of those single shots was occupying the slot. In a couple of cases, the post that published on this date kind of sucked, or was ‘filler’ as in when I’ve got nothing to say about what’s in the photos so I riff on an unrelated topic.
In 2018, it seems I was seeking nocturnal altitude, as described in ‘disclosures which.’ A few friends ended up opening their doors to me, with one pair of friends in particular allowing me hours of time up on the roof deck of the condo building that used to be the LIRR powerhouse.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As described yesterday, the physical therapy component of the broken ankle story is yielding a great result. My foot looks like somewhat like its mate on the other leg again, instead of a swollen out and magenta colored version of one of those 1970’s ‘hang 10’ stickers.
In 2019, I had a smashed big toe but I also had a gig doing a slide show/lecture at the library on Roosevelt Island, about Newtown Creek, so I had to suck it up – pain wise – and do my thing. Mission!
Back tomorrow.
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“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
Archives #031
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Things are improving around HQ, exponentially at this point, as my broken ankle’s physical therapy routine is tangibly addressing the pain and swelling of early recovery. They’ve even had me walking in ordinary shoes at the ‘PT’ sessions. I’m recovering some of my confidence in the stride as well, in terms of trusting my affected limb.
These archive posts are reaching into Newtown Pentacle’s backups, and are randomly pulling posts that went public on this date, in their respective years, going back to 2009. This practice will continue until I’m back on both feet full time, and new photos and stories can be gathered. For anyone who hasn’t heard the news, I broke my left ankle at the end of September.
2010’s ‘narcotic flowers’ was published on this date, which discussed public health measures that were introduced in NYC, during the late 19th century, to combat epidemics and pandemics arriving daily at the port with the floods of immigrants from peasant lands in Europe.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
My pal Will from NCA recently sent a photo of my beloved Dutch Kills tree to me, and the thing has turned into a real whopper over the last couple of years. Next time that I’m back home, I plan on getting a few shots of this survivor. Spring, likely.
During the pandemic, your humble narrator was walking around in the dead of night at Newtown Creek for want of any other purpose. 2020 gave me a chance to get ‘technical’ with the photos, and really slow things down, as seen in the post ‘livid marks’ which visits the Dutch Kills tributary of Newtown Creek.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I’m thinking that I might actually be able to get back to my normal pursuits by mid-December at this point, but I’m taking things slowly and following the program as laid out by the professionals. Their first name is ‘Doctor,’ after all, and I’m just a schmuck with a camera.
November 18, in 2022, was smack in the middle of an intensely busy period as Our Lady of the Pentacle and myself were deep in preparation for our move to Pittsburgh and your humble narrator was attempting to ‘see everything one last time.’ Luckily, by this point, I had taken possession of the car, and was able to zip about Queens freely.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
Archives #030
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Nothing like shooting a bridge, I always say. They hold stock still, don’t blink or sneeze, and never break the pose to worry if their ‘hair is alright.’ Saying that, it’s all about time of day and lighting when bridge photos are sought. The one above was captured while onboard a Working Harbor Committee tour of Newark Bay.
This 2010 post offered a ‘Happy Birthday’ greeting to the original configuration of the Bayonne Bridge spanning the Kill Van Kull.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The ‘big kahunas’ of New York Harbor are all found within a few miles of each other, with Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges at the center of the garland. I never missed taking a picture of the Brooklyn Bridge every time I happened to be passing it by. On a boat before sunrise, in Brooklyn on foot, or on Manhattan by foot. Its presence in a shot is a ‘place maker,’ just like having the Empire State Building somewhere in a shot, and iconically screams ‘this is New York City.’
In 2016, I spent a bit of time under the Brooklyn Bridge in Lower Manhattan and came across the oldest tavern in NYC, which was destroyed by Sandy and was still closed 4 years later.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Minor bridges are also kind of a thing for me, and my beloved creek had no shortages in that department for the wandering photographer to record.
On November 15th in 2019, I published this post – called ‘correlated causeways’ – as a catch all post to simply describe all the bridges of Newtown Creek in a single post.
Back next week.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
Archives #027
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It’s been a real ‘trip down memory lane,’ the act of pulling these posts out of backup. I’m trying to be somewhat random in what gets linked to, but ultimately it’s calendrical. Some years, this date fell on a weekend, or I was taking a break and doing my ‘single photo post’ dealie. Regardless, trying to mix it up and find some distance between them.
These archive posts are reaching into Newtown Pentacle’s backups, and are pulling posts that went public on this date, in their respective years, going back to 2009. This practice will continue until I’m back on both feet full time, and new photos and stories can be gathered. For anyone who hasn’t heard the news, I broke my left ankle at the end of September.
Apparently, I took one of the last photos of the Old Orchard Shoal Lighthouse on the Great Kills, before it was scoured away by Hurricane Sandy. Check it out in this post from November the 12th in 2012.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I’m really starting to feel better at this point. The Physical Therapy chapter in the broken ankle story has started. The effects of the series of exercises and stretches, which I do at home as well as in the medical office, have ameliorated a great deal of the swelling and pain.
In 2015, I was just starting to focus in on mastering night time shooting so I headed over to Newtown Creek in the dark to do some workshopping.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Hoping that I might figure out a spot where I can sort of drive up to and just start taking photos, but that’s kind of putting the cart before the horse. Two weeks ago I was still writhing in agony, after all. One step at a time, albeit a heavily limping step.
The shot above is one of my top three most pirated images. You can order shower curtains with it from a company in China that has never sent me a penny for usage. It’s virtually impossible to stop this sort of thing so I don’t bother. Check out this Chrysler Building oriented post from 2019.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
Archives #026
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I’m able to ‘sort of’ walk again as this one publishes, albeit with a ‘walking boot’ sort of brace. Since the cast for my broken ankle came off a couple of weeks ago, every day has seen me doing something that would’ve been impossible just a 48 hours earlier. Still not capable of ‘normal’ activity, but…
These archive posts are reaching into Newtown Pentacle’s backups, and are pulling posts that went public on this date, in their respective years, going back to 2009. This practice will continue until I’m back on both feet full time, and new photos and stories can be gathered. For anyone who hasn’t heard the news, I broke my left ankle at the end of September.
This 2015 posting was titled ‘duplicate and exceed’ and it described a night time walk around the happy place of industrial Maspeth. This is right around when the low light shooting bug got installed in my head.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
What with the agony from the ankle and all, grooming has not been high on the list of ‘have-to’s,’ but that’s also something I can do finally again so I cut my hair and trimmed the beard just yesterday. It’s nice to recognize the guy in the bathroom mirror again, I tell’s ya. I was looking wild, with two months worth of gray wool sticking out of my head.
On November 11 in 2019, a humble narrator was enduring a different injury than the one I’m currently enjoying, as discussed in ‘inherent deficiency.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As a note, it’s Veteran’s Day and I’m going to be missing all of the PA parades this year. Looking forward to waving the camera around again. This walking boot produces a fairly severe limp, due to its static bracing of the ankle and calf, so wherever I end up taking the camera to it’s going to a ‘stand or sit around’ rather than ‘photowalk’ sort of situation.
Finally, this post from 2020 dubbed ‘darkly probable,’ discusses walking a tripod/camera setup around Queens Plaza at night.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
The Newtown Pentacle 