There is No Business Like Snow Business

I woke up early in the morning anxious to see the result of Juno, a.k.a #snowmagadon. As most New Yorkers, I was very disappointed when I looked through the window and saw that we are not covered in snow more than usual. There was so much preparation to this storm, everything was shut down, schools, subway trains, stores and offices, cars were banned off the roads and many were given a day off work. In this case, the math is simple; one day off + heavy snow = Central Park. So there I go. The park was packed and everybody was happy and smiling. Sledging was one of the main attractions. Even the smallest hills had someone sliding off of them. Kids and adults alike, were all just having fun sledging down the hills. I especially liked the mother and two children sliding with their hyper energetic puppy. Another popular activity was building snowmen and (of course) taking selfies with them.

Remember when a week ago I said that: "Piles of snow were quickly turned into snowmen, popping up under every tree, like mushrooms after the rain"? Well, after Juno there were giant snowmen popping up. Some of them were definitely the tallest snowmen I have ever seen. Walking through the park felt like touring a snowmen museum. Absolutely fabulous! Between all the humans, dogs visiting the park enjoyed the snow as well. They were jumping and running, sniffing and digging.

Finally, the sunset painted the sky in pink. This was the appropriate ending to a perfect snow day after the storm. And the most important lesson I have learned is that if you don't have a sledge, you can always slide on a piece of cardboard. 

When the sun set, people pored from the snow hills into the roads. They were holding their sledges and the street lamps lit their way back home.

Winter Storm Juno

Wow! Never in my life have I seen so much snow. The snow showers started early this morning, but at that point it was just another snowy day in the city. Late afternoon, when I went out, it was absolutely spectacular. Everything was covered in white; cars, bikes, mail boxes, garbage bags, people jackets, umbrellas and hair. Even the tons of salt sprinkled on the roads and sidewalks were not able to fight the snow. I was walking on ice blocks and occasionally my boots sank into huge piles of snow. Yes, it was pure fun!

After walking on the 8th avenue for less than a minute, I was promptly covered with snow. There was a pile of snow on my backpack, another one in my hair and some fair amount on my boots. Also, my camera changed its color from black to bright white. I firmly resisted the cold as well as my parents panic messages from Israel, telling me to take a cab or at least the subway. 

I was filled with Adrenalin, so the cold didn't bother me. Surprisingly, although the city is in the middle of one of its biggest storms ever, the people I met on the streets were cooperative and were kind enough to avoid blocking my view and even pose for me. It seems that the snow is making people happy. Or maybe because I'm happy, people are smiling back?

I love the fact that the light reflecting from the snow makes the pictures look warm and welcoming. To me, the colors in this post match the feelings I had while strolling the streets. When I first came to New York I felt that this city is cold and hostile. I could not be more wrong and I'm happy I can now see kindness and warmness on every corner of this amazing city.   

Beach Mode

It was a beautiful day today at Jones Beach. I went looking for Snowy Owls and found a wonderful state park an hour away from the city. For this little journey I recruited my husband and two of my friends. At first, we were all dedicated on finding the snowy owl but soon enough we surrendered to the ocean. It was the perfect day to be outside; blue sky, white clouds and yellow sun.

Jones Beach is very suitable for snowy owl as the sand dunes resemble the arctic tundras. There were a lot of birders out looking for the owls but it seems that no one was able to spot them. A day before we came a woman spotted one owl between field 1 and field 2 on the west end of the park. In the lack of owls I took some photos of my friends on the white sand beach.

In the park we saw many other birds; Snow Bunting, Song Sparrow, Canada Goose, Mallard Duck, Northern Mockingbird, Brant, some small calidris species and fearless seagulls.

I have so many photos of seagulls that I stopped photographing them but today I took a few photos of seagulls flying during sunset.

It was a spectacular sunset and a great day! Now I'm preparing my gear for the snow blizzard that will hit the city tomorrow so stay tuned. In the meanwhile I wish you all goodnight, stay warm and I leave you with one last photo from the beach.

  

The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway

I love going to Central Park, especially when it is covered with white snow. So far, this winter we did not have a lot of snow and this is only the second time the park was covered with white, fluffy snowflakes. Piles of snow were quickly turned into snowmen, popping up under every tree, like mushrooms after the rain. My absolute favorite was a beautiful snowdog, that was carefully sculptured by a very talented couple.

I remember the first time I attempted to build a snowman, it was a complete disaster. The snow wouldn't stick and I ended up with a small amorphous snowmountain. When the snowdog was complete, I said my goodbyes and continued towards the Bethesda Fountain to meet up with other photographers for the 500px photowalk. It was very easy to find them, as there was a big crowd of people standing with fancy cameras. As I arrived, I was immediately drawn to a man walking with three Borozi dogs and, luckily for me, they were approached by a young English bulldog. 
I did the most reasonable thing I could think of and went to greet the dogs with my camera. There is no doubt that animals are my comfort zone and "somehow" the majority of my photos feature animals. The dogs were very playful but the Borozi are so big that in most of the photos I had at least one of them blocking the view. Eventually, I had to disconnect myself from the kisses of Brooklyn, the bubbly English Bulldog, and stumbled upon an empty, snowy-white road.

The dogs and the snow were all very photogenic, but the girl with the balloons was definitely the highlight of the day. She was walking towards the Bow Bridge and I was one step behind. It was a well calculated scene; the colors of the balloons, the clothing, the location, and I was fortunate enough to be there.

However, the last photo I will leave you with, also from the Bow Bridge, is of a vase that looks like a troll. Enjoy :)

  
        

Shoshi The Tourist

This weekend I took Shoshi to a photoshoot in the city. First stop was Union Square station, were we waited to one of the yellow line trains. 

To me, the subway is one of the city's most interesting and photogenic spots. The people waiting for the train represent a wide verity of cultures and styles. Also, dogs on the subway are not a common sight and Shoshi is exceptionally cute. The only down side was the low light conditions, but l already decided to embrace the graininess of photographing at high ISO.   

When the train came, Shoshi was very cooperative; during the ride she held her head high above her carrier and curiously examined the area. Shoshi is a people magnet and whenever I take her photos, if I also manage to get people into the frame, at least one of them will be looking at her. Obviously, some people can't fight the urge and get too close to her in the middle of the photoshoot. This presents a good opportunity to catch poeple's genuine excitement from meeting Shoshi for the first time.

We got off at Times Square station and headed to the frozen fountain at Bryant Park. The fountain is absolutely spectacular and together with the skating rink and the decorated Christmas tree they create a festive winter atmosphere at the park. I took so many beautiful and funny photos of Shoshi there, that it is hard to choose just one. One of my favorites was this one, with the look I got from Shoshi when it was time to go to a different location. I had the exact same feelings :)

From Bryant Park we headed to Times Square and stopped for a quick photo with the giant American flag. Shoshi is a proud American, so immediately I was able to get a nice photo of her with the flag.

The red stairs was our last and final spot, but I'm ending this post with a photo taken at 49 street subway station. I love the red bricks in the background and how the man's jacket is in a matching color.

I had a great time with Shoshi during the photoshoot and I would like to thank her proud (and sometimes worried) parents, Tal and Liel, for their cooperation.

No Pants Subway Ride

Yesterday I decided to check out the annual No Pants Subway Ride. I thought it should be a good opportunity to practice my street photography skills, as usually at these type of events people are very cooperative in front of the camera. Also, since this happens in the subway, I decided to embrace the graininess of photographing at high ISO. Usually, I like my photos sharp and clear, so I limit my ISO to 1600 and I never use flash. However, after listening to Mel DiGiacomo's lecture, I changed the ISO limit to 6400 in my 7D Canon camera. Around 4:00 PM, I put on my pants, took my gear and headed to Union Square Subway Station.

I didn't see any pant-less people on the subway ride towards Union Station but when I got there I knew I'm in the right place. Making my way through the sea of photographers and pant-less people was not an easy task. The place was so crowded that the station was even darker than usual.

The first person I noticed was a man wearing a Minimouse T-Shirt, high-heels and black underwear. I looked for a good spot, knelt down and started taking some photos of him next to all the other photographers. Little did I knew that although I'm wearing pants I too can become a victim of the paparazzi.

One of the photographers decided to turn around and photograph me instead of the "heel wearing guy" and he was promptly joined by the other photographers. I found the situation very amusing and I love the surprised look on the man with the jacket sitting next to the heel wearing guy. The combination of emotions displayed by the two men sitting on the bench is how I felt during the situation: shocked and amused.  

Almost always I find animals that helps me feel more comfortable among people. This time I found two; a dog and a bear. The dog was very cute and I liked the fact that he was surrounded by bare legs and that he too was pant-less. I took a few photos of the dog and the legs until I heard someone talking to himself saying: "There is a bear, knitting, with no pants on the subway! This is ridiculous! I turned around and I saw a knitting, pant-less bear.

All and all, no pants subway ride was a joyful event. The people were happy and smiley and very easy going. It was hilarious to hear comments by people who randomly walked into the station only to find hoard of photographers mixed with semi-naked people hanging around the premises of the station.

However, with all the commission and the build-up for this event, I was left with the feeling that this is just another day on MTA. To me, it seems that every day in this city is a "pant-less day".

Matthew is Looking for a Loving Home

I moved to New York about a year ago. I left everything I had back in Israel and I also left my two dogs with my family. This was a very big change for me and leaving the dogs behind was devastating. Adopting a new pet in the city wasn't an option as my husband and I have a very small apartment and also because we spend most of our time traveling. So instead of adopting I became a foster parent for the ASPCA and I got Yago and Ysmine, two adorable, underweight kittens. When it was time to take the kittens back to the ASPCA there was no doubt in my mind that they will find a loving home. A month later, in December 2014, I got an email  saying: "Matthew  needs a vacation... Matthew is an approximately 4 year old boy in need of holiday vacation from shelter life! He will need a quite home with no other cats and no small children.... He had been surrendered to us by his owner in January 2014...".

Immediately I send back an email stating that I'll be happy to take care of Matthew for a few months. After a few back and forward emails I went to the ASPCA to meet Matthew. I was not happy the first time I saw him; he was a huge, grumpy, mean looking cat. The behaviorist consultant took him out of his cage and he just set on the floor and tried to hit her with his huge paws whenever she tried to approach him. His paws were enormous and I quickly found out that Matthew is a polydactyl cat (also known as Hemingway cat). He has a total of 24 toes (normal cats have 18), with 7 toes on each front paw and 5 tows on each hind paw. After seeing his frown look and aggressive behavior I was wounding if it was a good decision to take him inside my small studio and I thought to myself: "no wounder nobody adopted him".

Nonetheless, I took him and brought him home. At first I didn't attempt any contact with him and I just let him explore the studio. He was very curios and he inspected everything! Every time I opened a door he would sneak in and sniff around. It took him less than a few hours to get comfortable and to start showing affection toward me. By now he is with us for almost a month and he is the sweetest kitty; very talkative, playful and affectionate. Sometimes he still plays rough and he tries to bite or hit with his paws but he is doing it very gently, without really hurting anyone. 

When I get back home he will run to me and like a dog, he will stand on his two hind legs and place his front legs on me. He loves his scratching board and occasionally he will start running and jumping in the house which is always funny to watch. Matthew will stay with me until the end of February 2015 and I hope I can find him a loving home prior to that date. If you are looking for a funny, loving, joyful cat, look no further! Matthew is a very easy going cat and he is much less destructive than the average kitten. Among his hobbies: laying in front of the keyboard and trying to hit my fingers while I'm typing :-)
If you think you can help Matthew in finding a loving home, please contact me or the ASPCA....

Update: Today, March 19, 2015, I have returned Matthew to the ASPCA. I really hope he will get adopted soon.

If you are thinking about adopting Matthew here are a few helpful tips:

1. Matthew doesn't like to eat his wet food so if you want him to eat that you should mix it with his dry food.

2. Matthew is a very cleaver cat. He quickly learned to use his new "cleaver cat litter box". Also, he is not picky about his litter. He was fine with shavings, crystal and the ultra premium clumping cat litter.

3. Matthew is a very curious cat. He will go through any door to examine the new space. He really enjoyed walking in our hallway, so everyday we took him for a stroll outside the apartment. He also enjoyed sniffing our neighbors' dogs from behind the door and make them go crazy knowing he is on the other side. 

4. If he want's to play with you he will approach you and gently touch you with his paws.

5. 1. Matthew loves his scratching board. He really enjoys scratching and he got more nails than the average cat. You should defend your couch by covering it.

6. Matthew doesn't like the vacuum cleaner. He will hide on a high bench whenever he sees it. 

7. If you hold a toy in your hand and want to play with Matthew make sure you remember that he will aim for your hand and not for the toy. 

8. Matthew loves to play with simple hair bands, he is usually most active and playful during midnight.   

9. If Matthew wants to get some food or get out for a stroll he will, respectively, direct you to his food bowl or the door and meow at your general direction.

10. When you walk back home after been away for a while that is when he will be the nicest to you.  

11. Often, Matthew will try to hunt you down. He will do it by stalking you and surprisingly jumping on your legs. A simple loud "NO" will immediately stop him. Having said that, I wouldn't trust him around small children.  

   

  

Let It Snow

I have been waiting for snow for a long time, ever since I realized that last year I missed some great photo opportunities during last year's storm. Luckily for me I was in the city today when the snow showers started. I probably should also mention that the temperature dropped to -7 degrees Celsius / 19 degrees Fahrenheit. It was cold out there!

Ice skating today was a very good choice as both the rink in Bryant Park as well as the rink in Rockefeller Center were almost empty from skaters. It seems that most of the tourists left the city after the celebrations of New Year's eve. I really wanted to do some street photography, but, as always, I found myself in Central Park.

I love watching the male Northern Cardinal, their beautiful red color overwhelm me every time I see them. During the snow showers, the contrast between the white snow and the red feathers of the cardinal was absolutely stunning.

I started my day with colors and I finish it with black and white. I find that all the colors of people, cars and signs in the park are distracting from the beauty of the snow dancing with the trees in the park.

  Night photography will be up next.

Shoshi Shoshana in the Big City

Shoshi is a Boston Terrier puppy. She lives with two of my best friends in the city and sometimes people confuse her with a guinea pig because of her petite size (~10 pounds). She is very cute, but don't let her innocent look deceive you, as all puppies, she is a real trouble maker.

Playing with Shoshi is always fun, she will happily engage in hide and seek, tag, red light green light 1 2 3 and other fun games.

Okay... so she doesn't know how to play chess, but she does know how to give kisses and high-fives. Shoshi is also a great model and she is always happy to pose to the camera. This Halloween she dressed as a "working girl" and won the annual Costume Contest at Washington Square Dog Run in the "most inappropriate but funny costume" category. Her friend, Aldo, was dressed as her pimp.

My best time with Shoshi is when her parents are away from home and I have her all to myself :)

I love you Shoshi,

Kisses...