Home Away from Home

wm RGP_6537

“Did he come to pray?

Did he come to rest?

Does he come every day?

Is he on a quest?

Will he find what he’s looking for,

Here in this place?

Will he feel blest

At the end of his stay?

Is this his home,

Away from home?

Underneath the dome,

Does he find shelter

That otherwise doesn’t exist?

His life is a welter,

Some might insist,

But the head of this house,

Welcomes him in His midst,

And finds him not to be a louse,

But a man who needs,

A heavenly kiss.”

Copyright Robyn Graham

Please note that today is Thursday and that means I have also posted on Monochromia.  Be sure to stop by and see another example of my street photography.

Black and White Thursday

It is Thursday and that means I posted a black and white photograph on Monochromia.  The image I posted on Monochromia today is one that I had previously posted on this blog.  You can find the original post HERE.

I am excited and honored to tell you that this picture was selected in a juried exhibit, “Americana” at the Pennsylvania Center for Photography.

Black and White Thursday…..

You know that means!  Please find my post on Monochromia today!

He Still Plays

A Sunday Afternoon Concert

A Sunday Afternoon Concert

The Observer

The Observer

He Plays On

He Plays On

It Isn't Easy Anymore

It Isn’t Easy Anymore

The Sax

The Sax

Tattered and Worn

Tattered and Worn

People Movers

People Movers

People Movers

SS 1/60, f2.8, ISO 1000

Between the Philadelphia Convention Center and the Reading Market Terminal an escalator resides next to a wall with a mural painted on it.  At first glance it appears as though the escalator is taking people away from, or dropping people off at, the train station.  The mural is an amazing work of art with great detail pronouncing the history of the building.  The escalator is busy with the hustle and bustle of today’s travelers and locals alike.

Bless You

To every person that exited through the door he held open he said, “God Bless You.”  And seeing that smile, how could anyone not feel blessed?

To Every Person that Exited Through the Door He Held Open He Said "God Bless You."

That Smile

SS 1/60, f2.8, ISO 2000

“If I choose to bless another person, I will always end up feeling more blessed.”

– Marianne Williamson

I wish you all a fabulous week filled with blessings and wonder!

 

“Itchy on the Fence”

Street Performers

Some depend on meager

Talents to get by, often

Rebuked, while

Everyone watches and

Everyone judges,

Thinking they’re soulless because they’re homeless.

copyright Robyn Graham

A couple of street entertainers in Portland, Oregon.

August, 2013

Itchy on the Fence

The inhale, literally a second after I asked if I could photograph him.

Itchy on the FenceThe exhale.

Itchy on the FenceFeeling great!

Itchy on the FencePerforming with his wife and fellow musician.

Itchy on the FenceThe wife creating music on a make-shift violin – a saw.

Itchy on the FenceFeeling the music.

Itchy on the FenceThe day’s wages.

Upon writing this post I do not know that the couple in the images is homeless.  However, while in Portland in August we did see a large number of homeless people, some of who were street performers.  The acrostic poem is dedicated to all those who, for whatever reason; choice, recklessness, drugs, alcohol, mental illness, etc. are homeless and trying to get by with the little money they make putting a smile on the face of a tourist or a local by using whatever hope and talent they have left.

More from NYC…

More from my adventures in NYC with my daughter…using our little point and shoot; Sony Cyber Shot – No pro-camera along for a day with my little one.

Scooby Scooby – the horse that led our carriage ride around Central Park

Alone and Thoughtful in Central ParkAlone and Thoughtful in Central Park

Reflections with Cigars and the GameReflections with Cigars and the Game

Skating Under the TreeSkating Under “the Tree”

Graffiti Artist

My family and I visited New York City yesterday.  My husband and sons went to Yankee Stadium to watch Notre Dame play Rutgers in the Pinstripe Bowl.  My daughter and I stayed in Manhattan and shopped, went to Central Park, took a carriage ride and went to see the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular.  As the day was intended to be a special day with my daughter I did not take one of my “good cameras”.  Before we left home, however, I decided that I just couldn’t survive the day without being able to capture “that moment” that we might stumble upon.  So, I grabbed our little family point and shoot Sony Cybershot and all 7.2 mega pixels that it has to offer.  Of course, there were about 1000 opportunities to capture beautiful moments, but I didn’t have my “real camera” so I relied on the little point and shoot when my daughter allowed me the opportunity.

It actually proved to be quite fun.  She wanted me to take pictures of everything!  And she found such great pleasure in so many things that we took our time and stopped to shoot despite the fact that I knew I had no control over the light entering the camera or how the images would turn out.  I kept thinking to myself that if the images were OK, the saying that I’ve heard so many times; “no wonder you take good pictures, you have a nice camera”, would prove worthless once and for all because taking good pictures is not the act of a camera’s automatic settings.  The camera doesn’t control composition.  Good composition in addition to knowing how to use a camera’s manual settings to control the light, motion, white balance, etc. that are being captured, are skills necessary to successfully make a good photograph.

So, with all of that said, take a look at what I captured with the little point and shoot camera.  More to come over the next couple of days too!

The images below are of Bagdon using spray paint, plaster knives and various other objects to create art.  My daughter and I were mesmerized by his work, the process he used and his talent.  When I asked if he had been formerly trained in the techniques he was using he explained that he was a former graffiti artist.  Simply put, it was really cool!

First Part of the ProcessFirst Part of the Process

Making StarsMaking Stars

Using the Tools to Create DetailsUsing Tools to Create Details

The Finished Piece The Finished Piece – a little crooked as I was holding my daughter’s hand at all times and taking pictures with just one hand – it can be done!

The “quality” of the images is not great as the resolution is so low.  I was happy with the overall outcomes, however.  You get the idea of what Bagdon’s creative process was and how he worked without having to look at completely inadequate compositions.  You might be thinking, “why didn’t she just use her cell phone”.  Well, because I didn’t want to run out of battery.  😉

 

Creating Oneself

Life is not about finding yourself, it is about creating yourself.

 The Mystery of Creating Oneself