Jersey City – Page 2 – Photogeek Blog

Danger is my Middle Name.

Exploring, Finding Solutions, Industrial Photography, Jersey City

This afternoon while walking on a stretch of Route 9 highway. I had a straight up “Stand By Me” moment. You know, the moment where they’re walking on the train tracks and come upon the bridge. Well, in my case it wasn’t train tracks or the fear of an oncoming train bearing down on me. As I passed the cemetery gates and the overpass looking down on the train yard. I suddenly came to a dead end. The rocky, gravely road I had been walking on for miles ceased to exist at what seemed like the final leg of my journey home.

Stopped in my tracks. I looked at my limited options. Already bloodied and still bleeding from a fall about a half mile back. I wiped my sun beaten brow and began to contemplate my narrow choices. Option 1; Walk just a matter of feet (Maybe a hundred or so) on the shoulder of a very busy shoulder of the road that turned onto 9 South and the Pulaski Bridge and proceed to what is known as “The Circle of Death. Option 2; Walk back about a half mile and cross at the next available signal. Having recently watched as car after car mindlessly broke for the shoulder (unfortunately for them, towards a tragic accident and in to the waiting sirens or the local police.) and how dangerous that spot tends to be. I began limping back towards the traffic light in the not so close distance. As I limped towards my destination I spotted a small break in the concrete medium and waited for my chance to bolt towards it. Lucky for me, I made it across without being hit or causing any collisions. Before long I was home wiping the blood from my leg. If there’s anything to be learned from my experience. It would be to dress appropriately. Sandals and shorts are not recommended when walking the highways or exploring local junkyard’s or industrial complexes. Two, take the high road. Life is too precious to have it end foolishly.

Documenting My Travels. Part II

Documentary, Editorial, Jersey City, Street Photography

As a certified old curmudgeon. I admittedly have a big fat stack of pet peeves. You know, those little things that get under your skin, torture your soul and make you want to shout out loud. “Get off my fucking planet.” Well, when it comes to pet peeves, eating on the train is pretty high up on the list. While public displays of gluttony and disobeying basic rules while thumbing your nose (and any boogers that might be clogging up your senses) at common sense principles might be traits some folks look for in their future soulmate. Personally, I find it disgusting. It’s something I witness on a daily basis. Something that goes beyond and race, regional, social or economic boundaries. People literally eating amongst disease carrying rats. Yuck! Okay, I know my rant won’t change a thing, but it might inspire my “Humans of New York” inspired coffee table book “Don’t eat where others shit.” Todays morning ride featured this very attractive rider who, before ripping in to her noodle salad, managed to down an entire hoagie without getting any mayonnaise stains on her blouse. My guesstimate is, she dines here regularly. I’m just glad she didn’t notice the sign before she sat down.

Buried Treasure

Documentary, Editorial, Exploring, Finding your Zen, Industrial Photography, Jersey City

As I began to plan my route back home last night I ran into more than several dead ends and locked fences. Feeling a bit worn and self aware that I wasn’t exactly walking through territory that saw much heavy foot traffic. The rocky, uneven and muddy ground below me had already began to take it’s tole on my new pair of Nike’s and a slight sense of paranoia had start to set in. Weary of being sighted by any construction foreman’s or pulled over by the authorities. My pace quickened as my eyes widened searching for an opening in one of the fences. As the night grew dark and my path became more like an obstacle course. I kept my eyes close to the ground. That’s when I found buried treasure just below the muddy terrain. Without wasted breath I leaned forward, scooped up a couple and headed towards home. The experience quickly reminded me of my elementary school days when my friends and me would explore the train yards of Sunnyside Queens looking for buried treasure. While I may not be hoping any fences or climbing up on roofs these days. The explorer in me is still alive and well.

The Setting Sun

Canon Lenses, Canon lenses and equipment, Documentary, Industrial Photography, Jersey City, Street Photography

Living in Hoboken for a good ten years. My lazy, nothing ever happens before coffee, ass managed to capture just a handful of sunrises. That said, the sun coming up over Manhattan is a sight worth capturing again, again and again. Since moving to Jersey City however, I’ve come to appreciate sunsets in new and endlessly creative ways. In my first weeks and months here. I would climb up on the construction side of RT. 139, 9 and the Pulaski Bridge to watch the sun set over the nearby Kearny factories. It was, in a sense, the start of my daily meditation ritual. My moment to breathe and release the days stress and anxiety. After a long winter with very little sun to rise or set. During those dark days, I promised myself not to take for granted the little things that make life worth living. So tonight I took a long walk west on Newark Ave. towards the setting sun. Despite the endless string of automobiles noisily passing from both directions. I felt a sense of peace and solitude. Along the way I found some new angles and vantage points to capture the sunrise. And while it’s hard to avoid taking the same picture over and over. I’ve got plenty of time to try new things. Keep chasin’.

“Hope Springs Eternal”

Jersey City, Philosophy, Street Photography

It was a beautiful Sunday. So my wife and I decided to get out early and head to Manhattan for some vegetarian Dim Sum. It was the first 60 degree day we’ve experienced in what’s felt like years and there was no way it was going to be misspent. Our usual walk to the Journal Square PATH train involves my complaining about how the neighboring homes take little to no effort to maintain their homes or follow even the most basic sanitation standards. (Par for the course when you’re an old curmudgeon like me.) As we turned the corner on to Newark Ave. We both lamented the fact that it had been so long since we took advantage of the areas bountiful Indian cuisine. Promising, “This Summer we’ll sample each and every one of restaurants offered to us.” As the long, punishing and somewhat endless Winter has finally shown signs of old age. Seeing colors, anything not gray for that matter, seems promising. So when I saw this display adorning one of the local restaurants. I knew I had to stop and document it. Like Alexander Pope said, “Hope Springs Eternal.”

Birds on a Wire.

Exploring, Jersey City, Street Photography

On a courageous Sunday afternoon I convinced my wife to put some pants on, brave the cold and drive ten minutes to our favorite Mexican restaurant Los Tres Chilitos for breakfast. As we approached the red light at Central Avenue. I spotted a gathering of pigeons on the telephone pole above us. Not having many opportunities lately to snap a worthy picture. I grabbed my camera and to my wife’s dismay, quickly evacuated the vehicle. After a few shots I managed to catch up to the car, find a parking spot and enjoy a delicious plate of rancheros huevos and authentic Mexican coffee. Not bad for another lazy Sunday. BTW, here’s my review of Los Tres Chilitos below. I highly recommend a visit.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/los-tres-chilitos-jersey-city?hrid=4iYEch8muoE5EJK6fIP_-Q

The Company You Keep

Art Exhibition, Group Exhibition, Jersey City, Mana Gallery

I felt very grateful to be a part of this past weeks Jersey City Artists tour. What made it even more rewarding was having the chance to display a couple of my own recent photos in the lobby here at Canco Lofts. Since I’ve already included both of my images they included in the exhibition in prior posts. I figured I would share some of my favorites from some of the other artists residing here.

The View from the Inside

Art Exhibition, Canon Lenses, Canon lenses and equipment, Group Exhibition, Jersey City, Mana Gallery, Photo Exhibit

Since early August, when we first moved to Canco, I’ve taken a lot of photos of the yet to be restored and renovated building next to where I reside. I’ve also taken my share of pictures of the old factory building I now know as Mana Contemporary. And though I’ve shot these beautiful urban landscapes from many degrees and angles. Being able to do so from the inside of Mana Contemporary gave me a serious rush of adrenaline. With mana’s impressive five floors. I was able to shoot at the best levels possible thus far. Since I was a pre- schooler going to the junkyards behind Flushing’s Shea Stadium. I’ve had an appreciation for things of beauty that so many others find ugly and disposable. For me personally, they hold a sense of character and history. Telling a story about the people that were there before. Their live, their struggles and the work they did. I really feel at home here. In a sense, the best of both worlds. I can’t get enough and I hope to stay awhile.

Fair Warning

Beauty, Exploring, Industrial Photography, Jersey City, Location Shooting

As the sun began to set, I grabbed my camera and headed downstairs for a relaxing moment up on the closure. Since moving here, I’ve grown so comfortable with exploring some of the off limits areas of my surroundings. So much so, that I imagined myself bringing a chair and a cooler up to their to watch the traffic go by as the sun sets. While construction on the Pulaski Skyway has been going on long before we moved here. As of this week, it’s intensified to include work that often extends to the morning hours. Quickly, I’ve come to realize that my backyard paradise might soon come to an end. Thinking back, not so long ago, when I first walked up that ramp. The anxiousness, my gelatin legs and that lack of balance I felt. It’s hard to imagine how comfortable I’ve become up there. While as my first trips had me wondering how soon the flashing lights would be upon me or if those circling helicopters were reporting on my whereabouts. I’ve become more and more at ease there. So imagine my surprise when I didn’t hear the truck rolling up on me until it was just inches away. My first thought was “Thank God, it’s not the Police.” That truck just happened to belong to someone with the construction team. Perhaps a foreman. “You know this is off limits and you are trespassing.” He was firm but not like most of the very angry and confrontational people I’ve come across in the past. I apologized, showed him some I.D. and explained how I couldn’t help but be enticed by the beauty of the sunset. I promised to leave, thanked him for understanding and promised not to return. I’m going to miss taking my trips up there, but I feel lucky to have had the chance to get some memorable photos from it. In the meantime, I have my sights set on some new areas to explore and photograph. I can’t wait to get started. Until then. Be good, be safe, be mindful.

Insert Sunset Here

Canon Lenses, Finding your Zen, Happiness, Industrial Photography, Jersey City, Newark

After a four hour visit from My Dad, Stepmom and their dog, my wife collapsed from sheer exhaustion. So with the sun setting and not much else going on. I decided to head out and capture some of the soft light of the early evening. As I walked up the ramp for 1 & 9 I became dizzied and disoriented by the intensity of the setting sun. Quickly, I found a spot the shaded my eyes as I patiently waited for the sun to perform it’s daily magic trick. In the end I spent about an hour up on that closed section and as the time passed, I began to feel more and more comfortable watching the cars speed by and the planes begin their final decent into Newark International. I’m so happy knowing I have this beautiful landscape as my very own, personal backyard. Stop by, pull up a chair and enjoy it with me.