Last of the photos of crap in snow...

I updated the design of my blog last week... some of it is a template.. but overall I think that it has a less congestive feel, especially for writing than the other design did. Also in recent years I have been drawn to rust red as a color... somewhere between the passionate pure red, and the more organic, somber earth brown. Just where my head is. Sometimes though I am still drawn to green which is the color I choose when I want more nature and less humanity.

And talking of the remnants of humanity... some more images of shit left after the snow melted. These pictures where taking last weekend. More later..

Found this link to a video on Wired Science of a time-lapse of Bladderwort (carnivorous plant) catching and consuming it's meal. Music is bad, but images are amazing. Below are floating Bladderworts in a bog in Florida.

Carnivorous Bladderworts video 

On and off I have been part of the Etsy community. It's one side cheap and bad, but the other side is a wonderful place to find unique artistic items affordable to most. It's a new environment to foster creativity and the potential to make a little extra money at it. An ideal society of craftspeople, artistians and artists fully enjoying their labors is the fantasy that Etsy provides. Not necessarily the reality, but we all need a little fantasy once and a while. Here are some featured artist on Etsy that use nature and the beach for inspiration and have managed to create a living from it. Good for them and an inspiration for me...
Anzfer Farms on Etsy and their blog www.anzferfarms.com/

More on the melting snow mess of NYC. Just was in Manhattan and they are so missing out on the beauty and wonder of what NYC is really all about. I went out this morning to photograph a bit, and here are some photos... more to come.

The snow is slowing starting to melt finally, revealing NYC for what it truley at heart...
An article in the news shows what you can find hidden, garbage, Christmas trees, bodies...
Snow Surprises

The snow is slowing starting to melt finally, revealing NYC for what it truley at heart...
An article in Daily News shows what you can find hidden, garbage, Christmas trees, bodies...
Snow Surprises:

The latest storm hit hard in my old town of Chicago. Here are some photos, including Lake Shore Drive turned into a parking lot. the other photo I am still trying to figure out.

Thinking back to slightly warmer weather in Oct. I began work on the images I took at the Platte Clove residency this fall. I added them as a new gallery page on the website. I frustrates me that it isn't as easy as walking out my door to be in the woods. To just grab my camera and photograph the severe weather, the ice on the trees, the thundersnows. It's just not the same in Brooklyn. When you photograph the city, no matter what it's about the city. When you photograph in true wilderness somehow it is more pure. I want to get up to Platte Clove this winter to photograph with the snow and ice. Hopefully in the next few weeks.
Platte Clove 2010

The first Dark Sky community has been recognized by the International Dark-Sky Association... Sark Island in England. No street lights or cars along with other limits on external lights at night keep the town light pollution at bay so the the night sky is very dark enabling one to see the stars light we did over 100 years ago. Here is the article in Space.com. And a link to IDA.
New York City is considered one of the most light polluted cities in the world. A 10 on the Bortle Scale. We only see 1-2% of the stars in the night sky. But there is a dark sky park about five hours from NYC, and they have camping also. Just leave the flashlight at home. Cherry Springs State Park in Pennsylvania. If you are interested in finding out where there might be a place closer to you, this link is a bit confusing at
first, but indicates what the night sky will be on the Bortle Scale in your area. http://www.cleardarksky.com