Quiet Weekend in Ipswich

When not hiking through farms or stealing candy from those giving it out to kids (it was Halloween weekend, and we were hungry adults), I had plenty of time for reflective, quiet moments in Ipswich, Massachusetts

Fall Walk

On a quiet weekend in Ipswich, Massachusetts, on Halloween weekend, I was lucky enough to go on a hike through a farm.  There was pastoral beauty everywhere, and jersey cows, and brightly colored orange and yellow and red leaves all over the place.  This of course led to adults acting like children and having leaf fights.

Today's Harvest

Harvest at the end of October: 1 Emerald Queen tomato, 5 asparagus shoots confused by the weather, 9 green grape tomatoes, 1 carrot.

Manchester Beer Dinner

Last week I had the privilege and fun of attending another Manchester Pub 5-course beer dinner.  As always, Chef Matt Garelick (now chef de cuisne at the Grand Hyatt) masterfully paired his dishes with Breckenridge's delicious beers.  Below are photos of the goat cheese parfait, with kale and prosciutto granola, smoked duck sliders with truffled tater tots, sarsaparilla skirt steak with shishito pepper, sweet potato and noodles, and people having fun.  To see more photos from the beer dinner, please click here.

Basketball Playground

Basketball in the playground before it gets too cold

Fresh Ginger

Fresh ginger at the farmer's market

Bryant Park Ping-Pong II

Old vs young

Manhattan Bridge

After a beautiful day at Smorgasburg:

Raging Creek Panorama's Revenge

More playing around with the panorama on my phone near Warwick

Raging Creek Panorama

Over Labor Day weekend I was lucky enough to go up to my friend Dara's parents house in a small area outside of Warwick, NY.  Monday morning there was a serious thunderstorm, and the normally sleepy creek that children can walk in and across became this "raging river."

Post-Smorgasburg

Street vendor in Dumbo post-trip to Smorgasburg

Bryant Park Ping-Pong

At lunch I enjoy a walk through Bryant Park, probably the only benefit to working in an office in Midtown, and always notice how competitive the ping-pong games are.  Yet, when the moment is caught, there's something serene and peaceful as the scene plays out.

Apple Picking

One of my most treasured seasonal activities is pick-your-own.  In the summer, it's blueberries, strawberries and blackberries, all of which is backbreaking work that promises a sweet reward once you're out of the burn causing sun, and peaches, which always offer more bounty than can be consumed fresh.  In the fall, it's apples and pumpkins, which have always been my favorite.

This year, my apple picking ritual was slightly changed up, as my sister and I took our dad to Pennings Orchard, an amazing apple orchard owned by a friend's family in Warwick, NY.  Unlike many orchards, with their rows of apple trees and not much else to offer save a country store with the same tired, ubiquitous items for sale, Pennings has a community feel.  There was a country store, but also a restaurant, beer garden and chickens, whose eggs are sold locally.  There was also a hard cider made at the nearby Warwick Valley Winery, producer of Doc's Draft ciders.

NY Comic-Con Portraits

I can't help it. October brings out the giant nerd in me. I start geeking heavily in August as it gets closer. September is almost unbearable, waiting, hoping, saving money, checking the website for information. Then in October, it's finally here. NY Comic-Con. This year, presented by Sprint. This year, bigger than ever before, taking up the entire Javits Center. I was there for professional's sneak preview and all day Saturday, the biggest day of the event, and still it felt like there wasn't enough time. Between running around to meet my idols, like Mark Texeira (artist for Moon Knight) and Amy Mebberson (artist on the Muppets, who drew me a Green Lantern Swedish Chef and Dr. Teeth as Thor), fighting through crowds to get free swag, and being generally and genuinely overwhelmed, I managed to focus on shooting some of the amazing cosplayers. This is the beginning of a new project of portraits of those who dress up for conventions such as this one.












See more photos here.

Baby Maren, Take Four: A Partner in Crime?

I never really had the chance to watch a child grow up, as an adult-ish at least, so seeing Maren become a real person has been amazing. She's two-and-a-half and as her parents proudly say, advanced beyond her age. And now, she has a little brother to help raise/boss around. I imagine much silliness and cuteness in the near future. In order to secure my position as favorite "uncle," and more insidiously, to influence their favorite animals, I brought them a stuffed dog and bear.

More Father's Day Fathers

For the actual day of Father's Day this year, I was lucky enough to meet my good friend John's kids, and score some free pizza at the always delicious L & B Spumoni Gardens, a staple during our days at the US Census Bureau. These kids blew me away with how funny and well-mannered they are.