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I met Baby Zachary on a frigid January morning, when his parents welcomed me to their beautiful Carroll Gardens brownstone. Zachary, 10 days old, was my first newborn client in 2013. We were graced with gorgeous window light, a very cooperative model, and some great details like a beautiful antique cradle (just look at that little hand poking up). Zachary enjoyed gazing at his parents and I loved his angelic faces while snoozing as well as his “I’m all business” expressions while awake. I also photographed his adorable gray, white, and yellow nursery, which features elephants (love them–we also have lots of these gentle giants in my daughter’s nursery) and an awesome bicycle print. M, C, and Z, it was a pleasure to capture this special time. Congrats again!.jpg)
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Fanfare is the word of the day as NYC celebrates the 100th Birthday of Grand Central Terminal today. We’re talking 1913 specialty cocktails, 1913 pricing in the concourse and restaurants (6¢ loaf of bread, 10¢ shoe shine, 75¢ cocktail, 5¢ coffee), the West Point band, and dancing. As a NYC resident, I still love passing through this beautiful space; not just to stand where Claudia and Jamie first arrived as runaways in one of my favorite books, or where Serena van der Woodsen was more recently “spotted”, but because it still feels majestic, romantic, and chaotic all at once.
A few weeks ago, I was lucky to be invited on an amazing behind the scenes tour of this beautiful Beaux-Arts landmark. It was so secretive, I’m not allowed to share tour photos on my blog! Though I’m dying to post some images from these special access locations, I’ll respect their wishes, so the images shown here were taken in the public part of the Terminal. But someday you should see their lost and found–which has a 99% return rate on lost items–it is truly unique. As you may know, I also teach architecture to elementary school students, and I recently developed a new program about Landmarks and Preservation. This building is always featured in our study, especially the hard fought battle to save it from alteration or destruction (thank you Jackie Kennedy Onassis, preservation groups, and the U.S Supreme Court!)
Some fun facts to impress your friends with:
- Each day 750,000 visitors pass through the terminal, which makes it the largest hub for train traffic in the world.
- The station also has the best on time percentage of any train station in the world.
- The building houses the largest Tiffany clock in the world, measuring 14 feet in diameter.
- The main concourse ceiling, which features over 2,500 stars and depicts the October-March zodiac, is actually painted in reverse. Rather than the view from the earth, it is the view from the heavens. (Painter error!)
- You can spot acorn motifs all over the building; the acorn was the Vanderbilt family’s personal symbol, stemming from the motto: “From the acorn grows the mighty oak.”
Check out some more fun facts here, as well as the cover of the New York Times on opening day in 1913. And if you’re in the area, scoot over there today with just a dollar and go wild!
Happy Birthday Grand Central!
When I snapped this photo last weekend, the weather was downright tropical. I mean, I could still feel my fingers if they were exposed to the air. I was returning from a long stroll and as I exited Central Park, I happened to look up. You know those moments when you lose yourself in awe of the sky? It was one of those. Sometimes it’s catching a harvest moon, or feeling tiny underneath a blaze of stars, but here it was the cloud pattern that stopped me in my tracks–it looked like a canvas at the Met. To avoid being trampled in the crosswalk by strollers and tourists, I quickly grabbed my iPhone, framed it to include a piece of architecture (a famous building), and took the photo.
Here’s to looking up and feeling small. Happy Friday.
I like brides and grooms who think outside of the box. A December wedding in Maine? It’s not something you hear about every day. Some might picture frigid temps and icy conditions. And yes, it was cold. But now imagine a light snow falling throughout the day, an intimate candlelit venue, a gourmet feast, and an elated, glowing couple dancing into the night. That exactly describes Annie and Bill’s wedding on 12.1.12.
Like most weddings, the ceremony was held in a church. Only this church, built in 1856, is now a restaurant. Between shooting, second shooting, and attending weddings as a guest (this was the case here), I’ve been present at many weddings in the last five years. And this was my favorite venue thus far. You may know how much I love architecture and preservation (look at that red door!), so soon after this wedding I researched the story of this building and its painstaking restoration/transformation. Annie and Bill’s vows took place on a balcony in front of a gorgeous stained glass window, while guests sat below in the soaring space of the main restaurant. It was awesome. Cocktails, dinner, and dancing (lots of dancing–in polar bear hats, clown noses, you name it) rounded out the magical night.
The icing on the cake (and there was delicious cake!) is that this funky, transformed venue space is located in Portland. A city for foodies and historians alike, the cobblestone streets, gourmet restaurants, microbreweries, and museums make this a perfect getaway. The night before the wedding, we dined at the beautiful and delicious Fore Street. I was enamored with the huge casement windows–it was a factory in a former life–and I wanted to slip our amazing copper dining table out the door and into the back of our car. On the wedding morning, we sipped hot tea and munched on the most delicious almond croissants from the quaint Standard Baking Co., located just beneath our dining room from the night before. Did I mention it was lightly snowing? Heaven. All in all, what a great place to get married. Especially in December. Congrats Annie and Bill!
Today we welcome a returning guest photographer to Fine Art Friday, the awesome Suzie St. Pierre. Though based in NYC, her heart beats for two things: the great state of Maine and culinary greatness. Luckily, she is dating a chef! I’ve always loved her macro/detail work, particularly of food, and this shot is no exception. It’s just another example of art being everywhere. Happy Friday.
Suzie’s Take:
When Sarah asked me to participate in Fine Art Friday again, I responded without hesitation. Shortly after, I started sifting through my work, which I don’t have much of since I moved back to NYC from Maine…and the disappointment set in. I dug a little deeper; what places or events have Sarah and I shot together? Strawberry Banke in Portsmouth, NH came to mind, but those photos predate my laptop, and must live on a hard drive in Maine. Then I considered a shoot that we had at the the Frying Pan boat, but there is only one photo I liked of the bunch. I concluded that I need to use my camera more and not work so much. ha! Which led me to this photo. I was looking for something that would make me smile or laugh after the previous emotions had rolled in, uninvited.
This photo reminds me of a hug or a moment with my man, and then a smile emerges. I hope the same happens for you! -Suzie