Photography and Writing by A. Cemal Ekin
Aberdeen Avenue runs perpendicular to our street. I can see it through the window from where I usually sit. It meets Danforth Street at the other end and continues into a short dead end. Most of my walks in that direction start on Aberdeen Ave., and I might take a right or a left on …
Fall is here. I think! In many ways, it has been a late and slow arrival. The temperatures have been very comfortable, even uncomfortably warm at times. Some rain and, of course, the virus collectively limited our outings to rare car drives and more frequent walks in the neighborhood. That last bit is far more …
The long hot summer started to fade around mid-August. The temperature dropped, lower humidity, more breeze in the air made a few more short walks possible for me. I enjoyed looking in all directions, including up and down to see interesting subjects, from a dove (or a pigeon, I cannot tell them apart) sitting high …
July is ending today. It has been a very hot and humid month. Our discipline in maintaining social distance and wearing our masks whenever we outside continue. It has become quite habitual, we keep busy at home and masks are an extension of us now. The weather has not allowed me to go out even …
In an old Seinfeld episode, George’s father Frank was advised to say “serenity now” every time he got mad at something to keep his blood pressure down. The mantra was meant to control his outrage. These days, it seems we need to say it, and say it often as we watch the killing of a …
In the previous post, I pointed out a few Lightroom tips that may make working in it a little more comfortable. Let me continue with a few more tips and time sinks. Lightroom Calibration Panel I wrote an article on creating a camera profile for different lighting conditions using a ColorChecker Passport. It may still …
Although we stay home most of the time, even I venture outside on occasion when the weather is good. Last week, I took a short walk in the neighborhood, and on Saturday I took Jan for a ride around town, the weather was truly spring-like. I thought the busy traffic circles in Apponaug district would …
Not frequently but when the weather is nice I continue to take my short walks and continue photographing the neighborhood. The last two times I even put my mask on. Due to the shortage of masks, we don’t throw them away. I spray the inside and the outside with alcohol to sanitize them, mine and …
Photographs can have highly evocative qualities. When successful, they create an emotional response in the viewer. Often times, this may be mixed with liking or disliking the work but with a little extra nudge, we can probably enter the evocative domain and explore the underlying feelings. My previous post included 30+ photographs which I hoped …
On Cruise Nights, the Oakland Beach Park in Warwick becomes a gathering place of show cars and people who enjoy viewing them or simply being near the beach. Yesterday, Jan and I decided to visit the place once more. The weather was gorgeous, a gentle breeze from the bay was the icing on the cake. …
Things are getting back to normal and I am picking up the camera again. At least when I can find a cool place to photograph, both subject wise and the temperature I mean. Dave’s Supermarket where Jan does the grocery shopping has been a place you are getting to know. It is an inviting place …
Well, almost summer. If it weren’t for the flowers, we wouldn’t recognize the arrival of the seasons. The weather has been fluctuating a lot lately and gradually settling on warmer days. Being a fair-weather photographer, I pick the days to take a walk or step out to the back yard. If the weather is not …
This post is dedicated as a birthday gift to my sister from Jan and I. We are sending our best wishes and these flowers on your birthday Binnaz, many happy returns of the day. A day in Boston and Watertown As the spring tries to turn into summer, my walks will become more frequent. Although …
With the Canon M5 converted for infrared photography, I enjoyed photographing the neighborhood and even drove about 2.5 miles from home to see the Narragansett Bay. From the end of Norwood Avenue in Cranston, I photographed the wind turbines and the splash of small waves. When you look at those water photographs, try to imagine …
A fine line divides for most people, the plants they like and those they hate. This separation stems mainly from whether we wanted to plant them or they grew on their own, or unwanted weeds. That said, both plants we grow or nature decides to grow them have many similar qualities such as elegance, graceful …
Yes, I am a fair-weather photographer. I don’t like to go out on cold or rainy days, but when the air is dry and the temperature is comfortable I enjoy my walks, short ones as you all know by now! Today was one of those days and I have been waiting to photograph the flowering …
Springtime has arrived on Spring Green Rd. A short walk, as usual, rewarded me with plenty of buds, opening flowers, blue skies, and warm weather. All the photographs are taken on Spring Green Road on the other side of the Narragansett Parkway. That is the start of the area known as the Governor Francis Farms. …
Winter kept us inside, especially me. Combined with cold allergies, my persistent cough prevented me from taking even short walks. Today, after supper, I pulled up enough courage to take the first walk in a long time. It was not especially warm, but 42° F was better than zero or even below zero we have …
Many photographers look forward to trips to special places, landmarks, awesome nature, monumental views, and the like. In between the trips, we spend our lives driving on the roads we have traveled countless times, looking out the window and seeing the same neighborhood for the umpteenth time, visiting the same shopping places like we do every …
Elif and Mina came to visit us for a couple of weeks. Mina has grown so much and so elegant. I missed the pilgrimage visit to the American Girl Doll store. The weather was too hot for me to be outside. The girls enjoyed the visit and returned home after a couple of stops on …
You may think I am bragging about our quiet neighborhood. You may be right! But, in a reasonably short distance that I can walk in 20-30 minutes, there is something new to see every time I take a walk. Of course, I do not always follow the same route, but the distance remains about the …
My walks around our neighborhood are short and later in the afternoon or early evening. The light is a bit softer, quieter, warmer, highly directional, and weaker in power. Therefore, the photographs are also a bit quieter and darker in tone as I prefer to convey this mood. But they all reflect the qualities of this …
Holidays, especially Christmas Day in most of the United States mean gathering, small crowds of family and friends, and celebrating the holidays. As they all get off their cars in front of the family member’s house holding the dinner, they enter a cheery house with people greet them with open arms. They all look forward …
“The difference between the casual impression and the intensified image is about as great as that separating the average business letter from a poem,” said Harry Callahan in 1964. “If you choose your subject selectively — intuitively — the camera can write poetry.” LensCulture How far do you travel to photograph? Many readers of this …
