The Magic Garden

A t 1022 South Street, Isaiah Zagar began "what could be called a life's work, making the city of Philadelphia into a labyrinthine mosaic museum that incorporates my varied knowledge and skills."  When I recently walked through this "garden space", I was surrounded by an explosion of color and ideas which drew from Isaiah's time in South America with the Peace Corps and it was truly magical!  I spent hours exploring every ceiling, wall, floor and tucked away corners...no space went untouched by Isaiah's vision!  Dennis Harvey of the San Francisco Bay Guardian stated, "Because Isaiah's epic mosaics of tile, paint and embedded detritus are so remarkable, you'll want to book the next flight to Philly to see them."  I highly agree!  His son, Jeremiah, created a documentary on his father's work entitled, "In A Dream" which is now playing throughout the US.

Wildwood, NJ

Memorial Day is the official start of the summer and my memories drift back to all those summers when my parents would pack up all my brothers and sisters and I to go to Wildwood, N.J. for the day.  We would spend what seemed to be forever walking the longest beach around to get just that right spot within walking distance of the ocean, food and the bathrooms!  Not an easy task!  Then, we would spend the night on the boardwalk amusement piers.  Hunts Pier was always one of my favorites.  Who needed Disneyland when you have Wildwood!  

Memorial Day

While at the Pearl Harbor Memorial, all visitors are asked to observe complete silence. Silence is such a powerful tool in that it asks one to draw the experience inward without trying to search for words to speak.  I was very grateful that was required because there were no words in my vocabulary that could ever convey the depth of that experience. I sit here in silence and remember my father, my uncle, my friends and all who put the freedom and safety of others before their own...there are no words.

Mother's Day

On this very special day devoted to honoring our Mothers, I would like to take the time to do just that.  My Mother was truly my best friend...she was the woman I was named after (which is a lot of pressure but what a gift!)...she was the woman who watched me when I first saw the photography from a "real" camera and worked very hard so that I would have one as a Christmas present...and she was such great fun to be with!  My Mother was a gatherer.  She loved adventures and the more people who could be a part, the better.  She showed me by her example how to embrace it all, appreciating the good times and facing the most difficult challenges with true courage.

Tonight, the History Channel will be showing a film, "Angels and Demons Decoded"...Tom Hanks' character is based on a true genus of creativity here in Philadelphia, John Langdon.  I had the opportunity to spend time and photograph him at work.  My images will be in the feature tonight.  Since my Mother was the first one to place a camera in my hand, I hope on this day, I and my work will continue to honor her!

A Rainy Day in New York

I went to New York for the day with my camera.  Even though "it rained on my parade", I came home and worked with the images to further enhance the mood of the day.

Shaping and Capturing the Light

Several weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to be in the presence of greatness.  I spent the day with David Tejada in one of Philadelphia's "must see" sites - The Eastern State Penitentiary.  David is truly a master of lighting and he developed a workshop entitled, "Small Strobes, Big Results".  Exploring spaces of muted peeling paint, texture and historical character in each cell with vaulted sky lit ceilings, David shared his expertise in controlling, modifying and shaping the light using only small strobes.  Along with the faint voices of the prisoners past, one could hear the collective sigh of relief that amazing results could be achieved without having to carry huge lighting equipment!  Three to four small strobes attached to a hot shoe with a pocket wizard coordinating the firing served to create the big results David promised.  The goal of every photographer is to continually become more attuned to the light and at the end of this day, our goal had been achieved.

To see more of David's work, visit www.tejadaphoto.com   

Belito Garcia was the model in the photo above.  His entire presence was one of strength, character and intensity...what a pleasure to work with him!

Philadelphia Flower Show

With 9 inches of snow here in Philadelphia, I could not pass up the opportunity to visit the Philadelphia Flower Show and be transported to Italy.  Flourishing gardens, villas, free flowing fountains and wine tasting...these sensual delights enabled me to experience the fullness of spring and know that the true fruiting of that promising time was not that long off.  Ciao!