Seattle Daily Photo: 2011

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Post Card: Jet Lag

Hello again from Paris. I've had no jet lag, but this fellow wasn't as lucky. He's sleeping it off in le Jardin de Luxembourg.

Sorry for the intermittent posts. My internet and blog site providers decided to freeze me out of access, so posts I've attempted to make didn't go through. Hope you see this one :-).

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Post Card From Paris

Sweet greetings from Paris: a piano made entirely from chocolate and filled with macarons seen in a Saint Germain shop.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Greg Brown After the Show

Keeping with the musician theme from yesterday's photo, here's another musician I caught in a street shot. American performing songwriter Greg Brown was in Seattle last week to play a couple gigs. I caught his show at the Triple Door. After the concert as I was heading to my car I noticed he was standing outside the stage door in the alley talking to one of the crew (that's him in the cap). Just a regular late night kind of guy.

I'm off to Paris in the morning and will be (hopefully, iPad and wifi connections willing) posting daily post cards to you from there.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Faustine Hudson's New Photoblog

You can tell by the ocarina she wears at the ready that she's a musician :-). This is Seattle drummer Faustine Hudson, currently on tour with pop band The Young Evils. She used to work where I do and I ran into her at a festival at the end of summer and snapped this portrait (and another you can see at More Seattle Stuff) while we were listening to the Moondoggies (for whom she and her band had opened the night before). Faustine is amazing and lives life artfully. I got an email this week with a heads up about a little photo diary she's keeping, The Daily Goat, and thought I'd give a shout out. Check it out for some cool views she's encountering in her musical travels.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Looking Toward the U District

Turning the lens to the north of yesterday's view of Lake Union brings some houseboat roofs into the foreground and shows in the distance the 182' tall ship canal bridge that carries I-5 over Portage Bay (part of the Lake Washington Ship Canal). The 1962 double deck steel truss bridge spans from the Capitol Hill and Eastlake neighborhoods to the University District.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Lake Union & Eastlake

Boaters were making the best of a sunny day earlier in autumn. The Eastlake neighborhood hugs the eastern shore of Lake Union and is home to several floating home communities. William Boeing built an airplane hanger there in 1915 and in it built his first B & W seaplane. Behind Eastlake is the ridge of Capitol Hill which runs north toward the University District. Beyond you can see the Cascade range.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Cascade & Capitol Hill

Looking with a long lens over the Cascade neighborhood and up Capitol Hill and beyond to the Cascade Mountains.Okay, so can you see your apartment from here? :-) That's Providence Hospital at top left (now Swedish Hospital Cherry Hill campus), and you can see the spire of First Baptist Church on the right where Capitol Hill meets First Hill. Poor Immanuel Lutheran Church is nearly buried amidst the condos on the lower left.

PS: Can any fellow bloggers advise me on the CSS code I might use to lower my blog title to the bottom portion of the header photo? I've tried a couple things with no movement south yet. Thanks!

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Farmer's Market Vendor Sampling Wares

With a fist full of cool cucumber and good eats all around her this Ballard Farmers Market vendor is taking a lunch break in the midst of the street market's hustle and bustle. The market is open on Sundays all year round.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Off the Wall SK8R @ Medgar Evers Pool

I was standing across the street from the entrance to Medgar Evers Pool in the Central District, just watching this skater working out his moves up the sloped wall. I'm sure the architect didn't have this use in mind when planing the exterior facade. I found it refreshing that this use seems welcome. . .at least it seems quite common and no one has put up any skate clips to prevent it. When this guy finished, a couple 8 or 9 year olds tried out their skills.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Fall on 4th Street

This view down 4th Street is framed by the diamond lights that comprise the exterior walls of Seattle's spectacular Central Public Library. I was on the 10th floor looking through the glass wall, so that pedestrian in the crosswalk is looking pretty small from up here. You can see by the traffic that 4th is a one way street heading north. If one way streets confuse you, you'll probably want to let someone else drive you through Seattle's downtown core :-). For another view which shows the rooftop garden across the street and looks out to the King Street Station clock tower, check out my More Seattle Stuff page.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

The Conversation

I am a student again this term. That means coffee houses with free wi fi are figuring into my life more prominently than usual. Also fall plays into that. . .it's cooler, darker, earlier, later. A warm cuppa and a lot of people studing and writing is a comforting atmosphere, a place to connect over ideas--like these two guys. I took this at a fave cafe of mine in the Greenwood neighborhood. I sat in a comfy chair for a couple hours studying, and each time the occupants of the table across the way changed, I took a quick iPhone shot. You can see the the rest of the changing cast of characters at my More Seattle Stuff site.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Along the Waterfront

Midnight and not a person stirring along Seattle's usually bustling central waterfront. Lights from Alaskan Way and the city skyline sparkle in the water.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Big Yellow Bardahl in Ballard

72 years ago Norwegian immigrant Ole Bardahl established his very well known name in automotive additives right here in Seattle in the Ballard neighborhood. The giant neon car sign atop the plant flashes a succession of messages out through the night, "Add Bardahl, Add It To Your Gas, Add It To Your Oil." The sign is a classic, and the building recently got a nice bright coat of yellow paint. So now it's even harder to miss this landmark, day or night.

Thanks for hanging in there with intermittent posting. I've been working two jobs this past year and am now taking a class on top of that, so the photography ops have suffered as well as time to post. Hopefully, I'm back to daily posting now. Heading to Paris in 10 days, so that should be rejuvenating :-).

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Bouncy Patrol Ride Up Post Alley

Some bicycle police officers were heading up Post Alley. In my haste to nab a shot of them in motion, I stumbled a bit on the stone pavers and this was the result. No chance for another shot as they were hustling into the part of the alley that is covered and darker. Still made for a lively image; only the visages were changed to protect the innocent :-). I love the little detail of the rear spokes which, out of everything else in motion and jarred, seemed to turn out in focus for some odd reason.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Curvacious

I like the graceful bend of this building's face and it's graphic quality. I'm thinking it's the base of Two Union Square, but I'm not certain as I can't quite recall which direction I was facing.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

A Gathering Place

At 7 PM tonight, many Seattlites will gather for a candlelight vigil in West Seattle at the foot of Lady Liberty on Alki Beach to honor the lives of those killed in the 9/11 attacks in 2001. This statue, erected on the beach by City Council and local Boy Scouts in 1952, was a spontaneous gathering place for thousands of people to mourn, reflect and leave candles and mementos directly after the attacks (click to see photo) . Lady Liberty was recast in bronze in 2007 and set upon a new pedestal in a thoughtfully designed new plaza on the beach. Many other events of remembrance are planned throughout the city.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Compact Universe

With Lake Union and the whole city view from Gas Works Park before them, they only had eyes for each other. Makes me smile to see people in love. Seattle has many romantic spots to enjoy.

Friday, September 09, 2011

Early Morning Catch

Fishing is a popular pastime along the West Seattle shore of Elliott Bay. On any given summer morning you will see dozen's of people fishing from this dock in the dawn light.

Thursday, September 08, 2011

Will Things Be Looking Up?

I was walking by this very 1960's design apartment building in the Westlake neighborhood when I noticed an arrow pointing straight up. At first I wondered if the landlord had scrubbed off graffiti from the stucco surface; but, closer inspection revealed that this was at least partially due to light reflecting from a building across the street. Isn't it interesting the simple and inexpensive mid-century modern design elements used to embellish an otherwise plain rectangular building, like theses angled balconies and roof line?

Wednesday, September 07, 2011

Mare's Tail Sky

Who choreographed these two guys relaxing and watching a ferry make its way across the Sound? :-) The Seattle area is having a week-long warm spell that is not expected to end until next Tuesday. It is a great time to get out on the water. Orcas were spotted recently right in Elliott Bay, visible from piers along the Alaskan Way waterfront. They were just visitors passing through, though. There are 3 pods that live in Puget Sound and they mostly like to hang out up in the San Juan Islands closer to the Canadian border.

Tuesday, September 06, 2011

Toy Soldier Hydrant

As a follow-up to yesterday's shot, I thought you might like to see someone's whimsical idea of dressing up a hydrant. Walking through the Hawthorn Hills neighborhood I came upon this toy soldier. In the background you can see a University of Washington flag waving in the breeze below an American flag. The proud neighbor is no doubt very glad that the Huskies won their first game of the season, sending Eastern Washington University to a narrow defeat.

Monday, September 05, 2011

Hidden Hydrant

Fire hydrants in Seattle can be quite colorful. Many neighborhoods sport them with bright unusual hues, and some artistic folks sometimes make characters of them. This was the first I'd seen given its own cave in a living fence. Laurel bushes love the climate here and grow sky high in no time, so are popular choices for dense fences and hedges. This one grew wide as well as tall, and this was the homeowner's solution. I'm sure the fire department is appreciative of the vigilance.

Saturday, September 03, 2011

Goodbye To Summer

Seattlites are cramming in as much summer light and activity as they can as the long days wind down, children prepare to return to school next week, summer vacations come to a close, and the salmon boats return to port. We will enjoy picnic suppers at the beaches and parks in the next weeks, dinner time being our warmest time of day; but, we sense things fading, receding into the fond distance. This long Labor Day Weekend is being savored, though :-). These folks are heading to weekend destinations via ferry.

Friday, September 02, 2011

Time Has a Way

Seattle's moist climate plus a shady spot tend to be a perfect combination to foster growth of moss and fungi, like on this headstone beneath a sheltering tree in Mount Pleasant Cemetery. I've heard it said that the dash between our birth and death dates represents the period of our lives. When those who knew us are gone too, is the memory of who we were lost? Does time slowly fade all trace of us? Moss and lichen here have chosen to embellish someone's memory with color and texture. Perhaps best to pick a sunny plot to avoid nature's artistry :-).

Thursday, September 01, 2011

Theme Day: Perspective

"There's roads and there's roads
and they call, don't you hear it?
Roads of the earth
and roads of the spirit.
The best roads of all
are the ones that aren't certain.
One of those is where you'll find me
'til they drop the big curtain." ~ Bruce Cockburn from "Child of the Wind"

It's CDPBlogger's first of the month theme day, with participants exploring the idea of perspective. This shot is from the perspective of the bluff in the Magnolia neighborhood, looking out over Puget Sound, Bainbridge Island, and the Olympic Mountains. Sometimes I just need to take a big breath and step back in a natural setting to gain perspective of what's real, what's important. I was tempted to feature a photo of a local friendly cat from the ground up to offer some "purr-spective," but we could all use a view like this right about now in our day, couldn't we? :-) Check out other City Daily Photo blogger's interpretation of this theme. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Small Batch o' Booze

The light and the colors were really nice as I passed an antique shop window display, so I took this shot of a small collection of items. I was mainly playing with depth of field and not paying much attention to the articles themselves. But when I got home and saw the shot on the large screen, I got to wondering what those bottles were all about. Turns out to be quite an expensive display of "small batch" Bourbons, each aged 6 to 9 years and costing about $30 to $45 apiece. Not antiques by any stretch, so it's a mystery why they were there. There are whole worlds of things to be a connoisseur of that I've never known. Sometimes looking through a lens helps expose you to new and interesting parts of culture. Are you a fan of small batch bourbons?

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Ghost Riders On the Sound

Ferry travel is a way of life in the Pacific Northwest and attracts work commuters as well as recreation travelers. I looked down from the top deck of the ferry to see these 10 riderless cycles parked on the bow for the ride from Kingston to Edmonds. Then I noticed one of the riders on deck. Which bike would you pair him with?

Monday, August 29, 2011

Hood Canal

I went camping with friends along the Hood Canal on the Kitsap Peninsula over the weekend. Kayakers were out in abundance enjoying the beautiful sunshine and the close views of Olympic peaks, like The Brothers peeking at us on the right.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Fading in the Light

Just down Ballard Avenue from yesterday's photo is the food studio of Kathy Casey, owner of the Dish D'lish quick restaurants at the Seattle Airport. I noticed the color in the sign lettering has faded a bit in the strong western light. The food studio hosts special events and classes in cooking and mixology. For the foodies out there, this is a mecca for fun.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Happy Hour Sundown

Happy hour was in full swing, patrons were seated in the outdoor terrace enjoying the evening, and I was looking at the metalwork and horned skull sculpture that adorns the entrance to The Matador, a restaurant and tequila bar in the Ballard neighborhood. I saw the reflection of the ironwork in the door and was setting up another shot, when all of the sudden a woman stepped into a beam of light inside, framed by the reflection and shadows.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Hidden Tiger, Crouching Photographer

Summer is in full bloom and Seattlites have shed their layers to embrace it. Even so, this tiger is a bit shy to show its face, but the chrysanthemum doesn't mind. :-) I was having brunch with friends at Le Rêve bakery café when this couple came in and I just had to shoot that beautifully done tatt. It reminds me of this tricky picture (click to enjoy).

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Veggie Vendor

Summer produce at Pike Place Market is plentiful, beautiful, and soooo tasty. It's always a pleasure to peruse and a good value. An added pleasure is getting to "meet the producer," too. As appealing as these veggies are, my purchases there have been limited to just fruit lately. Some friends and I recently started receiving weekly deliveries of a variety of organic veggies from New Earth Farm in the Skagit Valley (north of Seattle). We have helped out on the farm a couple times and have gotten to know the folks who grow and pick the food. I have so enjoyed the fresh offerings produced locally and am very thankful to have wholesome food in such variety available. Hope you are enjoying the tastes of summer, too! Maybe from your own kitchen garden? I will so regret when the peaches at the Market are done. . .they've been especially good this year. But fall's coming on soon, and my three little espaliered apple trees are full of nearly ripe fruit to enjoy next month.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Children's Room of the Central Library

Never shy on any of its 10 floors when it comes to the use of bold color, Seattle's amazing downtown Central Library features a raspberry sherbert color treatment in this media and play area of its huge children's room on the ground floor. It's a good place to hang out until a brief August storm clears outdoors. This shot goes out to dear Brattcat :-).

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Seattle Street Fight

Street Fight a video by Seattle Daily Photo on Flickr.

While out walking I glanced these two women with swords practicing some martial arts skills out on the street.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Recycled Playhouse

If you peeked through yesterday's gate you would see this cute children's playhouse the talented homeowner has built in the back garden using salvaged materials. It will make a great cottage, studio or office when the kids are grown, but for now it looks like swashbuckling adventures are being fully enjoyed by some lucky kiddos. There's even a tin can telephone below the ladder. . .haven't seen one of those in a while :-). Seattle loosened up it's zoning regulations a few years ago to allow more density of structures and second houses on one lot (footprint of second dwelling can be no more than 800 sq ft, and height no more than 16 ft, and owner must occupy one of the dwellings). Quite a "cottage industry" going on in Seattle :-).

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Mitered Corners, Butted Ends

This framed peek-through grill in a Seattle garden gate caught my attention as I walked by. I think the square of metal work might be a salvaged/reused find. Sometimes it is the small details like this that draw my attention. Once I noticed this, then the gate handle made from a found branch caught my eye (see my More Seattle Stuff page for a shot of the whole gate). The use of salvaged materials in an artful way reminded me of the hippie woodbutcher style cabins of the 70s "back to the land" movement, where whimsy, poverty, creativity and available materials dictated design possibilities. (Here's a photo of one of those charming dwellings that I've actually stayed in on the Mendocino coast. It was made entirely from one old growth log, using no power tools, nails, or hinges, and has built-in furniture like loft beds and desks.)

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Le Weekend: Time to Kick Back

Ah, the pleasures of weekend downtime and enjoying a bit of summer reading outdoors and a nice cuppa joe. Seattlites tend to make the most of summer, and that usually means high activity. So, it was good to see someone savoring a bit of time to herself and slowing down the pace.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Entrance to Jazz Alley

Seattle's premier jazz club and home of the Pacific Jazz Institute, Dimitriou's Jazz Alley really has its entrance located in a Belltown alley. The popular club has featured a who's who of the jazz world since its beginnings in the U-District in 1979. It is an intimate supper club and there is not a bad seat in the house. I love hearing music there, and their photography policy allows me to practice shooting in the dark at close range. As it happens, I'll be seeing Pat Methney there next month.
I took this shot after a recent show. Someone had parked their cute two tone Metropolitan Scooter nearby. The building you see reflected above the pedestrian skyway is a recent addition to Seattle's skyline, the 30 story Escala condominium complex.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

It's Hollyhock Time

An urban front garden in the Queen Anne Hill neighborhood boasts these 7 to 9 foot towering lovelies. My mother in law once showed me how she made "Hollyhock dolls" from these blossoms with the petals forming a delicate skirt around the pretend figure. One of childhood's summer pleasures. The homeowner was not at play in the flowers, but working quite hard at weeding when I walked by. Her raspberries were also tall but not yet ripe, and the whole front garden was very beautiful.

Friday, July 29, 2011

Postcard: Gum Art Detail

A little follow up post on yesterday's visit to San Luis Obispo's Bubble Gum Alley. A newly painted wall end received some artistic attention from the gum faries :-).

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Postcard: SLO's Original Bubble Gum Alley

Many Seattle Daily Photo visitors have mentioned how unusual and gross they find the Market Street Theater Gum Wall started in Post Alley in the 1990's to be. This, however, is the granddaddy of all gum walls. It was started in the 1950s in San Luis Obispo, California. The small central coast college and mission town has a narrow alley off Higuerra Street that attracted a gum collection of amazing thickness and age (I learned it has been cleaned off twice at the request of the camber of commerce and this latest collection is only from the early 90s on). Of course we just had to find it. The under layers are. . .ah, shall we say rather black and grody. Several children came through as we watched and matter of factly plopped wads of gum low on the wall, as if it were daily habit. Ew factor. . .pretty big :-). Instead of pennies, people stick their business cards and gum wrappers to the gum. Lots of spontaneous, ah, art, I think.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Postcard: Pasadena Shout Out

Hey Ben, Laurie, & Petrea! Was thinking of you all while in your area. An iPhone shot won't do that lovely City Hall much justice, but it was fun to lay eyes on what you have shown me so many times in so many wonderful ways. We visited friends who are on sabbatical at Fuller, surprisingly hooked up for lunch with San Pedro, San Diego & Banning friends who happened to be in Pasadena this morning, had to stay in Glendale last night because the bar exam is being given in Pasadena so no rooms in the inns. (Side note: wow, the downtown of Glendale has an AMAZING development, very charming at night). We saw places my daughter helped at a few summers ago, and actually went to South Pasadena City Hall and passed quite a few places I recognized from Glimpses of South Pasadena.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Postcard: Paint Here For Free

Today's postcard from the road is an iPhone street shot from Hollywood Boulevard in the Little Armenia neighborhood of LA. Yes, he was singing a Tom Waits' song as he walked along. The trompe l'oeil street art caught my eye and this gent just ambled into the shot.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Postcard: Oside Pier

Another postcard from the road. This day it's a summer sunset from a sweet old SoCal beach town. We had dinner out on the end of the pier, then watched people fishing, surfing, and playing on the beach. This doesn't at all resemble Golden Gardens, but the sunlight sure was golden.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Postcard: As Bright As the Sun

I was looking at the flowers when a taxi crossed the intersection and all that yellow overtook me :-). As you might guess I am shooting with the iPhone this week and "Instagramming" you these postcards from the road. Yes, I am already sun burned. And, yes, I do realize the sun is out in Seattle, too.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Postcard: Coffee in the Hot Sun

The setting is the farmer's market in the Little Italy section of San Diego, California on a very warm summer morning. So, I was surprised to see the crowds lined up at the gourmet coffee vendor's mobile unit. I guess Seattle and Portland aren't the only cities jonesing for java. :-). But in the hot sun? Well, we all need our fix, I guess.

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