Seattle Daily Photo

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

35th Street Bistro Where Still Life Used To Be

As mentioned yesterday, the Still Life Coffee House closed a few years ago, and this upscale bistro took its place. It was looking mighty warm and cozy when I walked by in 32 F chill :-). As you can see from the little sign to the far left, they serve Lighthouse Coffee from a delightful local roaster in the neighborhood.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Still Life Coffee House Mural

Painted by Seattle artist Parris in 1994. The coffee house is long gone, only the mural remains to inform the interested. The Still Life was once a hub of community life for the neighborhood at 35th and Fremont. I have a friend that when we were in town for a conference tried to take me there because she had loved it so much from previous visits. Sadly we couldn't find it. But tomorrow I'll show you what is there. This mural serves as a place marker in space and time, an ode to a fine much missed establishment.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

All Gone Now

The big melt came with warmer temps and rain, allowing us once again to see the art so often underfoot as we go about Seattle's streets. I took this shot on the whimsically tiled patio of a Fremont eatery whose sign was reflected in the puddle. Here's a shot from the same patio in 2006, the first year of SDP, taken during morning hours.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Wheeeeee Redux

A repeat classic shot for you to say Happy 5th Birthday to SAM Olympic Sculpture Park. Here's a little blast from the past. I took these shots a couple weeks before the grand opening in 2007. Seattlites have not stopped enjoying this wonderful venue for one second since they took the fences down to let the public in. It's a treasure. Big doings today to celebrate. Drop by to make an artful birthday hat and try some lovely caramels and cake!

Friday, January 20, 2012

Gearing Up For Indoor Adventures

Here's a little slice of life shot for ya. Seattlites were out in force on Tuesday evening, doing some early marketing and laying in groceries for the coming snow days. What an abundance of winter color the fruits and veggies offer at this PCC Natural Market, one of Seattle's successful longtime cooperative ventures.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Snow Day Hero, Our Jolly Postman

We've always had the best mail carrier in Seattle, and today he was out there trudging through the wet powder and cold temps just as cheerfully and efficiently as any other kind of day he usually encounters. No snow day for him."Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." Thanks Mr. Postman! I ventured out in snow boots with the camera and caught some of the snow day fun folks were having on the hilly streets. Adults and children all in happy spirits.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Path Through the Water

These women were out on the water when the air was 34 F. It had snowed in the morning, but not stuck to the ground near the ship canal. They are heading under the Fremont Bridge and out onto Lake Union and to Portage Bay beyond. Rowing is a hugely popular activity in Seattle, with many private and school affiliated clubs dotting the shores of our waterways. The shells glide by swiftly, gracefully and nearly soundlessly.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

We Pay Cash @ the Moulin Rouge

This guy is getting ready to purchase his order at Red Mill Burgers which takes only cash or check. The scene was so colorful I just had to snap this with my iPhone. My all around fave: the Veggie Verde Burger. Yum!

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Honeycomb Mesh

Another perspective of surveying a scene from above today, but this time a warm and dry interior. I was standing in a hallway on the 3rd floor of the Seattle Central Library looking two floors down toward the living room and southeast entrance at the far left. There is nothing between the high gloss red floor and the view except a glass wall with a vertical curtain of galvanized metal hexagon mesh that has been corrugated to further strengthen it. The lack of railings and the ability to see through the materials makes for a great vantage point.

Monday, January 09, 2012

Sidewalk Seating

Saw this charming metal bench gracing the sidewalk outside a shoe boutique. Although it was nippy and wet outside, it still had appeal enough to beckon me in for a look at all its French curves.

Sunday, January 08, 2012

Rainy Night Airport

Dropping off and picking up people at Sea-Tac airport is really simple. I find it to be a very user friendly place and enjoy flying from here. We are looking down from a skybridge onto the curve of the Arrivals curb in front of the terminal. The misty-moisty late night drizzle made the light and colors run on the shiny pavement. Hey, did you know our airport is actually run by the Port of Seattle?! Air ships, sea ships, Amazon.com ships. . . we're all about shipping! :-)

Saturday, January 07, 2012

5 O'Clock Sky

We were walking rapidly along on First Hill looking southwest over downtown Seattle when I glimpsed this little bit of the urban skyline and snapped it with my iPhone. A friend from out of town was performing nearby, and we were scuttling so just paused to record the lovely silhouettes against that bright sky. That is the distinctive pointy roof of Smith Tower to the far left, then the Municipal tower, a crane, Columbia Tower and assorted high rises to the right.

Friday, January 06, 2012

Winter Color

A friend at work celebrates Epiphany and Russian Christmas on January 6th and 7th, so when I noticed this colorful store, bright against the blue sky with its Christmas display I thought I'd post the shot. Steffe in Haninge, Sweden dropped me a note to say he owns the candle set you see at center. But this store is not in Sweden. It is in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, famous for its pride in Nordic heritage. The store specializes in goods and foods from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland, thus the display of flags from those countries. Truth be told, I'm saving up all the sunlight and color I can to get me through the abundant January gray sky moments. So enjoy the color, sunlight and shadows :-).

Thursday, January 05, 2012

Contemporary Conversation

Okay, so they are sticking with their New Year's resolution, out there getting exercise together. Used to be you and your friend or partner would step out for a walk together or go for a bite to eat and enjoy talking in depth about all manner of things with each other. These days. . .not so much. This photo illustrates a current common mode of togetherness I've observed in all kinds of settings. Adults side by side but with divided interests, concentrating on a smart phone screen and oblivious to the landscape they're passing through and perhaps each other. It seems to be a mutially agreeable way to be together. Any sociologists out there tracking these trends?

Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Creative Change

I recently attended photographer Chuck Pefley's open studio. He is known to many of you from the photoblog he published, One A Day, Mostly Seattle. But, it wasn't his photography I went to see. This past year Chuck has re-channeled his artistic energies and retooled his studio to concentrate on glass work. He has been studying new techniques at Pratt and is making stunning lampwork beads which he offers for sale at his Pike Place Market stall and through his Etsy shop online (you can take a look at his wares by clicking on the link in my sidebar to the right or this link to his new bead blog, Torch & Glass, here). In this shot you see him working with a torch, mandrel, and some custom tools to craft colorful molten glass into very lovely jewelry.

Tuesday, January 03, 2012

One Party's Over, Another's Just Beginning

There is seemingly no one in the Space Needle, the site of Seattle's hottest New Years Eve ticket night before last. All the festive decorations are put away, and even the sky has turned gray and rainy (although the light spill often makes it look chocolate in photos). It is back to normal for another year, but it won't be quite a normal year for the Space Needle. A year-long celebration is just gearing up. There will be some big doings to celebrate it's 50th anniversary. Lots of transformation is going on below at Seattle Center. There was disappointment that a ginormous Ferris wheel (think similar scale to the London Eye) was not able to be installed as planned. Last night it was just as well because it was so windy it probably would not have been able to operate anyway. I'm surprised this shot came out as clear as it did given the cold gusts that pummeled me. I just had a mini tripod with me and the wind was shaking the camera so badly I called it quits pretty quickly. You can see what I mean below :-).

Monday, January 02, 2012

The Pike Brewing Company

Seattle's own Pike Brewing Company is the proud little brewery that could. Founded by the Finkel family, then sold, then purchased back, the Finkel's clearly have a long passion for great food and beverage. They've been instrumental in helping foster American tastes for fine European style brews. They care not only about beer's thirst quenching qualities but how specific brews can be paired with wonderful foods. The company has a brewery which you can tour, as well as a pub and restaurant, an event center, store, and brewing museum. They love educating people about beer and encouraging home brewers. It's a micro brew lover's paradise. You can take a virtual tour of the brewery here. They are also known for the great graphics of their distinctive labels and the clever names they come up with for their traditional brews. I took these logo shots during a late night amble down Post Alley where they are located. Below are just two of their creative Seattle brewed offerings. . .which might you be tempted to try?

Sunday, January 01, 2012

Theme Day: Best Shot of 2011

As we always do on January 1 each year, City Daily Photo Bloggers share with you our best shots from the previous year. Here is a photo from last February taken in the Wallingford neighborhood on a cold winter day when it was hailing. The cheerful lighted neon of the historic art deco era 45th Guild Theater could get anyone out of a blue funk :-). I didn't spend much time thinking about which photo to choose, so you might like to see the 50 Best of Set picked by a computer algorithm as my "most interesting" shots of the year. Just click the page tab named Most Intertesting Shots 2011 above on the bar. And to see all your fave City Daily Photo Blogger's, click here to view thumbnails for each participant's Best Shot from 2011.

. . .and

I took this shot of the Space Needle fireworks display last night from my street in Seattle. Wishing you a wonderful year ahead.

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

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