Seattle Daily Photo

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Long Alley & Cloudbank

An urban and outdoor scene for you today all in one shot. That huge cloud bank in the west was low over Puget Sound at sunset as the lights were coming up and illuminating this alley in the Fremont neighborhood. Tail lights are receding from view down the damp roadway, and a power tower's red light rises into the blue-gray above in the distance.

Monday, November 12, 2012

General & Sharpshooter?

Today is the observance of Veteran's Day here in the USA. Recently I've been doing some historical research about my father, uncle, and father-in-law's World War II army service, tracing their different divisions' and companies' paths through France, Belgium, and Germany. It got me thinking about this gentleman whom I met on a 4th of July a few years ago. I know nothing about him except that he was entering a restaurant here in Seattle as we were leaving and that he is a veteran of WWII. I commented on his uniform. He said I wouldn't see many like it as it was from 1942. I noted that he had one star which I think means his rank was brigadier general, and after uploading the picture I noticed a silver cross within a wreath with six hanging bars, the ones I could read were names of various weapons. I described this to a friend of mine who had served in the army in a more recent conflict and he thought it indicated this World War II army officer had been an expert marksman. I haven't a clue what his other colorful bars and pins represent. If you know, please share with us.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Free Flight

Sometimes people just take flight. Just leave the ground and become airborne right in front of you while others walk around and go about their business. It's always fun for me to come across skateboarders challenging themselves. This guy was jumping a low wall at Seattle Center near the Children's Theater. Below I caught one guy descending into the bowl and another fellow taking his dog for a skate at the little skate park near Fisher Pavilion, also on the Seattle Center campus.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Barberry in Autumn

The temperatures here in Seattle have dropped into the 30s F overnight. Nearly all the red leaves have fallen from our Japanese Maple and are waiting to be raked tomorrow. This Barberry bush on Queen Anne has turned its fall colors on and is offering berries to the birds (although I wonder how well they like them since there seems to be just a nibble here and there). Keep warm out there!

Friday, November 09, 2012

Skywatch Friday: Lake Reflection

Green Lake in Seattle served as a sky mirror near sunset as these kayakers made their way across still waters. We had a little sun break today, and I'm wishing you all beautiful skies throughout this long weekend (Monday observance of Veterans' Day in the USA and Remembrance Day elsewhere). Please visit Skywatch Friday to enjoy sky scenes from around the world.

Thursday, November 08, 2012

Blue Figure on Slope

Another in the "Shoot the Photographer" series. I just can't resist shooting other shooters when I see them. She was armed with a small camera phone or point and shoot, gathering up fall colors through her lens beside the Fremont Bridge.

Wednesday, November 07, 2012

Driven to Abstraction Wednesday

Sometimes space, line, mist, color, rhythm, value, angle must just have their say, using no words at all.

Tuesday, November 06, 2012

Golden Gardens iPhone Shot

A guest shot for you today. My daughter was walking along the shore of Puget Sound near Golden Gardens at sunset when she squatted down to get the foreground of fall leaves and plants into an iPhone shot of Puget Sound, Bainbridge Island, and the cloud-topped Olympics.

Monday, November 05, 2012

Nautica

I came across this little artistic display at the entrance to a group of floating homes along the Lake Union shore. Someone gathered a cleat, propeller, oar, floats, and a swordfish sculpture and mounted them on on a railing that may have once held mailboxes.

Sunday, November 04, 2012

Cyclists, Strollers, Walkers, Rowers

. . .everyone was out catching a sun break. Seattlites don't waste solar energy but gather it up as they get their activities in. I liked the saturated colors of the buildings along the Fremont cut of the ship canal with those golden autumn trees reflecting on the water. There were rowers from Pocock and UW out training. Quite swift they were, too!

Saturday, November 03, 2012

Autumn Reflection

A lot of contemporary construction features expanses of mirrored glass. One wonders if it's sometimes the only way nature can capture busy urban people's attention. That's not necessarily the case in Seattle where nature is always in full command of attention, it's that gorgeous here. Even so it sneaks into our perceptions in all kinds of ways. I liked the way the view has been gridded and segmented and the view captured in many directions at once. You see in the window glass not the people inside the offices, but what the people looking out from the office windows see. Kind of fun.

Friday, November 02, 2012

Steel & Sky

It's Skywatch Friday, a day most folks are very happy to be heading home from work and into their weekend. The George Washington (Aurora) Bridge offers super views to thousands of local commuters from the deck above and spans the northwestern portion of Lake Union where it joins the Lake Washington Ship Canal. It carries Hwy 99 (Aurora Blvd) from Queen Anne Hill to the Fremont neighborhood and serves as one of the main north/south arteries through Seattle. This is the view from the lake's shore looking northeast. Be sure to check out all the beautiful skies at Skywatch.

Thursday, November 01, 2012

Theme Day: Water's Edge

The City Daily Photo Blogs November 1st theme is the Water's Edge (click the link to see participants). This particular water is along the Fremont Cut portion of the Lake Washington Ship Canal. Lots of cute costumed trick or treaters yesterday and now it's All Saints Day. Last year on All Hallows Eve morning I was walking through Père Lachaise cemetery half a world away. It was beautiful in its autumn splendor and colorful mounds of chrysanthemums everywhere in remembrance for All Saints Day. This year I am wandering much nearer my own turf and thinking of an amazingly grace-filled person recently gone. This one is for you Cal. Your leadership and humanitarian assistance to so many refugees to this country who suffered difficult circumstances will ripple on for generations, as will your deep love for your dear family and the gentle influence you had upon your friends in the way your lived your life with thoughtful integrity and a heart for serving others.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Kinda Spooky Barbie Dream Hearse

Yes, you did read that right. Having been the childhood owner of the classic Barbie-sized Austin Healy Sports Car, this hearse with Barbie's name on it got my attention with it's word play on the familiar Barbie Dream House by Mattel Toys. I nabbed this Pike Place Market area shot with my iPhone and the Instagram app. The vintage hearse has been converted by its entrepreneurial owner into a limousine with white and pink interior that can seat seven for party and event rentals. I imagine some Seattlites in costume have it fully booked for some spooky Halloween reveling tonight. . .but there's always next year.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Dramatic Light

The steel of the Aurora Bridge was catching some serious rays as I walked along the ship canal. The light with that dramatic backdrop of cloudy skies painted a lovely autumn scene. Others were out enjoying the sun break and fall colors. Made me want to fix my flat tire and ride my bike! :-). Maybe this weekend. Wishing folks in the east clearing skies and safety.

Monday, October 29, 2012

Woes

An altered stop sign near Seattle Center had this prophetic word to offer. Well, we've sure all got them from time to time. May all our woes be stopped or eased this day. Wishing you a good Monday and start to the week, despite whatever it is you might be up against today. Thinking of those along the US east coast, those facing personal health concerns, those grieving loss of loved ones, those displaced due to war and unrest. I'm looking for some street sign that reads "blessings"! :-)

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Two For the Show

Taxi, taxi! No we're not in NYC. On 1st Avenue in Seattle one doesn't have to wait long to glimpse a cab or two. These days, though, you are as likely to see an orange or green cab, and a Prius at that! These are a bit old school. "Two riders were approaching" :-) so I quickly whipped out my iPhone and nabbed this Instagram shot looking towards the south late on Saturday afternoon. Surprising how little traffic is in view.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Doppelganger

As he approached I thought this might be Seattle's Mayor Mike McGinn, but when he came into closer range here I could see this cyclist just had a beard similar to our cycling city leader. I really like his messenger bag; it looks very comfortable. This was on the bike trail just outside of Google in the Fremont neighborhood.

Friday, October 26, 2012

My Favorite Houseboat

I've shown you this houseboat before. It was three years ago, but in a night shot when it was all lit up from within. This floating home is on the west shore of Lake Union along the Burke Gilman Trail, just under the Aurora Bridge in the Fremont neighborhood.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Graphic Art Underfoot

I've shared lots of photos of Seattle's literal street art, the kind that is underfoot (some examples here). I've always liked this black and white graphic design painted on the sidewalk in the Capital Hill neighborhood. The shine from the rain adds a nice effect.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Seems Familiar

Perhaps this building seems familiar to you, and perhaps for more than one reason. This is the northwest elevation of the building complex called Fisher Plaza which sits between Broad Street and 5th Avenue along Denny Way. It houses several businesses, the largest being the ABC affiliate, KOMO 4 television. If you've visited the Space Needle before, this building would have featured prominently in the view as it is just steps away. You may have also seen the upper exterior of the round portion featured as the helipad of Seattle Grace Hospital in the long running television show Gray's Anatomy. The actual exteriors of the fictional hospital are filmed in Southern California, as is the show, but this building and other Seattle locations do come up now and again. Do you like to find filming locations you recognize from favorite movies and TV shows when you visit other cities?

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Streetlight Scene

The Ballard neighborhood of Seattle is known for many things. Among them, the huge vintage ADD BARDAHL TO YOUR CAR / OIL neon sign which faces the Ballard bridge and the Ship Canal. The sign looms above the Bardahl Manufacturing company's building on 14th Ave NW, where they've been doing business for 73 years. I took this Instagram shot with my iPhone from a few blocks away looking toward the back side of the sign. Last October I featured the front side here. Framed by the light and telephone poles and with that flare of street light warming up the blue twilight sky (and the obligatory kayak mounted on a Thule car rack in the foreground) I thought this shot captured a little bit of everyday Ballard flavor.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Jaguar Reflection on First Hill

I was walking near Town Hall on First Hill when this black curvaceous beauty caught my eye. It also caught the reflection of its surroundings on that shiny boot!

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Casting A Long Shadow Across Post Alley

Hello from Seattle Daily Photo after a bit of a hiatus. Today I had the pleasure of meeting up with Bob & Carolyn Crowe of Saint Louis Daily Photo. They were in town for a professional conference and some R&R. We took in the Elles traveling exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum, currently on loan from le Centre Pompidou in Paris. Very fun to see them both. I'm a big fan of SLDP. I had missed meeting Bob by just a few feet the last time he was in Seattle. We had both been at the Kerry Park overlook at the same time, but didn't know each other. It was after we both posted shots taken from the same place at the same time that we realized we were probably standing just a few feet apart. So, seeing them both today was a real treat. No photography was allowed in the gallery we were in, so no shots of them or the wonderful art we saw together. I took this late afternoon shot with my iPhone from a Union Street overlook into Post Alley just a half block from the museum. And, yes, you've seen many shots of or from Post Alley here before on SDP, and can click here to see 20 of them. :-)

Monday, May 14, 2012

Put It In Your Pocket

And you thought the Fiat 500 was a cutie! I had a treat today in seeing this little gem buzzing down Seattle's Queen Anne Ave N. It's a 1957 BMW Isetta 300. The owner walked up as I was taking this shot and shared this bit of information with me. He then opened up the front of the car and got in via the dash board door. He said it runs on a BMW motorcycle engine. There are 4 wheels, but the the back two are spaced very close together. The owner said at one time previous models had three wheels, but this was modified for stability. I really loved seeing this and wish it were still being made. It would be a super choice for today's city driver.

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

Goodbye Maurice

When I heard this week that Maurice Sendak had passed away at age 83, I thought of all the enjoyment I've had over the years reading his books with and to children. I hear the little voices of kids at our preschool who memorize and recite all the verses each year from his little illustrated jewel, "Chicken Soup With Rice." I thought of this photo I took of a Sendak display made by librarians at the Seattle Central Library. Sendak's drawings are so distinctive. He was an illustrator and author of myriad children's picture books from the 1950s to the present, many of them now classics. He was the costume and set designer of The Pacific Northwest Ballet's beloved Seattle production of "The Nutcracker." Raised in Brooklyn and the son of a Holocaust survivor, he had a long and productive life and was predeceased by his life partner of more than 50 years. Maurice Sendak brought so much understanding, wit, and humor to life in his pages for children. Thanks, Maurice. Generations of your readers will miss you."Going once, going twice, going chicken soup with rice."

Saturday, May 05, 2012

Seattle Children's Theatre

The Charlotte Martin Theatre was designed by Seattle architects Mahlum & Nordfors McKinley Gordon and built almost 20 years ago. I love this building's appearance from all four sides. It features playful uses of shape and surface design. This is the west elevation at street side. The productions of the Seattle Children's Theatre are much loved by the community.

Friday, May 04, 2012

A Labyrinth of Solitude

Nobody's about 'cept me. Painted on the pavement just outside the curvacious EMP is a black and orange Chartres-style labyrinth. This labyrinth is open to the public 24/7 and was painted two years ago this month. All those curvy lines, I just had to capture the scene.

Thursday, May 03, 2012

As Far As the Eye Can See

Did you get up to Skagit Valley for the Tulip Festival this year? It ended Sunday. We missed the magic this year. We'll be heading up there in July to help out at New Earth Farm, an organic fruit and veggie farm we buy a CSA share in, and visit friends there who provide all kinds of support services for Skagit area farm workers and their families. If you visit Seattle, be sure to explore this beautiful area to the north.

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

1962 Redeux

Here's a view of the Space Needle's new coat of orange paint, a throw back to the color it wore on its hat when it opened for the 1962 Century 21 World's Fair. I took this with my iPhone in HDR and Instagram.

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Still Looking Up to Her at 50!

I took this shot of The Jetsons era beauty looking up through the glass rain shield that covers the gift shop walkway. Seattlites are going dotty for their icon, as the Space Needle is celebrating its 50th anniversary this month. Here's the Needle By The Numbers:
605 feet tall
Original cost: $4.5 million
Remodel cost in 2000: $21 million
Visited by 1.2 million people a year
Repainted 4 times, using 8,000 gallons
On hot days, the Needle expands about 1 inch
Opened to the public April 21, 1962
Open 365 days per year

Here's a link to the live webcam on top of the Needle. You can manipulate the view to see out in any direction on the compass. So, check out the view from the top, and if you look in the right direction, you might see my house :-).

Friday, April 27, 2012

Economy of Scale

I was not the only photographer wandering around the base of the Fremont neighborhood's colossal Lenin statue late in the evening. I, however, did not have my tripod with me. This guy got some super night shots with his. His presence allows me to show you the scale of this controversial statue that is considered a neighborhood art novelty rather than a political work (full story here of how this 16' bronze cast in 1988 came from Slovakia to reside in Washington State in 1994). As huge as he is, this is only the second largest sculpture in Fremont. The Fremont Troll (shown here) is two feet taller and much, much wider.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Spring Evening On Greenlake

My mother-in-law and I were taking a walk around Greenlake when we noticed four paddlers making their way through the cloudscape on the water.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Seattle Buildings @ Le Rêve Bakery Cafe

While at breakfast the other morning I saw this lovely compendium by local school children of familiar Seattle landmarks. Which buildings are familiar to you? Can you name them in order? :-)

Full time work and full time student-hood these days is keeping me from wandering the Seattle streets with camera in hand much. Thanks for hanging in there with me!

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Rush Hour

A Seattle cyclist with a messenger bag speeds past me in the twilight, braving the chill February evening air in shirtsleeves and cuffed pants. Obviously he's speedier than I have been of late. Life is full and spring is in the air, ( in liquid form, mostly) :-).

Sunday, February 05, 2012

Chihuly Garden & Glass Nearing Completion

It's pretty much night and day construction on the Seattle Center site of the new Chihuly Garden and Glass area which has taken shape in the space once occupied by the Fun Forrest amusements. The Garden and Glass exhibit is due to open in April and just broke ground at the end of August, so construction has been rapid. One crew of workers was leaving their shift and another had just begun as evening settled in on the very busy work site. The crew said the project is coming together well and that there have been no injuries. It is a beautiful structure, and I can't wait to see it finished with the garden installation and all the light and color it will bring. Meanwhile, across campus wedged beside Key Arena, the Children's Theater and Fisher Pavilion, the new skate park area is providing some alternative fun space for active youth to work on their fluid moves. Hopefully a few more active areas for children, youth and families will be developed nearby to provide safe, fun alternative attractions that add variety to the many performing arts, science and cultural offerings currently on site.

Building Materials for Chihuly Garden and Glass

Saturday, February 04, 2012

Gates Foundation Visitor Center Opens

Today the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Visitor Center will open its doors to the public, giving a window on the Foundation's projects around the world. From the street you will see lighted lettering on the visitor's center which shines out the credo,"Every Person Deserves the Chance to Live a Healthy, Productive Life." On Wednesday evening I was on campus taking photos when the Foundation kicked off it's Visitor Center opening celebration with a large gathering, including President Jimmy Carter, whose Carter Center has been successfully working to eradicate common preventable diseases and parasites in the third world for the past 30 years. The gala was well attended and the campus was lighted up gloriously (the building pictured is not the Visitors Center but is the southwest elevation of the Atrium located at the back of the northern most boomerang-shaped building of the large campus. It is across a courtyard from and behind the street-front Visitors Center). Do go visit when you get the chance. The work going on here is strategic, important, and will have an amazing impact for good in people's lives all over the planet. As you can see from the reflection in the glass of the lobby where guests were being received, the Gates Foundation campus is located just across the street from Seattle Center and the Space Needle.

Thursday, February 02, 2012

Noodling the Needle

Shot through the red noodley sculpture (Olympic Iliad by Alexander Liberman, installed 1984) near the entrance to the Space Needle at sundown on a chilly but sunny first of February. This is another in the series of playing peek a boo with the Needle. Being one of the most photographed structures in the world can be a bit ho hum, so I try to get glimpses not so common of the Needle peeking at me over, through and around things. Still, I think there is hardly an original idea to be found for the now 50 year old icon. "Make it new, make it new," cried the parrot to the mocking bird."

Friday, January 27, 2012

Gluten Free, Vegan Bakery Cafe

If you are looking for a local business striving to do work in an open manner that benefits its customers and community, is committed to sustainability, and wants to create a niche where everyone can eat without worry of dietary restrictions, look no further. The Flying Apron Bakery Cafe is a haven for those who are vegan or must avoid gluten and wheat products. Their bakery goods are their claim to fame, but they also serve soups and salads. For many they are an oasis of safe, wholesome eating. There are so many folks who need places like this in their lives. Many of you may be familiar with Seattle's own Gluten Free Girl who has blogged for many years, raised awareness of the need for widely available gluten free products, and has published a run-away best seller. She's taking a little rest from blogging starting this month, but I understand a new cookbook is due out very soon.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Epicenter of the Universe

The Fremont neighborhood's slogan is that it is "The Center of the Universe." It is printed on signs as one enters the free-spirited and art-filled district. The Epi Apartments (as in epicenter) is in the heart of the neighborhood. The free flowing metal sculpture that engulfs the corner tower was pretty sparkly in the sunset light. This is part of the view Rapunzel has from her own tower on the Fremont bridge :-).

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Rapunzel in Her Lonely Tower

She's not looking too pleased with the prospect of the two possible suitors ignoring her as they pass by below, but you'd expect a bit of a cranky attitude from someone whose been up in the west tower of the Fremont Bridge for so many years. She is one of two neon figures from children's stories (the other is from How the Elephant Got His Trunk) that grace the windows of the two towers. A little friend of mine who just turned four last weekend was so excited to share with me that her birthday cake was to feature Rapunzel, I just had to go over to the bridge to nab this shot for her to see. It was my fave fairy tale from my Brothers Grimm collection when I was small, too. I showed you an earlier photo I took of this whimsical urban art by neon artist Rodman Miller before here in 2007. It was removed for awhile for repairs and then reinstalled. You'll notice the video camera has been moved, too.

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