Seattle Daily Photo: April 2010

Friday, April 30, 2010

Skywatch Friday: City on a Hill

A stormy evening sun break on the downtown skyline. Sometimes it seems the spring rains make Seattle's skyline grow taller :-). Hope it is the start of a great weekend for you. To see skies all over the world today, check out Skywatch Friday.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Late Night Munchies

The bright and cheery "Piece of Cake" Chinese bakery in the International District was beaming out a "we're open" neon welcome when all but a few storefronts on S King Street were darkened for the night. Peeking in the window I was nearly tempted to go in when I saw fresh fruit cake with that light whipped cream goodness that I so miss from similar bakeries in San Francisco. I did not succumb, however :-). What places have you discovered that have become your Seattle desert time favorites? How long a line are you willing to stand in for ice cream or espresso and cupcakes? :-)

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

iPhone Wednesday #41: Dreaming of Past Lives

I came across these elderly baby dolls among some tables of vintage collectibles for sale at the Fremont farmers market. How loved each might have been once upon a time cannot be known, except what is surmised by the obvious use each has seen. They are dreaming of their once busy days, I guess, and perhaps will come to be cared for again by a child if someone buys them and reunites them with some missing body parts and some new clothes :-).
It's my iPhone Wednesday shot for this week where I take and edit the image using the iPhone and in-phone apps.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Alki Pipeline Dive

I spotted a float out in the Sound off the southwestern tip of Alki Point in West Seattle. As I was trying to make out what it was exactly, two heads and two sets of flippers popped up and I realized there were a couple of scuba divers way out there enjoying a Sunday outing under the surface. They were exploring Alki Pipeline, a popular and fairly easy dive site of about 30' depth. It offers fairly clear views of abundant sea life including octopus, skate, anemones, sea stars, eel grass, crab, squid, and sometimes seals. It is called the pipeline because the interesting sea life can be seen while swimming among the rocks along an old 6' diameter sewer pipeline off shore. About four miles in the distance beyond the divers you see the northern tip beautiful Vashon Island where the Washington State ferries dock.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Olympic Atheltic Club

A 24 hour establishment with a long history in the heart of old Ballard, this popular three story gym is a hub of the neighborhood. I saw the sign casting shadows when I was out practicing with my tricky 50mm f/1.2 lens which has a way shallow depth of field. The "Olympic" in the title refers to the nearby Olympic Mountains rather than the athletic games. So, did you get to your workout today? :-)

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Sunday Bridge #4: Hmmm, You're Next. . .

Bridge Series #4: Hmmm, You're Next. . .

He's eying you. Better scram. The Fremont Troll is always waiting for a tasty morsel to pass by overhead on the northern end of the Aurora Bridge (seen in last week's photo). He's already caught this old school VW Beetle, so perhaps you'll be safe for another moment. . .if you move along quickly. I've shown you the troll and its artist information before, but not for a few years. Bob of Saint Louis Daily Photo made a special request of this for Louis la Vache's Sunday Bridge Series where you can find all participants' bridge photos.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Rising Above It All

Tall one! Here's to Tall Gary in Pasadena, my friend and partner, Jeanne, and all those who stand head and shoulders above the bunch. Another photo from my sunny day in the tulip fields north of Seattle in Skagit Valley. Hope your Saturday is full of springtime beauty.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Carkeek Beach

On sunny evenings it is fun to head to one of Seattle's treasures, beautiful Carkeek Park, and have a picnic supper, play on the salmon slide, watch the eagles, listen for the trains, and walk down to the beach. This is a view south from the pedestrian bridge over the tracks. The cove is north beach past which is Golden Gardens on the point and on the hill are the Ballard neighborhood's Sunset Hill, Loyal Heights, Olympic View and Blue Ridge areas. I took this shot using the Hipstamatic app on my iPhone.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Tulip Farm

The tulips in my garden were glorious the past couple weeks and are now past their prime and the petals dropping. I took this shot at a tulip farm north of Seattle in the Skagit Valley and wish everyone could experience the sight of millions of blooms on a perfect spring day. It was magical. Happy Earth Day!

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

iPhone Wednesday #40: Why We Live Here #2

I was out for a walk on an absolutely gorgeous balmy spring afternoon and came upon these folks soaking in the view and the warm sun on the lawn at the Betty Bowen viewpoint in tiny Marshall Park. This typifies our joy at the lengthening days and the beauty that surrounds every part of this city. To see the view in the direction they were looking and a few more shots, please visit my More Seattle Stuff page.
This is my iPhone Wednesday shot for the week (wow, 40th week now!) where the shot is taken and edited with the iPhone and various fun apps.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Why We Live Here #1

. . .a picture is worth a thousand words. :-)
This shot is from the campus of the University of Washington. Perhaps you were/are a student there. What is your favorite place on campus?

Monday, April 19, 2010

Fishing at Sunrise

These five guys on a dock in West Seattle were silently enjoying the sunrise skyline while casting their lines into Puget Sound. Seattlites enjoyed a perfect spring day yesterday with balmy breezes and puffy clouds far away on the horizon.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Sunday Bridge Series #3: Fremont & Aurora Bridges

Here is a double bridge view for you of the Fremont draw bridge framed in the arch of the much taller and longer Aurora Bridge. Both of them span the area near where the Ship Canal connecting Puget Sound with Lake Union and Lake Washington enters Lake Union. Last week I showed you a sunset silhouette view of the Aurora Bridge from a lower and closer vantage point. Little Fremont Bridge is one of the busiest in the nation, accommodating a lot of boat traffic and connecting the Fremont district with the Queen Anne and Westlake neighborhoods. For wonderful bridge views from other cities, visit Louis la Vache's San Francisco Bay Daily Photo for a complete list of links.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

View of Laurelhurst and Montlake

You might remember the ramp to nowhere view from the Montlake neighborhood I showed you a few weeks ago. You can see that area from above and through the trees in this photo taken from an outlook on the northeast edge of Capitol Hill. Across the Montlake cut is the affluent Laurelhurst neighborhood, and beyond it Lake Washington, the Eastside and the Cascade Mountains. This fellow wandered into the shot while enjoying the view for himself and was probably out for a lunchtime walk.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Skywatch Friday: Saint Joseph's on Capitol Hill

The art deco era bell tower of Saint Joseph's Church stood out sparkling white against the bright blue afternoon sky we enjoyed yesterday. It had rained in the morning, but the 60 F degree spring afternoon found everyone out and about enjoying the warmth. To see hundreds of Skywatch Friday views from around the globe, click here.

The brick building is the adjacent Saint Joseph's School for grades K-8. The church was founded by Jesuits in 1907 and inhabited a wood frame structure. The current church was built in 1930. The original elaborate Gothic design was changed to an art deco adaptation costing 1/3 the price to deal with the economic realities after the 1929 stock market crash. Planned items like stained glass windows and bells in the bell tower were not added for many decades, the bells waiting until the 100th anniversary celebration of 2007 for which the whole church received extensive repairs and a remodel of the dome to provide a skylight. I was shocked to learn that the 75 year accumulation of bird droppings removed from the bell tower weighed over one ton. Now that there are six bells to ring out melodies, perhaps the pigeons do a little less roosting there :-). More about this very interesting historic Capitol Hill landmark is here.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Starbucks Headquarters in Old Landmark Sears Tower Building

Starbucks started leasing office space in the old Sears building in 1993. By 1997 they had decided to expand their use of space to make this their headquarters and placed the 20 foot tall peeping mermaid logo on the top of the clock tower. Their lease goes through 2015. When they first made this commitment to stay rooted here, the Seattle Times reported, "The mammoth complex, which also houses a Sears store and two other retail tenants, is being renamed the Starbucks Center. Starbucks, which is leasing space there, and Nitze-Stagen & Co., the building owner, have pumped $30 million in improvements into one of the SODO district's most enduring landmarks." Four years later the building was damaged in the 6.8 Nisqually earthquake and had to undergo major repairs. The mermaid is still peeking out in the four directions. Reports came out in 2007 about office space expansion plans for Starbucks in the SODO neighborhood, but I haven't heard any specifics. This view is compressed by the long lens I used and makes West Seattle across Elliott Bay seem as if it is only a stone's throw away, but it's quite a distance.
Hope the procrastinators in the USA get their taxes filed by the deadline, which is today. "April is the cruelest month. . ." :-).

Taxman (Made Famous by The Bea...

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

iPhone Wednesday #39: Myrtle Edwards Rainy View

Some kids on a field trip to the Olympic Sculpture Park were taking a play break to throw stones from the beach at adjacent Myrtle Edwards Park into the Sound. That is a ferry and Alki Point in the distance. It's my iPhone Wednesday shot for you this week where the photo is taken and edited using only the iPhone and apps. This app is an especially fun one that I recommend to you highly. It is called Hipstamatic, and one can choose from among many lenses, films, and flashes to take a digital photo that simulates an old toy camera. The app interface is very elegant, intuitive, and amazingly addictive to play with. You can even shake it for a random choice of lens and film effects. A lot of Seattlites are enjoying this one.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

SODO

The big red sign in the lower left of this photo tells you what you are looking at. The SODO (South of Downtown --or pre-2000 when the King Dome stadium was torn down, South of the Dome) area of Seattle is home to light industry, businesses, shipping and train freight, retail outlets, restaurants, performance spaces, artists studios, and utility providers. Here you see some container cranes overlooking Elliott Bay as a Washington State Ferry makes a crossing with the snow dusted Olympic range dominating the skyline beyond. It was raining in scattered places when I took this shot.

Monday, April 12, 2010

All Blues

I was surprised to see mirrors high up in various places on the University Bridge. I usually see these placed lower so cars can see what might be coming around a curve or corner as they enter a roadway. This one looked like a porthole in the sky. I loved seeing all that blue sky reflected and intensified looking back upon the University District. Here's a little tune to get you started on Blue Monday :-).

All Blues - Miles Davis

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Sunday Bridge #2: George Washington "Aurora" Bridge

The Olympic Mountains were framed in the arch of the Aurora Bridge that spans the Lake Washington Ship Canal where it enters Lake Union. Traffic was zooming along Hwy 99 (Aurora Ave) at twilight. I took this silhouette shot from Gas Works Park a few weeks ago. Visit Louis la Vache's Sunday Bridge meme to see links to many other city's bridge views here.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Alki Morning

As you can see, we are still in the midst of a cold spring storm with a smattering of rain, clouds, sun spots and chill breezes (down in the high 30s F the past three nights). So, I've chosen to warm up from my outdoors walk this Saturday morning inside a bakery cafe on Alki, the scenic beach in West Seattle which is a convenient bus ride away from nearly anywhere else in Seattle. Hope you can linger over an extra cup, but I'm off to an all day conference now :-).

Friday, April 09, 2010

Skywatch: Seattle Shift

A view looking north from Beacon Hill. Visible are King Street Station's clock tower, Smith Tower, Qwest Field, the Space Needle, and many Belltown, downtown and Pioneer Square buildings. That's Queen Anne Hill in the background with the broadcasting tower. The common "post card" view of the city skyline that you've seen a gazillion times is taken from Kerry Park on that hill, so this is the view from the opposite direction. Those rain clouds are still bringing us showers today. To see skies around the world today, visit Skywatch Friday.

Thursday, April 08, 2010

Sudden Flight

I was taking photos of some 1930s Grotesques by Dudley Pratt on the south side of the University of Washington's Smith Hall when I noticed a a gull land on a terracotta-clad peak. I turned my lens there just as it decided to fly off again and caught its initial drop. It is fun to be able to see its movement frozen, but even more interesting to me were the details the shot helped me notice about the building. I had never noticed before that this building had a slate roof or that there was a copper ridge piece, or that the peak extended higher than the roof line. The bird drew my eye there, but the shot helped me see. Sometimes the people in our lives function in this way. So many things I may not have noticed or appreciated come into focus when observing someone's interests, work, and activities. Makes life very rich! Below are the figures I was first looking at. Pratt depicted many aspects of life, history, famous people and fields of study in these Grotesques. You may remember I showed you this and this from the opposite side of the building a few years ago. More on UW's campus architecture here.

Wednesday, April 07, 2010

iPhone Wednesday #38: Passing By S'bucks

This is one of almost 90 Starbucks locations in Seattle. The logo and the business have undergone many changes since the first shop opened on Western Ave at Pike Place Market in 1971. Inspired by Peet's Coffee in Berkeley to roast fine coffees and sell the beans, grinders, and coffee pots, they later also went into the espresso beverage business and opened shops worldwide. Here the coffee shop's logo is reflected in the glass of framed photos in a wall display while a man hurries past the shop window. Ubiquitous Seattle, or anywhere on the planet?
It's my iPhone Wednesday shot where the image is taken and edited with the iPhone and various apps.

Java Jive - The Ink Spots

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Chess Players

I came across some students at the University of Washington enjoying a game of chess on the lawn during spring break. One of the guys was coaching the other about the directions and spaces a rook could move, which led me to believe that one of them was new to the game. Some grass blades and flower petals had been strewn onto the board and the grouping of friends were seated like figures in a painting that might hang in the Musée d'Orsay.

Monday, April 05, 2010

Undulations

I thought we'd start the week with an abstract. These curving forms and colors captured my attention in the interior of the Experience Music Project. The signature metal shingles Frank Gehry employs in so many of his structures around the world are joined by vivid primary colors, causing the metallic surfaces to pick up color in their reflection.

Sunday, April 04, 2010

Joyeuses Pâques!, ¡Felices Pascuas!, Χριστός ανέστη! Αληθώς ανέστη!

This is one of the beautiful stained glass windows of Seattle's 103 year old St. James Cathedral on First Hill. It is by by famed American glass artist Charles Connick and was added during renovations after snow caused the collapse of the cathedral's original dome (1916-17). The center motif portrays the resurrected Christ and the writing is a latin rendition of Psalm 118:24, "This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." This year Passover, Orthodox Easter, and Easter observance for the rest of the Christian church all fall on the same week, an unusual occurrence. Wishing all who are celebrating this Easter Sunday much joy with family and friends.

Saturday, April 03, 2010

Labyrinth

A meditative journey in a compressed amount of space could describe one way people use a prayer labyrinth, and it occurred to me the Christian Lenten season which comes to a close today, is also used by some people of faith for a meditative journey through 40 days of growing unease and disorientation to the hopelessness of death and darkness and then the surprising shift at the transforming center: a brilliant Easter morning with death completely overturned. I am wishing everyone who celebrates it a lovely close to Holy Week and a joyous Easter. This outdoor labyrinth is open to the public in the courtyard of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in the Uptown neighborhood. Whenever I walk by I admire the unique 1962 "Googie" style roof that fits in so well with similar design elements of nearby landmarks built at the same time like Key Arena and Seattle Center.

The Rose Above The Sky - Bruce...

Friday, April 02, 2010

West Seattle Run

This is a residential street view looking north from West Seattle across Elliott Bay to Magnolia. As we head into a significant weekend for many folks around the world celebrating Passover and Easter, I hope it is a wonderful weekend for you, your friends and family.
To see what skies all over are looking like this Skywatch Friday, click the link to see thumbnails for hundreds of beautiful shots.

Thursday, April 01, 2010

Theme Day: Red

The Red Room at Seattle City Hall is a lobby area that features one wall of opaque red panels and doors. The wall passes an abutting wall and extends outside into the courtyard a bit, shown here. The Red Room is a favorite of creative photographers. The first time I visited in 2006 I had a hard time remaining in the intense tomato red vibe of it all. Seattle is a fool for red. . .it is everywhere. Hey, watch out for April Fools pranksters today :-).
This is the second time City Daily Photo Blogs first of the month theme has been RED. To see the creative takes this time around, click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

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