Monday, January 22, 2007

Uncommon visitor, Part II


More views of Sunday's visitation in the East Village's Tompkins Square.

6 comments:

east village idiot said...

I LOVE these pictures. I was laughing when I couldn't make out the rat you said was in the hawk's claws. Everyone must have shrieked when they saw that!

My building faces Tompkins Square Park - I can't wait for the day you happen to include it in a photo!

Isn't it sad that the second avenue deli is a chase bank now. I remember when I had to walk blocks and blocks for an ATM because no one wanted to put one in my neighborhood. Now we have more banks than stores - it's a bit comical.

Hope you are well, evi

Michael said...

Thanks so much, EVI. I'm really drawn to the area around Tompkins Square and to the park itself, not only because of family ties there that stretch back more than a century, but also because of what the neighborhood is today. But, as you point out, the forces of greed are imposing an unwelcome transition upon the neighborhood, and I worry for its future.
I hope you're well, too, and feeling more relaxed.

Whai Whai said...

Hi Michael, I waited to comment on these because I wanted to see them on my computer at home--Macs are so much better! Anyway, I like the top one better, because even though it's slightly blurry, the hawk is LESS blurry than the background, which really suggests movement. The second one incorporates the hawk more into the overall texture.

Michael said...

Hello Evelyn,

Yes, I prefer the top one, too. In all honesty, the bottom one is my attempt to make a crappy photo into something better.

Lone Wolf said...

Great pictures! Was it difficult to shoot the hawks in flight?

By the way, how have you been Michael?

Michael said...

Hi Lone Wolf,

For me, shooting a bird in flight is difficult because I'm not a nature photographer. But if there's such a thing as a photogenic bird, this bird seemed so.
As for me, I'm feeling OK, on balance.