Georgia on my mind

Last weekend I went to visit my sister in Athens, GA, where she's getting her masters in Landscape Architecture.

My brother joined me on this visit, and while I had planned that we would both arrive at the Atlanta airport at roughly the same time, American Airlines had different plans.  They scrapped my original flight, but I was lucky enough to get on one seven hours earlier.  So I had lunch and decided to check out the Atlanta Botanic Garden.

Apparently the tree frogs on exhibit there were also killing time...  Well, two of them were, and the other two were trying to be polite.

Jittery Joe's!  I was super-excited to go to this coffee shop.  Long story, and I'll spare you, but I've been looking forward to going and having a cup there for about six years.

My sister, Emily, shows off one of her projects to my brother, Aaron.

Emily cracks me up.  Everyone else in her program has their scale people in their renderings stand, sit, walk stiffly.  Emily has hippies playing guitar in the park...

Or sunbathing while holding hands.

Go Bulldogs?

UGA is a really pretty campus.

One night we went to an art opening near some old mill thingie.  So I stood in the tracks to get this shot.  ;)

And back to NY!

Thanks for your kind attention, as always.

-Sam

Flying Safe....

Means leaving your snow globes AT HOME!

-Sam

Some More Chicago Photos

Architecture!

Hello all!

This past weekend, I was back in Chicago (big surprise there!) photographing a condo (well, three actually) for some clients who own some condos in Chicago and rent them out like hotel rooms. They just purchased a brownstone, and I took the promo shots for it.

You can find out more at http://www.vrbo.com/177026

Shooting interiors is always a challenge, but it's fun. There's a lot of little details to pay attention to, and a lot of gear that you need to bring with, and even though I brought in eight lights and all sorts of other goodies, I could have used more. And more time. I had Nadia helping me out, and it took us twelve hours to shoot all three units. It was a lot of work, but I think it paid off!

The condos were spectacular, and reasonably priced, and I wish I someday have a reason to stay there.

Well, enjoy!

-Sam

Holly and Nick's Engagement Photos

I met Nick and Holly a couple of years ago at Nick's cousin's wedding in Chicago.  When they got engaged and planned a wedding in Ohio this coming summer, I was overjoyed to be asked to be a part of their special day.

After going through the discussions and everything as far as the wedding plans, it dawned on me that they live in New York City and that I should really spend some time with them in the Big Apple.  So I hatched a brilliant plan that worked out perfectly - that I would take some engagement photos for them in exchange for a tour of the places that they like to hang out.  I basically learned that they can walk me into the ground, as we started our tour over in their neighborhood in the Upper West Side and walked all the way to Penn Station, passing through just about every park on the way.  I had a splendid time, and I can't wait to shoot their wedding this summer in Ohio!

-Sam

Adam and Aimee's Engagement Photos

When we visited DC, we stayed with our college friend Adam, and his fiancé, Aimee.  

To repay them for their gracious hosting, I took some engagement photos around Alexandria.

Being from the Midwest, I am still giddy about old fashioned East Coast towns.  I love old buildings and their textures and architecture, so I was a happy camper.

I can't wait until this summer when I get to photograph Adam and Aimee some more!

Thanks for reading!

-Sam

Mr. Levitan Goes To Washington

This week my wife and I spent a few days visiting friends in and around Washington D.C.  It's been a while since we were there, and it's a neat place.  We saw some sights and the portrait of Stephen Colbert.

Everyone wants to see the Hope Diamond.  Only the little kids seem to get a good peek while adults try to cram their cameras in to get a shot.  I think it's funny, and I'm not sure why.

Lindsey relaxing above the dinosaurs.

Cherry blossoms in bloom.

My corner in Arlington, VA?

Again, I get weird and become strangely fascinated with a taxi cab car wash.

Neat old architecture in Alexandria.  I love old buildings.

The DC Metro is just so cool.  Again, I'm really weird, but I think the waffled concrete is so graphic and kitchy 1960's space age.

Georgie at the National Portrait Gallery and in my pocket.

People waiting in line for the bathroom... Well, actually the portrait of Stephen Colbert hanging up above the water fountains in between the bathrooms.  I took a drink.  ;)

Better Late Than Never - Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Realizing, of course, that St. Patrick's Day was a while ago, and that my town's parade was even longer ago, I still figured that now would be a good time to share some pix of Rocky Point's killer parade.

Despite spending my life living in Chicago where the annual parade was huge and they dye the river green, I never went to the St. Patty's Day parade before.  So I decided that Rocky Point's parade would be a nice time to start seeing what these parades are all about.  You know, start with something small.  Because RP isn't even a town, it's a Hamlet.

Little did I know, Rocky Point takes it's St. Patty's Day parade seriously.  VERY SERIOUSLY.  It lasted three hours.  I saw more fire trucks, high school marching bands, and kiltie bands than I have ever seen in my life.  It was awesome.

Before the parade began, local teens skated the streets looking for a good spectator spot.

Fellow spectators show their tongues to me.  Everyone seems to stick their tongue out at me.  I think it's funny.

Marines march is neat patterns, with neat shadows.

Puppy shadows.

And puppies in green for the occasion.

Finally! For the first time since 2002!

I've overhauled my website!

I just couldn't stand the old one anymore... It was so 2002. I wanted something new, fresh, and clean.

Let me know what you think!

Take care, bye4now.
-Sam