Philadelphia: Open Air Lighting Installation - Part 2

Before the Open Air installation ended on October 14th, I made it a point to walk along the Ben Franklin Parkway and see what it was all about.  While the lighting installation is visible from miles around the city, the primo viewing locations stretch from the Philadelphia Art Museum to Swan Fountain - offering some stellar shows with vibrancy and intensity.  The installation is synchronized to audio tracks recorded by locals using an iPhone app and then broadcast over speakers at select spots along the Parkway.  It is at these points, hearing the audio, that the light show makes the most sense.  It was definitely an interesting exhibit by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer.

Kennett Square: Longwood Gardens & Bruce Munro

I kept getting emails for the temporary lighting installation at Longwood Gardens but was putting it off for one reason or another.  Finally, realizing it was ending in a week, I reserved tickets for a Saturday night to take it all in.  The weather was perfect when I left my house but by the time I got to Longwood, the dark clouds had rolled in and it started to pour.  I waited it out and when there was a break, I managed to catch some of the installation.  Unfortunately, I only got about 20 minutes before the rain was back.  Below are a few of the shots from Bruce Munro's installation.

Philadelphia: Open Air Lighting Installation - Part 1

So, I am long overdue for a blog post... I have plenty of photos, just haven't made the time to get them uploaded.  I was flying back from Dallas tonight and saw that a second night of aiming/focusing was happening along the Parkway for the upcoming Open Air installation.  The kinetic art installation will be unveiled on September 20th and run for a few weeks.  The artist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer has the Xenon searchlights tied to a digital interface to make the installation interactive with the public, using a mobile app.  Once unveiled, I plan to do another photoshoot from some better locations.  I hope to have a Part 2.  Of course, as a lighting designer, I had to run up to my roof to grab a few quick shots of the aiming.  These aren't the greatest but a teaser for the installation to come.

You can read more about it here:  http://openairphilly.net/concept

Philadelphia: The Barnes Foundation

This post is long overdue.  Work and travel schedules have been nuts and although I've been taking some photos, I just haven't had the time to post process and visit the blog.  For the two or three that actually follow this, I appreciate it.  Tonight I decided to do a night photo shoot of our freshly completed Pennsylvania Convention Center project.  Unfortunately, the programming of the color-changing lights was not function correctly so I jumped on over the the Ben Franklin Parkway to grab some shots of the new Barnes Foundation museum.  Completed by Tod Williams and Billie Tsien Architects out of NYC, the new museum sits in a prominent location along the Parkway, adjacent to the Rodin Museum.  The landscape and hardscape are still finishing up but the museum is open and looking good.  FMS did a pretty nice job on the lighting.

Philadelphia: Independence Mall

I've been a little busy this month and haven't gotten around to processing photos and getting some posts to the blog.  Below are just a few shots I grabbed at Independence Mall.  It includes Independence Hall and the pavilion that houses the Liberty Bell.  Unfortunately, not an impressive shoot.  I was there at a bad time of day and really wasn't inspired.

Philadelphia: PAFA & Lenfest Plaza

I decided to take some evening shots of a recent project our office completed.  Stephen Hoppe in our office designed the lighting for Lenfest Plaza, a converted street that was made into a courtyard of sorts.  It  boasts seating, a stage for temporary art installations and the focal point - a Claes Oldenburg sculpture.  The lighting turned out great and in the background is the newly expanded Pennsylvania Convention Center.  I designed the lighting for the facade but during the photo shoot, some of the lights still had not been installed.  Still, it is a great new addition to Philadelphia.

Philadelphia: Girard College

In the search for new areas around Philadelphia with some interesting history and great photo opportunities, I decided to visit Girard College.  It is a private campus, an historic boarding school actually, so I was not allowed to wander around too much.  Security did allow me to grab some shots of Founder's Hall, the central building of the campus that served as the main 3 story classroom building when it was built in 1833.

Duncansville: Scenery

While home for Christmas, my mother decided to take us out for a little hike and to explore some nearby historic areas.  I don't exactly recall the names of these places or their historic importance but I managed to grab a few nice shots.  I know the scenic look out is called 'Chimney Rocks' and the stone bridge is part of an old railway system.  Most of these are HDR images to bring out the texture and color; sometimes the mid-winter photos can get a bit drab.

Philadelphia: Avenue of the Republic

Just before Christmas I made a trip to the Please Touch museum here in Philadelphia.  I had never been to West Fairmount Park and was surprised to come across a really nice Civil War Memorial.  In researching, I found that it was built in 1897 and is called the Smith Civil War Memorial.  Here are a few shots of this monument to fallen heroes.

Duncansville: Pet Photos

While visiting family for the holidays I managed to grab some shots of the family pets - my mother's cat and my brother's dog.  Although I prefer nature and architectural shots, it was actually fun to capture the animals.  Here are a few shots.