Tag: photography

by jad

St John the Divine

On the morning of my birthday, we went to visit the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine bright and early, so we were two of a handful of people there. I was amused when the very cool and very bored person at the counter asked what the nature of my visit was—this was early in our trip, and I wasn’t yet used to these buildings being seen as tourist traps, plus his question was giving “border control”—and even more amused when he tripped over my reply: prayer. After a beat, he made sure I knew that photography isn’t allowed if … Continue reading “St John the Divine” →

by jad

New York Aura

I’d planned to get an aura photo taken upon my solar return and was pleased to see that @magicjewelrynyc did that sort of thing in a convenient location in Chinatown. Drop-ins welcome too! Alas, the only woo-woo that was to ensue was our circling the block a dozen times in the scorching heat before realizing that the location had disappeared off the face of the earth. Grand rising! We had a good laugh about that and greatly enjoyed the insanity that is Canal Street and its Canal Street bling. We also seemed to stumble upon some police raid that was confiscating merchandise, … Continue reading “New York Aura” →

by jad

Rothko, Sontag, and a Book Called Fotografare

“The people who weep before my pictures are having the same religious experience I had when I painted them.” That’s what Mark Rothko said in 1965 about the colorfield work he’s most famous for, an insistence on a “meaning” behind the “abstraction” that his son, Christopher, has reiterated in interviews about the major exhibit he co-curated in Florence this year: “He wanted those who looked at his paintings to experience the same religious experience that he had while creating them.” I’m no art historian and had no sense of his intentions when I encountered a Rothko in real life for … Continue reading “Rothko, Sontag, and a Book Called Fotografare” →

by jad

First Impressions of Florence (Not Great)

My first impressions of Florence were not great. Not only was it the flashpoint of train disruptions for three days in a row, but actually stepping out into the fabled city when we first arrived there on that Tuesday felt a little weird too; it wasn’t exactly hot, but it wasn’t exactly cool either, and the clouds hung low, muting all the colors and making everything look kinda dirty and drab. And the people. Oh, so many people. It felt like there were way more people here than in Rome, all stuffed into the same few blocks as everyone else. … Continue reading “First Impressions of Florence (Not Great)” →

by jad

Frame Within a Frame (The Fulgore Luminoso of Rome)

One of my favorite things about Rome is playing peekaboo with the famous landmarks, sometimes literally shouting out loud: “frame within a frame!” I have so many photos to share that I’m going to try this multiple caption option that Instagram recently rolled out. Swipe for more. This was the neighborhood we stayed in on our first half of our time in Rome. I took this on our first morning there. This was the neighborhood we stayed in on our first half of our time in Rome. I really loved walking around super early before anything was open. Jet lag … Continue reading “Frame Within a Frame (The Fulgore Luminoso of Rome)” →

by jad

The Grand Tour Ritual (and the Spanish Steps)

This was my first time in Italy, so, of course, we did all the basic rituals that people have done since the days of the Grand Tour. This one in particular was a top priority, however, the magical thinkers that we are. We even visited it twice; passing through on our first morning in Rome, and then again on our last day, when we did the thing and landed two lucky coins over our shoulders, despite the usual area where people congregate being roped off that day, for some reason. I guess we’ll be returning. Swipe to see how drastically … Continue reading “The Grand Tour Ritual (and the Spanish Steps)” →

by jad

Expats, the Uffizi Train, and a Photo of a Butt

A few angles and frames from the Met as we get ready to take the train to the Uffizi. x Yesterday, we had lunch with an older couple of American expats who moved to Italy permanently and in protest some 20 years ago, and we were talking about how one of the lesser-acknowledged benefits of living in some regions of Italy is just how much of the famous art is free to see, being part of the texture of active monasteries or churches. x Christine was like “are you taking a picture of a butt” and I said “yeah, and … Continue reading “Expats, the Uffizi Train, and a Photo of a Butt” →