It’s been quite a year. I’ve been around. To paraphrase Dorothy – “Things have a way of happening so quickly here.” Here are some pictures I took in 2010.
Why I go to the movies in the mornings on weekdays
Siobhan and Ben, out beyond the North Light
The end of the land, the “rip”, Block Island
Cashel’s drawing, Mayhem From Space
Cashel on his Indoor trampoline
Betsy getting tattooed, East Village
Sunset over Sachem Pond, Block Island
Anonymous Protest across from $cientOMogy Center, Hollywood Boulevard
Black sky, shining sun, main town square
Meredith getting her second-degree black belt
Luisa, pouring her whiskeys at 12:30 p.m., Block Island
The Southeast Lighthouse, Block Island, on a freezing night
What Luisa found in the cellar
Alex and me, getting ready to watch the Jason Beghe video, 1 a.m.
Water tower on the tornado day
Pat, Jean, and Lucy on the beach at Block Island
Me heading out to the North Light
My cat is very relaxed in my presence. Obviously.
Mitchell, on the Bloody Mary day, Block Island
William, born in November, we love him so much
One of my favorite photos I’ve taken this year: freezing night on Block Island
Lovely snaps. You look kinda like Bjork – Bjorkian if I may be so bold – in your storm picture.
Happy New year, and a belated Merry Christmas. I hope 2011 brings you respite from your sorrows and an abundance of joys.
So much goodness, but I have to say, the last one is super-special. I also love the fishing boats. Finally, is that the world’s longest cigarette Alex is about to smoke?
Alex – hahahahaha She smokes the world’s longest and girliest cigarettes. Capri 100s.
That last one was just one of those miracle shots. It was so FREEZING that night and I went up to the cliffs to see what it looked like and I could only stay up there for a couple of minutes. I snapped a couple of shots really quickly before running back to my car. And it came out like that. The night was so spectacular!!!
Dan – Well, I certainly was cold enough that day for Icelandic Bjorkian weather! I had gone to the beach (obviously) and it was so windy I thought I would blow away. The boom of the surf on the jetty FILLED the air. It was sooooo incredible. The storm went on all night – the surf down the street literally shook my house. I could feel the waves pounding. Amazing!
And thank you. 2010 was a bit of a regroup for me. Onward. Happiest of new years to you too.
If Alex were to put that smoke in one of those old-timey long holders, it would effectively become a lance. Something tells me she has one of those things, too.
And the last photo is a perfect example of why having a camera on you all the time is a great idea.
That was the day we tried to get recruited by Scientology. It was 1 a.m. and we couldn’t stop. We were up for 2 hours more watching the Beghe video.
Incredible photos all… my favourites: 1) the Queen Mary photo – that blue – absolutely unearthly; 2) the one of your Dad’s chair – just looking at it makes me want to grab one of the books and curl up in it; reminded me of Van Gogh’s paintings of chairs.. 3) the last photo of the house on the island. Wow. Happy new year!
Sheila, I can’t pick one out of the whole bunch as a favorite, you’ve managed to make an excellent selection of the pictures you took in 2010. I have always enjoyed your photographic eye, you have an artist’s look at things and it is always fun to look at your photographs. I love looking at pictures that tell stories, and yours do. Thanks for sharing them with us!!
I wish you and your family a very happy New Year!
“My dead boyfriend at dawn.” Epic.
Beautiful photos. I especially love the ones of your family. Happy New Year!
I covet Betsy’s sweater.
The Queen Mary shot is incredible. Other favorites: first one of the ferry (makes me think of The Ghost Writer); misty day (makes me think of The Birds); frozen pond (not sure what it makes me think of; but something…). On the self-portrait, I wasn’t thinking Bjork, but it did strike me as very rock n roll. Could be an album cover. Good one!
Beth – isn’t that crazy?? Dead boyfriend’s lookin’ mighty impressive. Dude just HAD to row over to Weehawken to duel with Aaron Burr. He couldn’t let it go. I’m still mad about it!
Ceci – thank you, dear! And a happy new year to you and yours as well!
Jill – ha! I’ll have to tell her you said that. It is very cozy! The guy who did her tattoo (and who touched up mine – I got it a million years ago and it was fading a bit) was named Solomon and he was awesome. We had a good time hanging out with him.
Betsy and i walked something like 40 blocks that day. It was a good day.
Jason – Thanks for commenting!
Totally Ghost Writer, especially when the ferry came in at night and backed up to the landing, just like it does in that amazing opening shot of the movie. These Block Island ferry pilots do what are basically 3 point turns in the harbor so they can back up. Incredible to watch with such an enormous boat.
I kind of can’t believe how that Queen Mary shot came out. I’m not very good at nighttime shots but the couple I took down there that night came out really nice. I love the sleeping birds on the rope.
And “misty day”, yeah – there’s something a little creepy about that picture – these old Victorian buildings with their vast outdoor staircases – really something to see. Especially because I was out there in the winter when the island is strictly a local crowd, no tourists – the whole place empties out. So all of these old buildings which are bustling tourist bars in the summer were empty. Pretty spooky and cool.
And my “rock n roll” picture – ha! Think I could send that one to Dennis, as he requested for our upcoming project? Not quite what he had in mind, I think. I had so much sand in my hair that day because of being out in the storm on the beach that my hair actually made a crinkling sound when I touched it – like Tilda Swinton as the witch in Lion Witch and Wardrobe. Most spectacular storm I have ever seen – I hated to leave it, but it really was too wild for me to be out there.
Hope you had a nice holiday, Jason!
these are GORGEOUS! i had so much fun looking through them–you really have a gift!!
Siobhan – thank you!! Looks like I spent a lot of time at the beach this year, huh?
I adore Mayhem From Space.
A gorgeous review of your year. The photo of your Dad’s chair was really touching. The one of your green bed I was, of course, trying to see what you were reading. Happy New Year!!
Ted! Of course you would need a zoom-in for the book. I am the same way! That’s a book called Oscar’s Books (at least that’s the original title – I think they changed it when they released it in the US) – it’s about Oscar Wilde’s library. The author himself sent it to me, which was a great honor.
Happy new year to you too!
Let’s go to that Basque place again!!
I’m in love with the one of Manhattan at sunrise. Looks like it belongs on a postcard.
Beautiful snaps. Happy new year!
As always, you have a great way with photos, just as you have a great way with words. (I could relate to the Santa Monica pictures for my year in review!) Wishing you a wonderful new year.
Kate – love that Santa Monica beach. Spent a lot of time there on my last trip out to LA.
alli – It was an amazing sunrise!! Felt so lucky to have witnessed it.
‘dad’s chair.’ Geez, that really hit me square in the gut. I’ve been hauling my dad’s chair around from apartment to apartment since he died in ’75. Still the only one I have…or really want.
But the rest of these shots, sheila…great capturing of light.
Or as Ingmar Bergman called it…”the gentle, dangerous, dreamlike, living, dead, clear, misty, hot, violent, bare, sudden, dark, springlike, falling, straight, slanting, sensual, subdued, limited, poisonous, calming, pale light. Light.”
Could he have been writing about you and your camera?
Yep.
The shots of Brendan and Cashel KILL me!!!!
Beautiful! Here’s to a Happy New Year and more photos.
Phil – wow, that is an amazing quote from Bergman about light. What is that from??
Thank you.
oops…forgot the source…it’s from his autobiography The Magic Lantern (1989).
Okay, that is one I have not read. There’s so much I haven’t read and at times it fills me with despair! I’m in such a rush. It sounds wonderful.