Welcome, Autumn. I've Been Waiting For You!

Water Lily Look Alikes in White Plains, NY

Taken in White Plains, NY on May 22, 2013.

Taken White Plains, NY on May 22, 2013.

Outside of the Deli

Taken in Pleasantville, NY on April 30, 2013.

Go Home, Tree. You're Drunk!

Taken at Pace University Pleasantville, NY on April 25, 2013.

[PHOTOGRAPHY] Sleepy Hollow, NY / Tarrytown, NY

Last Spring, I was a student teacher at Sleepy Hollow Middle School. After being let out early one beautiful March day, I decided to snap some pictures as I walked to the bus stop.
Some quick info about Sleepy Hollow:

This legendary and very beautiful village, steeped in folklore and immortalized by Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", boasts several world famous landmarks including Philipsburg Manor, the Old Dutch Church and the Rockefeller Family Estate Kykuit. Once called North Tarrytown, the name was officially changed to Sleepy Hollow in 1996.
http://www.sleepyhollowny.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=130&Itemid=194

Onto the pictures. I chose of few of my favorites to share. Hope you like them. Please leave your comments and critiques in the comments.

This was the first shot I took that day and I think a welcoming sign is apt as a first shot. Love how the sign frames the window of whatever that structure is.

I call this one…”Tree”. lol

Bend in the road. I like how the trees frame the road on both sides.

I wasn’t sure whether or not to include this. But the same something that made me take the shot, made me want to share it. It’s the contrast in the two trees. They’re so different and yet they share the same lawn. Some philosophical meaning can definitely be found in that. Maybe. Or it can just be a pretty picture.

Pretty building. Love the shade of red brick. And the strong looking trees seeming to guard it.

Pretty church. With it’s pointy end pointing to the sky. I know there’s a proper name for it, but I’m feeling too lazy at the moment to solicit the help of my best pal Google Inc.

Another angle of the same pretty red brick building. Again the trees. This time you can see all three of them. I think three is a special number…has power.

Yet another angle. I don’t know if this works well or not, or what I was even striving for. But I don’t think it’s too bad.

That’s all for now. Again, comments are always appreciated.

Until next time,

Tuma

Bird on Rock - Central Park - Mid July

One more that I want to share. Close up of a bird I saw at Central Park. I like the clash of color around the bird, the gray of the rock and the greenish-yellow of the pond (or weird stuff in pond. Is it algae or something? Have no clue.). The quality of the pic isn't too good. I must have shook the camera as I took the shot. Didn't have a chance to re-take cause we know birds are not tied down to the land. lol

Well, without further adieu... Bird on Rock.

Until Next Time,
Tuma

Gal in Tree (yes, I suck at titles, bite me!) - Central Parl - Mid July

Last one for today, folks!

The gal is the picture is my little sis. She's 8. We'd gone to the park together after a trip at the museum. Lemme tell ya, just as she got into that tree and I took the shot, a park ranger came up and we got into trouble! lol Totally worth it though. You might find it interesting to know that there was an odd, old guy in the background, but I Photoshopped him out. I rarely edit my pics, but I decided he wasn't interesting enough to keep! lol

Until next time,
Tuma

P.S. I think this signature is even harder to find, but not too hard. Can you do it? :)

Rainbow of Flowers - Central Park - Mid July

Hey again!

Here's photo number 2 for today.

The following photo was also taken in Central Park, on the same day (actually all three of the pictures I'm posting today were taken on same beautiful summer day). What I like best about this is the smorgasbord of color and texture! You have the dark plum leaves in the lower left corner, splash of red whatevers in the upper left, light pink in center, light blue off center right, and plain green in the upper right.

Later,
Tuma

*P.S. Can you find my signature in this one? xD*

Flower Close up - Central Park - Mid July

Hello World!

It's been a while, but as you can see I'm still alive and kicking...barely. School is totally KICKING (and yes, it had to be both capitalized and italicized!) my ass! Who knew being an Education major would be so tough. I mean our own high school teachers never seemed too impressive, right?Who would have thunk that they'd gone through four years of hell?

Anyway, on to business. Semi-new photos. New as in you've never seen them before (DUH), but they've been sitting on my hard drive forever. Finally got around to small edits and copyrighting them bad boys.

Below is a closeup of a pink flower I shot at Central Park (I love that place!). I'm no botanist, so I have no clue what type of flower, I just know that it's pretty and pink (my fave color). And the shot is what I believe to be a good one. The color of the flower is sharp and bright and nicely focused and the unfocused background helps to enhance it. The shadows are also a nice touch, I think.

Also, I don't know if you'll notice or not, but I've started blending my signature (i.e copyright) into the photos, so that you have look hard for them. I figured this way, they don't distract from the image. Can you find it in this one? Not too hard, just think green. ^__^

As always, comments and critics are welcome!

Laters,
Tuma

*Two more photos to share after this one, at least that's the plan*

Statues–White Plains, NY.

Hello All!

I know, I know. It’s been FOREVER since I last posted any new pics. That’s not to say I haven’t been taking photos, because that’s IMPOSSIBLE. Just a little busy with a teeny bit of laziness thrown in. lol

Without further adieu, some sculpture/statues I found while wandering in downtown White Plains after work one day.

 

 

Expect more soon! I took a bunch of flower shots that I can’t wait to share! WHOO HOO!

Love,

Tuma

Hearst Tower - NYC

 

Author’s Note: Think of this as a funky apartment building, even though it’s the Hearst Tower in NYC. I’ve always had an interest in other people’s home life. I’m curious about the things that happen behind other’s close doors. Do the siblings fight as much as I do with mine? Do the parents get along or do they fight? Etc etc. I guess you could say, I’m just nosy as hell! Below is the first of a series of dabbles I'm planning on writing about. We'll see if I actually get to all of 'em! ^____^ Enjoy as always. And please do comment.

Room 102: Father comes home from work and finds his small children are home all alone.

He turns the key and unlocks the door, shouldering his way in, hands full of his briefcase and a bag of treats for the children. As soon as he steps inside, he feels that something is wrong. The silence is out of place for a home with 3 children, ages two, five and six. The usual sounds of Liz finishing up dinner, Kate playing house with her dolls, Mike having a wild police chase with his matchbox cars and Sammie tottering to greet his “da da” aren’t present. A strange and sudden fear grips his heart as he drops his bags at the door and begins calling their names. “Liz… Katie, where are you darling?” “Michael… Sam, can you boys hear me?” With each repetition of their names, his anxiety quickly transforms to panic, making it harder to draw a breath. Suddenly, he stops and sharply turns his head. He’s heard something…a muffled sniffle coming from the Master bedroom. He slowly makes his way inside, straining to hear something… anything, as he stands still in the center of the room. There, he hears it again. The muffled sound of someone afraid of being heard is coming from the walk-in closet. He walks over cautiously with one hand outstretched to grab hold of the knob and slowly inches the door open. The sight revealed to him, is one that grabs him by the heart and squeezes painfully. His Kate, his Mike and his Sam—are huddled together on the floor of the closet with tear-tracks staining each of their beautiful faces. “D-daddy,” his oldest Kate says brokenly. “Mommy… mommy left”. And she begins to cry, her little brothers following her lead. And that’s when he notices the vastness of the half-empty closet open before him. As his children cry and his own tender heart breaks, he comes to the realization that the large partly empty closet, in which the four of them are huddled, is filling up—with the sorrow of children losing their mother and a man losing his wife, the confusion and anger of her leaving without a word, the fear of something having happened to the kids, the love he has for his children and the strength to go on because of that love.

 

“Home is a name, a word, it is a strong one; stronger than magician ever spoke, or spirit ever answered to, in the strongest conjuration.” -Charles Dickens

 

Photograph © Fatuma Hydara 2009, NY.

Short Story © Fatuma Hydara, 2011.

Huddled on a flattened cardboard box and wrapped in old blankets, I try to sleep to no avail. Asleep, the hunger pangs will be less crippling. Asleep, I can dream and pretend that nothing has changed. Asleep, I am in my 3-bedroom apartment on Madison. It’s nearly Christmas and the tree’s decorated with countless ornaments in red, green, silver and gold. There’s popcorn strings and strings of light, all topped with a beautiful shining angel. I’m on the couch and “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is playing on a 60 inch flat screen. It’s my daughter’s favorite movie and she’s tucked underneath my left arm, partly in my lap and half asleep. My lovely, beautiful wife is on my right. As close as can be allowed, her thigh is touching mine and her head is lying on my shoulder. I feel the warmth of her thigh against mine, her left hand in my right and her small puffs of breath softly grazing my neck. The warmth spreads through every cell in my body and makes me feel alive.

I gently smile in my sleep, just before the dream changes. Now, there’s screaming, arguing, accusations, words I don’t want to hear. I work too hard. I never spend time with them. There’s another woman. I want a divorce. She takes everything from me—my little girl, the house, the car, but most of all the warmth. I begin dying slowly inside without the warm contentment. And the final, piercing blow to my already cold heart—joining the ranks of the unemployed.

From there, it’s a nauseating roller coaster ride through emptying my saving, moving to a much smaller apartment and beginning the job hunt. The confidence that I’d be employed soon made way for an anxiety as the bills came more frequently than the phone rang. Then depression as I realized I truly had nothing—no family, no job, no money, no life. Three months soon turned into six, which turned into a year. By then, it was too late. My savings were gone and the unemployment checks were not enough to continue paying rent. I was on the streets.

I wake suddenly and for a few seconds, I believe that the lights reflecting off the glass doors are red, green, silver and gold and I feel warm. Soon, the cold seeps into the cushion of warmth left by my dreams, dispelling them and I’m jolted back into my harsh reality. I am invisible, insubstantial. I am one of the city’s homeless.

"Mother Nature Capture" by Fatuma Hydara (me)

Author's Note: This was written AGES ago. Senior year of high school to be exact. In my Advanced Placement English class, as we studied the Romantics.

I peek with the view finder,

Excited of what could be seen.

In my little square of sight,

I see all I intend to see.

Freshly grown grass, greener and brighter

Than any I’ve ever perceived.

Tree trunks thick and brown,

 with life within its leaves.

Little red birds gliding beneath,

a vivid blue sky, the clash of color startling.

A rabbit peeps from its borrow,

Wary of hidden prey.

With my lens I zoom in 20X,

And behold the life closer to the ground.

Millions of ants, in search of food

For their all-mighty queen.

My camera clicks and clicks,

As I capture nature’s beauty for myself.

Photos & Writing Dabbles

Hey guys!

I thought I'd try something new today. In addition to being a photography, I also like to think myself a writer! haha It was like 4am last Saturday night (or morning), when the 100 watt light bulb in the head lit up brightly. Couldn't I put my two loves together--writing and photography, by writing dabbles, short narratives to accompany my photos? Below is the trial run for this idea and this isn't quality work, just short and fun!


Photo & Dabble #1: B&W photograph taken & developed in an Intro to B&W Photography course that I took in Fall 2010.

She stood there waiting –still and lost in thought, allowing the world to continue moving without notice. Her body have remained firmly in the present, as she waited for the next train home, but her mind and memories had drifted to a time long past. She daydreamed of a different reality—of a happier, freer time full of bright laughter. She relived years of joyful births, of sigh-worthy first and sixth loves of her life, of heart-wrenching loss and pangs of longing. The train rushed into the station, she blinked and the visions cleared, jolting her back into reality. With a deep breath and a smile full of so many conflicting emotions, she pushes her cart full of groceries for tonight’s dinner through the closing doors and continued onward as there were more vital memories yet to make.

 Photo & Dabble #2: Digital Pic of a flower. Taken as I walked to Chelsea Piers in NY on 4/25/2011.

Taking a deep breath, she smiled. Underneath the soft floral scent of the flower, she could smell the annoyance, then the guilt. She could sense the bit of anxiety as “Testosterone meets “Flora”. She could almost picture the scene—the sudden sight of the red & yellow flower and knowing it was perfect; the rush to the counter and the exchange of money for product; the dash to her office; sneaking it onto her desk and the hurried note with two simple words—“Sorry, Babe”. And she smiled again.

Well, that it for now! As always please comment and tell me what you think! Ciao!

Picnik: Using for the first time!

Today, a friend of mine introduced me to Picnik.com. I've never been one to edit my photos preferring to leave as taken, but I decided to play around with Picnik. Below are before and after pictures:

BEFORE editing (i.e. Original Photo):

 

 

As you can see, it's some red fishies in some dirty looking water. Not a very impression shot.

AFTER editing (i.e. Picnik Edited):

And this.... is the Picnik edited version! Looks cool, huh? Doesn't it look like some sort of sinister demon shadow thingie in the right side of the photo? haha And the red fishies look like..... I dunno, but they no longer look like just fish!

We'll until next time!
Fatuma :)

Random Shots!

Here are a couple of pictures. They don't really have a theme, hence the title of this post! :)

 

New York City- 42nd Street, 8th Avenue

City College - New York, NY

 

Hmm....I really like this picture. There's something about the black crow (I'm assuming it's a crow. What do I know about bird species *shrugs*) amongst the semi-brightly lit leaves. Some sort of juxtaposition of ... light and dark? Life and death (crows are usually seen as bad omens)?It's almost like the crow is lying in wait....but for what?

 

HAHA This one makes me laugh because I remember how ridiculous I looked while taking it. I wanted the shot, but was afraid of getting stung by the bee. I would get close, prepare to take the shot..the stupid thing would flutter causing me to nearly have multiple heart attacks and then I'd go try again!

 

Pleasantville, NY. God, I really love these stone stairs! But I have mixed feelings about this shot. I don't know whether to be pissed the shot was crooked (taken as I was practically running by trying to catch the train on time), or amused that the crookedness gives both the stairs and house a bit of character.... hmm.... :)

Til next time folks!!

FLOWERS!

I've always had what you'd call a "thing" for flowers. They attract me intensely with their colors, shapes, and beauty. Below are a few flower themed pics I've taken over the last year or so. ENJOY!

 These were taken in Central Park, New York.

 Again Central Park, NY.

 Central Park, NY

 Pleasantville, NY

Taken near the Metro North Train Station near my school (Pace U.)

 Also, Pleasantville, NY.

From Pville also!

Two Libraries are better than one!

This is a pic of my college campus, Pace University (Pleasantville, NY). I love how the Library is reflected somewhat in the pond.

Condemned Building: Bronx, NY

Another final print from my Intro to Photography course. This is a favorite fave of mine! ^___^ What do you think?

NYC Subway

This semester I'm taking an Intro to Photography course. It's a Black & White film photography course and this is one of my final prints. What'd ya think?