Main staircase of the McKim Building, Boston Public Library, Boston, USA

weekly update 010 - 2016-12-19 - A farewell to Boston

December 19, 2016

This week marks the end of my showcase of last year's trip to the USA, namely to the cities of New York, Chicago and of course Boston. And to finish things off on a high, nothing better than sharing the inside of the McKim Building of the Boston Public Library. Founded in 1848, it contains 23 million items that range from books to DVDs, maps to microfilm and music scores. It's main two buildings are the Johnson building, opened in 1972, and the gorgeous McKim building which opened in 1895 pictured here.

And I'll leave you with a different version of the same picture I showcased when I was there, the George Washington statue at the Public Garden on a cloudy afternoon. Passing through these gardens became my favourite part of the day during our short stay in town. Hope to come back for a visit soon.

Since I'm flying back to Portugal for the Holidays, expect some nice shots from the westernmost country in Europe, which I called home for most of my life. Until then, enjoy the season with your loved ones, and indulge on your favourite treats.
See y'all next week.
APN

George Washington Statue at the Public Garden, Boston, USA

weekly update 009 - 2016-12-12 - Boston's Statues tour

December 11, 2016

This week we will be going over some of the most interesting, or more important, statues in the Boston area. Unfortunately I didn't have all the time I wanted to go looking for more as it is one of my favorite urban subjects to capture, but I manage to capture an interesting mix of styles. Above you can see part of the "Irish Famine Memorial" unveiled in 1998 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Great Famine that ravaged through Ireland in the 19th century, that led to the mass migration with Boston becoming home to a massive Irish community.
Below you can see the 8 foot bronze statue of Benjamin Franklin standing in front of Boston's elaborate French Second Empire-style Old City Hall. The statue is actually older than the building, being in this place since 1856, but the building was erected in 1874 after an earlier fire devastated this part of town 2 years earlier. Besides him is the top of the "Soldiers and Sailors Monument", located on the beautiful Boston Common Garden, and is dedicated to the Soldiers and Sailors of the Civil War.

Above you can see one of the most interesting Public Artworks I've seen so far, it is created by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa, and it is formed of numeric symbols arranged in the shape of a person sitting. And the Bobby Orr statue that has since moved to a new location, but continues to grace the TD Garden grounds.

I'll leave you with one of the funniest sculptures I found at Boston, at the Common Garden you can find a scattering of frogs that belong, and celebrate, the greatly named Tadpole Playground.

Next week will be the last post dedicated to Boston, and since I'll be travelling to Portugal for Christmas I will try to share with you some of the sights of my country of birth.
Until then, be merry and enjoy the cold weather :)
APN

Fishing Frogs of Tadpole Playground, Boston, USA

weekly update 008 - 2016-12-05 - a taste of Boston's architecture

December 1, 2016

This week I will be focussing on some of the buildings I found interesting in Boston. Some are historic landmarks, which I had put on my list to photograph, others just caught my eye while I was passing them by. Point in case is the first photo of this post, the facade of the Omni Parker House Hotel. Of which I knew nothing at the time, but now know to be the longest continuously operating hotel in the United States, built in 1927 on the same site as the Parker House Hotel that had been operating since October 1855. It is currently under study for becoming a Boston Landmark, but at the time it was the ornate golden entrance that made me photograph it.
On the other hand, I was intent on capturing the beautiful Old City Hall building, and the historic Old State House, pictured below. You can also find a detail of the Boston Public Library facade, and the Trinity Episcopal Church.

The Old State House is a historic building built in 1713, it was the seat of the Massachusetts General Court until 1798, and is one of the oldest public buildings in the United States. One of the landmarks on Boston's Freedom Trail, it is the oldest surviving public building in Boston.
Boston's Old City Hall was home to its city council from 1865 to 1969. It was one of the first buildings in the French Second Empire style to be built in the United States.
Trinity Church is a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts. The congregation, currently standing at approximately 3,000 households, was founded in 1733. The church is home to several high-level choirs, including the Trinity Choir, Trinity Schola, Trinity Choristers, and Trinity Chamber Choir. The building is currently under study for becoming a Boston Landmark.
The Boston Public Library McKim Building (built 1895) in Copley Square contains the library's research collection, exhibition rooms and administrative offices. When it opened in 1895, the new Boston Public Library was proclaimed a "palace for the people." The building includes lavish decorations, a children's room (the first in the nation), and a central courtyard surrounded by an arcaded gallery in the manner of a Renaissance cloister.

Next week I’ll be showing some of the most interesting statues and street art that I captured in Boston and Cambridge, in what should probably be the last post dedicated to this fine city.

Until we meet again,
APN

weekly update 007 - 2016-11-28 - welcome to Cambridge, MA

November 28, 2016

This week I have a more image heavy post, I blame it on the architecture of Cambridge, MA. Also on the fact that we got to spend a wonderful sunny day, although still very cold, walking around some of the most revered and well-known universities in America. As many of you may know, Cambridge is home to the Harvard university and the MIT. Starting the day at the Harvard station of the Red Line of "The T", as the MBTA is also known, which has a mid 20th-century vibe and is dominated by the crimson color of the Harvard University.

Walking over to Harvard Yard, the oldest part of the Harvard University and it's historical heart, you can find the statue of John Harvard under a big USA flag. John Harvard was an English minister in America, "a godly gentleman and a lover of learning", is properly considered one of the founders of Harvard College mainly due to his deathbed bequest of half his monetary estate and more importantly leaving his scholar library of more than 300 titles. Strolling around in the, usually grassy, Harvard Yard does feel like walking around a place steeped in heritage. I would suggest that after wandering around the university grounds, you should head down to the riverside and have a look at the old student houses, like the McKinlock Hall picture above. On the way there try and find the Harvard Lampoon Building, an historic building that is best known as the home of The Harvard Lampoon, an undergraduate humor publication founded in 1876, and for its unusual design including the blue and yellow door.

Heading towards the MIT, it is worth paying attention to the buildings along Massachusetts Av., where amongst new buildings you can find some interesting examples of art-deco and the beautifully utilitarian Lafayette Square Fire House. The facade of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, is the most impressive part of the MIT, but I need to go back to have a look around the rest of the campus. Just before you arrive here, do stop at the MIT Museum, at least to have a look at the shop which is full of interesting souvenirs for all science geeks out there.

I'll leave this week with an image of the Charles River, and one of the many bridges that cross it, this is known as the Weeks Footbridge and connects Cambridge with the Allston neighborhood of Boston.
Next week I'll show a brief view of the architecture of Boston, in what should be the penultimate post focusing on the Boston area.

APN

John W. Weeks Bridge over the Charles River, Cambridge, USA

Boston and the Massachusetts Bay from the Skywalk, Boston, USA

weekly update 006 - 2016-11-21 - high above Boston

November 19, 2016

This week's update comes from high above the city of Boston. On the 50th floor of the Prudential Tower you can find one of the best views of Boston, from the Skywalk Observatory.

The photo above shows the downtown area, the Logan International Airport and beyond that all the way to the Massachusetts Bay. The huge tower right in the middle of the shot was known as The Hancock Tower until 2004 when the company that gave its name to the tower moved to new premises. Now officially called "200 Clarendon", it still is known at the Hancock to most of the locals.

Below you can see views of the Charles River, still partially frozen from the harsh Winter. And beyond the waters, you see Cambridge Massachusetts, named after the University of Cambridge in the UK, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. It is known across the world as the home of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University.

I'll leave you with a photo taken at the end of the day, as the sun was setting, which produces wonderfully warm tones even on a cold, cold day. Next week I'll be showing the images from Cambridge.

Until then,
APN

Sunset shines over the George Washington Statue at the Public Garden, Boston, USA

weekly update 005 - 2016-11-14 - Welcome to Boston

November 14, 2016

Arriving at the Logan International Airport, Boston, USA

So after 3 great days in the Chicago, we head off to the historic city of Boston, Massachusetts. With the Logan airport located on a peninsula in the Massachusetts Bay, the approach to the city is a great calling card for the area in which the city is located, surrounded by water on three sides. Continuing with the theme of an extremely cold Spring, we are greeted with lots of snow still hanging around. That is very visible on all the photos from the Boston Common Park, located on the heart of the city, and one of the places I recommend visiting even when covered in snow.

For the first post about Boston, I'm just leaving you with a view of my first impressions. Mainly for the area around the main parks, the Boston Common Park and the Boston Public Garden, which you can see below. Beyond its frozen lake, you can find the original Cheers pub, made famous by the 80's sitcom of the same name. On the coming weeks, I'll be publishing more photos from my days in Boston, including a visit to the Universities of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and also some great views from the top of the Prudential Center building.

Until next week,

APN

The frozen lake of the Boston Public Garden, Boston, USA

#project365 year1 [day 016] going overground

June 17, 2016

The Chicago Loop is the designation for the towns central business district, it's name comes from the elevated railway loop that was built there to facilitate railway traffic bringing workers and goods to the central part of the city. Here it seems I just missed my train...

-- Gear
Fujifilm X-T1
Fujifilm XF18-135mmF3.5-5.6R LM OIS WR
-- Post
Lightroom : Initial tone and final crop.
Photoshop: Clean up and sharpening.
NikCollection Color Efex Pro 4: Toning and Detail extraction.

#project365 year1 [day 015] going underground

June 15, 2016

Thankfully not all trains run overground in Chicago, and there are some fine underground stations like the Lake station pictured here.

-- Gear 
Fujifilm X-T1 Fujifilm 
XF18-135mmF3.5-5.6R LM OIS WR 
-- Post 
Lightroom : Initial tone and final crop. 
Photoshop: Clean up and sharpening. 
NikCollection Color Efex Pro 4: Toning and Detail extraction.

#project365 year1 [day 014] up the stairs

June 14, 2016

External fire escape stairs always fascinated me, maybe because they are such an uncommon sight in european architecture. So when I was in the US I took lots of photos of early 20th century buildings with external metal staircases. This example is from Chicago city center.

-- Gear
Fujifilm X-T1
Fujifilm XF18-135mmF3.5-5.6R LM OIS WR
-- Post
Lightroom : Initial tone and final crop.
Photoshop: Clean up and sharpening.
NikCollection Color Efex Pro 4: Toning and Detail extraction.

#project365 year1 [day 013]

June 14, 2016

Common view in the Chicago city center, the raised tracks of the "Loop".

-- Gear
Fujifilm X-T1
Fujifilm XF18-135mmF3.5-5.6R LM OIS WR
-- Post
Lightroom : Initial tone and final crop.
Photoshop: Clean up and sharpening.
NikCollection Color Efex Pro 4: Toning and Detail extraction.