Valley Forge Survey - Kennedy Supplee Mansion

I actually started my survey of Valley Forge National Historical Park with the Kennedy-Supplee Mansion. I see this building every time I travel west on US-422 after passing through King of Prussia. I admire the architecture of this mansion that was built in 1855 by Alexander Kennedy, owner of a limestone mine in Port Kennedy, that existed in what is the park today.

Port Kennedy was a thriving industrial village in 1954, built around the limestone mine and the production of lime.

The mansion and First Presbyterian Church of Port Kennedy, are all that remain of the village of Port Kennedy, that today is cut in half by US-422.

In 1978, the National Park Service acquired the mansion through eminent domain. In 1986, the mansion was leased by the National Park Service to Kennedy Supplee Associates LP for fifty-five years. The KSA, LP restored the building and operated it as the Kennedy-Supplee Mansion Restaurant. The private company entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2005. The mansion is now vacant. The grounds are becoming overgrown and the building is showing signs of disrepair.

 Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, HABS [or HAER or HALS], HABS PA,46-POKEN,1--2

In 1959, the National Park Service sponsored a survey of the building by the Washington Office of the Historic American Building Survey. Above is one of the photographs from that survey.

Philadelphia Business Journal by Natalie Kostelni, Staff Writer

Date: Monday, May 29, 2006, 12:00am EDT

In 2005, the Philadelphia Business Journal did a story about the closing of the Kennedy-Supplee Mansion Restaurant in which was included the above photograph. Quite a bit of change can be seen from 1959 to 2005. 

In just seven years, since the closing of the restaurant, nature is taking over.

The details of the ironwork are still in good condition on the exterior of the building.

As appears the interior plaster work. This image was captured by placing the lens directly on the pane of window glass from outdoors because the building is justifiably closed to the public.

The trees are beginning to grow and cover the sign painted on the side of the building visible from US-422. I fear the mansion will be forgotten except by vandals and the occasional photographer. I hope that with the addition of the Valley Forge Casino and Resort within walking distance of the mansion, it will soon be put back to use.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Chestnut Hill Best of Philadelphia Magazine

Philadelphia Magazine

Chestnut Hill, the location of the next dativer photo safari, was just named as having the best Main Street Shopping for 2012.  Come join the photo safari on August 11 starting at 9am and experience Chestnut Hill close-up and personally. For more information about the photo safari write dativersafari@gmail.com

Or stop by Chestnut Hill's FB page to check out what Chestnut Hill has to offer.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Photo Safari - Norristown State Hospital

Postcard image of the administration building

The dativer photo safari for September will be on the grounds of Norristown State Hospital. The first Pa. state hospital constructed in the "cottage" model, interconnected by a system of tunnels. NSH was designed in 1878-1880 by Wilson Brothers and Co.

Many of the buildings are in disrepair and hold a great deal of photographic opportunities - rusted iron, weeds growing out of everything and ivy covered walls. 

If you wish to become a better photographer, the relaxed atmosphere of this photo safari will be a great no-stress venue to learn.

Join the dativer safari on Sunday September 16 from 5:30pm - 7:30pm at Norristown State  Hospital. The timing will be just right for sunset.

What is a photo safari? It is a group of photographers on a walk in an interesting location accompanied by qualified photographer guides. Photographer guides supply tips on composition, lighting and exposure and customize the session to your level of photographic skills.


Learn to create better photographs while exploring the historic Norristown State Hospital grounds on Sunday, September 16, starting at 5:30pm.

For more information write to dativersafari@gmail.com or call 484-433-2282 today.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Photo Safari - Ninth St Italian Market, Philadelphia

The Italian Market in South Philadelphia has to be one of the most colorful areas in the city.  Colorful enough to film a few Rocky segments. 

Rocky Movie Locations

An open air market of stalls selling fruit, vegetables, live poultry, seafood and clothing, combined with indoor shops of cheese, meats, spices and of course restaurants defines the Italian Market. Although some of the Italian flavor now has Latino and Asian overtones, it remains just as colorful. When you add in the odors and genuine characters that work there, the sum is what makes the Italian Market a wondrous place to visit and photograph.

To give you a small tour and taste of the market, there is a two hour photo safari planned along the Italian Market in South Philadelphia on Sunday, July 22, starting at 9am.

The photographers will gather near Geno's Steaks at the corner of Passyunk Ave and Ninth Street. The safari will step off heading north towards Christian Street stopping along the way to capture photographic images. Guidance for creating better compositions, exposure and camera use will be customized to each attending photographer. At the other end of the market the group will have the opportunity to stop for a sandwich and a drink with Q and A continuing for an hour.

The images in this post (except for Rocky) were captured at the market last Monday. Monday is the only day of the week when most of the shops are closed. None the less, there were several opportunities for photographs.


Come on down and join us in South Philly for what will be a memorable photo safari. Contact:dativersafari@gmail.com

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Mana de Creveaur Greeting Cards

I created several greeting cards from images created at my recent photo session with Mana de Creeaur.  As of 22Sept2011 they are awaiting approval.  Soon, you will be able to see them at my storefront, www.greetingcarduniverse.com/dativer

If you have any suggestions for greeting cards and inside verses using my images on this page, please leave a comment.  I will treat you to any card in my store if I use your suggestion. 

As an aside, you may always change the inside verse of any card on the Greeting Card Universe site.

Circe Invidiosa - The Irony

You may know the story behind the JW Waterhouse painting Circe Invidiosa, if not let me cut to the chase.

The sorceress (Circe) is furious (Glaucus has refused to become Circe's lover) and decides to take revenge, not on Glaucus, whom she decides she loves, but on the innocent Scylla. Circe Invidiosa (jealous Circe) prepares a terrible potion and pours it in the grotto where Scylla goes to bathe. As soon as Scylla steps into the pool, the 'water around her groin erupts with yelping monsters'. Seven dogs' heads rise snarling out of the sea. Scylla screams and tries to slap them away. But every blow causes her pain because they are part of her. Her lower limbs have become horrible man-eating dogs.

I was using the JW Waterhouse painting as inspiration for my own photographs.  I mixed up a batch of lemon-lime Kool-Aid, representing the potion whipped up by Circe, which was poured into the pond that was teaming with life.  Life ranging from large frogs and goldfish to invisible microbes feeding on animal and plant wastes.  In the course of the photography session, I fell into the stream of pond water and cut my elbow.  Not much blood exited the wound but a threshold was created.  Mana, the model, and I finished the session wet and having the odor of the pond emanating from our bodies.

As I worked the next day, I felt hot.  I was constantly drinking water, as if to put out the fire.  I didn't have access to a thermometer but I was sure I had a fever.  My elbow as quite swollen and the area from my elbow to my wrist was warm, really warm.  I knew I had a bacterial infection.  Experience!  I took some anti-inflammatory pills before bed.  I needed to seek professional medical attention the next day.  I just finished the ten day supply of antibiotics.

So there I was photographing the scene in which a sorceress is poisoning a pond so that monsters will replace the lower half of an unsuspecting female foe when she baths in the water.  Contrastingly, I had a model pour unsweetened Kool-Aid, some people may call poison, into the water of a pond.  I then cut myself when I fell into the pond water, monsters then entered my body and began to poison my blood.

Ironic, wouldn't you say?

Circe Invidiosa VII

In case you don't remember the last post, let me set the scene for you.  I was in the middle of a photography session with a young beautiful female model at an outdoor location.  I had slipped on wet rocks at the bottom of a waterfall that was supplied water from a murky, life filled pond.  I was wet and spotted with pond muck.  My right elbow was in pain.  I feared that my elbow was bleeding from lacerations I suffered in the fall but wasn't able to see my elbow.  My camera had visible dry spots of pond water on its body and skylight filter.  Mana, the model who voluntarily sat in the stream, was wet with the same pond water but was not injured.  There was a pond smell that emanated from me and probably Mana.

We finished photographing at the second scene and were on our way to the rose garden.  The rose garden had a fountain.  In the center of the fountain was a sculpture of a child holding an umbrella overhead.  Around the pond was a red brick border level with the grass.  One section of bricks was covered with moss.  Earlier in the day, before Mana arrived, I watched two large frogs jump into the fountain and disappear under the lilly pads.  

The sun found its way out from behind the clouds.  Gone was the soft, low contrast light.  Even with my reflector the sun cast dark shadows in Mana's eye sockets.  Most of the images in the bright sunlight were not good exposures.  It wasn't until I placed Mana with the sun at her back in the shade of tall bushes and using a silver reflector down and to her left that I was able to get acceptable exposures.

By this time my elbow was dripping blood.  A drop or two landed on Mana's back.  I was apprehensive about her reaction.  Some people freak out about blood.  I gingerly wiped off the drops of blood with my bandana as I explained to her what I was doing.  She wasn't at all apprehensive about my blood.

I am never alarmed at the sight of blood.  Even my own.  I am able to remain calm in health emergencies.  Maybe I should have gone to medical school.  Or worked in a slaughter house.

  

Knowing the teaming life that exists in the pond, I was beginning to worry my elbow would get infected.  I am the only bread winner in the family.  I can't afford to be in the hospital.  Four years ago, I spent two days in the hospital with blood poisoning.  I had waited four days after a puncture wound to get medical attention.  Once the pain and swelling reached alarming amounts I went to a hospital emergency room for treatment.  There were bags hanging and IVs in my arm within an hour.  (Did I say I was reckless with my safety?)  

  

As we worked near the fountain, Mana entered the water.  I think she likes being in water.  She was leaning against the brick border when she felt something between her leg and the wall of the fountain.  It was one of the large frogs trying to squeeze through.  She wasn't alarmed, just initially startled at its touch.  

I wish I had made an exposure of that incident.  At the time, I wasn't thinking about entries in a blog.  I need to change my thinking now that I am blogging.  At one point during our time at the fountain, I slipped on the mossy bricks and my left foot went to the bottom of the fountain.  I swear it seemed as though my shoe was full of tadpoles.  It wasn't, just full of water.  That was another photo op missed.

My first images of the photo session were captured at 12:37 and we called it quits at 14:05, almost four hours later.  Tempus fugit.  I packed all the equipment and props into my car.  I had Mana sign a model release and paid her cash in return for the release.  Paying a model for the release frees me to do as I wish with the images.  We discussed working together in early autumn on a project of hers.  The theme will be The Legion of Sleepy Hollow.  I obtained her email address in order to send her a link where she could download copies of the qualified images after post-processing.  We each went our own way.  For me, I needed a drink.  Water, iced tea or root beer would hit the spot.  

www.wawa.com

I headed to Wawa, a local chain of convenience stores, before heading home.  I was wet, soiled, swollen and scabbing over.  My right knee and elbow were throbbing.  I must have looked a sight and I know there was the pond odor.  At my age I don't care what people think of me.  I needed something to drink and I was going amongst people to get one.  Ten days later my car stills smells of pond water.

Circe Invidiosa VI

I prefer to have an assistant at my photography sessions.  An assistant saves time and effort.  Something I appreciate.  I arranged for an assistant at this photo session but my assistant didn't show.  I should have prepared for the possibility of a no-show.  That was reckless.  You think I would have learned to be prepared by age 60.  Maybe not.


Let's take a look at this session with an assistant in mind.  If my assistant was present, I would not need to leave my camera position and walk atop the stone wall surrounding the small pool that supplies the waterfall, duck under a low hanging tree branch, drop down off the wall several feet onto gnarled tree roots, duck under another low hanging tree branch, across very soft wet grass to the model to rearrange her wardrobe or top off the poison in the bowl.   Only to return via the same route.  Knowing I didn't have an the assistant, I kept my trips to a minimum.  But wish I had made more adjustments to the wardrobe, props and reflector.  But, I had to compromise.  


Once I felt I had enough exposures at scene one, Mana and I decided to move on to scene two, the falls.  Here again an assistant would help with moving equipment and props.  An assistant would also help keep the scene safe.

I am always thinking of safety.  I served on the safety committee for 25 of the 34 year construction job.  I especially didn't want Mana to be injured.  To help Mana to the top of the falls, I put my camera down in the grass and walked around the stone wall at the top of the falls to her location, the brightly lit grassy spot in the above image.  I led Mana over the wet grass, under the low hanging branch, over the gnarled tree roots, under another low tree branch, up onto the stone wall and around to that stone on the right of the falls, as seen above.  She took position there and knowing she was safe, I returned to my camera.  Then I proceeded to the grassy area seen in foreground above.

I made close to 100 exposures with Mana on top of the same rock when she expressed a desire to move down to a lower rock.  I agreed but was apprehensive of the possible danger with such a move.  Again, I didn't want her to get hurt.  Pain is not a pleasant experience.  Not in my experience.  Of the thirty-four years I worked in construction, I lost a full two years to work place injuries that resulted in broken bones, lacerations, torn cartilage and ligaments.  I didn't want my beautiful young model to experience that because of something I could prevent.  So, I put my camera down on the grass and carefully looked down as I stepped out across the wet rocks in the stream to help Mana move down 3'- 4' to a lower wet rock.  She made it down as sure footed as a mountain goat.  I turned again looking down, I carefully stepped back across the tops of the wet rocks in the stream, took up my camera and continued making digital exposures.

Once I saw Mana in the new position, new ideas for poses emerged in my head.  I now needed to change my position to get lower, higher, wider or closer points of view.  

For one of my images I needed to cross the wet rocks again to change my point of view.  I didn't put the camera down on the grass this time because I needed it to make more exposures.  I looked down at the stream bed and made the correct choices as I carefully stepped across the wet rocks to change my position.  I exposed another twenty or thirty images from that point of view.  At that point I had the images I imagined and decided to return to the grass for a more distant point of view.  Without looking down (this is the place to mutter under your breath, your choice of derogatory terms) I turned slipped and lost my balance.


I wish I had a video camera set up to record my photography adventure.  I surely would have won the $10,000.00 in the weekly Americas' Funniest Home Videos contest.  I must have looked ridiculous.


As I fell, several thoughts raced through my mind like two motorcyclists in a steel globe at the circus.  The preeminent thought was to protect my camera.  A new camera cost about $2,000.00.  Money I don't have.  My youngest is in college and I still have co-signed loans I am paying off for my eldest.  Another thought was that at this moment I have a model in front of me and I wish to continue with this photo session.  Thoughts I placed in the rear of my steel globe were thoughts of pain, swelling, broken bones and blood with the need for ice to follow.  I knew they would make themselves known without any thinking on my part and I hate ice.


The injuries started when my right inner thigh smashed into a rock just above my knee.  The very same spot that has bunched muscles from a job site fall with an extension ladder that also bunched the muscle in my upper-outer thigh of the same leg.  I then bumped the outside of my left calf near the shin bone on a totally different rock.  That resulted in an abrasion.  But by far, my right elbow took the hardest impact with several lacerations that continued down my forearm.


Let's step back a moment and I will try and paint this picture.  There I was, on my back above the steam on several large wet rocks trying to keep my water splashed camera out of the muck.  Think of a 60 year old khaki turtle, on its back with two water soluble thousand dollar bills which he needs for groceries, in its right front claw.  His shell is glistening with pond water and spotted with slime, moss and aquatic animal excretions.  That was me.


Immediately, Mana let out a gasp followed instantaneously with an inquiry as to my health.  Me being stoic, my sore knee jerk response was, "I'm alright.  I'm OK.  I'm wet and conscious and no blood.  I'm OK."

Actually, I wasn't alright.  My elbow hurt and I thought it might be bleeding and or broken, at least chipped.  I got to my feet from the embarrassing position and onto the grass, with the grace of an upside-down turtle righting itself.  I used the bandana that I always carry to wipe my elbow.  There were no visible blood stains.  I wiped the pond water, teaming with life, from my arms, hands, face and head.  The bandana is no towel and left my skin damp and pants, shirt and shoes soaking wet.  I went back to the task at hand, for I still had 2 GB of memory and three hours of sun remaining.


Maybe, this would not have happened if an assistant were present.  Maybe not.  Looking back over my life I tend to be reckless with my own safety.  You would think that by age 60, I would have learned to be less reckless.  Maybe not.

Circe Invidiosa V

The weather forecast for the day of the photography session was of overcast sky with a chance of rain.  I didn't mind the overcast part of the forecast.  Rain is something we didn't and still don't need here in the Delaware Valley.  This August was the wettest in history with hurricane Irene dumping 5.75" of rain on Aug 27 and 28.  Besides, rain would ruin my day.

Flooding in Manayunk neighborhood of Philadelphia

Actually, an overcast sky is desirable for this location.  The scene I chose for the Circe Invidiosa images was in direct sunlight.  With no overhanging tree branches or a nearby building to hide under or behind, the bright sunlight would be harsh.  An overcast sky will create a soft light because of the large area of clouds lit by the sun.  Light from a large close light source wraps around an object and fills in deep shadows.  Thereby, producing lower contrast ration between the highlights and shadows(the origin of the term soft light).  A clear sky would produce very hard lighting.  This kind of light source produces high contrast ratio between the highlights and shadows(the origin of the term hard light) and specular highlights.  So an overcast sky would be good but, no rain.

In correspondence with Mana, we agreed to meet at Appleford at 11:00.  I paced my day to meet our schedule.  I stopped at Panera Bread for a ham and swiss souffle, a chocolate pastry and large cup of coffee, which I ate and drank as I drove.  (As I sit here and think back, I took a dangerous risk!  I could have spilled my coffee.)  Upon my arrival at Appleford near 11:00, I immediately brushed the pastry crumbs from my shirt front and began to unload my car and set up the first scene.  The sky was overcast with the humidity rising towards an uncomfortable level.  A level when beads of perspiration spontaneously arise from my pores, congregate in large drops then drip down my forehead, nose, forearms and spine.  Not good when wearing eyeglasses.  Good thing I had my contact lenses in.  I walked the props, light stand and reflector over to the scene.  A few 100 yard round trips and my forearms and forehead glistened with non-specular highlights.  I placed the Lemon-Lime unsweetened Kool-Aid and water mixtures in sealed reused 2L Coke and Sprite bottles on the ground near the IKEA bowl and carafe, shear polyester silky chiton that was fused together with black Stitch Witchery and a Harry Potter magic wand pen(to be used to enchant the lemon-lime liquid).

Stitch Witchery

I have carried a large handkerchief, sometimes called a bandana, for most of my life.  I guess it is my working class origins or my 34 year job in construction.  Whatever the reason, it comes in handy for many purposes including, the then needed, mopping of the brow.  (Though I was wearing contacts, sweat still stings the eyes.)  It can also be used for wiping dirt and blood from your arms.  Even if you are not working at a construction job.

In any event, I now waited for Mana.  I took the time to wander the grounds looking for other scenes to use that day.  I noticed large quantities of frogs, tadpoles, gold fish and minnows in the water.  I heard finches, chickadees, cardinals, titmice, robins, blue jays, cat birds and I even spooked a blue heron from the lower pond.   As I walked about glistening and listening, I noticed not one other person enjoying the beautiful jewel that is Appleford.  Such a shame.  I found several scenes and moved some garden furniture to suit my needs.  The day looked promising.  All seemed to be going well and I hoped nothing would ruin my day.