Excited About Silver Linings Oscar Party

I don't watch sports much. I usually only get excited about a local sports team when it makes it to the final series.  I don't go to the cinema much either. I do get excited when a TV show or movie is recorded in or around my home town, Philadelphia. In the past I was so preoccupied with figuring out at which location a scene was filmed in Philadelphia that I didn't get the clues in "The Sixth Sense" that the character, Dr. Malcolm Crowe, Bruce Willis played was dead.

Scene from the movie "The Shooter" filmed before Independence Hall, Philadelphia, PA with my son playing a Secret Service Agent, as an extra.

I also get excited when someone close to me is involved in a movie, show or performance. My son has appeared in a few films staged here in Philadelphia and that excited me. When we sat down and watch any of those movies together, I am unable to pick him out unless the movie is paused and my son actually places his finger on the screen next to his image. No matter how trivial his appearance, I was excited.

My son now works at The Movie Tavern. As a perk he is able to bring two guests to see a movie, free. I have not seen as many movies in one year as I have in the last two months. One of those movies was "Silver Linings Playbook" which was mostly filmed just outside of Philadelphia, in and around Drexel Hill, PA.

I first became aware of the filming of "Silver Linings ..." in October of 2011 through a blog by a Philadelphia movie fan, who has been an extra in several movies. On her blog PhillyFilmGirl she had self shot photographs and video of Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro in and around Drexel Hill and the Llanerch Diner on US 1, 95 E. Township Line Rd during filming.

I know these locations. I ate at the Llanerch Diner. I worked in and around these locations when I built, demolished, maintained and changed billboards for some 34 years. I feel like I own part of this place. So when I go to a movie that is set in my town, I go with a critical eye. I go holding a magnifying glass to the screen with my thinking cap on, in acute mode. I want to figure out where each scene was filmed. I get excited.

Tonight is Oscar night 2013. In the Delaware County Daily Times I read there will be two Oscar parties relating to "Silver Linings Playbook" near the filming locations in Drexel Hill. I got excited.

At this time, there is no local sports team in any finals. There is no one I personally know in any kind of show. There is, however, a movie filmed in the Philadelphia area that relates, a little, to sports that is up for several Oscars. I am excited.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Visit Czerw's a Must Kielbasa Experience

I had a photography assignment in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia late last week. One of my first thoughts, kielbasa, a sausage made of pork, garlic and a few spices stuffed into natural casing, smoked or fresh. When I was a child we bought, ate and hand made kielbasa in our kitchen in South Philadelphia. On this date my thoughts were of kielbasa made by Czerw's on Tilton St., less than a mile from my assignment. A visit to Czerw's is an experience not to be missed.

Photo credit:Google Maps

Just off the I-95 Allegheny Ave exit. No signs direct you. You just need to know how to find the small shop on Tilton St. just south of E. Ontario St. 

The shop is in an honest hard working class neighborhood of small streets lined with row houses, affordable houses and little legal parking.

As you turn the corner onto Tilton St. you get your first whiff of burning wood, burning wood and meat. Less than 100'/30.48m from the corner is the unassuming factory, smokehouse and retail shop of Czerw's from which the appetizing aroma emanates.

There were no lines of people waiting to make a purchase at Czerw's when I visited the last Friday before Thanksgiving. Well, Thanksgiving is not a traditional Polish food holiday. Christmas, Easter those are traditional Polish food holidays. On the weeks leading up to those holidays lines of people flow out the door and down Tilton St. On some days the line turns the corner onto E. Ontario St. as people patiently wait for kielbasa, kabanosa, kiszka, krakowska, perogi, chrischicki and babka.

Upon entering the shop the pungent odor of smoke and meat thickens. Where the sunlight steams through the windows the air appears just slightly blue from the smoke. The meat case captures the majority of my attention. Within are all kinds of sausages draped, coiled and arranged in pans inside the unevenly lit case. There are descriptive labels taped to the glass for each stuffed meat. "Keep the Vampires Away - Smoked Extra Garlic Kielbasa", "Our Hot Kabanos aka Hot Sticks", "'Our Hotter Than Hell' - Hot Sausage Links -'For Those That Like It Hot' ". All a great help to the uninitiated.

In a separate vertical refrigerated case are pirogies. Some pirogies are filled with traditional fillings of potato, potato and cheese, sauerkraut and meat with onions and mushrooms. The Kielbasy Boys, which the Czerw boys call themselves have creatively fused their line of Polish foods with other cuisines. Existing in Philadelphia, just 6 miles/9.6K from Pat's King of Steaks, the Boys fill pirogies with cheese steak. Other creative fillings are bacon and cheddar, pepperoni and cheddar, Cajun chicken and Buffalo chicken. I've tasted them all and recommend each and every flavor.

The Boys recommend warming their perigees in a deep puddle of butter in a frying pan. Diced onions may be added to the butter to increase the savoy flavor. If you are like me and don't like them crispy, heat them over low heat in a covered pan until they are just warm.

I asked permission to photograph the meat case for this blog. Upon hearing that, I was offered the opportunity into the work area to see a new fire that was recently started. Being a polite person, I couldn't refuse.

The room was dark for photography without a flash but I was able to capture the fire in a brick stall where the meat was to be smoked. Stacks of apple and cherry wood were close at hand in wheeled carts. Immersed in smoke near the wood fire with hanging meat nearby, I could hardly appear polite for very long. I desired meat. I needed smoked meat.

Back in the shop I purchased four dozen perigees - cheese steak, Buffalo chicken and cheese and potato. I also purchased three pounds smoked kielbasa and one pound smoked Cajun kielbasa wrapped in individual pound packages. Two of the four packages will be presents for friends out in the Valley Forge area. Friends who don't get into Philadelphia much. Friends in need of a kielbasa fix.

There were other items for sale in the shop including pickled green tomatoes and Zayda's prepared horseradish. I bought some Zayda's but my desire to eat some kielbasa drove me to leave the shop. Once in my car I snapped off a chunk of the kielbasa. The heady odor of smoky meat and garlic filled my nostrils and taxed the Fabreze deodorizer in my car. My desire was fulfilled. My need vanquished by smoke, meat and garlic.

Although the food that Czerw's produces is great, a visit to the shop is a must experience, I promise, you will never forget.

LINKS

Czerw's

Port Richmond

Kielbasa

©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

Greater Philadelphia Photo Safari

Last post was about a flea market/auction I visited early July 2012. That place got me to thinking about 

1. my knowledge of such locations that are loaded with photographic opportunities
2. my desire to share photographic knowledge with other photographers to help them create better images
3. my love of food

After a few hours of additional thinking, I combined those three thoughts into one package.

So, on Sunday 22 July I will be leading my first group of photographers on a photo safari though an interesting location in Philadelphia. What, you may be asking yourself, is a photo safari? Let me elucidate.

A photo safari is a walk with a loaded camera. A safari, if you will, to create (place the word shoot here, if you must) photographs while being guided by qualified photographers. During the safari the photographer guides will supply tips on composition, lighting and exposure: how to stalk and shoot your prey (again, if you must). Your guide will customize the session to your level of photographic skills. If you wish to become a better photographer, the relaxed atmosphere of a photo safari is a great no stress venue to learn.

The safari will begin with introductions of the safari attendees and the photographer guides. As the group enters the wilds, the guides will help each photographer sharpen their photographic skills, help with camera knowledge and operation while answering questions that may arise at the moment. When the safari ends, members of the group will have the option to stop for a drink, some food and a period of Q and A. Later, the participants will be able to upload your photographic trophies from the safari to a private website for critique by peers and the photographer guides.

The main goal of dativer safaris is to uncover and develop your photographic skills. The fact that you will be exposed to colorful areas of the greater Philadelphia area and their signature foods will be what make these adventures clearly different than any other photo safaris being offered.

If you miss even one dativer safari, you will come to regret it.

Send for more details today. Contact at dativersafari@gmail.com

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Photographic Opportunity:Country Auction/Flea Market

I visited a country auction and flea market this week. It has been at least seven years since I visited this place. There are acres of flea market and at least one acre of auction space. It is a wonderful resource for all kinds of collectables, antiques, junk and photographic opportunities. In the past I visited to buy at the auctions, this time my purpose was to capture photographic images.

This auction/flea market started as a cattle auction and has operated in the same place since 1938. The location is about 40 miles outside of Philadelphia. Beyond the suburbs, this location is definitely country.

6:49am

The flea market offically opens at sunrise. Many of the vendors are in place the night before. Not to miss out on a treasure, customers often rummage around in the dark before sunrise with hand held flashlights. 

At 7:18am, "Two dollars!"

Auctioning begins soon after sunrise. Not just one auction but several auctions at once. On this visit there were three auctions operating by 7:15am. At 9:00am the property was swarming with people buying, selling, looking and socializing with five active auctions. The action was beginning to get hot.

 

At a country auction you have got to expect country people driving rusty pick-ups wearing free advertising caps and John Deere suspenders. This place does not let you down. Without a doubt some of the best entertainment at the auction/flea market is people watching.

I arrived at 6:45am. The smell of food frying on a flat top wafted from the building housing the office. Even with the odor of frying pork sausage, onions and bell peppers filling my nostrils, it was difficult but, I opted out of eating, first thing. Instead I wondered around looking for photo ops. The sun was already above the horizon but tall trees to the east of the property kept the sun's direct rays from falling directly on the ground. I strolled towards the western end of the property where the direct sun light would first evaporate the morning dew from the gravel.

7:23am

The open sky to the west provided a very soft, diffused light. This type lighting is desirable in some situations. I wanted more direct hard sunlight to provide dramatic lighting with interesting shadows. So I waited and continued to stroll. 

6:48am

Not much time elapsed before direct sunlight began to dry the gravel spread upon the roadbeds. Time had arrived for dramatic lighting.

Time waits for no man

It seemed like only minutes passed when the shadows shortened.

He who hesitates is lost

6:36am

Morning sunlight changed to hot sun. The temperature inched toward 91ºF/33ºC. I wouldn't be staying much longer. I had another event on my schedule. I strolled back to the building that housed the office. I bought that pork, onions and green pepper on a roll sandwich with a large cup of coffee. The cup was too large. I watched some of two auctions under the cover of a tin roof. I reminded myself that I wasn't there to make any purchases. The desire was strong. The coffee wasn't. I had accomplished my goal. It was time to go. I left the grounds with several good images and no antiques, collectables or junk.

Not even a tomato!

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Exposures On Billboards - Philadelphia

The image above was taken from the back of a billboard on the roof of a building at 4th and Florist Sts., Philadelphia, PA.  What you see is a cut-out with angle iron kickers. City Hall, the PSFS building are in the distance.

I was always afraid to carry my good quality cameras to work. I did lots of climbing in and around the angle iron frames of the sign structures. The cameras I used to earn money, a Mamiya 1000TL and a Mamiya 645 1000TL, were just too, big and heavy to carry and valuable to risk damage.

Source:Classic Cameras and Photography

I was given an inexpensive Ricoh 35mm rangefinder by a friend who moved up to a Pentax K. That rangefinder was light weight and at that price, free, I didn't worry about it getting damaged. It had its own fitted leather case that easily unsnapped and snapped and was small enough to carry in my nail pouch. There was no built-in metering system. For exposures I used the sunny 16 rule.


I carried it at work for a short while capturing my fellow rotary drones at work. At least until the Ricoh fell 70ft(21.3m) to the ground. The camera was a goner. I couldn't even save the exposed film.

Jim "Bergy" Barndt emerging through a roof hatch.

This image, if I remember correctly, was taken atop a building just west of 23th and Chestnut Sts. The Philadelphia Electric Building can be seen in the background. The rooftop of the Armory is in the near background.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Overnight Camp Counselor 1969

Camp Rockhill - "Health & Happiness in the Highlands"

Source:Ilene Goldman Litz

After my first year of college, fellow thespians from the Central High School dramatics club, talked me into being a counselor at an overnight camp.

It was a co-ed camp.  It was the summer of Woodstock, 1969.  

Man's First Walk on the Moon

It was the summer man first set foot on the Moon.  It was 47 miles from Philadelphia; in the woods.  It was a twenty-four hours a day job for eight weeks.  Pay wasn't so good when you divided it by 1,344 work hours. 

Source:Ilene Goldman Litz

I did have a room that I shared with just ten eight-nine year olds 
and another counselor.  The building was the shape of the letter H.  
Our bunk was connected with the ten/eleven year olds bunk and 
their two counselors, by a doorless shower room and four toilets. 
 Privacy didn't exist in the bunks.

Steve Goldy Goldman with Stacy Goldstein Rich, Suzie Wexler Arnowitz and Debbie Goldman Holden
Source:

Steve Goldy Goldsmith

Camp had girls and girl counselors. on the other side of the field, 
that we saw everyday.  The fields were dark enough at night that 
you couldn't see anyone.  

Rockhill was where the children were Jewish and I was not.  

I will never forget my days with those schmucks at Camp Rockhill - "Health & Happiness in the Highlands"

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Steve Goldy Goldsmith

Perigee Full Moon Adventure

19 March 2011- I drove into Philadelphia, a 37 mile trip from my NW suburban home.  I found a parking space near University of Pennsylvania's Franklin Field walked to Penn Tower Hotel, my preselected perch.  I entered at street level and did not see a registration desk only a guard/info podium.  I walked past two guards, without them even greeting me, straight back to where I thought the elevators would be.  I ended in a tight hall with rest rooms on the left and locked doors ahead and on the right.  I used the facilities, not wanting to interrupt  my photo session and walked back towards the entrance.  As I closed in on the remaining guard, I saw elevators ahead and to the left.  I read the instructions and climbed the stairs to another level where different elevators traveled to the hotel desk on the 17th floor.  Once in the elevators I saw there were buttons to the 21st floor where there were Drs' offices.  I figured all the floors would be locked out only allowing passengers to exit at the hotel levels but hit the 21st flr button and hoped for the best.  On approaching the tower had I noticed a vertical column of glass that suggested stairs or maybe a common lobby on each floor each with viewing access to the center city skyline and I hoped I would get access to one of those areas.  As the elevator passed the 17th then 18th floors on which was housed the hotel, I figured I wasn't locked out of the 21st flr.  When the elevator doors opened before me was my wished for location.

The lobby was about 10' wide by 20' deep.  Windows from wall to wall on the narrow end with locked doors opposite.  Three elevator doors flanking each side of the depth.  The view was good but the windows were spotted. I used my bandana to wipe the inside of the windows.  The spots were made by raindrops that attracted dust and dried on the outside of the windows.   I realized I would have to shoot through the spots.  For some reason Franklin Field, just below the cityscape, was open with people running laps on the track.  The runners may have been practicing for the high school and college track event, Penn Relays.  At that point in time, I thought the top of the stadium might be a better place from which to photograph.  Even though it was much lower and windier that my perch indoors on the 21st floor.  I didn't have time to move and stayed where I was.

There were lights in the lobby and I feared they would create unwanted reflections in the glass but at the time, they didn't bother me as much as the spots on the glass.  So there I was an hour before the moon rise with no place to sit unless I pushed the leaves of a potted plant to the side to use the top of the pot as a seat.  I decided to stand the whole time shifting my weight from one foot to the other adding both feet equally sharing my load.

Click on this images to see water spots on window 19:00

19:06

19:14

I began to photograph the skyline as the sun set with the fairly new Cira office building near 30th St Station being included on the left of the frame with all of the tall center city buildings clear through to the right of the frame in camera.  The lighted moving marquee atop the PECO building silently announced the time and temp every minute as the countdown to moon rise continued.  I took pictures of almost every display of the time on the PECO building, as the minutes seemed to crawl.  I looked for changes of color and reflection in the buildings as the sun set.  Not much materialized.  As it grew darker the lights in Franklin Field became much more dominant.  Something for which I hadn't planned.

All through the hour as the time passed the elevators periodically moved up and down.  Each time I expected to be challenged by a guard as to my presence.  I ran excuses through my head so that I would be prepared with a plausible explanation.  An explanation that a compassionate human being would honor.  Knowing that many people in a guard uniform have no compassion, I needed several options.

The sky was near black about 19:20 when the elevator nearest me at my back opened and out poured 5 or 6 Asian student tourists.  Damn!  They tried to open the office doors,  Locked, as I expected.  Then they came to the windows.  MY windows and began to take snapshots of the skyline, flashes and all.  Intruders fouling my perch.  Getting in the way of my picture taking that I knew was going to me monumental.  They conversed in what to me sounded like Japanese.  Then one of them, a women, asked me in English, what I was doing there.  Was I waiting for sunset?  I told her the sun had already set, thinking that would appease them and they would leave, but no they also waited for the lights to power up.  I thought they would get tired of waiting but, she asked me how long I thought it would be before the city would light.  I told her I didn't have any idea if any more lights would be turned on and that this was probably all the lights that would be turned on.  They waited, still.

Now the time was after 19:30 and the moon rise was imminent.  I figured that the moon would rise just north of CC and that is why I sought a perch just south of Market St. that runs just north of east/west.  I figured that the moon would be just to the left of the skyline in my camera frame.  As I scanned the sky I spied it.  There it was, a small orange/red disk to the right of the skyline.  Damn!  Just about Washington Ave.  This supermoon was much smaller than I expected.

Here is the situation at perigee full moon rise 2011.  The sky was near black and the lights of Franklin Field were lighting the spots on the outside of the windows.  The interior lobby lights were casting reflections on the glass, fogging the image in the lens taking away contrast.  I had to create a tunnel using my left arm and hand over my head to block out as much reflection as possible with the spots out of focus but deteriorating the image.  I captured several images of the small orange/red orb as it rose above the horizon.  I had changed the settings on the camera several times as time wore on and now the ISO setting was 400 and the aperture was wide as the stock lens would allow and the speed was at a slow 1/30 sec with a few at 1/20 sec.  Slow for hand held.  After I had a few exposures on the compact flash card I pointed out the moon to the Japanese student/tourist, which I confirmed they were through some earlier conversation.  They also took some snapshots of the moon, flashes and all.  I then told them I would be off to the park to capture some images from a distance.   She wanted me to pinpoint that on a map she held out for me.  I was heading to Belmont Plateau which was not on her small map of center city Philadelphia.  She expressed disappointment because they hadn't a vehicle in which to travel.  I shouted in my head that I was free of them.  I pointed to the PECO building and told her the intersection of Market and 30th Sts. might be a good spot to see the moon rise over the skyline at the street level.  I wished them a good trip and was off to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to catch the moon from there.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is the iconic location where Rocky, in the movie of the same name, danced around with his hands held high and the Philadelphia skyline was the backdrop.  Once at the top of the art museum steps the moon was too far to the left of the skyline to include in a good image.  I conversed with a few photographer there before I headed to City Hall hoping I would capture some good images there.

I started this whole adventure just after 17:00 arriving downtown near 18:00.  The traffic is never good on a Fri or Sat night drive into CC.  I left Penn Tower near 19:30 arriving at the art museum soon after.  My first image at City Hall was at 20:35.  The moon was just becoming visible over City Hall at 21:10 and my last image was captured at 21:16.  I then left for Fairmount Park's Belmont Plateau in West Philadelphia.  I captured my first image there at 21:35 and my last at 21:37.

As I started home, I feared I didn't have any good images to show for my over four hours spent on my adventure.  Thinking back at my adventure, I decided if I want to capture good images of the city at night, I need to get access to rooftops (no glass between the camera and the moon), bring a tripod(for slow shutter speeds) and buy a lens with a longer focal length.  Hopefully I won't be interrupted by tourists.

19:33

http://jpgmag.com/stories/17742

At City Hall

 ©Damyon T. Verbo all rights reserved

Captured by the Moon

See my greeting cards here

I am drawn to photograph the full moon, as are the oceans drawn to the moon.  A full moon appears every 29.5305882 days, one lunar cycle or lunation.  Even though this happens like clockwork, many obstacles get in the way of my capturing full moon images.  The most common obstacle is the weather, with clouds often blotting out the light.  Of course, not having a camera in my hands runs a close second with not being available a decent third.  None the less, I am drawn.


The moon has powerful effects on the earth

Gravity effects the fluids on earth as manifested in tides.   


Human female reproductive cycles are often related to the effects of gravity, much like tides.  The human female reproductive cycle mimics lunation and in many cultures the moon is a female deity.












Shape-shifting is induced by the effects of a full moon bringing werewolves out of seemingly normal people.






















The indigenous people of North America named each full moon throughout the year.