My Homeys

Our annual Easter family self-portrait turned a lttle silly. These guys are so much fun! I love 'em all so much.

© 2008 Mexipickle

Days of Wine and...

well, not roses, but flowers, anyway.

I thought this was a neat way to display flowers, set in the heel of a wine bottle.

This was taken at the Taphouse Grille at the Richbrau Brewpub in Richmond, Virginia. The building dates to 1866, with much of the woodwork original to the building. I had the pleasure of having dinner there the other night. Located in the Shockoe Slip area of Richmond, the pub has wonderful beer and excellent food. And, scattered around the place is wonderful historic memorabilia, including photos, maps, and furnishings from Richmond's rich history. Shockoe Slip was burned during the Evacuation Fire of 1865 as the Confederate Army left the CSA capital city of Richmond. Some of the current development is detailed at Wikipedia.

We were given a tour by the owner, and he explained the history behind this part of town and the historic items in the place, including the wood trim, much of which was crafted from ceiling joists from the basement when the restaurant was renovated. The owner's great-great-grandfather's picture is on the wall, taken while he was a police captain under Teddy Roosevelt in NY, when TR was police commissioner.

All in all, this place was right up my alley--great history, great food, great beer. Hope I get a chance to go back. Visit their site at richbrau.com.

Barge Right In The Middle

Another shot of the Ben Franklin Bridge in Philly....I know, I'm getting bored with them, too. But, how can you say 'no' to the barge shot?

© 2008 Mexipickle

Suspension Silhouette

More of the Ben Franklin bridge, from Philly toward Camden, NJ.

© 2008 Mexipickle

Arc Light

Another night shot of the Ben Franklin Bridge, which goes from Philly to Camden, NJ.

© 2008 Mexipickle

It's A Great Day

Another shot from my hotel room in Philadelphia. When I looked at the complimentary map the hotel provided and saw my room faced east, looking past the bridge and river, I wondered if the sunrise would be nice. I didn't set an alarm after looking up sunrise time (6:35)....but I sat straight up in bed at 6:35, set up the tripod, and started snapping. I'm glad it worked out that way.

Seeing a sunrise like this makes it hard not to have a great day.

More info on the bridge, which opened in 1929, is at Wikipedia.

Get Into It

© 2008 Mexipickle

Suspension

The Benjamin Franklin Bridge in Philadelphia. I had one night in Philly....I was very tempted to shoot Independence Hall, but it was 15 deg F, about an 8 block walk, and the hotel clerk was not sure it was safe to make the walk.....so, I shot from my hotel room window. Luckily, I had this great view of the Delaware Rive and BF Bridge. My window opened about 6"...I put my camera on the tripod and stuck it out the window, 9 stories up, and triggered the camera with the remote. I've got a few night shots, then some sunrise shots following that.

Processed completely in Lightroom.

© 2008 Mexipickle