11-05-2022–Another Sunrise in the books

New York, New York–9-22-2018

Roughly about a month ago, my friend, Melissa messaged me with a link.  It was Dax Shepard in NYC.  After a quick message to Julia, asking if it was okay and I could afford it, I said YES!  (This is why we are still married, we ask the little things). 

Mel booked everything (she’s a pro now!) and boom!  I worked the previous Sunday, I drove over to her place on Thursday and off we went!

I could never, ever live here. I could, however, visit! I’m not an urban photographer. I hope I did it justice! Thursday we both started throwing out “things we wanted to do”. Honestly, we knew we could do 2 things, one in the AM and then one in the early PM (with lunch). We tossed out a few ideas, but both that stuck was the 9/11 Memorial. And the other, Little Italy.

The 9/11 Memorial is a wonder in structure, as well as something else – somber and thought provoking, it’s one of those places that brings you back to that day – which is the point. Seeing the names and the pictures is – surreal. I’ve a close friend who was flying out of NYC that very day, and I remember the worry if that was her flight, was she okay. I cannot even imagine knowing a loved one was IN those buildings. I had the stroke of luck to meet Shannon Stapleton in Stongington, ME, last year. He and I talked photography and all the time we spoke, his name rang a bell. It ran a bell because he was a “witness” to what had happened. Before he and I parted ways that night, I asked him, he’s a photographer for Reuters, why his name was familiar. His face changed just slightly, that haunting in his eyes appeared and he said “I was at 9/11, I took pictures when it happened.”. I saw his name on the witness plague that day. The world IS a far smaller place than we imagine.

My key series made it’s way to NYC! I think it is one of my fave pictures to date.

Afterwards! We made our way to Little Italy! And low and behold, there was a street fest going on. From Ferrara’s Pastries to having a wickedly good lunch at Lunetta’s, and walking through the throng of the crowd.

Can we talk about the crowds? Or the building? It’s all wicked!  We had a blast and would do it again!