Open Window

Open Window's Second Year

It's official, Open-Window is now two years old. I can hardly believe I began this blog on a cold January day, sitting at the island in my kitchen, 730 days ago. In the past two years, Open-Window has focused my days on creating stories, snippits, and photographs that I hoped you would find entertaining, sometimes informative, and maybe even amusing. We've covered a lot of ground and many diverse topics over this time ranging from Hawaii to Paris, Hamburger Relish to Caviar, Horse Racing to Airshow Acrobatics. As time has passed, we increasingly focused on the images and slide shows that would accompany a post, and have worked diligently to improve the quality of all that we delivered. Peter has continued to emphasize wide-angle HDR (high dynamic range) photography whether on his DSLR (digital single lens reflex-camera) or his, ever-handy, iPhone, and I have continued with my love of all-things-macro, although we each dabbled in the other's specialty just to keep it interesting.

Mexican Train Tiles and Turtles
Photo © 2011 Claudia Ward 

Over the past twenty four months, we've made 388 postings to Open-Window which is an average of almost 4 per week, nearly every one containing at least one photograph and 60 of which included a slide show with music. When we embarked on this endeavor, we expected to focus on travel, food and photography. As it's turned out, the focus has been just that ... but in reverse - photography, food and travel. See, we'll photograph nearly anything - food that we eat, games that we play, children at the beach, machines of any sort, flowers and their residents, landmarks and landscapes, moon-rises and sunsets, and even light itself. 

The Outer Banks of North Caroline
Photo © 2011 Claudia Ward taken with the iPhone using the Pro HDR App

This year has been quite a journey photographically as well as geographically. Peter and I traveled over 14, 500 miles. We drove the entire east coast from the east end of Long Island to Orlando, Florida, traversing Florida, and turning north to reach Memphis Tennessee. We crossed the states of Tennessee and North Carolina end-to-end (west to east), photographing some of this country's most beautiful scenery in the Great Smoky Mountains. When we reached the Atlantic Ocean, it felt like we'd returned home, for tidal waters are in our veins, and the days on the Outer Banks are now cherished memories. Early morning sunrises over the ocean, wild horses on the beaches, hang gliding from the dunes, and fish tacos are just a few of the things we captured in-frame. With tornadoes nipping at our heels from western Florida, to Memphis and eventually to eastern North Carolina, we headed home just hours before their destruction hit the locales we'd come to know and love. Atlantic City was our refuge from the storms, before returning to the calm, untouched East End.

Spanish Mustang on the Outer Banks
Photo © 2011 Claudia Ward

Thirty days and thirty nights, and 4,000 miles on the road gave us a tremendous, renewed appreciation for the beauty and diversity of this country we live in. A couple of hundred more miles were covered seeking out horses at Saratoga Springs in August. For one who isn't known as an animal lover, I do love photographing them. Whether in their stance or stride, they speak volumes to me and hopefully that is being captured by the lens. Finally, the balance of those miles (nearly 10,000) were accomplished by a trip to The Big Island of Hawaii, where we were able to photograph the incredible diversity of this island's landscape and all of its beauty from a helicopter. 

Antique Hood Ornament
Photo © 2011 Claudia Ward 

More locally, we visited Belmont Park just a week before the Stakes were run and attended the Hampton Classic Horse Show every single day it was held over Labor Day weekend. There were at least three Antique Auto Shows, one Road Rallye and a Mini Cooper Scavenger Hunt that we shot as well. Our beaches on the east end of Long Island are some of the most breathtaking in the country (right up there with North Carolina's) and we spent many happy hours either hip deep in snow in January or ankle deep in sand in August, capturing the undulating shapes of their dunes draped in snow or the power of their seas after a storm.

Light Painting for New Year's
Photo © 2011 Peter Tooker 

The holidays that dot our calendars were also not ignored. Memorial Day is always an homage to the "Opening" of the Hamptons season. Flag Day, the 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the Christmas season were all duly noted and celebrated with photographs too.   

Meaty Tomato painted by Barbara Andolsek

Let me also add, ever so humbly, that I have once again been thrilled that Barbara Andolsek continues to make paintings based on some of my photographs. Barbara and I have yet to meet but feel a friendship beyond pen-pals. Nearly 3,000 miles apart but with a shared appreciation for the beauty of the world around us, Barbara and I have forged a friendship that could only occur in this wonderful 21st century. It still astounds me at how incredibly open and selfless so many people are using the internet to connect, communicate, and share. I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to be a part of it.

The word "blog" is derived from the expression "web log", which originally was an online journal of sorts and has morphed, over time, into a platform for communicating and exchanging information and ideas. I want to thank you all for your enthusiasm and support over the last two years but more importantly for your participation - "communication and exchange" are exactly what has occurred when you've left comments for us, and you've made it just that much more fun and interesting.

So here is a slide show which represents a snapshot of Open-Window's second year. It's shorter than last year's and yet still longer than most at just under 10 minutes. Perhaps you can set aside a little time next Sunday morning. We've made this for you, to enjoy and remember a year that we shared, and for that I want to say with great sincerity "Thanks for the memories". 

  

Photos & Slide Show by Claudia Ward & Peter Tooker © 2011
Music: Concerto in E-flat Major for Trumpet & Orchestra: 1. Allegro Con Spirito by Wynton Marsalis, National Philharmonic Orchestra & Raymond Leppard 

 

P.S. Please feel free to leave a comment and let us know what you thought of year two and if there is something you'd like to see more of in the coming months.

 

 

Saratoga Springs NY

We'd never visited Saratoga Springs "in season", so here we are. It's gloriously dry, breezy, and warm (not hot). We have lucked out! We got a "rail side" table in the Turf Terrace, a restaurant on the third floor of the stadium. This is the view from my seat! Oh my! Those red, white, and blue poles are the finish line. It costs $7.50 per person to get a table.... for the day! The first race is at 1:00pm and there are 10 races today, 7 will be run on turf (grass). I'm in heaven. Enjoy your day too.

©2011 Claudia Ward - HDR photo taken with and sent from my iPhone.

Race Day at Belmont Park Race Track - The Video

Peter has combined still photographs and video to give you his perspective on what it's like at Belmont on a day of racing. We enjoyed this so much, we can't wait to go again. BTW, Peter thinks the blond woman is somehow tied to ownership of Animal Kingdom, this year's Derby winner, that's why she's there.

 

The Belmont Stakes runs at 6:30 p.m. EDT, may the best horse win!

Enjoy!

Belmont Stakes

The third leg of the Triple Crown runs at 6:30 EDT today at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY. There won't be a Triple Crown winner since Animal Kingdom won the Kentucky Derby and Shackleford won the Preakness, but it's expected to be an exciting race. Peter's favorite, Master of Hounds, drew the No. 1 post position which is usually not a great thing, but he's maintaining his optimism. Odds on Master of Hounds? 10-1 Odds on Animal Kingdom? 2-1 Odds on Shackleford? 9-2 Thankfully, the heat wave in the northeast has broken; the Park cancelled live racing yesterday due to record breaking temperatures in the high 90s. The high today is meant to be in the low 70s; however, there's a possibility of a thundershower! 

This slide show is of the races at Belmont Park several weeks ago and should give you a sense of what it's like there on a race day - in the paddock, approaching the track, and coming down the home stretch. Enjoy.

 Photos and slide show @2011 Claudia Ward
Music: Polygraph by Marvin Hamlisch from the soundtrack of The Informant!

Note: If you are having any difficulty viewing the slide show click on the HD in the lower righthand corner. This toggles High Def on and off, and could help depending on your viewing device. HD on will provide the maximum quality.

Belmont Park

The Belmont Stakes is the next and final race in the Triple Crown and takes place at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY. The Belmont is the oldest of the triple crown races, having first been held in 1866, and is considered by some the most demanding, not only because it's the longest race at 1½ miles on a dirt track but because of the schedule. The Belmont is run three weeks after the Preakness and only five weeks after the Kentucky Derby - this year on Saturday the 11th of June. This is the 143rd running of the Belmont Stakes and if you "do the math" you may be wondering what happened to two years. Well, the race has been held annually except for in 1911 and 1912, when racing was outlawed in New York State - bet you didn't know that!

If you watched the Preakness last week, you know that there will be no triple crown winner this year. Animal Kingdom won the Derby and came in second at the Preakness behind Shackleford. The Belmont Stakes will be an exciting race, in a beautiful park. When Peter and I went there last week, the park was nearly empty, allowing us to appreciate the perspective onlookers will have from every level, from the Trackside Apron to the third floor of the Grand Stand. One thing struck us though - Belmont feels small, and if it feels small when it's this empty, what will it feel like on race day with 100,000 spectators.

  Photos and Slide Show @Claudia Ward
All photos taken with the iPhone and processed with HDR Pro
Music: Ashes by Thomas Newman - Soundtrack of Little Women

Triple Crown

The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races for three-year old thoroughbred horses: The Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. The Derby was two weeks ago at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KT, the Preakness is today at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD, and the Belmont will be in three weeks at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY. To win the Triple Crown a horse must win all three races, a feat that hasn't been done since 1978 when Affirmed did it.

To get in the spirit of things, Peter and I drove to Belmont Park earlier this week to get a feel for the Park and to get a sense of what it might be like (x 10,000) on the big race day. This day the park was nearly empty so we were able to roam all over from the paddock to the Trackside Apron and all four levels of the Grandstand. Nine races were run which was a lot of fun to see from such a variety of perspectives. Peter bet on six of the nine races and won just over $100 on a trifecta in the fourth, which made us break even for the day, given the price of gas. 
Needless to say we went laden with camera equipment and we had a ball. Here are just a few of the photos we took and are sharing with you all to get in the mood.

BTW, if you don't know, Animal Kingdom won the Derby this year ...

 

Wild Horses in Corolla, NC

Beyond this point, ... there be horses! 

When you've driven as far north on Route 12 on the Outer Banks of North Carolina as you can - when the tarmac ends ... the beach becomes an extension of Route 12. Beyond this point there are some houses, but more importantly there are horses, wild horses, and this is their sanctuary - here they have the right of way!

These horses are descendant, by most accounts, from the Spanish mustangs that swam here from shipwrecks in the 16th century, were offloaded from vessels that ran aground, or were abandonned by Spanish settlers who fled from the Indians. Today the herd numbers around 110 horses and they are proudly protected by the Corolla Wild Horse Fund and its supporters. You can see the horses by renting a four-wheel-drive vehicle, joining a commercial tour, or by joining the herd manager on a four hour trip. Peter and I considered the list of commercial providers and decided upon W.H.A.T., Wild Horse Adventure Tours for a sunset tour.

It was late on a brisk spring day, when we met up with Dave Barker and his door-less jeep in the parking lot of WHAT. He couldn't have been friendlier and he's obviously enjoying this employment in retirement. Peter and I were the only two on this tour, so Dave made sure we were lined up well for photographing the horses. We agreed later that this trip would have been worth just the drive along the beach with the ocean on one side and the dunes the other. It was breathtaking, especially with no doors, but soon after we left the tarmac we came upon two horses, one with a star on its forehead, grazing along the dunes. Dave explained that they were mother and son (mare and colt is the proper way to say that), and the colt was just one year old. Dave seemed to know the story of every horse we saw which added color and dimension to each herd's tales.

Dave drove us over "hill and dale". We found a beautiful "blond" herd grazing in someone's yard, a black stallion's herd with a pregnant mare drinking fresh water from the small pools left by recent storms, and we looked long and hard to see the new foul that had been born just the week before, but to no avail. 

The sun was completely down by the time we returned to the beach for the trip back to our car. The night was pitch black and we could only see the small stretch of beach illuminated ahead of us by our headlights and the white foam of the crashing waves at the shoreline. Wind was whistling through the jeep now and Dave kindly put the doors back on to keep the cold out. In the car on the way back to our Nags Head hotel, Peter and I  both felt exhilerated not only by the cold night air but by the sense of having entered the world of these wild horses and having captured some of them in our photographs.

 Photos & Slide Show @2011 Claudia Ward & Peter Tooker

Music: Little Martha, by Leo Kottke on Leo Kottke: Instrumentals - The Best of the Chrysalis Years

Greener Pastures for Hungry Horses

On my morning walk I pass by a horse farm and never find it dull to see what the horses are doing. In early spring, I watch them darting around their corrals seemingly showing off for a neighbor, and by late spring there's obvious flirting going on, but most often, that early in the morning, they're building their strength and eating. It's hard to distract them from that activity as you'll see in the attached photos.

Misty Morning © 2010 Claudia Ward

I've been watching this filly for a year now and have fallen in love with her eyes and scruffy, uncombed mane. She's short and determined, a combination for which I have a natural proclivity. She's always in the corner corral which gives me twice the opportunities to photograph her at good advantage. The corral, like most out here, has two fences which makes it a challenge to get a photograph of any horse without one and a half to two fences in it. But this morning, Misty Morning, found the greener grass to be outside the first fence, and she was determined to get it. I watched her successfully munch her way down the west fence and all along the south fence, reaching her head as far through the first fence as possible, to get to the sweet longer grass that grew just beyond.

Misty Morning © 2010 Claudia Ward

I think, at the end of the day, these photos demonstrate her determination and personality.

A Hungry Misty Morning ©2010 Claudia Ward

Just FYI: Peter applied HDR processing to each of these single photographs.

 

Autumn in the Hamptons

Autumn is my very favorite season. Heat and humidity resign themselves to cool, crisp, dry breezes, and the medley of beautiful greens that define summer here in the Hamptons transform themselves in to brilliant yellows, reds and oranges. My three mile walk follows winding lanes and passes a wonderful horse farm. Generally I pass by early in the morning when the horses are most interested in eating so it's a challenge to get them to pay attention to me and my camera, but tenacious I am, and I seem to get a fairly good photo every tenth one or so.

This fall has been especially pleasant with temperatures remaining in the mid 50s, breezes instead of winds so the leaves have lingered on the trees longer than in other years, and we've only had one frost! I hope you enjoy this slide show which is a composite from several walks over the last three weeks. It's almost over, so we'll enjoy it while we can. 

 Photos & Slide Show © 2010 Claudia Ward

Music: Autumn Leaves by Louis Armstrong

 

A Roadside Filly

Peter and I are on the run so this will have to be a photo post. Found this filly along the back roads of New England.

Here's looking at you ....

Photos © 2010 Claudia Ward ALL RIGHTS RESERVED