philadelphia

Introducing the New & Improved Soapboxville

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Welcome to the new and improved and newly updated Soapboxville.

 

Thanks to a lot of help from the hubs, a month off of Facebook, and all that I learned during the WordPress.com Blogging 101 course I’ve changed the look of and streamlined Soapboxville with the intention of better showing off my photos.

 

Don’t worry, I still intend to write, and to opine, and to ramble, and to rant; this update just allows me to share larger photos while continuing to write, ramble, and opine.

 

To celebrate the completion of renovations I’m sharing some of my photos from a walk I took on May 22nd while I was in Philly to shoot the Swann Memorial and Love Park fountains.

 

 

Love Park Fountain

Love Park Fountain

 

 

 

Swann Memorial Fountain Snippet in Black & White

Swann Memorial Fountain Snippet in Black & White

 

 

 

 

 

 

Public Art in Philadelphia

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A photographic look at the public art and sculptures in Philadelphia. Photos in this installment are from the City Hall/North Broad Street area, Macy’s, and Rittenhouse Square.

All You Need is...

All the News that's Fit to Print

We Are All Just Pawns

Government by the People for the People

You Paint my Life with Color

Propeller

Ben Franklin, Craftsman

I am a Golden God

Wannamaker Organ

Martyr

Baptized by Fire

Starling

Not Quite Holding it Together

Through the Gate

Kermie

Just Ducky

Good vs. Evil

A Day Out & About in Philadelphia

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I have a midterm project to do for my photography class. I need to photograph public art in Philadelphia, some of which is located in and around Fairmount Park, Kelly Drive, and the Art Museum area. These are a few of the photos I took yesterday while out and about looking for public art.

The Schuylkill River from Fairmount Park

The Pilgrim by Augustus Saint-Gaudens

You can find this guy right behind the boathouses on Boathouse Row.

Gulls on the Schuylkill River (Kelly Drive)

Jack Kelly statue by Harry Rosin

This guy can be found at the north end of the reviewing stands on the river side of Kelly Drive.

Geese in the Schuylkill River (Kelly Drive)

*My favorite photo of the day*

Geese in the Schuylkill River (Kelly Drive)

Sun on the Schuylkill River (Kelly Drive)

The geese along Kelly Drive were huge, they could be mistaken for turkeys they were so big.

General Frederich Von Steuben by Warren Wheelock

This guy can be found on the hill, on the south side of Kelly Drive, west of 26th St. behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Marquis de Lafayette by Raoul Josset

This guy can also be found on the hill, on the south side of Kelly Drive, west of 26th St. behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Schuylkill Falls during the Golden Hour

Schuylkill Falls

Boathouse Row a little after sunset

Boathouse Row during Blue Hour

12 Photos

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Mr. Soapy has been after me for years to have some of my photos framed but I never do it. Either I decide that it’s too much money to spend on myself or I am my own worst critic and end up hating everything. So a few weeks ago he says, “Pick 10 or so of your favorite photos and give me the original files, I’m going to have them framed for your birthday.” So again I got all up in my head and hated everything and procrastinated. I finally sat down today and chose 12 of my favorite photos. I took me about 18 hours to decide on my first set of framed photos. I’m excited to see how they turn out. I can’t wait to hang them on our walls.

As it turns out a lot of the photos are from a few years ago. I don’t know if that’s because I’m just too close to the newer ones or if my newer photos just aren’t as good. I’m not sure yet, but I present to you my choice of 12 frameable photos. Of course because I did wait until the early morning hours of December 9 to give Mr. Soapy the files I’m not sure all 12 will be framed by my birthday. Mr. Soapy’s a saint, he really is.

Sunset from Fisherman’s Wharf at the Lobster House in Cape May on Labor Day weekend, September 1, 2007. This is my first ever favorite photo.

Atlantic City at Sunset from Caesar’s Pier, December 29, 2007.

Cape May Waves, May 28, 2008. Photo taken with telephoto lens.

Philly skyline in black and white, December 3, 2009. I have no idea where this was taken from or how I’d have been up high enough to take this shot.

Bokeh Heart, Christmas Tree and Christmas Tree lights, December 30, 2009.

Sunset sky Philly skyline from the Camden Riversharks game, September 18, 2010. I think this is one of the last places I went before I woke up in the hospital less than a month later.

Fireworks and Ben Franklin Bridge from the Camden Riversharks game, September 18, 2010. I think this is one of the last places I went before I woke up in the hospital less than a month later.

Ducks on the frozen duck pond at Washington Lake Park, January 15, 2011.

Blue dragonfly at the Cape May Bird Observatory, September 11, 2011. Could be one of my best photos ever.

The path less followed. This is the path back up from the beach into the Cape May Bird Observatory, September 11, 2011.

Philadelphia Skyline at Blue Hour from the South Street Bridge, November 12, 2011. I wanted to get as much photo taking in as possible at this point because I was less than a month from major surgery. I was first discovering blue hour at this point.

Female Northern Cardinal in the backyard on a rainy November day, November 7, 2012.

Wordful Wednesday (the spirit of Independence lives in Philly)

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A beautiful sky on a beautiful day.

Philadelphia, the city where land of the free and home of the brave took shape and became a reality; Philadelphia, the city where the words life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness were written down for the first time. Philadelphia, the city where I first learned to be independent is now where I am slowly but surely regaining my own personal independence. There were days I truly didn’t think I’d make it to this point.

I spent Friday out and about in Center City riding the Phlash bus hopping off and on taking photos here, there and everywhere. The Phlash bus was the best $8.50 I’ve ever spent, it will take you pretty much river to river all day for one flat fee. In the morning I ventured down to Old City to take pictures of historic places, in the afternoon I made my way back to the heart of Center City for noon mass at the cathedral and lunch with Mr. Soapy before heading west to the Art Museum.

I spent the day doing the things that I love most, taking pictures, going to mass at the cathedral, having lunch with the hubs, being out and about and making my own way. I feel like myself, I can feel my independence returning, I can feel my personality returning. I feel shiny again. I walked into that ER 20 months and 2 days ago and it took until a few weeks into physical therapy for the real me to wake up. For the first time in almost 2 years I feel strong and alive. Glory be to God. Thank you all for your prayers, you brought me here. I’m grateful. I love you all. ♥

I don’t even know how this happened. I was waiting for the Phlash bus (the best $8.50 I’ve ever spent river to river all day) to go back to meet the hubs for lunch and I’d already put my good camera away so I was playing with my iPhone apps. The HDR app takes a while to actually take the picture and these people walked by as it was taking the photo. I thought it was a cool image because I love that in Old City I can just feel the souls of the people who walked these streets before me. So I thought this photo in a weird way captured that in a modern way.

I was out and about all day. I saw beautiful buildings, an assortment of fantastic fountains, and sculptures & monuments galore. The only 2 times I had to stand in line to take a picture? A Phanatic in the Visitor Center (pictured above) and the Rocky statue at the Art Museum. Go figure.

This robot monster and his friend, who sadly was in bad shape live (and die) in the street across from the Art Museum.

Philadelphia as seen from behind the Art Museum.

Another view from behind the Art Museum. This is the Schuylkill Expressway and what must be the 25th Street train bridge. (edited in iPhoto & Gimp)