Israel – March 1989

I was visiting my Dad last week and he brought up a funny story about the trip we took to Israel with Edward and my Mom.  Edward was constantly urging all of us to step back so he could take a photograph.  Unfortunately that wasn’t a good idea in the Golan Heights.  I knew we were in trouble when the guide yelled “Lehrers get out of the mine field!” 

But my dad’s willingness to pose meant that we came back with lots of photos of him.  This one was actually a special request.  He’s in Qumran and is pointing to the cave where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. 

He has a 20 x 30 print of this photo on the wall.  He told me he had recently seen it in Smithsonian magazine.  It reminded me of a comment my mom’s cousin Fran and her husband Paul made when they saw it.  They wanted to know how I had managed to get a shot with no people in it.  That was a good question, because I remember the Temple Mount as being packed when we visited.

Israel is an amazing place if you love history.  This is a shot of the Via Delarosa.

And this is the manger in Bethlehem. 

This is Capernaum.  We stopped nearby for the local specialty – St. Peter’s fish.

Here’s a photo of Edward taking a photo in front of the Roman aqueduct in Caesarea. 
 

This lovely mosaic was in Tiberius. 

We stopped to take in the beaches of Tel Aviv.

And this shot of Edward on a camel was destined to become a beloved holiday card.

Finally, this is a drawing of the Church of the Holy Sepulture.  I drew it when we returned home based on a photo I had taken during the trip. 

Visiting Israel was an awesome experience, and I hope to go again someday.

Ciao
PJ

(c) 2012 PJ Lehrer

Icicles in Central Park

Since we have snow on the ground this morning, 4.3 inches in fact, this seemed like a good time for some more snow photos.

One of the best things about living the Upper East Side of Manhattan is that Central Park is your backyard. 

And what a backyard it is! 

Aside from its year-round beauty it’s also a great place to people watch. 

And there’s plenty of inexpensive entertainment in the form of buskers and street performers who emerge whenever the weather gets warm.

When I was younger I used to sunbathe near the boat pond, where I managed to meet a few boyfriends before I was married. 

These days, I tend to go over with my camera whenever the weather cooperates.  Winter is tricky of course.   I consider anything over a foot to be a potential photo opportunity.

In January 2011, we actually had a 50 inch base by the time the second storm hit so it was perfect . 

I visited twice, once after each storm and since they had ended by the time I went over, some of the photos I took include a bizarre bright blue sky. 

Others were more traditional. 

These last two photos were from an earlier blizzard – the one in February 2003.  We got 19.8 inches on President’s Day.

It was still snowing when I went to the park the next morning so the focus is much softer and of course the skies are white as you would expect them to be. 

Ciao

PJ

(c) 2012 PJ Lehrer

Xmas in NYC!

The holidays are a magical time in Manhattan. 

When I was a kid, my parents used to drive me and my brother Ken through midtown at night so that we could enjoy all the lights. 

I’ve grown jaded over the years and these days I generally only visit if I have guests in from out of town -- which of course does happen fairly often.

Several of the stores have amazing window displays every year.  This is one from this year at Lord & Taylor’s.  

These were from Saks in 2010. 

I loved the reflection from the surrounding buildings.

And I think this one came from a building on Park Ave.

While it is unusual to have no snow in December, as we did this year, we usually don’t have much.  Therefore our Christmases are seldom white. 

So, when we did have snow in 2009, I hustled down to the tree to get a photo.  The dedicated city workers were ahead of me, already clearing the snow for the tourists to come.

And of course, we can’t forget St. Patrick’s Cathedral.  One year my brother-in-law Kevin, exhausted from walking around Manhattan for the past few days, took a quick nap in the pews while the rest of us looked around.

Ciao
PJ

(c) 2012 PJ Lehrer

JANUARY 2011: NYC’s Snowiest January Ever!

No, that’s not a typo.  This post is a flashback to last January, which was much more interesting than this one is shaping up to be!

In January 2011, NYC had 36 inches of snow breaking the record of 27.4 inches for the month which was set way back in 1925. 

It was also our second snowiest month ever.

Looking outside at the huge piles of snow everywhere I found myself having flashbacks to the winter of 95/96, which was our snowiest winter ever.

I remember it well. And as a result, every winter since then hasn’t seemed that bad – until 2011.

In 1995/1996 it started snowing earlier (November) but 2010/2011 included the sixth largest snowstorm ever in December.

That storm, the day after Xmas, was an absolute nightmare since everyone with a brain was on vacation when it hit.  But as a result the city got its act together before the January snows started.  And it’s a good thing they did because there were lots of them.

On the plus side, instead of worrying about driving to New Jersey in bad weather as I did in 95/96, I have enough flexibility in my schedule now to actually take off snow days and head out with my camera.

The Upper East Side was turned into a true winter wonderland. 

And much to everyone’s relief, February, which is usually our snowiest month wasn’t that bad.  So, we didn’t break a record for the season as it originally appeared we were destined to do. 

2011/2012 started with a freak October snowstorm, but has been fairly warm ever since.  It’s really confusing the plants.  But I’m thrilled. 

Ciao

PJ

(c) 2012 PJ Lehrer

Happy New Year!

Greetings from Times Square. 

This photo was taken a few days before the big event as they tested the mechanics to make sure that all would be well on New Year’s Eve.  I hear it was, although I can’t say that I went to check it out. 

As a matter of fact, I have never been to New Year’s Eve in Times Square even though I am a native New Yorker. 

For a few years, I worked in 1515 Broadway, so I could have had a great view. 

But when I saw them bordering up all the stores the day before, and found out that the reason that they do that is so people don’t get pushed through the glass windows, I decided it wasn’t really my scene.

  

Edward on the other hand has been several times, most recently with our nephew Ryan in 2009, on a night when it was 17 degrees out! 

They had a great time.  I think the crowds were so large it helped keep them warm.

Times Square is one of my favorite places to photograph, and I visit fairly often thanks to a stream of visitors who want to check it out. 

I did these digital collages a few years ago.  I’ll leave them up until I get sued for copyright infringement. 

Actually, the artists usually win those cases, but it really isn’t worth the hassle. 

And I did this embroidery last year. 

I have no idea who this woman was and why she showed up in this outfit and proceeded to pose for the tourists.  But I thought she looked wicked, which is the title of the piece.

Ciao

PJ  

(c) 2012 PJ Lehrer