Celebrity Pictures Photo: Nice The Place Celebrity Photos photos

Jeff Rowley Limited Edition The Moment Collection of Surfing Photographs Launch
the place celebrity photos
Image by Jeff Rowley Big Wave Surfer
July 2012

Jeff Rowley Launches Limited Edition "The Moment" Collection of Surfing Photographs

Big Wave Surfer Jeff Rowley has collaborated with surf photographers around the world to launch his collection of Limited Edition surfing photographs.

Jeff Rowley has named the collection of his surfing photographs as ‘The Moment’, based on his most significant surfing moments shaping his life.

Rowley has hand selected each unique photograph taken in some of the most challenging environments, by the best surf photographers in the world including Tim Mckenna and Stuart Gibson.

The first two photographs in Rowley’s ‘The Moment’ collection include surfing Cloudbreak in Fiji during what was dubbed 'swell of the decade' in July 2011, and charging massive Teahupoo in Tahiti, one of the most dangerous and shallow reef breaks in the world.

On his photograph series, Rowley said “each photo represents a moment in time where everything in my life changed, where the impossible became possible – and everyone has a moment like that in their life”.

Even though these prints make eye catching wall art, Rowley believes “these photographs are about the moments that change your life and define who you are”.

“For me, the moment on these waves was like conquering Everest – I believe everyone has their own Everest they conquer in life”.

"Life is not about the number of breaths you take, but the moments that take your breath away".

Rowley is is donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the prints to Australian Children's Charity, Cottage by the Sea, who each year provides short-term beachside holidays and respite care for more than 900 children and families in need.

“It means a lot to me to be raising money for Cottage by the Sea, they give children going through a hard time the holiday of their lives – memories they will remember for the rest of their lifetime”, Rowley said.

There are only 100 Limited Edition prints available for each unique photograph in the collection, selling for 0 (AUD) each for a high quality canvas print (approximately 75 cm x 100 cm), come with a story written by Jeff Rowley on his ‘moment’ and includes delivery anywhere in the world.

A small number of prints will also be auctioned during Cottage by the Sea fundraising events throughout the year.

To order a Jeff Rowley Limited Edition Surfing Print, visit the online store at www.jeffrowley.com.

--

The Cloudbreak Moment: 75cm x 100cm Gallery Wrapped Canvas Print
1/100 by Stuart Gibson

The Teahupoo Moment: 75cm x 100 cm Gallery Wrapped Canvas Print
1/100 by Tim Mckenna

--

Connect with Jeff Rowley:

Visit Rowley’s official website: www.jeffrowley.com

Like Rowley on facebook: www.facebook.com/jeffrowleyathlete

Follow Rowley on twitter: www.twitter.com/jeff_rowley

Read Rowley’s blog on Tumblr: jeffrowley.tumblr.com

View Rowley’s photo gallery on Flickr: www.flickr.com/jeffrowley

Join Rowley in LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrowleyathlete

Watch Rowley’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/jeffrowleycom

Watch Rowley’s Vimeo channel: www.vimeo.com/jeffrowleyathlete

To sponsor, partner or arrange an exclusive interview with Jeff Rowley, contact minnie@jeffrowley.com

To support Cottage by the Sea, visit: www.cottagebythesea.com.au

goodbye francis
the place celebrity photos
Image by Kris Kros
View On Black

Francis Magalona at the 1st Annual Inaugural Filipino American Visionary Awards - Arrivals held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, CA. The event took place on Friday, March 7, 2008.

Photo by: Sthanlee B. Mirador
Processed by: Kris Kros
___________________
Celebrities mourn over Francis M’s death
03/07/2009 | 03:03 PM

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine entertainment and music industry has definitely taken a hit with the loss of master rapper Francis Magalona, leaving many celebrities distraught and mourning over his death.

Q’s Balitanghali on Saturday reported that celebrities like Gary Valenciano and wife Angeli, Michael V., Ogie Alcasid, Tirso Cruz III, William Martinez, Ramon Christopher, Joey De Leon, and the Eat Bulaga family were all present during the first night of the rapper’s wake at the Christ the King Memorial Chapel in Green Meadows, Quezon City.

Magalona, 44, succumbed to multiple organ failure Friday noon. His body was taken out of the Medical City on Friday afternoon and brought to the Funeraria Paz at around 5 p.m.

Members of the music industry also flocked the Philippine rap icon’s wake to pay their respects.

Both Rapper Gloc 9 and Eraserheads drummer and Sandwich vocalist Raymond Marasigan came on Friday night but refused to give any comment as a sign of respect to Magalona’s family.

But the band Alamid, which collaborated with the rapper on the album “1896," just chose to relive what they remember most about him.

“Bilib na bilib kami kay Francis kasi on the spot ginawa niya agad yung lyrics nung rap niya sa 1896 na song, so talagang may talent talaga," said lead vocalist Gary Ignacio.

[We really were impressed by Francis when he came up with lyrics for his rap portion in “1896" on the spot, he really has talent]

The band Parokya ni Edgar said that they will not forget Magalona’s teachings.

“Para ko talaga siyang kuya kung magbigay ng payo from religion to how to live a rock and roll lifestyle with discipline," said lead vocalist Chito Miranda.

[He’s like an older brother to us when giving advice, whether it be about religion or how to live a rock and roll lifestyle with discipline]

On the other hand, the Master Rapper’s band, Hardware Syndrome, chose to remember him as a person who would always liven up things.

“Madedesrcibe ko si Francis M. as very inspirational, every time we play, never a dull moment pag tumutugtog kami," said guitarist Carlo Sison.

[I can describe Francis M. as very inspirational, every time we play there is never a dull moment]

Hardware Syndrome basist Francis Villanueva even said that Magalona still had so many plans.

“Gusto niyang magkaroon ng comeback concert pagkagaling niya, pinaplano na namin yan for him, marami pa eh, alam mo si francis marami yang idea eh," he said

[He wanted to have a comeback concert when he got better, we were planning it for him, Francis still had so many ideas]

Meanwhile, fans are welcome to visit the rapper’s wake during the public viewing from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. - Kimberly Jane T. Tan, www.gmanews.tv/story/151786/Celebrities-mourn-over-Franci...

_________________________
Francis M, Pinoy rap king, passes away
By Kaye Villagomez
March 07, 2009

“I want to be a crooner when I reach the age of 50,” Francis Magalona told the Manila Bulletin in a previous interview. He clearly saw himself around the business for a very long time.

But after a long and hard battle against leukemia, the warrior in Magalona succumbed to cancer at noon yesterday at Medical City Hospital in Pasig City. The Master Rapper was 44.

The news of Magalona’s death was first announced on the noontime show “Eat Bulaga,” which the ‘Man from Manila’ (title of one of Magalona’s popular rap hits) co-hosted before he was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia in August 2008.

“I don’t want a media circus. I want privacy with my family. What I’d rather talk about is how we can solicit blood donations to replace the supply that I have consumed in the hospital,” Magalona said when he found out of his illness.

Vic Sotto, “Eat Bulaga” host and close friend of Magalona, yesterday led the show’s cast in offering a moment of silence after having to cut regular programming to disclose the sad news that left co-hosts crying while footages of the King of Rap alternated on screen. Sotto announced, “Francis Magalona passed away just this noon. Nakikiramay po kami kay Pia Magalona (Magalona’s wife). Join us in a moment of silence for the eternal repose of his soul.”

Aside from his wife, Magalona was survived by his eight children: Unna, Nicolo, Francis Jr., Elmo, Arkin, Clara, and actresses Maxene and Saab. As of press time, Magalona’s wife and children asked for the media’s understanding because they could not grant interviews and disclose details leading to the Master Rapper’s death.

Among those who were present moments after Magalona died are TV personality and comedian Michael V and former actor and Quezon City Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista who said he will be of support to Magalona’s family during these difficult times.

Magalona started Philippine rap music revolution in the 1990s. Definitely, one of the most idolized figures in the music industry, Francism (as Magalona is nicknamed) crossed-over from being a teen actor into iconic status via his breakout hit “Mga Kababayan” in 1990. Magalona spawned the nationalistic rap genre and went on to score chart-toppers with songs like “Cold Summer Nights,” “Mga Praning,” “Meron Akong Ano,” and “Man From Manila.” He further strengthened his niche with hits in “Kaleidoscope World,” “Ito Ang Gusto Ko” and “Mahiwagang Kamote.”

The son of the late Philippine movie screen legends Pancho Magalona and Tita Duran, Magalona started his entertainment career as a breakdancer in the ‘80s before he went into movies and became part of the youth-oriented variety show “That’s Entertainment.” Magalona’s achievements in the rap and hip-hop genres led to his international prominence having been featured in several international hip hop publications including the “All Music Guide to Hip-Hop: The Definitive Guide to Rap and Hip-Hop” published in 2003 and the May 2004 issue of the U.S. based publication “The Source.” In 2005, Magalona was honored the Pioneer Hall of Fame Award by Empire Entertainment at the 1st Annual Philippine Hip-Hop Music Awards.

In 2006, Magalona was chosen by Fremantle Media to sit as one of the judges in “Philippine Idol” where Francism co-judged with the Maestro Ryan Cayabyab and ‘Asia’s Queen of Songs’ Pilita Corrales. Prior to his death, Magalona was working on a collaboration album with another music icon Ely Buendia and various OPM artists in 2009, dubbed as “The Sickos Project.”

In Magalona’s recent blog, he had been updating his supporters about the progress of this project. Magalona’s passing came as a shock to his peers in the entertainment industry and his supporters as he had been actively documenting the progress of his chemotherapy via francismagalona.multiply.com and happybattle.multiply.com. Francism has written in his entries that one of his doctors have called him a mutant for miraculously bouncing back from crucial points of his illness. To Francism’s supporters, he was just that and more.

www.mb.com.ph/node/198062

Jan Ullrich TextPortrait
the place celebrity photos
Image by Hugger Industries
Racing cyclist Jan Ullrich TextPortrait by Ralph Ueltzhoeffer

Posted on Bike Hugger

##

Jan Ullrich - Portrait - Ralph Ueltzhoeffer - Jan Ullrich (born December 2, 1973 in Rostock, Germany) is a German professional road bicycle racer. In 1997, he was the first German to win the Tour de France. He went on to achieve five second place finishes, along with a fourth place (2004) and a third place finish (2005). Critics consider Ullrich as one of the most talented riders of all time: he can combine great power with a soft, athletic style, with his time trials as perfect examples. Despite, or perhaps because of this talent, critics consider Ullrich to be "lazy" as he is notorious for becoming out of shape during the off season. Ullrich has won a gold and a silver medal in the Olympics 2000 in Sydney, as well as the 1999 Vuelta a España. Although not known as a one-day race specialist, he won the HEW Cyclassics in front of an adoring home crowd in Hamburg in 1997, and has made podium finishes in other editions of the HEW Cyclassics, and the hilly classic Classica San Sebastian. His victorious ride in the 1997 Tour de France led to a bicycle sports boom in Germany. Biography Early training Ullrich won his first bicycle race (at school) at the age of nine. He was educated in the sports training system of the German Democratic Republic, and attended the SC Dynamo sports school in Berlin in 1986. After the fall of the Berlin wall and the reunification of Germany, Ullrich and his trainer, Peter Sager, moved to Hamburg. In 1993, Ullrich surprisingly won the amateurs road world championship in Oslo. At the same time, Lance Armstrong won the professionals world championship. After this and other successes, Ullrich became a professional member of Team Telekom. From 1994 to 2005, he lived in Merdingen, Germany, with his long-term partner Gaby Weiss. The couple have a baby, Sarah, who lives with Gaby in Merdingen. Ullrich resides in Switzerland since they split up in 2005, allegedly due to Weiss's reluctance to be in the limelight, which conflicted with Ullrich's enjoyment of celebrity life. 1997 Tour de France In Ullrich's first one and a half years as a professional, he was inconspicuous. At his first start at the 1996 Tour de France, he reached a sensational second place behind his Danish teammate, Bjarne Riis. He won the final individual time trial and secured himself his first Tour stage win. Ullrich with teammate Udo Bölts crossing the Vosges mountains during the 1997 Tour de France. Despite being a teammate of the previous year's winner Bjarne Riis, Ullrich quickly became the favorite in the 1997 Tour de France. Riis was not strong enough to keep Ullrich down in the mountains or in the time-trials. After a dominant win in a mountain stage earning his first yellow jersey, the German press started following the Tour more closely. Despite Marco Pantani's devastating attacks in the Alpe d'Huez and Morzine stages, Ullrich was able to limit his time losses. For performance and ability to keep his nerves, the French sports newspaper L'Équipe, considered him to be one of the top bicycle racers with the words Voilà le Patron ("Here is the boss"). Ullrich won another stage in the Tour and became the first German to be the overall winner. He also became the only person in Tour history to win a time trial with a three minute gap between him and the number two. At the age of 23, Ullrich was also one of the youngest winners ever. He was chosen "sports person of the year" in Germany in 1997. The eternal second Ullrich was the defending champion of the 1998 Tour de France. He again obtained the yellow jersey, but he had an off day day in the rainy mountains, where he lost too much time on the later champion and natural born climber Pantani. The Tour of 1998 was haunted by doping affairs, giving it the nickname "Tour de Dopage".The following year, he missed the 1999 Tour de France — which was won for the first time by American Lance Armstrong — due to a knee injury. However, he returned in time to win the 1999 Vuelta a España, defeating the Spanish favourite Abraham Olano of Team ONCE. He also became the world time trial champion, which made up for his somewhat lost season. The 2000 Tour de France saw former champions Ullrich and Marco Pantani and defending champion Armstrong line up against each other for the first time. However, Armstrong proved too strong to upstage, as he did again in the 2001 Tour de France despite Ullrich wearing the jersey of the German National Champion, and the fact that he arrived at the Tour obviously in form, finishing in fourth place just three seconds behind third place Armstrong in the opening prologue. His ride in the 2001 Tour was memorable for his crash during which Armstrong waited for him to return to his bike. In interviews, Ullrich cited his failures to defeat Armstrong despite his preparations as his reasons for falling into depression in the next year. Despite his failure to ascend the top of the podium in the Tour de France, Ullrich delivered an outstanding performance in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. After establishing a 3-man breakaway with Telekom teammates Andreas Klöden and Alexandre Vinokourov, Ullrich won the gold medal with Kloden and Vinokourov rounding out the all-Telekom podium. He established himself as a world-class time triallist by winning the Silver medal in the individual time-trial event, losing by a small margin to Viatcheslav Ekimov and beating rival Armstrong to third place. In May of 2002, Ullrich temporarily had his driver's license revoked after a drunk driving incident. After a positive blood sample for amphetamine in June of 2002, Ullrich's contract with Team Telekom was ended, and he was banned for 6 months. He explained that the positive result was from ingesting the recreational drug ecstasy, which had been cut with amphetamine. He had not been racing since January due to a recurring knee injury, and the German Cycling Federation's disciplinary committee agreed that he was not attempting to use the drug for performance enhancement, so he was only given a minimum suspension. In January of 2003, Ullrich and his longtime advisor Rudy Pevenage joined the Team Coast outfit, but after severe financial problems, Coast pulled its sponsorship, and Team Bianchi was formed. He finally returned to racing in March of 2003, preparing for the Tour de France. The Tour de France of 2003 would become a memorable one. Nobody, including Ullrich himself, knew what to expect from him after such hectic years. For the first time in years he was not considered one of the top favorites; however, Armstrong still considered him very dangerous. In the first week, Ullrich got sick and almost retired from the race. In the Alps stages Ullrich lost one and a half minutes on Armstrong and his Tour seemed lost. In the 12th stage, Ullrich fought back hard in the time trial, as he became the only one to finish within an hour. Armstrong was overpowered and had trouble with the heat, and lost one and a half minutes to Ullrich. Ullrich now found himself within a minute of Armstrong in the classification. The next day, he closed the gap in the first mountain stage by another 19 seconds and the clash would become epic: Ullrich seemed stronger then ever as he was able to stay with Armstrong in the mountains. Two days later Ullrich was able to ride away from Armstrong on the Tourmalet, but he could not sustain his pace and Armstrong caught up. In the final climb of that stage Ullrich dictated the pace, and it seemed that Armstrong was not in the condition to attack. More than half way into the climb, Armstrong's handlebar got caught in a spectator's bag and he fell. Ullrich decided not to take advantage of the situation and waited. For some time, whether Jan Ullrich waited for Armstrong to remount was subject of intense debate, although Ullrich himself asserted that he did indeed wait and did not attack. In a recent interview Armstrong admitted that Ullrich did wait for him, and that Armstrong himself had been misled at the time by Tyler Hamilton's gesture and assertion that Ullrich had not waited. According to Armstrong, his fall gave him such an adrenalin
e boost that he could attack. Ullrich lost 40 seconds in the final kilometers, but all was not over: the 2nd, and final, time trial would be decisive. In that time trial, Ullrich suffered a dramatic crash and saw a potential stage and tour victory disappear. In the general classification, Ullrich ended 2nd with a gap of just 61 seconds in one of the greatest Tours de France in history. Ullrich's remarkable comeback was acknowledged by the Germans as they gave him the sportsman of the year award later that year. In terms of finishes, Jan Ullrich could be compared with Raymond Poulidor, who was called the "eternal second" (with the difference that Poulidor never won the Tour de France). Also like Poulidor, Ullrich has not donned the Maillot jaune since 1998. A better comparison would probably be to Joop Zoetemelk, who won the Tour once as well and finished in second place six times, only once more than Ullrich. For the 2004 season, Ullrich returned to Team Telekom (now named T-Mobile, after a popular division of Deutsch Telekom). Ullrich won the Tour de Suisse during his preparation for the Tour de France. In the 2004 Tour de France, he finished in fourth place, 8:50 behind Armstrong. It was Ullrich's first finish lower than second. T-Mobile teammate Andreas Klöden finished second, and Ivan Basso third. Ullrich said that he had been infected by a cold from his newborn baby, and was not able to ride to his full capacity. Ullrich in Hanover. For 2005, Ullrich again captained the talented T-Mobile squad. As was his normal routine to prepare for the Tour de France, Ullrich maintained a low profile for much of the 2005 early season campaign, surfacing to test his preparedness in the 2005 Tour de Suisse, in which he finished third after Aitor González (Team Euskaltel) and Michael Rogers (Team Quick Step-Innergetic). Ullrich is constantly criticized, and sometimes parodied, for his weight, especially for large gains in the winter, but he maintains that he always races it off in time for the Tour. Compared to his perennial rival, Lance Armstrong, Ullrich has been said to have perhaps a more advantageous physiology that would prevail were it not for the near-maniacal training regimen of Armstrong, but this is debatable. Armstrong himself admitted that it is Ullrich whom he considers to be his most dangerous rival, going as far as admitting that he would examine photos of Ullrich in the early season races to see how his form was developing. The day before the 2005 Tour de France, during a training ride, Ullrich crashed. He was closely following his accompanying team car when it stopped unexpectedly. He was unable to stop and plowed into the back windshield, narrowly avoiding cutting a major artery by several millimetres. He was not wearing a helmet at the time. During the 2005 Tour de France, Ullrich was passed by Lance Armstrong in the first stage time trial after starting a minute before him, causing speculation that he was once more doomed to be beaten by the American. Ullrich fell again in the mountains, bruising his ribs. During several other pivotal moments in the Tour, he could not keep up with Armstrong or Ivan Basso. Ullrich began focusing on finishing ahead of the surprise star of the mountains, Michael Rasmussen, for a podium position in the general classification. At the individual time trials nearing the end of the 2005 Tour de France Ullrich had a stellar time trial, demolishing the competition, save Lance Armstrong who came through to set an even quicker time near the end of the stage. Rasmussen had a terrible time trial, which consisted of several crashes and around five bike changes, which ultimately gave Ullrich a podium place in the Tour de France. Post-Armstrong Lance Armstrong retired after the Tour de France in 2005, and Ullrich's career is coming to its end as well. Jan has stated he will likely quit after 2007 season However, he seemed more motivated than ever to win at least one more Grand Tour (either the Tour,Giro or Vuelta ). Notorious for coming out of the winter with serious weight problems (see above) and in bad condition, he began his preparation for the 2006 season early, with his mentor Rudy Pevanage finally back in the T-mobile staff and watching his every move. Early reports indicated that Jan was indeed in much better shape than in previous years and would be ready for what could be his second victory in the Tour de France. Ullrich finished 115th in the Tour de Romandie on April 30. However, Jan injured his knee in the off season and this could have limited his performance in the 2006 Tour de France, had he participated (see below). In May, riding in the 2006 Giro d'Italia, not to win but to prepare himself for the Tour de France, Ullrich targeted the Stage 11 50km ITT, and won it by a decisive 28 seconds over Maglia Rosa Ivan Basso, who beat 3rd placed Marco Pinotti by another 33 seconds (which means Ullrich beat everyone except for Basso by over a minute). Only five riders were able to finish within two minutes of Ullrich's time. Ullrich dropped out of the Giro during Stage 19, with back pain. Team Director Rudy Pevenage stated that the problem was not bad but merely as a precaution to avoid possible Tour de France problems. He won the Tour of Switzerland for a second time in preparation for the Tour de France, winning the final time trial in decisive and dramatic fashion jumping from third to first in the GC. Operación Puerto doping case In the weeks prior to the Tour de France 2006, Ullrich's name was mentioned in a large Spanish doping scandal, nicknamed Operación Puerto doping case. Ullrich himself has always denied the rumors. However on Friday, 30 June 2006, one day before the start, he was suspended from participating in the Tour de France. Jan Ullrich's biggest rival (according to many experts) Team CSC's Ivan Basso, who finished 2nd in 2005, and several other riders were also excluded. The decision to exclude Ullrich could be based on several text messages from his mentor, Rudy Pevenage, with Doctor Fuentes. Ullrich himself stated that he has nothing to do with Fuentes and he will try to prove this. If found guilty by the UCI, Ullrich faces an almost certain career-ending suspension. As of 20 July 2006, Jan Ullrich has been fired from T-Mobile in relation to the aforementioned accusations. T-Mobile general manager Olaf Ludwig announced the news during the 18th stage of the Tour de France between Morzine and Macon, though the sacking had been made in writing on Thursday. The German rider published a statement on his website saying that his dismissal was 'unacceptable.'"I am very disappointed that this decision was not communicated to me personally but that it was faxed to my lawyers," Ullrich added. "I find it shameful that, after so many years of good cooperation and after all I have done for the team, I am being treated as a fax number." There are rumours linking Ullrich with rivals Discovery Channel, team of retired Lance Armstrong. Discovery Channel opted for Levi Leipheimer, instead, as the future of Ullrich remains uncertain, as he also was excluded from the 2006 Vuelta. Ullrich is trying to defend his reputation in court,where he won a case against Dr. Werner Franke. Franke accused Ullrich of buying doping up to 35.000 Euros each year, after reviewing the files of the Puerto affaire. The court stated that Franke has to keep his comments out of the media as his statements lack solid grounds. Franke however also went to court against Ullrich, claiming that Ullrich lied while being under oath when asked if he had used doping. At this point, the Swiss cycling federation (Ullrich lives in Switzerland and rides with a Swiss license) are investigating all the documents and will come to a verdict soon. Meanwhile, the justice department raided his house for several hours, collecting DNA material. Ullrich was on a honeymoon during the event with his new wife Sara, and was so shocked with the news that he aborted it. Signature bike frame line In May 2006 Ullrich launched a signature bike frame line, the "Jan Ullrich Collection"[9], which he helped to develop. Th
ere are three models catering for all types of cyclist, from enthusiast to pro. They take their names after significant times in Jan's career. The 'Campione', the 'Olymp' after his Gold and Silver Olympic medals, and finally, the 'Grand Tour' after his Tour de France victory in 1997. They range in price from 1395 to 2995 Euros and are available only as frames (not as complete bikes)

Jan Ullrich

New York tango, Apr 2010 - 53
the place celebrity photos
Image by Ed Yourdon
Note: this photo was published in an Oct 11, 2010 Celebrity Daydreaming blog, with the same title as the caption that I put on this Flickr page. It was also published in an Oct 20, 2012 blog titled "What Is Long Term Really?"

*****************************************

Let me begin with a disclaimer: I do not dance the tango, and I know little or nothing about its history, its folklore, or even its steps and rhythms. I'm vaguely aware that it originated in Argentina (and Uruguay) in the 1890s, that a new style known as "tango nuevo" began to emerge in the late 1990s, and that various actors and actresses -- including Jessica Biel, Colin Firth, Antonio Banderas, Madonna, Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger(!), among others -- have performed the tango in various movies. But beyond that, it never really occurred to me that it played any significant role here in the U.S.

That is, not until the summer of 2009, when I happened to return to my hotel, on a business trip to Washington, DC, just as a local gathering of tango aficionados was dancing to their music in a nearby square known as Freedom Plaza. I photographed the event (see my Flickr set Last tango in Washington) and learned from one of the participants that there were similar informal events in New York City, at the South Street seaport, during the summer and fall weekends. When I got back to New York, I searched on the Internet, and found a schedule of upcoming tango events just as my Washington acquaintance had indicated; but travel schedules, inclement weather, and other distractions prevented me from actually attending any of them; by the end of the autumn season, I had forgotten all about it.

For some reason, something reminded me of the tango again this spring -- perhaps some music that I overheard, perhaps a scene on some otherwise forgettable television show. In any case, I searched again on the Internet, and discovered that a tango "event" would be taking place on a Sunday afternoon -- but not at the South Street Seaport (on the east side of Manhattan, near the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges), but rather at Pier 45, where Christopher Street runs into the Hudson River in Greenwich Village. The event was scheduled to take place between 3:30 and 7:30 PM, and another quick search on the Internet informed me that sunset would occur at 7:30 PM. So I arrived a little before 6 PM, as the sun was beginning to drop down in the western sky, and photographed for a little more than an hour.

I captured some 522 images, of which 75 have survived in this Flickr set. For the majority of the photos, I stood at the end of the pier, with my back to the Hudson River and the sinking sun; the sun broken in and out of clouds on the horizon -- and because I was wearing sunglasses, I didn't fully appreciate the extent of sun-glare that was often striking the faces of the dancers, as well as the shadows where the sun wasn't hitting at all. But I think I recovered most of the inadvertent over-exposure and under-exposure with some post-processing on the computer... I was also able to get some shots facing westward and southward, so that you could see the New Jersey skyline behind the dancers; indeed, there are a couple of shots with the Statue of Liberty and the Verrazano Bridge in the background. (Note to self: come back here at twilight, on a Sunday evening in mid-summer; it could well be even more spectacular.)

Since I have no personal expertise (or even competence) at the dance, there's not much that I can say about what's going on; I have to let the pictures speak for themselves. Though it wasn't universally true, I noticed several occasions where the women were taller than their partners; I gather that that's an advantage when the dancers are twirling and twisting around. Also, I had the distinct impression -- just as was the case in Washington last summer -- that few (if any) of the dancers were "couples" in the traditional sense. Indeed, many of them seemed to be strangers who had met for the first time at this tango event, but who seemed to enjoy the experience of the dance together. And others, from what little I could tell, might have encountered one another at previous tango events -- but had no other interactions or relationship with one another.

In any case, I had photographed everything I could imagine photographing by a little after 7 PM. I put away my camera equipment, walked a few blocks east to Hudson Street to enjoy a delicious dinner at a local restaurant with my wife, and made a note to check the Internet again for future tango events in Central Park and the South Street Seaport. If you'd like to pursue this on your own, check out Richard Lipkin's Guide to Argentine Tango in New York City.

Celebrity Pictures Photo

Wednesday 9 January 2013

Nice The Place Celebrity Photos photos

No comments:

Post a Comment