52 Week Project - Week 15

This weeks pictures were taken at Beautiful Branch Brook Park in Newark, NJ.  As you can see the Cherry Blossoms are in full bloom and are a beautiful site to see. 

I was able to capture some great shots as the skies were blue the sun was shining and the temperature reached a nice 60 degrees.

The following question and answer was taken from the Branch Brook Park Alliance site:

"Why is the park named "Branch Brook"?

"The original parkland encompassed the shallow valley of the Branch Brook, a tributary of the Passaic River. At its southern edge, the brook emerged from the marshy floor of the valley to form a channel punctuated by ridges and falls, which in turn flowed into the First River. The Branch Brook formed the basis for the necklace of streams, ponds and lakes that now define the park."

Following excerpt also from the Branch Brook Park Site:

Blossom Watch

"A week of cool weather kept the blossoms that had opened on the trees. Over 17 varieties of flowering cherries gives the park has one of the longest blooming periods of any collection."

And yes I had my favorite camera with me and my trusty tripod but the ground under the tunnel was so muddy and rocky that it was a little tough to get a leveled shot.

So I was lucky to get some nice weather today as it has been raining a lot in NJ. 

I guess the statement is true; April showers brings May flowers!

Hope you enjoyed the pics!

Until Next week!

Ciao!

52 Week Project - Week 14

This weeks pictures were taken at the GT Sports marketing Football Autograph Experience & Sports Card Show in the Garden State Exhibit Center in Somerset, NJ.

I met 3 great dealers that you should check out if your interested in some really great memorabilia.

The first table I stopped in was the Ball Four Sports Collectibles Booth. Mr. Steve Pemper was nice enough to let me take some great shots of some Green Bay Packer history.  I was honored enough to go with him and take some pictures of the great Joe Namath, Drew Brees and Charles Woodson. You will see them posted on his website soon.

 Thank you Mr. Pemper for allowing me to meet personalities that I never would have dreamed to have met. I'll  be in touch soon!

The next section at the show belongs to the folks at Sports Card Heroes. They were so nice to let me take a pictures of all their helmets on display.  What a beautiful huge assortment at great prices.  Of course being a Giants fan my favorite were the first 5 on the table.  You guys have to check out their site!

The next cool section belonged to W. Lopa Studios where I met Mr. Joseph Emmett.  They have some beautiful and colorful images.  I was so impressed of his work that I wanted to take a picture of everything he had, but I was only able to chose two that you will see below.

I checked out the web site which is really informative.  it explains the style that is used on the paintings, really interesting, if you have time go check it out!

Here is an excerpt of Mr. Lupa's BIO from his website:

"An avid sports fan and die-hard Yankees fan, Lopa chose to concentrate his art in what he loved in a genre he found most challenging and enjoyable: kinetic impressionism.  Working in acrylics, Lopa uses a "splatter" technique where the colors are applied with a pallet knife. The use of bold colors and splatter technique captures the image and spirit of an athlete in motion."

"Over the past three years, Lopa was invited by Major League Baseball (MLB) to paint live at the World Series games and All-Star Games.  He also hand-painted on the home plate that was used during the ceremonial first pitch to kick off the 2004 World Series.  In addition to his baseball work, Lopa created the commemorative artwork for the past three NFL Superbowls and painted live on the sideline at Giants Stadium before the 2006 “Manning Bowl” where the NY Giants took on the Indianapolis Colts.  In May 2006, Lopa painted live at the Kentucky Derby, one of horse racing’s elite Triple Crown showdowns."

"Over his professional career, Lopa’s paintings have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities across the country.  Just to name a few:  American Cancer Society, Barbara Sinatra Children’s Hospital, Klein Family Learning Center, Jockey’s Guild, James Brown Cancer Center, and the Leukemia Foundation.  Lopa is proud to use his talent to benefit causes close to his heart."

And the next section belongs to MB Sports.  Mr. Teddleton was also nice enough to let me capture a great picture of some his really cool memorabilia that he had for sale.  Check out his site for a tour of his store, If I'm ever in that area I am planning on stopping in for sure.

Again I would like to thank all of the Dealers that allowed me to spend some time in their booths and also to chat about their memorabilia and art.

Hope you enjoyed the pics.

Until next week!

Ciao!

52 Week Project - Week 13

  

This weeks pictures were taken at Sunset Park, Brooklyn, NY.  It was a beautiful day and all the parents were out with their kids, on the swings, flying kites and just spending time with each other.  It was so nice to see.

Hope you enjoyed the pics.

Until next week!

Ciao!

52 Week Project - Week 12

This weeks pics are from a "The March Madness" baseball show I attended in White Plains, NY.  I met Tommy John of the NY Yankees and Steve Garvey of the LA Dodgers, two legends from the game.

The two pictures above are from a table that belongs to Mr. Floyd Soeder, owner of Let's Play Ball you can find his cards on eBay or you can e-mail him at letsplayballnow@aol.com with any questions on anything you see on this table that you are interested in or any other baseball cards in general.  I also want to thank him very much for allowing me to take a picture of some of his cards that are for sale.  He had a great table with lots of awesome stuff.

Last week I jinxed it by making a comment about  the weather.  So I will just say:

Ciao, until Next Week!

52 Week Project - Week 11

This weeks pics are dedicated to Asbury Park, NJ.

Exit 102 off of the NJ Parkway.



Asbury Park Boardwalk Casino


This is the inside of the famous Asbury Park Boardwalk Casino from the 1920's. 

I had lunch at Sully's Beach House Bagels, great service, grilled chicken sandwich was delicious, you have to stop in if you're in the area!

As  I walked the boardwalk I could not believe how much history there was here.

It's been said that Bruce "The Boss" Springsteen pops into The Stone Pony for a beer and maybe sing a song or two! How cool is that!



The Stone Pony

Lance & Debbie's Wonder Bar is another cool place to hang out.



Lance & Debbie's Wonder Bar

I am hoping to one day go back and see this beautiful beach open again.

Asbury Park beach

Spring is here which means NO more snow and hopefully not much more rain.

:)

Hope you enjoyed the pics. Until next week!

Ciao!

52 Week Project - Week 10

This weeks picture was captured during our in between days of rain in NJ.  I caught a ray of light off of Rt. 46 in Little Falls.

Enjoy!

Until next week!

Ciao!

52 Week Project - Week 9

This week's pic was taken in the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel.  Again I found myself without my Canon Rebel but did have my Olympus 9000.

  A couple of strange things about this ride out of Brooklyn, I was driving on the left side AND I was the only one in the tunnel.  Kinda creepy and reminds me of a scene from one of those Zombie movies. Love it! :)

See you next week!