shoreline apartments

Once upon a time, I took photographs for an architectural project. The project was never completed, and I was left with an unusual experience and interesting photographs of a place that I knew had a story. The place is Shoreline Apartments of Buffalo NY, the architect Paul Rudolph, known for his cubist designs. It was hard to imagine while looking at original blueprints and seeing the concept behind the designs, how a place like this had become so rundown. I was photographing a place that had since 2006, had nearly 13 million dollars going into its reconstruction and renovations. Even though the buildings were not particularly beautiful, there was a history to them. A design that I was seeing with my own eyes and lens having gone to decay.

The day of shooting was eerie. Dust and debris flew around our faces, staircases were pitch black, and the apartments felt abandoned. Not like the people living there left them, but as if they were pushed out of their homes in a rush. Dishcloths hung over cabinets, clothes were still in drawers, and doors were open, as if someone had just run out. 

The section of Shoreline that I photographed was only one of many that was going to possibly be torn down for new construction. I took a walk around the rest of the complex, where life actually was: kids were playing, parents were chatting, and people were watching TV with their windows open. A young teenage girl, who noticed my camera and observing eye, ran up to me and asked: "Are you taking pictures of our buildings?" I said yes, and asked her if she knew how important the buildings were, how interesting the man had been who had built them. And she smiled and said, "Yes. And your pictures too." She asked if I could come back to give her some of the photographs, because she didn't know how much longer the buildings would be standing. Even though I never went back, I think of that sweet girl now in sharing the pictures for the first time.

Learn more about architect Paul Rudolph.

she & him

I had the pleasure of seeing She and Him perform live at The Bowery Ballroom in NYC on Monday, March 29th. The band stands out from the rest for a scroll of reasons, with the number one being that the lead singer is the bouncy, eclectic and famous actress turned songwriter and musician, Zooey Deschanel. She's not one of the many who turn from acting to singing just because they can, but because she's got true, unrelenting talent. Not to mention the stage presence. She hops around like a 15 year old girl who snuck out of the house for the first time, carrying a coat of confidence and coolness amidst a slight amount of shyness lingering underneath. 

The liveliness of Zooey is accentuated and masterfully complimented by mind-bending guitar rips by the "him" of the group, M. Ward. Both famous, and both somewhat peculiar as a musical duo, these two truly make it work. The songs from Volume One and the newly released Volume Two seem to stand the test of time, creating sounds that evoke the image of a musical melting pot of the old and the new. It's folk, it's rock, it's pop, and it has a hint of old school to it: the music of She and Him is melodic music to listen to while lying out on the hood of your 1958 Cadillac as the sun sets. Or it is melodic music to listen to while daydreaming about owning a 1958 Cadillac. Either one. It is fun and full of life. 

For a first listen, but perhaps not the music video to judge them on considering it was their first and is a bit odd (and yet, quirky), I suggest "Why do you let me stay here?" from She and Him Volume One:




See what the very impressive Merge Records has to say about their band, She and Him. And because I am a big Zooey Deschanel fan myself (you may have noticed all of the photos of only "she"), I can't believe that I have been living under a rock for the past year and did not realize that she and Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie got married. Having once been an avid fan of Deathcab for Cutie (especially their older rock-ier albums), you can imagine my pleasant surprise.

I say congratulations to Zooey and Ben, and I can only hope that a musical collaboration is in store. She and Him and He, maybe.

sunday solo: the pumpkin that never dies

Having had this pumpkin since October, it became an easy decision to have it join the beIMAGED family. I have never seen a pumpkin last this long, but apparently it does happen. While other people shine some light onto a pumpkin's life expectancy on Yahoo, I say welcome to the fam, my little hearty friend.

the abandoned land of new york

Where there once stood an utterly unique and eccentric place called European Health Spa in Westchester NY, there now sits graffiti walls, dilapidated land, a broken and faded statue of Atlas, an architectural masterpiece that has been left behind, and an unshakable feeling that this place was once full of not only people, but stories too.

Located right off of Central Park Avenue, the busy road running from White Plains to Yonkers, this mysterious building eerily sits on swollen wet grass with human life rarely entering the grounds. Silent and still, life simply moves past it. But if you are like me, you cannot help but to stop in your tracks to take a closer look.


Taken from "Westchester County Architecture", what the building looked like when first built:


The greens and graffitti having taken over much of it; the globe once in the arms of Atlas having crumbled down to the ground, the building now:









"The European Health Spa, designed by Don Parry, was constructed in 1969. More than 40 years later, the building still stands as one of the most intriguing structures in Westchester County.

It’s hard to imagine what this building looked like in its day. A quick walk on the grounds, one can see no expenses were spared in creation: Inset lighting built into the land, an Atlas mounted on a pedestal of imported lava rocks, and brushed aluminum rails as just a few.

Perhaps rivaling the design is the legacy this building has left behind. Among many of the controversial topics surrounding the building was the live tiger caged near the restaurant inside the club.

To this day, the three triangular concrete pillars set behind the Atlas and in front of the building still stand. What most passerby’s do not realize is 40 years ago, these pillars were full-out gas torches seen from the road after dark." --anonymous

Now sitting in darkness, the lights of the fast-pace street and fast-pace city of Scarsdale NY, shine onto the empty building to show something inanimate that is still full of so much life.

otis cd release party: sullivan hall

Photos by beIMAGED Photography were taken on February 26th at the band OTiS' colorful, funky, and entertaining CD release party, held at Sullivan Hall in NYC.

For words on the new album, jump to the other beBLOGGED entry: OTiS CD Review

mayer hawthorne, the county and hipster new york

March 4th, 2010 could have been any other Thursday for New York City folk, had they not attended the silky-smooth Motown throwback concert performance of up and coming recording artist, Mayer Hawthorne at Webster Hall. With tunes similar to those off of Raphael Saadiq's latest album "The Way I See It", a great deal of influence from old-school Motown Sound (think: The Supremes/Al Green/James Brown), and with a punch of contemporary hip-hop vibes, this artist has much to offer in the way of musical entertainment. The New York City performance was the first of his tour with The County, and they certainly started it off right, with the song: "Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin'" off of album, "A Strange Arrangement".

Shaky and incomplete clip, but this shows you the pleasin' start to the show:

Dressed in a classy suit, red tie, and dare I say "emo" glasses, mixed with his somewhat self-proclaimed "pimp identity", and cursing like a sailor lingo, Mayer certainly has a charm about him. Songs like "Just Ain't Gonna Work Out" make you feel all warm and gooey on the inside while the beat gives you something to dance to. And "Green Eyed Love" - sexy, daring, more hip hoppy, and yet, still soulful - stands out as one of the best ones on the album to groove to. (Play this song on vinyl or hear him perform it live, and you'll get it.)

The venue was something out of The Twilight Zone, lit up with hipster fans, all resembling the thick black frames-wearing performer. Almost every single attendee looked related in physical traits and in dress. Can't be such a bad sign: he appears to be someone worth emulating.

Number one highlight of the evening was when Mayer's two Michigan pals joined the band on stage and broke into doo-wop style dance moves in the background, all the while being dressed in 21st century clothes. It was real and playful - and it made the performer and his crew people you want to be friends with. Oh, and Mayer's air guitar skills. Those were pretty sweet, too.

I could have done without the band's un-satiating cover of N.E.R.D's "Fly or Die" which didn't quite fit, but all in all, the tour blast-off was phenomenal. Quirky performer, amazing music, and not one dull moment.







Check out the Mayer Hawthorne myspace page for his tracks and upcoming tour dates. He is going everywhere from Massachusetts to Manchester, and he is more than worth it to see live.