I went for a walk to drop off some library books only to discover the machine wasn't working. At least I got some photos.
I discovered an eclectic collection of city benches this last weekend.
It happened when I went for a walk over the weekend to a local library to drop off some overdue books. I took my camera with me and returned with both the library books (there was a problem with the drop-off option) and an album of photographs from the walk.
The benches are mostly in a park along a busy road although the most interesting one was outside the library building itself.
I love this bench. It seems to have been designed to allow two people to sit facing each other while reclining. Great for some conversation or keeping to yourself while sharing a space.
The paint on some of the wooden benches looked somewhat faded and weathered. The resulting look appeals to me.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
This next one is particularly striking, for some reason.
Weathered flowers
Some benches seem to have a voice that hints at an unspoken story, like this one:
There is a story here …
I enjoy walking around my city with my camera. It’s proving to be a great way to explore the city and its nuances. You can view my complete album from that solo photowalk on Flickr.
These buildings stood out to me (literally) while I was out at lunchtime.
Lately, tall buildings fascinate me and I have been photographing them more. I make a point of going out during my lunchtime to walk around and take a breather from the office. I usually wind up walking around Moshe Schnitzer Square in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv.
There are a number of tall buildings in the area and I love how the light reflects off the buildings onto each other and the area around them at different times of the day.
Lately I seem to be taking more photos of these buildings on sunny days. The colours of the reflections can be mesmerising, particularly because these buildings often have glassy facades.
I also love trying to capture different perspectives of the buildings themselves, even though I am somewhat limited from my ground level vantage point. The Square also hosts quite a variety of building styles in close proximity and the contrasts can be pretty interesting too.
I turned my camera to another set of buildings I hadn’t paid much attention to previously. For some reason, they just really stood out to me against the cold, winter sky.
I had to do a follow-up to my last set. The sun was out and I felt like I needed a sunnier set.
One of the iconic features of the Modi’in Maccabim Reut cityscape is Dimri Tower. I think of these structures as Dimri Towers, in plural, but the official name appears to be in the singular. This is a little odd when you see them.
Dimri Tower comprises two sections of 4 connected residential towers in one section and 5 in the other, containing about 455 residential units, running along one of Modi’in’s main roads, HaHashmona’im Avenue. The complex was built by י.ח.דמרי although I haven’t been able to find construction or completion dates.
My usual perspective of Dimri Tower is from street level, usually walking up or down HaHashmona’im Avenue but, now and then, my travels around the city present me with different perspectives of these striking structures.
A classic view of Dimri Tower is this view from Nahal Sorek Street. I hadn’t been up there long enough to take photos until this last week when my morning commute took me along that road.
I made a point of stopping on two occasions to capture that view I’d seen online and it was worth it. From there you have a panoramic view of the mall, Anava Park and Dimri Towers a little way off in the distance.
It is a spectacular view that is going to change a lot in the coming years as the city builds a new university and city centre complex on two sides of Dimri Tower.
I’m a little envious of Dimri Tower residents. They, literally, have a front row view of the construction of the city centre. I can see a long term photojournalism project being pretty interesting as the land is built up and the cityscape utterly transformed in the process.
I remember how that land looked shortly after we arrived. It was relatively wild and overgrown. I’m sure the new city centre will look amazing (it will certainly open the city up to new businesses and growth) but I think I’ll always miss the way the city looked when we arrived.
