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I take a lot of photographs every month. During lunch time or after work, I like to walk the streets of downtown Philadelphia and take photos. It is a way for me to relax and unwind. I wanted to present my favorites from the month of May 2020.
Stars and Stripes
Last Monday of May is when we celebrate Memorial Day in the United States. It is also the beginning of the summer festivities. For those of us in Philadelphia it means heading to the New Jersey shore, block parties or watching a Phillies baseball game.
I have photographed this particular flag many times over the years. It is attached to a house a few blocks from where I live. It was a bright day but it was windy. I also wanted to shoot it in the landscape mode which was slightly difficult because of all the trees nearby. The sidewalk was narrow and pedestrians were passing by.
In the end I liked the way the photo turned out. I particularly like the reflection of the flag on the window of the residence.
Power Without Influence
Philadelphia in many ways is the birthplace of American democracy. It was the city where the Declaration of Independence was adopted in July of 1776. The city was briefly the capital of the United States and remained a very important city historically, culturally and financially for a few hundred years.
But the decline is very noticeable in the last 100 years. The city is now a distant second to cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Houston. Philadelphia has seen a significant population decline since the 1950’s (current population is about 600,000 less than what it was in the 1950’s). The numbers would be worse but for the new immigrants who have settled in the City of Brotherly Love in recent years.
I took this photo of the Philadelphia City Hall from the Love Park (also known as the Bank of America Park!!). The photo is an example of one of my favorite themes in photography, blending the old with the new. A City Hall that must take immediate steps to compete with other cities and take Philadelphia to the next level, but held back by outdated politics and attitudes.
A Seat With a View
When it comes to architecture and interior design, I tend to lean towards the contemporary and modern style and not the traditional. If you like traditional buildings with red brick exterior, Philadelphia has thousands of those. But what about modern for those of us who like modern designs?
Philadelphia has many high rises. But very few of them would fall under the category of modern or minimalistic design in my view. The Comcast Center on JFK Boulevard is one of the few buildings that would fall under this category. The new $1 billion Comcast Technology Center is a disappointment (The building does not look like a modern building or a high rise built in the 1980’s. And why is the building located in a place where no one who lives in the city can see it?).
I took this photo as I was walking from Rittenhouse Square to the Philadelphia Art Museum. The sunset was beautiful. A very modern looking seat at the Barnes Foundation with the Parkway Central Library in the background (The Parkway Central Library is part of the Free Library of Philadelphia and was built in 1927).
The Calm Before the Storm
Human beings have a tendency to look straight or down when walking. This is very true when we are walking in the cities or crowded areas. There are a lot of studies that are being done to understand how we walk in different terrains. People tend to walk quicker when the terrain is flat. When the terrain is flat, human beings also do not look towards the ground a lot.
In medium and rough terrains, human beings tend to look down a lot. Some studies show that the average human being looks 1.5 seconds ahead of their current location. In cities many people tend to look down and not maintain eye contact with each other.
A week and a half ago, I was having a drink with my friend in Rittenhouse Square (a couple of days prior to that, the Governor of Pennsylvania allowed bars and restaurants in Philly to serve “cocktail to-go”!!). As I was leaving, I took this photo at the corner of 19th and Rittenhouse Square. The next thing I heard was a loud explosion on Walnut Street. It was the sound that was emanating from the Philadelphia Police car that was set on fire in front of the Apple Store on Walnut Street.
Free Market Thinker
I am not religious at all but I have spent sometime in India. In India religion and spirituality is all around you whether you like it or not. Different versions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Christianity and Islam all co-exist.
I have always had an interest in Buddhism. Some believe that Buddhism existed in India prior to what we consider today as Hinduism. Some Buddhist philosophies tend to be very pragmatic and realistic and not aspirational or spiritual. The following quote is an example: “No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path“.
I have had trouble coming to terms with this quote. I know there is some truth to it and maybe that is the reason. But science says that we humans are social beings. Social beings can only move forward individually and not collectively? I have a feeling that if Buddha was alive today, he would be a believer in the free market system and not socialism!!
Please comment below and let me know your thoughts. Thank you!
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