Up and at 'em

lots on the agenda today.  Get to Hoboken, stop in Manhattan for some photo ops on the way, watch the Ravens win and the Skins lose. Day was planned to start at at 4AM, which it actually sort of did but a check of the NYC weather showed snow was supposed to stop by 5AM so no sense rushing for that.  Back in the sack until 6AM, on the road by 6:45. Probably good I delayed two hours the NJTP south of exit 6 was an ice rink with cars in all sorts of places they wern't supposed to be. I am sure the two hour delay made my own passage far less stressful.

Parked on Mulberry and Spring, sort of the ven part of the diagram that would be the Bowery, Little Italy, Soho and Chinatown.  Finished about noon, headed to the W in Hoboken and watched the games, popping off a few snaps before the Ravens and Skins games. Multitasked the games and the images. A big load heading to smugmug, 154 to be exact - that is out of 1200+, since I was bracketing there were really was only a third of that. Click on the snap below to zoom off to the gallery.

For the technically inclined, all with the 5D Mk III, with the only lens I brought with me (70-300L) at 1600 ISO, apertures generally north of f/8.0 with a few maybe at f/5.3.  ISO 1600 you scoff, you wouldn't know unless I told you so. With a 154 of them I think they are pretty damn good. Also becuase there were so many not one saw Photoshop, all done in Lightroom 4.  

For the less technical inclined, being uploaded from the bar at the W in Hoboken whilst a Beefeater Martini, shaken not stirred, with a twist, is being consumed.

Chinatown Snaps

Uploading to SmugMug now around 85 San Francisco Chinatown images from Monday afternoon.  Miscellaneous San Francisco and Presido images to follow tomorrow.  The most interesting snaps pretty much come from the Chinatown alleys.  They are located here.

"Alleyways in Chinatown were created during the early settlement of the Chinese in the late 1870's. During that period, the rapidly-growing community was restricted by anti-Chinese sentiment to a six block area behind the back streets of the Barbary Coast. To maximize space within the confines of its boundary, the community created a maze of secondary streets and pedestrian walkways. Ross Alley is located in the center of this maze. the alley is a narrow passage running between Washington and Jackson Streets. Ross is actually an extension of Spottard Alley in many ways. In the past, both alleyways were infamous as a place for gambling and prostitution. Ross is known as Gau Leuie Sung Hon (Old Spanish Alley) because of the many latins that patronized the area. Today, there are both residences and commercial establishments in http://jnash.smugmug.com/Joe/Travels/Chinatown-San-Francisco/15427360_Q7uLz#1154914392_NZ7buthe densely built-up alleyway which continues to function as a major artery for pedestrians." From the historic marker at the end of Ross Alley

"Ross Alley is the oldest alley in San Francisco. It was known for brothels and gambling." from www.sanfranciscochinatown.com

The rest of the snaps are here on SmugMug.

Chinatown

A late morning meeting in the east bay and a red eye home, left time to drive in to park at the worlds cleanest garage, 555 California Street and take a walk trough Chinatown.  Posting just these two from Chinatown lots more to come later in the week.