Penn State Law

Penn State Law, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

Watching the transformation of the Penn State campus is amazing to me, and I've been gone less than ten years. I can only imagine what my parents think when they compare campus to their time at Dear Old State.

This is the Katz Building, which houses the Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law. Had this building (and a State College campus) existed when I was applying to law schools, my life may have turned out quite differently.

From Wikipedia: The Lewis Katz Building in University Park, Pennsylvania, opened for classes on January 9, 2009. The $60 million, 114,000 square-foot building is the first academic facility to be built on the west side of Park Avenue, opposite from Penn State’s main campus. It is adjacent to the Penn State Arboretum.

The Lewis Katz Building is LEED certified and equipped with advanced high definition digital audiovisual telecommunications capacity that enables the real-time delivery of classes and programs between the law school’s Carlisle and University Park campuses and other collaborative projects and programs with schools and institutions worldwide. The second floor includes the glass-enclosed library, with a two-story information commons, four group study rooms and 11 offices among the features. Library spaces comprise about 50 percent of the building.

In 2009, Judge D. Brooks Smith used the Lewis Katz Building's courtroom to hear an oral argument to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. In addition to the courtroom, the Katz Building includes a 250-seat auditorium, four specially designed 75-person classrooms, several seminar rooms, and a highly advanced “board room” permitting electronic “face-to-face” contact with meeting participants worldwide.

Until We Meet Again

Until We Meet Again, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

A while back I said I wasn't going to post any more shots of my bike. Well, I had to post just one more, because I finally sold her today. It was bittersweet. I needed to sell her because I no longer have the time to ride, but man, what a sweet, sweet bike. I always wanted a Daytona, and when I finally got one I didn't have the time to devote to riding. Emma (that's her name) was far and away the best motorcycle I've owned, and I'll miss riding. There's something so relaxing and free about being on a motorcycle. Hopefully I'll be on the road again in the not too distant future....

47

47, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

Last time I was in Atlantic City, it was way too hot. I didn't take many pictures. Once it gets cooler, I'll go back and try and get some nice shots. Also, I'll try not to lose so much money.

Church of Our Lady Before Týn

Church of Our Lady Before Týn, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

I was going through some of my shots from my trip to Prague a few years ago and I came across this one of the Tyn Church. Unfortunately, at the time I didn't have a DSLR or tripod or know what a .raw file was, but for a point and shoot, this came out pretty well. I'd like to go back through some of those shots and process them a bit.

For those of you who like your history:
The Church of Our Lady before Týn (in Czech Kostel Matky Boží před Týnem, also Týnský chrám (Týn Church) or just Týn) is a dominant feature of the Old Town of Prague, Czech Republic, and has been the main church of this part of the city since the 14th century. The church's towers are 80 m high and topped by four small spires.

In the 11th century, this area was occupied by a Romanesque church, which was replaced by an early Gothic Church of Our Lady in front of Týn in 1256. Construction of the present church began in the 14th century in late Gothic style under the influence of Matthias of Arras and later Peter Parler. By the beginning of the 15th century, construction was almost complete; only the towers, the gable and roof were missing. The church was controlled by Hussites for some time, including John of Rokycan, future archbishop of Prague, who became the church's vicar in 1427.

The roof was completed in the 1450s, while the gable and northern tower were completed shortly thereafter during the reign of George of Podebrady. His sculpture was placed on the gable, below a huge golden chalice, the symbol of the Hussites. The southern tower was not completed until 1511, under Matěj Rejsek. In 1626, after the Battle of White Mountain, the sculptures of George of Podebrady and the chalice were removed and replaced by a sculpture of the Virgin Mary, with a giant holy made from by melting down the chalice. In 1679 the church was struck by lightning, and the subsequent fire heavily damaged the old vault, which was later replaced by a lower baroque vault.

Under the Front

Under the Front, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

A totally different view and different mood of the same beach as in yesterday's shot, taken from about 20 yards to the right. This was also as the sun was going down, but at the same time the storm clouds were rolling in. Northern coast of Jamaica.

Vertorama composed of two raw exposures.

I'll Take Mine on the Rocks

I'll Take Mine on the Rocks, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

Yet another Jamaican sunset. I don't think I could ever get tired of them.

This is a 6 exposure vertorama. 3 exposures for the bottom, 3 for the top. I think it's a bit overprocessed, but so are Jamaican sunsets.

Paradise Found

Paradise Found, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

This was the scuba/snorkeling/kayak dock of the resort I was at in Jamaica over Labor Day weekend. I'm fairly certain I could sit on that beach every day and never get sick of the view.

If you're curious, this is a two exposure vertorama, meaning that it is taken from two different shots, one placed on top of the other. They were blended together in Photoshop, where I did some other editing, adjusted curves, etc.

Lightning Crashes

Lightning Crashes, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

The second night we were in Jamaica, there was an awesome lightning storm out over the Caribbean. Of course, me being in Jamaica at an all inclusive resort, and it being 10pm, instead of a camera in one hand and a tripod in the other, I had a drink in one hand and another drink in the other.

Luckily, I had my camera nearby, and I was able to use the wide railing as a tripod. I sort of wish I was able to set up with a tripod closer to the water so I wouldn't have the chairs in the foreground, but I can't be too upset seeing as how the drinking was going well.

Anyway, this was my first time ever shooting lightning. Came out pretty good I think. Didn't do much processing at all here other than lower the hue of some yellows and oranges. The sky actually was that purple. Single exposure raw, 30 seconds I believe.

The End

The End, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

Just got back from Jamaica. What a great, easy, trip from Philly. Perfect four day weekend.

I saw some of the most amazing sunsets, including this one. I don't think I have ever seen the clouds split the sunset so that rays of pink streaked across the sky like they did here. I took a ton of shots, so many more to come.

Filly Fallout

Filly Fallout, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

Messing around in Photoshop. This is actually a great place to shoot a sunset, as the sun goes down directly behind Center City Philadelphia. Now, I just have to get out there and actually take a sunset shot. It'd also be a great place to shoot after dark, once the Ben Franklin Bridge (just out of the shot to the right) is all light up. Of course, I'll need volunteers to accompany me. Take turns shooting and watching each other's back.

Jellyfish

Jellyfish, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

Jellyfish at the Camden Aquarium. Such weird animals, yet I could have watched them float around for hours. It's hard to believe that they're sentient beings seeing as how they look like a condom filled with water.

Single exposure processed in Photoshop. I think, looking at this shot on Flickr, that the border is distracting. I'm not sure that I really feel like changing it though.

You can see more detail by clicking on the image to go to Flickr, where you can view this shot larger. You can do that for all of my shots, by the way.

RCA Victor Building 17

RCA Victor Building 17, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

This is what's left of the giant RCA manufacturing complex that used to take up much of the Camden, NJ waterfront. Now, this building houses trendy apartments. It seems to me though, that it doesn't matter how nice the inside of your apartment is if you're going to get stabbed when you walk outside of it.

Hungry Hungry Hippo

Hungry Hungry Hippo, originally uploaded by M. Rosenberg.

So. This is a real, live hippo. I don't think I had ever seen a real, live hippo before until this past weekend. I've never seen a more fake looking animal. I don't know if that's the best way to describe them, but they just don't look real to me. They're more like one of those animatronic devices you'd see at Disney. Anyway, these were real. You can see them for yourself at the Camden Aquarium.

This guy (or gal, I don't know) was trying to give me a kiss though the glass. Or trying to bite my face off. One of the two. Most likely the latter.