Writing, Photography, and the life lessons I learned from Street Academy
One of the first “fun” things that new photographers often try, in an effort to have some fun with their camera gear, is to capture a long “light trails” exposure at an amusement park or fairgrounds.ย I did that many years ago at Altamont, “The Orbiter” was one of my early successes. If you’re going…
Read MoreNOTE: I wrote this article for the August 2007 issue of the Journal of Antiques and Collectibles, and am reprinting it here for your enjoyment. During the 1960s, the Mattel Toy Company created a special “molding toy,” which allowed children to pour a plasticized polymer into a special mold, heat the mold, cool it, and…
Read MoreI’ve been a member of the Photo Center of the Capital District for the past three years.ย It’s a fun group, you learn a lot of things, you can improve your craft and your skill sets. And every year around this time, the Photo Center hosts its annual Members’ Show.ย The members submit up to…
Read MoreTheir shows were considered trippy, surreal, unique. Their programs inspired me to create and write, to test the limits of my very young and impressionable mind. Eventually I wrote a cover story for Toy Collector Magazine on the history of their programs, and actually interviewed two of their shows’ most popular stars for the article.…
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My June 2014 shot of the distressed Olympic Bar sign is now illuminated. And by “illuminated,” I mean that the photo now lights up. For real. No kidding. Check out the blog and see how I did it.
Read MoreBoy, did I step in the steaming pile. Yesterday, in my blog, I referred to a woman, who looked as if she was in her mid-50’s, as “elderly.” And what happened?ย I got a swift lecture by my blog readers for combining that age bracket with that term. Yeah, maybe I am thinking that someone…
Read MoreYesterday I had to travel to New York City for some business projects.ย Rather than drive all the way down and all the way back, I rode Amtrak.ย A little relaxation, a little scenery, this that and the other thing.ย Plus, as I’ve said in this blog previously, I come from a long line of…
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After last year’s tiebreaker loss in Summer Bowl IV, could my Street Academy team rebound and have a strong showing in Summer Bowl V? Only one way to find out… read the blog…
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Every so often, I am reminded that the Times Union’s community bloggers are part of our local community.ย That sounds like a circular statement – but it also means that the TU bloggers are part of a very distinct community in and of itself.ย We have our own diverse interests, yet we find a way…
Read MoreSo last Monday, while I was in Oneida County for a little creative-battery-regeneration trip, I remembered that there was a ghost sign in downtown Utica that I wanted to photograph. And I found it… and, thanks to the BlackBerry Q10 camera phone, I was able to snag a selfie with it and share it on…
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Chuck The Writer 
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