Life of a Small Town Photographer: Run to Philly

Every once in awhile I get to tag along with my wife when she has to travel for her job. This week was one of those times. The following 39 photographs were shot in Philadelphia, PA while on a 36 hour round trip from 2,000 feet to sea level and back again. This was our 2nd trip to Philly in 3 years.

9th Street Cheese Shop.

Somewhere we read that there are over 3,000 wall paintings in Philadelphia.

Frank Rizzo, former Police Commish and mayor of Philadelphia during the 1970's.

Italian Market in the rain on a Thursday afternoon in South Philadelphia, PA.

Just when you think that an umbrella is a pain in the ass, it becomes a prop in the overall scheme of things.

Race Street looking toward Chinatown in the rain Thursday afternoon. This and the following picture were shot from our hotel window at 11th and Race St

Traffic coming into the city off of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge and Route 95.

Dienner's BBQ Chicken at the rear of The Reading Terminal Market.

When it comes to food, there is no place in Philadelphia like the Reading Terminal Market. No matter what your taste, you can find something good to eat.

One stop shopping at it's best.

City Hall and Center City Philadelphia at night.

Bridge Traffic at Night.

Race Street Chinatown.

We started the day Friday with a view of the sunrise over Philadelphia. Our day ended as we drove into the sunset on our way West and home.

Sunrise over the Ben Franklin Bridge at 7:10 Friday morning.

Philadelphia City Hall.
Once the tallest building in the center of town, it now becoming lost amongst the giants of the new world order.

Almost every building in this photograph has been built in the last 30 years. Part of Philadelphia's charm was that it didn't look like or smell like New York City. In another 30 years, Philly will look just like another space port in the cosmos.

The Thinker.
Not even Rodin's famous statue is immune to the reconstruction of Philly. The green space behind the statue is all under construction.

George Washington monument in front of the Philadelphia Art Museum.

Benjamin Franklin Institute on 20th Street.

B&W Wall
The sun was so reflective on this building I shot it at f22 at 1/3200 to get this effect.

Looking through the mist of the Logan Circle Fountain at City Hall in the background.

With the water fountain turned off you can see the detail of the statues.

View of City Hall from Logan Circle.

Busts of great educators surround the top of the Board of Education Building.

30th Street Station on a beautiful Fall afternoon.

So many possible pictures, so little time.

Flags flying at 30th Street Station.

I was standing on Chestnut Street setting up this shot and this guy rode right into the frame. I do get lucky once in awhile.

William Penn as seen through the new giants of downtown Philadelphia at Chestnut and Broad Streets.

You can still find some of the old wall art in the city.

Barges working on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River underneath the Benjamin Franklin Bridge.

Sea Gull

Fighting sea gulls.

Front Street.
At one time there was nothing along this street except wharves and warehouses. The once mighty Port of Philadelphia no longer exists.

Although I did not know it at the time that I shot these photographs, this Red-tailed Hawk and the rest of it's family had taken up residence on a ledge outside of a window at the Franklin Institute on 20th Street in center city Philadelphia. The pair of Red-taileds raised three young this year and have been a source of entertainment to visitors to the Institute all summer long. You can visit the Hawkwatch at the Franklin Institute blog or look for the Hawkaholic facebook page.

After watching the Red-tailed hawk snatch a pigeon off of a light standard in front of the Free Library of Philadelphia Building, I grabbed my camera and followed the bird to where it landed on another lamp post in front of the Franklin Institute.

Three of 40 photographs I shot of the hawk over a period of 7 minutes while dancing in traffic around Logan Circle.