Temple of Love

When J and I go exploring with cameras, we often agree upon a challenge. Who can capture the quintessential Boston tourist shot, for instance, or who can snap a photo which truly expresses the flavor of the North End?

Today, J and I went for a Sunday stroll at Larz Anderson Park in Brookline, MA, and I named the challenge. Knowing Larz Anderson offers excellent kite-flying along with an impressive view of the Boston skyline, I suggested that J and I try to snap a two-in-one shot: a kite-flyer backdropped by the Boston skyline. As it turned out, today was less-than-ideal for kite-flying, so this is the best shot I got:

Boston skyline with kite

Exactly one week ago, I went walking with friends in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park; my self-made challenge, an attempt to capture the flavor of a leisurely Sunday in the park backdropped by the Manhattan skyline. Here, again, is the best shot I got:

Manhattan skyline

Today, I shot a well-weathered statue standing near the Larz Anderson skating pavilion:

Statue

Exactly one week ago, I shot the Statue of Liberty as seen through a shroud of haze:

Statue of Liberty

Tonight, J and I will watch the Red Sox play the Yankees; last week, while I was in Brooklyn, J watched the New England Patriots beat the New York Jets alone. The rivalry between Boston and New York goes deeper than baseball, football, and the like. Thanks to the wonders of modern travel, it’s perfectly possible to spend one Sunday in Brooklyn and the next in Brookline, the Manhattan skyline of one week replaced by the Boston skyline the next. “Where are you?” these images seem to ask. Wherever you stroll on a given Sunday, where do your loyalties lie, and where is your attention deeply drawn? That practice of attention is the truest challenge of all.

Click here for a photo-set from today’s Sunday stroll at Larz Anderson Park.