Guillaume Tell at Caramoor Music Festival

Daniel Mobbs as William Tell

photo by Susan FarleySoprano Julianna Di Giacomo as Mathilde

photo by Susan FarleyConductor Will Crutchfield conducts as Julianna performs

One of the most popularly famous classical scores The William Tell Overture by Rossinit was exciting to hear in person as I photographed the opera for the NY Times last Saturday.

please click on title of blog to read the positive review from the Times music reviewer.

Swarmatron Story for NY Times Photos by Susan Farley

(Story copied from NY Times written by Tammy La Gorce/ photos by Susan Farley

IT might be a while before Rolling Stone compiles its list of 100 Greatest Swarmatron Players.

As of now, only a small number exist, and only 20 of the handmade analog synthesizers have traveled beyond the homes of their inventors. But Swarmatrons are catching on.

Since Feb. 27, the night of the 83rd Academy Awards, Leon Dewan, 45, and his first cousin once removed, Brian Dewan, 48, have been clambering to fill orders for the $3,250 machines, which generate what they call “a seriously anxiety-inducing sound.”

The Swarmatron, developed by the cousins in 2003, produces eight tones of slightly different pitch tuned to one note, which creates a choral effect. It was the instrument behind the eerie, beehive-ish music that won the 2010 Oscar for Best Original Score for “The Social Network.”

In an interview at his home here, Leon Dewan, who had watched the presentation at an Oscar party in Irvington, said the award was “a real victory for unconventional and forward-thinking movie scores.”

It was something of a personal victory, too. “It felt like the Swarmatron was the foundation on which they built a whole bunch of other musical stuff,” Mr. Dewan said, referring to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who together created the score.

Mr. Reznor, best known as the front man of the alternative rock band Nine Inch Nails, discovered the Swarmatron through a short YouTube video about the instrument posted by the Los Angeles-based music shop Big City Music, which is currently the only outlet for buying a Swarmatron.

“He started messing around with it, and it was right up his alley,” Mr. Dewan said. “He’s an avid synth player.”

A Swarmatron is a boxy thing, about the size of an old-fashioned record player, with a multitude of knobs and switches. Mr. Dewan has one in his living room perched, like a variety of other vaguely mad-scientist-like creations invented by the Dewan cousins, on the kind of aluminum walkers frequently seen in nursing homes.

(to read entire story please click on title above "Swarmatron" and it will link you to the NY Times story published June, 19, 2011)

URBAN SNOWMAN and HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011 from NYC

photos by Susan Farley

As Most of you know NYC was pummeled with a fierce snow blizzard the day after Christmas 2010. The City was paralyzed by the snowstorm. I had a portrait shoot at the Columbia U Mailman School of Public Health and I parked a few blocks away in Washington Heights. It was quite the urban hiking adventure to get my photo equipment through the snowy and slushy streets, yet in the early evening when I returned to my car and drove down Audubon St. I saw this amazing snowman. Although there was a delivery truck double parked at the deli (behind me) , I quickly stopped my car and grabbed my camera for a quick shot, as I know that I would have regretted passing this one by.

So with all of the disasters and problems faced by New Yorkers in the Blizzard, somewhere On West 169th Street was a snowman with a corncob smile and black pail hat stopping traffic. A HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011 to ALL!!!

Rocking Bluegrass

The Punch Brothers perform at Bluegrass Festival in Caramoor
photos by Susan Farley

Chris Thile on Mandolin and lead singer of Punch Brothers
photo by Susan Farley

Crooked Still's lead singer Aoife O'Donovan performs at Bluegrass festival

photo by Susan Farley

Bluegrass group Crooked Still perform (photo by Susan Farley

Link to NY Times article where photo of Punch Brothers appears

http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2010/07/06/arts/PUNCH.html

Photos from July 3rd three-band minifestival at Caramoor, “New Shoots,” featuring young bluegrass bands.

The music was energetic and lively, engaging the audience and was fun to shoot.

CITY ISLAND

The Carmans, active members of the City Island American Legion

Christine, City Island mom of two and arm wrestling champion

Children perform in community show Kiddy Kabaret

Boy Scouts are an important part of the youth culture on City Island

City Island is an Island in The Bronx, often described as "New England with a Bronx accent."

"City Island" is now also a movie starring and produced by Andy Garcia, and also starring Juliana Marguiles and Alan Arkin. The movie is a fun and touching take on a "dysfunctional" family of clam diggers .(The name given to residents who were born or have spent their entire lives on the Island)The movie also "stars" the Island.

I have recently added a gallery on my website http://susanfarley.com featuring 18 of the 49 portraits I shot for a personal project on the people of City Island, which I call "Faces of City Island." I exhibited at the Focal Point Gallery and the response was warm and wonderful. The show was reviewed by Time OutNY and I won a BRIO grant from the body of work.

I loved working on the images, setting up a studio with a plain background and inviting an assortment of locals to pose with outfits and personal items which said who they are.

My very last subject was our mailman "Tommy" who took a minute break from his postal rounds to step into my "Studio."

United Nations Fundraiser for Haiti

"Mother Teresa with young girl" by Susan Farley Photography
This photo will be part of International Women's Day Celebration fundraiser for Haiti at the United Nations on Friday March 5th 2010. The photo will be for sale with 100% of profits for the Heat Foundation.

Invitation announcement of the International Women's Day fundraiser for Haiti at the United Nations..

Hello friends and colleagues:

I would like to invite you to the fundraiser for Haiti at the United Nations on Friday March 5th from 6:30 to 11:00 PM. Work from over 30 artists, including myself will be on display and for sale to benefit organizations for the Haitian people. Any profits derived from the sale of photos I am donating (which includes my photo of Mother Teresa above) to The H.E.A.T. foundation (http://theheatfoundation.org )

There will be a $15.00 donation requested to attend the fundraiser. There will be a cash bar for food and drinks. There will live music, art and other entertainment.

Because of high security at the UN, any attendees must call in advance so that their name will be on the guest list. You MUST be on the guest list to enter.

The phone numbers are on the invitation above.

Taina Glaude 212-963-0331 may be the best contact number to call up until Friday afternoon.

This promises to be a fun evening for a very worthy cause.

I hope to see you there!!!!!!

"Forever Love"

"Forever Love" is a photo originally taken for a Valentine's Day story while on assignment for The New York Times. I continue to be amazed how the polar bears formed a heart shape as they grazed together at The Bronx Zoo.

Here is an excerpt from the story:
"Eugene Sautner likes to believe he was the first person to instigate a union in front of the Bronx Zoo's polar bears. It was a blustery January day in 1960 that Mr. Sautner, now 70, dragged his wife-to-be Mary Jane to the zoo. She greeted his question with another: Did you ask my mother first? The answer: I didn't think of that. (Both mother and daughter eventually gave their assent.) -(story credit "In City of Excess, No Theatrics Are Too Grand for 'Marry Me' By ANDREW JACOBS The New York Times)

The photo printed on canvas can be seen at the "Meaning of Love" group photo show at the Focal Point Gallery on 321 City Island Ave. , City Island, NY (718-885-1241). The show opening, which is open to the public, is on Friday February 5th from 7-10 and the show will run through the entire month of February.

My photo "Forever Love" will be for sale and the profits of a sale will be donated to The H.E.A.T. Foundation (theheatfoundation.org) , an organization founded by a long-time friend of mine Ghislaine de Sanon, R.N. , is currently working in Haiti on many projects including one to help place orphans in adoptive and foster homes, to help extended families to keep and take care of children, and to get Haitian children back into school.