all photos taken by Syed IEDEI.
Tag Archives: new york city
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Have been taking a lot of photos. It never gets old. Creating never gets old.
all photos taken by myself using either a Leica M8.1 or Ricoh GRD3 and an assortment of M-Mount lenses.
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me and my trusty M8 .1 + Summicron 40mm
(below with new 39mm Leitz Orange filter, which i’m sort of in love with at the moment. Bought it for B&W photos, but am starting to use it for orange tint)
“Anti-imbedded-Mossad Party” Cadillac Seville Limousine.
I laughed so hard when I saw this car. I laughed from far, and then i laughed from up close! Spotted in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Apologies for the water on my camera lens, as there is a hurricane outside when I was walking around!
For those who don’t know, the Mossad is obviously the controversial Israeli intelligence agency (equivalent to the CIA in the US government). “Mitochondrial DNA”, interestingly enough, is generally passed down from one’s mother. I am still trying to interpret these quotes in full.
Here’s my wife pretending it’s her car! (it’s not, obviously….lol)
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This past week, i bought a new 40mm Summicron F2 for my Leica M8.1 (M8u) and man do i love it. It is considered one of the finest kept secrets in the Leica world, and they are totally right. The 40mm Summicron is one of the sharpest and most well balanced lenses, and it really makes the 35mm Voigtlander Nokton F1.4 feel more primitive and just not as nice to use. Everyone with an M-mount camera needs this lens. It does have a tendency to flare when pointed directly at sunlight, however most Summicrons and Summiluxes have similar tendencies. All in all, a wonderfully compact and tight lens which is excellent to use. Highly recommended!
Here are some of my favourite photos i’ve taken over the past week, taken with the new 40mm Summicron F2:
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all photos taken by Syed IEDEI
(Leica M8.1, CV 35mm f1.4 Nokton)
Mindrelic vs. Manhattan.
I really enjoyed these 2 time lapsed videos done by Mindrelic. The fact that he actually chose interesting music makes it even better. Beautiful! I never get tired of NYC.
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my week in photos through my eyes.
all photos by Syed IEDEI using a Leica M8.1
streetfoto of the day.
i’m really loving grinding my creative teeth on my M8. “Hip shooting” is my latest interest….pre-focusing the lens, with delayed shutter reload…..and then creating the distance i need. There’s nothing quite as interesting as walking around seeing the wicked charms of New York City….with a camera in hand. I used to think nothing was better than driving around NYC, but now i’ve found something even more interesting.
I usually shoot in B&W, but the colours in this photo were too beautiful so I had switched to colour for it.
New York City, Leica M8.1 with Voigtlander 35mm f1.4
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the past week through my eyes…
tools: Leica M8.1 and Voigtlander 35mm f1.4 (except for “doorway”, taken by a Leica D-Lux3)
sighting of the day. track day 911s.
I was bumbling along in my rental Civic (yes i am still driving rental cars while the A3 gets fixed), and spotted these 2! Nice combination to see together being transported on trailers for what seems to be a track day exercise—not too common of a sighting in Queens, NYC.
Porsche 911 Targa and Porsche 911 GT3
Old proposal for a 1965 NYC Central Park race….and a resurrection?
My mate over at Automobiliac has revived a great idea; a race through central park! There isn’t a time that goes by where I don’t imagine race cars pounding through the streets of NYC. Although I must admit that part of my racing fantasy involves the Williamsburg Bridge, FDR, and then pounding through central park. A bit over the top—-yes…….but hey!
As per Automobiliac’s article, I found this most interesting!
“I’m obviously not the first to fantasize about this race through the park. Back in 1965, race promoter Alec Ulmann, of Sebring 12 Hours fame, proposed the very same idea in Automobile Quarterly (Vol. 4, No. 1). He felt that New York should have a Monaco-style Grand Prix right in its heart, and reserved harsh words for the all-powerful Parks Commisioner Robert Moses for scuppering his plans, as well as multiple previous attempts in the 1950’s to run exactly such a race.”
Read the full article and some ideas here: Automobiliac
Snow! Finally!
Today, we finally got a tiny little snow storm……..not really enough to get truly excited about—-but still good fun to do circles in Brooklyn!! A3 + quattro + snow tires = pretty much unstoppable great fun.
too tall, Tony….
the ‘new’ Fiat 500 is one ugly car……super tall, oddly out of proportion, and decorated like a child’s toy. I only like the fact that it has a ‘Fiat’ badge on it; otherwise it sucks. I parked next to one earlier today, and was appalled by the comparison of size.
Could F1 be coming to New Jersey?
(photo from WSJ of proposed location of track)
(thanks to Stampchez [qw] for the tip!)
Being a NYC resident, i’m hugely excited by this article. We have heard this all before, as a couple of years ago there was some buzz about F1 coming to Liberty State Park in New Jersey—-but this time, there seems to be some positivity regarding the possibilities.
DO IT BERNIE, you sad old geeza!
link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903341404576484073501204538.html8
a tribute to a fantastic car. my TT.
TOMORROW, i am picking up my new car. After driving my 2001 Audi TT every single day as my daily driver for the last 8 years of my life, I am adding another car to my garage. The TT now has 115k+ miles on it, miles that have been filled with life, moving, adventure, love, stress, happiness, sadness, soul, nostalgia, future, hope, satisfaction, worry, and time. We forget how much we experience in our automobiles—and it is a special thing. In the last 8 years I have owned the TT, i have lived in 8 different apartments. The TT felt like more of a stable ‘home’ to me in my time of transitions. When i got the TT in 2003, I was a medical student living in Chicago—-struggling to find my future, struggling to cope with my own stresses, unmarried, and to be honest; pretty lonely. I have taken the TT to all settings of life, from the backroads of Brooklyn through forests in Vermonts to the sweeping race track turns of Road America. I rarely get attached to material objects, and I rarely hold onto things more for a couple of years—-but the TT is an exception to my rules. There isn’t a week that goes by where people don’t stop me to ask questions about the car, every commute is accompanied by glances, staring, and admiration. The car is still gorgeous, and unique in terms of iconic design in the modern era of plagiarism. Most of all, every time i come home after a hard day at work—i park the car in my apartment building’s garage, lock the door, and always glance back at it in admiration of it.
My opinion of the car? To me, the MK1 (first generation) Audi TT is one of the all-time iconic coupes. Prior to purchasing it, i dreamt and fascinating about the car quite intensely. Prior to owning it, I had never felt such attachment to a shape, a design, or any automobile. In the 21st century—where cars are now churned out to be mass produced profit counters—-the TT represented a creative hurrah by duplicating the gorgeous concept car design into a production reality. The interior of the TT is by all accounts one of the most expensive interiors ever put into a non-exotic production vehicle. The humble beginnings off a shortened MK4 Golf chassis are nothing to be ashamed of—as the structure was reinforced, shortened, and optimized for the TT specifically. The 1.8T engine which was placed in my 225’s bay is a uniquely reinforced engine which is like no other Audi or VW engine produced from that time. Double intercooled, K04 (big) turbo, and beefed up internals, heads, hoses, and structures. Easy to modify (my car is estimated at about 275hp after tuning), and easy to love driving—-adding a few simple modifications to the suspension (Koni shocks/Neuspeed springs/Neuspeed 22 inch sway bar) really make the car a total joy to drive. I have timed my 0-60 runs between 5.0 to 5.5 seconds consistently. A borla exhaust has added a deep rumble, and the lightweight 18″ SSR Type C wheels have reduced the unsprung weight and increased the agility in handling. The TT always puts a smile on my face, and I love the car more now than i did 8 years ago. I have often joked with my wife that I would like to keep the TT for many many years—-and to be that old grandad who keeps a beautiful german coupe locked away in the garage—–it is looking more and more that this will be the case (hopefully!).
So long story short, I am keeping the TT tomorrow, and adding another family member. The TT will now become my ‘weekend fun car’. This is the beginning of the “IEDEI Auto Harem”! More details on the new car tomorrow—-but for right now I will just say that the new car is practical, handsome, very nicely appointed, and very fun to drive. I look forward to revealing it tomorrow!
foto of the day. e-type in nyc.
No, i did not take this photo. I believe this originates from an original Jaguar promo set of photos taken in the city.
IEDEI @ the car wash.
I haven’t washed the TT in what feels like months. It had started to look like a Jackson Pollock painting—-so today, after hours of work this weekend—i decided to take the car in for a wash. I really don’t like washing my own car—it is a time consuming flush of an activity! So i’d much rather pay others to do it, which is exactly what I did at my local Brooklyn hand wash. I was joined by some interesting company.
(today i realised my car is quite low…as the R8 was almost the same height)
foto of the day. TT.
I had no work today, but when i woke up i looked out the window and saw SNOW! everytime this happens, the voice of an 85 year-old rural farmer comes into my head and says “FIRE UP THE QUATTRO!”—–so i did. driving in circles around my neighbourhood….it was lovely. Grabbed some breakfast….and took the time to take a photo representing my morning.
Winter glory!
NYC winters are generally boring, cold, and without snow. This year is a beautiful concoction of endless snowfalls leading to a fantastic daily commute! Here’s a crappy cell phone photo to show my struggles of daily parallel parking in heavily restricted side streets of manhattan! I would have it no other way. Luckily when it snows here, all of the “alternate side rules” get suspended; which means open parking spots for me without some of the fights I have had with other drivers in the past….all part of my NYC experience.
(and yes, that is the IEDEI mobile)
Artist of the day: Xander Walker
Xander Walker (http://strassenversion.blogspot.com) is someone I have known for a while through The Auto Union community. A few weeks ago, a bunch of us met up for a dinner in Manhattan, and Xander introduced us to his fantastic artwork. I was blown away by the uniqueness and individualistic style of these paintings; and I can firmly say that they are WELL worth the humble $15 to $30 asking price he has put up for the pieces. Each one is hand signed, and perfect for framing. Speaking of which, I need to find time to get to a framing shop to buy a suitable frame for the 2 paintings I own by him. Each painting is hand finished and limited edition. Each piece is 24 x 17″ and packaged well!
In addition to the Alpine A110 pictured above (which obviously i DO have!!), here are some others available from Xander’s Etsy store:
ENTER “IEDEI” to get 20% off at the checkout! —Thanks Xander
http://www.etsy.com/shop/strassenversion
SNOW!
(thanks to Elyse Sewell for sharing this glorious photo with me, not sure where it was taken…)
Well it snowed like we were at war with the sky over the weekend here in NYC. I learned several things during this snowstorm.
A) People in NYC have no idea how to drive through snow. Having grown up in Michigan and then lived 3 years in Chicago taught me very well how to drive during a snowstorm. People here have extreme difficulty in judging whether their car can clear certain ‘mounds’ of snow. On the corner of our street in Brooklyn…..There were 10s of cars stuck over a period of just a few hours. Some cars in Brooklyn REMAIN stuck even now…..
B) I drive a very low to the ground modified with a stiff suspension, 18 inch lightweight wheels, and on all-seasons. my TT quattro had absolutely no trouble handling the snow in any way. There wasn’t a single time i felt unstable or unable to clear any snowbanks. Most of you know I am a major Audihead….and this is why. These cars are unstoppable by weather. While other people stay parked during inclement storms, Audis come ALIVE! It was great to see people with looks of disbelief as i passed their stuck SUVs and trucks in my low black coupe…..i even heard “what the hell is that thing!?”.
C) NYC was not prepared at all for this storm…..and their lack of proper cleanup is basically simple negligence and/or a mixture of holiday relaxation combined with unexpected ‘large’ storm status. There are still major streets in our area which are unplowed, and have now turned into ice. Unacceptable!
D) NYC people are tough. Much tougher than others. i saw plenty of people walking around, trudging through large stacks of knee high or even thigh high snow. In other cities, you’d see people sitting on their couch eating chips and watching TV. There were people stuck 6 hours on the A train going through Queens without heat or food on Monday morning….i’m guessing these people took the subway again today to work.
E) I need boots. No i’ve never worn boots….even in Detroit or Chicago i never did…but i also never had to walk so much as i do here…and my lack of boots means that the dude you see slipping and sliding all over the sidewalk is probably me trying to regain my balance.
IEDEI 