Qualifiers for the “outlaw” free-style, downhill skate sessions started at dawn, on steep, open-traffic, Fort George Hill. The rider’s self-judged, open contest moved then to the Cloisters at Fort Tryon for the finals. The free format allows as many runs as possible until the law shows up! Anything goes: slides, carving or bombing…but Style is the name of the game. More at  freshpaved.com.

StyleSession09

StyleSession09

StyleSession09

StyleSession09

StyleSession09

StyleSession09

Today, Vultures get their 15 minutes of attention Worldwide!

The IVAD09 virtual event is raising awareness of the Vulture’s plight across the globe. Here is my input with links to images from Namibia, South Africa and Portugal.

Hopefully, the 15 minutes will grow to full time recognition!

African White-Backed, central Namibia

]]> http://www.fotoportmann.com/blog/2009/09/05/international-vulture-awareness-day-2009/feed/ 0 http://www.fotoportmann.com/blog/2009/06/23/skyscraper-harlem-cycling-classic-nyc/ http://www.fotoportmann.com/blog/2009/06/23/skyscraper-harlem-cycling-classic-nyc/#comments Wed, 24 Jun 2009 01:38:31 +0000 admin http://www.fotoportmann.com/blog/?p=408 More rain and black&white film for the 36th annual “Skyscraper Harlem Cycling Classic” on father’s day, through  some sun… and heavy rain, around Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem.

Skyscraper Harlem Cycling Classic: NYC

Skyscraper Harlem Cycling Classic: NYC

Skyscraper Harlem Cycling Classic: NYC

Skyscraper Harlem Cycling Classic: NYC

Skyscraper Harlem Cycling Classic: NYC

Parades aren’t usualy on my list of interests but this one is the exception. I checked it out yesterday! Maybe the rain inspired me so. I decided to do another black & white, low-tech stint, with the old Nikon FM2.

Harvey K as Neptune, Mermaid Parade, Coney Island USA

La Sirène, Mermaid Parade, Coney Island USA

Pirates of Brooklyn, Mermaid Parade, Coney Island USA

Rude Marching Band, Mermaid Parade, Coney Island USA

SilverSeaMonster, Mermaid Parade, Coney Island USA

Another longboarding contest that wasn’t… Those guys found shelter in the woods and rode the steep  trails there. Away from sunday’s road rage, above on the park main road.

More pix at freshpaved.com.

Cloisters, NYC

Cloisters, NYC

Cloisters, NYC

For this part of the trip on the trails of the Caminho, I chose to travel light and go low-tech: Nikon FM2, one lens (35mm, f 2.0) and B&W film. Pretty basic and retro, ideal for the “road” through fields, stone villages, roman roads, bridges and medieval castles.

The Northeastern Caminho

This is a lesser known route to Compostela, a short cut of the main road from southern Spain, through the remote northeast corner of Portugal, rural and less populated. The region of olives, almonds and wine of the Douro river.

Most of our itinerary  was within the  Parque Natural do Douro Internacional, Portugal’s second largest nature park along the Douro river. The steep cliffs on the riverbanks (Arribas de Douro) offer prime shelter for nesting birds. We saw  Eurasian Griffons and Egyptian Vultures, Bonelli’s and Golden Eagles, Black Storks, Peregrine Falcons.

People living inside the park’s borders, created in 1998, are still exploiting farmlands, raising cattle and mostly sheeps.

Small villages are shrinking, many people have left to cities and other countries. Making a living off the land is not for the weak, but life has it’s own rhythm there, tuned on the cycle of seasons. This is sustainable agriculture as it always was. On the table, the olives, olive oil, sausages and wine come from the orchards and the fields nearby, the open pig pen, where hogs still get servings of acorns.

The Northeastern Caminho

Sunday, I went to Jersey, just across the Hudson River at Palissades park for the Major Stock Em’ outlaw DH and slide competition! The NJ longboard crew had to switch to this location after someone reported their planned site to the local police! That wasn’t enough to ground them… At awards time, a hawk circled in approval by the Palissades cliffs above us. More images at frehpaved.com

Major Stock Em' outlaw

Major Stock Em' outlaw

The thirsty Jackal sharing water with Elephant is running on the two pages spread “around africa”  in the March issue of Africa Geographic, the major african nature&wildlife magazine based in Cape Town.

Black-backed Jackal and Elephant, Etosha National Park, Namibia