Neve Zedek Window

I haven't had too much time for photography the past few months but for the sake of both my muse and my sanity it's high time to MAKE the time, so yesterday when I found myself with a few hours free I grabbed my camera and my car keys and headed into Tel Aviv for a walk around one of my very favorite neighborhoods. Neve Zedek is a study in contradictions - old and decrepit, new and gentrified beyond the price range of mere mortals, sparkling new residential towers full of glass and curved lines (which would look fabulous in a more modern neighborhood but are sinfully out of place in this one).

Here's a glimpse of the older side of the neighborhood - look fast, it probably won't last much longer...

Summer Stock Sunday - It's Worldwide Photowalk Time!

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What a fun day I just had! Today, Saturday July 24th, was (or depending on when you read this perhaps still is) Scott Kelby's Third Annual Worldwide Photowalk. After a few logistical complications a photography enthusiast friend and I joined the Tel Aviv walk again this year (we'd planned to attend the walk in Jerusalem's Old City but it was not to be, I'll have to get back there on my own this fall), where we spent a delightful morning meandering the streets and alleys of Tel Aviv's picturesque Neve Zedek neighborhood. Founded in 1887, Neve Zedek was one of the first neighborhoods to be built in the then-brand new city of Tel Aviv. The neighborhood has seen ups and downs since its early days but is today home to a thriving (and very upscale) collection of shops, galleries and beautifully restored period homes. One of Tel Aviv's architectural gems, it is a true visual feast for the photographer. No matter how many times I visit there's always something new to catch my eye - and my lens.
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It will take me quite a while to sort through and process all the images I made today (suffice it to say that for the first time ever I filled up my entire memory card and had to borrow one from a fellow walker, but my newfound love for shooting in RAW is mainly to blame for that - and rest assured a larger memory card
will be purchased as soon as I finish this post!) but here's a teaser to whet your appetites:
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Click to visit my etsy store - Around the Island Photography.

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This year's Worldwide Photowalk included a mindboggling 1,111 walks with over 33,330 walkers taking part - what an amazing experience to be a part of and a highlight of my summer again this year. 

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What's stood out for you so far this summer? Join Summer Stock and tell us all about it! 

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Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors - Inaugural Edition

How fun - Toby from I Wish I Were a Photographer really missed Mary's old Window Views meme, so she decided to start a new one of her own. Today marks the debut of her new Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors - come play along!

And hey look, I've been wordful this week too - happily this photo can do double duty for both Whimsical Windows and Wordful Wednesday :).

Here's my first contribution, a pair of old windows in Tel Aviv's historic Neve Zedek neighborhood.

I'd have loved a slightly wider shot showing more of the surrounding building but the street was so narrow that this is the best I could do. It's full of character though, which is what drew me to it in the first place.

I'm off to go link up now. Why don't you come along and join us?

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My photography is available for purchase - visit Around the Island Photography on Etsy and Society6 and bring home something beautiful today!

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If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in one of my shops yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.

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Of times gone by

Wrought Iron Bannister, Neve Zedek, Tel Aviv

Click here to purchase this photograph from Around the Island Photography.

Weathered Door

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Click to enlarge

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I really love this old weathered door that I came across in Tel Aviv's decaying but slowly gentrifying Neve Zedek neighborhood. Its age lends itself well to sepia but as I often do I prefer the full color version, it tells us more of the story.

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Which one gets your vote? Why? (There is of course no "right" answer, I'm just curious.)

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Summer Stock #8 - Tel Aviv Photo Walk

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I spent four hot and very sweaty hours today trundling around South Tel Aviv as part of Scott Kelby's second annual Worldwide Photowalk. These photowalks are taking place in over 900 (yes, 900) locations around the world today, with over 30,000 people walking. I'd checked a while back and been disappointed to see that there were no walks scheduled in Israel. Luckily I decided to check once more yesterday and was delighted to see that there were now three - including one right in Tel Aviv (big props to our photowalk host Lior for taking the initiative and organizing it). Over the course of the afternoon our not so little group wove our way around the southern end of the city from the beach, inward through the colorful and quirky Neve Zedek neighborhood, then into the shadows of luxury highrises and back out through industrial back alleys which haven't changed noticeably in the past thirty years, except for increasing amounts of crumbling plaster and peeling paint, and finally back to the beach to catch the (somewhat disappointing) sunset over the Mediterranean Sea.
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For Summer Stock today I've chosen a few highlights, many more images will follow as I have time to process them in the coming days.
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All images are clickable. Enjoy.
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This was my day today. I had a great, if very hot, afternoon on the photowalk. It was a really interesting group too, ranging from serious professional photographers with lenses bigger than my arm (not really, but nearly) to interested amateurs with little point and shoots, and pretty much everything in between. I'm really looking forward to seeing the images everyone came away with.

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Now it's your turn. Put up your Summer Stock post and then come here and post your permalink (the link to the individual post, rather than to your blog's main page - this makes it much easier for everyone to follow along - you can get the permalink by clicking on your post's title). Your Summer Stock images can be anything at all that says summer to you, but please tag the post as Summer Stock and link back to Around the Island so that we can all find you. Most importantly, have fun with it, and do take the time to visit your fellow participants - it's great fun to see what summer looks like all over the world.
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UPDATE: I, or rather my blog, has been migrated to mister linkie's new server so all is well again in linkie land. I'll add links for those who've posted theirs in comments, for those of you just arriving now please just add your permalink as usual. Hopefully the links will work more smoothly from here on out.
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Neve Zedek Sidewalk

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A quickie from me for Ruby Tuesday this week, the kids and I fly out in about 36 hours for a month in New Hampshire and I'm deep, oh so deep, in packing hell. Apologies in advance if I don't make it around to your blogs this week...
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Here's another one from the photowalk, a bit of a departure from the previous post.
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Click to visit Around the Island Photography

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My photography is available for purchase - visit Around the Island Photography and bring home something beautiful today!
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If the photo you're wishing for is something you've seen here on the blog which isn't in my etsy shop yet just let me know and I'll happily list it for you.
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