Random Midtown Corner

This picture gives you a brief sense of how busy it sometimes gets on the streets of my neighborhood during the middle of the day.

Directly across from the the architectural monstrosity called Trump Tower is the busy NYC location of Abercrombie & Fitch. The worst thing about it, aside from the idiotic line to get in, is that they pump tons of A&F scent into the street and it smells awful. If you are allergic to bad cologne and find yourself in Midtown, steer clear of this corner. You can see Tiffany's and Louis Vuitton in the background. Gucci is across the street too. It's a busy retail location.

I have no idea who the gentleman is who happened to be standing there right at the precise moment I took the photo, but I must have seen his blue jacket and I decided to capture his stoic countenance. So good and serious.

Louis Vuitton Store

Changing the stickers on the front of the Louis Vuitton store on Friday night. Corner of 57th Street and 5th Avenue.

Here's some behind the scenes footage of the new campaign that Marc Jacobs put together with Madonna for Spring 2009. It was shot by the photographer Steven Meisel.

Personally, I prefer this Madonna a lot better.

Still Smoking

Smoking is perfectly legal on the streets of New York City. Here is a woman in perfect form leisurely enjoying a smoke on the corner of 57th and 5th. A study from Scotland that was released today shows that smoking bans work and have enormous health benefits. Smoking in enclosed public places is totally banned in Scotland. In San Francisco, an ordinance passed this week bans the sale of cigarettes at pharmacies.

There are lots of great photographs of smokers. One of my favorites is from the long out of print book "Almost Grown" by Joseph Szabo. This image also is on the cover of the classic DinosaurJr. album "Green Mind."

The artist Ed Templeton published a great book of photographs entitled "Teenage Smokers" a few years ago.