I love having a membership at the Phipps because we can visited each season and see an entirely different garden. Each season brings changes and a new reason to visit.
This summer the Congo has turned in to Cuba and well there are also new faces in the garden.
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Garden Face at the Phipps
Garden Face at the Phipps
In 2014 while visiting the Ding Darling Preserve in Florida I photographed a flock of spoonbills which you can see here,
In our winter visit to the National Aviary I was pleased to see the pair of spoonbills were nesting. I couldn’t get a clear shot then but on our visit last week they were quite active and I managed to get a closeup image.
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Roseate Spoonbill
I love my country and Independence Day. I don’t really like fireworks though. I worry to much about our veterans with PTSD and the dogs hiding under the bed. I like cookouts and barbecue and am not going to let the current political climate detract from celebrating our independence from Great Britain.
So what better way to celebrate than by visiting our national symbol at The National Aviary. Pittsburgh should be proud of having the largest aviary in the United States and it is currently having the tropical room refurbished but still worth visiting if only to see this nesting pair.
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Our National Symbol
When we returned to Pittsburgh three years ago we were excited about our new neighborhood. It was great when we left in 1978 and since returning it continues to get better in every way. We were excited that the Regent Square Theater was still here.
We went to see a couple of films and walking up to the theater was fun but inside the theater had deteriorated. Then the theater closed for a while and the whole neighborhood was sad. It was closed for a long time and we thought its absence would change our area. Then to our joy we found out that they were finding funds to refurbish it.
Last night was our first night back to The the theater. We went to see The Mads from Mystery Science Theater 3000. The Pittsburgh Filmakers had promised live events and we had great fun watching a terrible movie with the Mads. We laughed like crazy and enjoyed the improved projection system and comfortable seats. Way to go Pittsburgh Filmmakers! Thanks for giving our neighborhood our Theather back.
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I’ll end Zombie week as I started with an image of the master, George Romero. This was one of the two images used by Pittsburgh Magazine. . The 40th Anniversary celebration of Dawn of The Dead ends today at Monroeville Mall. I hope everyone had a glorious time.
You can still order a kindle version of Zombie Nights: My Two Nights With Living Dead for just $.99 by. To get your digital Kindle book click here.
You can purchase prints and cards of these image and others like it at Red Bubble.
George Romero on the Set of Dawn of the Dead
This is one of my favorites from the two nights of shooting. A lot of the crew doubled as extras in the movie. Both of these guys had many roles and have continued working in the film industry to the present day. They are seen here dressed as bikers. The bikers had an important role in the plot development of the film.
I had to make a decision with this image. I decided to accentuate the reflections in the background which gives it a creepier feeling.
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Savini and Schiff
I was under instructions to not bother the crew or actors on the set of Dawn of The Dead. I was there as a photojournalist but only for photography. I did no writing for Pittsburgh Magazine. . I did get to chat with the crew in the makeup room but didn’t talk to anyone during the shoot.
These are photos taken of two of the movies billed stars, Ken Foree and Gaylen Ross. Ken Foree remained an actor and has 109 Acting Credits on IMDB. Gaylen Ross was only an actress for three years but has since worked as a Director of Documentary Films.
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Ken Foree
Gaylen Ross
The Mall closed at 9 P.M but people came earlier because it took a lot of time to make up Zombies and there were a lot of Zombies. Tom Zavini was the special effects director and in charge of the make up. Jeannie Jeffries, Clayton Hill assisted Zavini in the creations of the undead.
People played cards and chatted with each other while awaiting their turn for makeup. No phones, computers or tablets existed so people actually had to communicate. It was exciting and the room was buzzing.
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Waiting for Makeup
Zombie Master Tom Zavini
Zombie Getting Makeup
This was one of the two images used by Pittsburgh Magazine in their story about Dawn of The Dead, the other being a shot of George Romero, I believe they chose this image because it had one of the stars of the movie and the camera in the same shot. The technical part of film making was not as well understood back then and this 16mm Arriflex looked pathetically small compared to the 35mm cameras we were used to seeing.
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Mike Gornick
This week beginning June 8 Zombies will once again invade Pittsburgh and Monroeville. This year they come to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of George Romero’s cult classic Dawn of The Dead at The Living Dead Weekend.</a
To honor this milestone starting today June 6 you can order a kindle version of Zombie Nights: My Two Nights With Living Dead for just $.99 by. To get your digital Kindle book click here.
The book features over 50 behind the scenes image plates and a stunning cover design by UK illustrator Peter Johnson. You can also purchase the trade paperback at Amazon link above.
Hope all my Zombie pals have a great convention and enjoy their time in Pittsburgh!
Zombie Nights
Imagery Photography 