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-- magnifolio about urban explorations exhibitions books buy connect contact newsletter rss feed flickr twitter google+ instagram tumblr about.me a photoblog by sebastien barre take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints. freedlyville ice quarry posted on april 15, 2014 at 9:32 pm we paid a little visit to the freedlyville quarry, an abandoned marble quarry located north of manchester, vt. opened in 1790, it measures an impressive 200 by 600 feet (60 by 180 meters). flooded portions freeze during the winter, forming a natural ice rink until early summer. or, as we call it around here, the new winter. ... continue reading posted in: featured , nature 2 comments weekend in cape cod posted on august 20, 2013 at 11:35 pm it took me about 12 years but i finally made it to cape cod. i had heard so much about this fabled land that i had to check it for myself. it is real. despite waking up at an unprecedented 4:30am and driving no less than 640 miles in one weekend (that’s 1030 km for you frencheners), i had a wonderful time. that’s the good news. the sad news is that when i woke up in albany the next day, ... continue reading posted in: featured , nature , trip 5 comments the tiny fern forest tree house in vermont posted on april 23, 2013 at 11:53 pm i'm a fan of road trips and quirky places. once you get well acquainted with the capital region, there comes a time when you have to drive farther and farther away and need a place to stay overnight. why not try something different? enters airbnb, “an online service that provides a platform for individuals, generally private parties, to rent living space and short-term lodging to guests”. i discovered this service about a year ago and i can't recommend it highly enough. not ... continue reading posted in: featured , nature , photography 1 comment art omi at night posted on october 2, 2012 at 5:35 pm fall is knocking hard on our doors right now, and if you are new to the capital district you are in for a treat. i have a soft spot for contemporary art so let me recommend three open air museums that combine foliage and creativity: storm king art center in mountainville, art omi in ghent, and a rising tide in athens. i've mentioned art omi earlier this year, but i recently unearthed a few photos i took... around 1am. what looks ... continue reading posted in: art , featured 3 comments color me rad albany 2012 posted on september 25, 2012 at 12:16 am this past saturday morning i found yet another excuse to pick up cider donuts at altamont orchards by stopping at the color me rad 5k run for a few photos. the race, to benefit the special olympics new york, took place at the fairgrounds and promised to be colorful. victim of its success, it also promised to be a nightmare for the small town of altamont, gridlocking route 20 & 146 for miles. “rad” didn't die in the 80's, after all. a 75% female attendance ... continue reading posted in: community , featured , local event , sport no comments minnewaska state park posted on may 21, 2012 at 11:44 pm if you were out and about in the capital region this past weekend i don't need colorful words to describe the weather. it was magnifique, with a side of sacrebleu. the right amount of sun, the right amount of breeze, and the right amount of water snakes. at least that's how i remember our trip to minnewaska state park. after almost ten years around here i love that there are still a few gorgeous state parks to discover less than ... continue reading posted in: featured , nature 5 comments lantern tour at howe caverns posted on april 23, 2012 at 5:36 pm it is saturday night and i'm 160 feet below the surface, trying not to lose sight of the makeshift lantern in front of me as we make our way back through the winding way. the three-foot wide series of curves and corners — formed by the retreating glaciers through limestone — is the last section of the lantern tour, a one hour and a half underground getaway at the popular howe caverns in schoharie county, new york. if you grew ... continue reading posted in: featured , nature 5 comments hudson river state hospital posted on march 25, 2012 at 10:29 am a few weeks ago, james, helena, bennett, and myself headed out north of poughkeepsie to visit the abandoned hudson river state hospital, a former psychiatric hospital designed by frederick clarke withers in 1867. the facility, overlooking the hudson river, was closed down in 2001 and since then has fallen into a state of disrepair. this site is one of the largest i had ever set foot in. we decided to stay away from its most hazardous corners and explored a ... continue reading posted in: featured , urban exploration 24 comments dundas castle posted on february 28, 2012 at 6:53 pm a few days ago james, bennett, and myself took the long ride back to sullivan county to visit the dundas castle. perched on a small hill overlooking the beaverkill, this abandoned manor is a fine example of neo-gothic architecture, a movement that appeared in the late nineteenth century in north america. to our surprise, we bumped into many passersby walking the castle's corridors that afternoon. its three turrets visible from the road and good structural integrity have made this mountain ... continue reading posted in: featured , urban exploration 11 comments bozen kill falls in christman sanctuary posted on february 12, 2012 at 11:57 pm owned by the nature conservancy since 1970, christman sanctuary is a beautiful site that offers an easy hike through a plantation of cedars, spruces, and pines. a highlight of these 97 acres located off the beaten path near duanesburg, ny is the bozenkill, with its 30-foot waterfall and numerous smaller cataracts. this preserve is a sight to behold in winter and should you be agile enough, you might even get a chance to venture behind its frozen walls. i explored the ... continue reading posted in: featured , nature 4 comments photographer justin higgins posted on february 5, 2012 at 8:09 pm when i started this photo-blog back in 2010 i had a few things in mind i wanted to share. my interest in photography has been the drive behind my posts but i had mentioned early on my plan to shine a light on the work of like-minded local photographers and their vision of the capital district. i had not made good on that promise... until now. i'd like to introduce this series of conversations with the work of local photographer ... continue reading posted in: featured , interview , photography 12 comments requiescat in pace posted on november 27, 2011 at 9:43 pm i'm not a religious person but i wouldn't mind ending my days in a grave. granted, i do hope to live forever once robot bodies are made affordable by 2027, but should i suffer a more tragic fate a modest, permanent home underground would do fine. friends or family would appreciate a little nonsectarian walk, place a flower or two (hint: daffodils), and shake their heads at my epitaph: “beneath this stone my husband doth lie. now he's at rest ... continue reading posted in: featured , photography 14 comments the 1am fog in washington park posted on october 17, 2011 at 11:57 pm two years ago i witnessed a beautiful phenomenon in washington park. it was around 11pm when i came back home from a quick walk in my neighborhood. the weather was clear and humid that night. two hours later i left the house to grab a last minute item at the bodega on the corner of lark street. the temperature had mysteriously dropped about 10 degrees and a dense fog had taken over center square. the street lights all around me ... continue reading posted in: featured , photography 14 comments living walls in albany posted on september 15, 2011 at 5:26 pm it's alive! rise and shine, giant elk. wait, what are you doing here? a few weeks ago i decided to “donate” my building, above, to living walls: albany. the project, spearheaded by the ubiquitous samson contompasis, is designed to raise awareness about the use of public space, explore the