Share the Light
Share the Light: a new series
As a photographer, I am drawn to interesting light. I’ve been this way for a long time. Often in my everyday life, I find myself admiring beautiful light that I wish I could capture and share with others. Sometimes it will happen when I take the dog for a walk, or when I drive down Lincoln Drive — or perhaps when I go for a run in the Wissahickon Valley Park. Sometimes I am drawn to light while we are out to dinner with friends, or when I’m picking raspberries in our back yard. Beautiful light — both natural and artificial — is all around us, even sometimes on cloudy days. I feel compelled to record that light and share it with others. But there is a problem: In many of my everyday encounters with interesting light, I am unequipped to record it anywhere but in the hard drive of my mind, which is not very useful for sharing it with others.
As a new project, I have decided to capture all of the beautiful light I stumble upon each day and to share it as best as I can. Most of the time sharing the light will be done with my new iPhone (love the 8MP camera on the new version), since it spends most of its time in my pocket ready for any task I need it to perform. And thanks to my friend and fellow photographer, Eric Weisz, for teaching me about Instagram (yeah I had heard of it, just didn’t really get around to checking it out). So, check this blog post everyday, since my goal is to update “share the light” at least once a day for the next year.
If you’d prefer to view the photos in gallery format, click here. If you are on instagram, please follow me and I will follow you if I don’t already.
March 13: A good view of the skyline from Queen Village

Clouds fly over the Philadelphia skyline, as seen from Queen Village, on the evening of March 13, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
March 12: A very rainy day in Philadelphia
March 11: A late night with Charlie
March 10: Another taste of spring
March 9: A spring-like day after a snowy day

The columns at the Fairmount Waterworks cast shadows in the late afternoon sun on March 9, 2013. (Dave Tavani)

The Joan of Arc statue at 25th Street and Kelly Drive glows in the sunlight on March 9, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
March 8: A snowy day and a noon concert

Django Django performs at the Free at Noon concert at World Cafe Live on March 8, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
March 7: Yet another cloudy day and a walk with Elwood
March 6: A nighttime visit with the Buddha
March 5: A sunny day in Center City
March 4: A lonely guitar
March 3: Yoga class at Summit Presbyterian Church in Mt. Airy

Summit Presbyterian Church in Mt. Airy basks in the afternoon sunlight on March 3, 2013. (Dave Tavani)

The railing at Summit Presbyterian Church in Mt. Airy creates a repeating pattern shadow on March 3, 2013. (Dave Tavani)

Candles burn at a yoga class at Summit Presbyterian Church in Mt. Airy on March 3, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
March 2: A hike through part of the Viaduct in Philadelphia
March 1: A sunny start to an otherwise cloudy day
February 28: Another cloudy day in Philadelphia
February 27: Some fruit before bed
February 26: A confrontation at the end of the day
February 25: A sunny afternoon in University City

The Philadelphia skyline basks in the late afternoon light as seen from Drexel Park in Powelton Village, February 25, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
February 24: A sunny Sunday morning after a lot of wind and rain

A leaf sits on the sidewalk in the morning sun after a night of rain and wind on February 24, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
February 23: Hanging at an art studio

Nathanial Gertner spent years working on this eight foot monster scultpture. I photographed it at his “Super Art Give-away” at his studio in the Kensington section of Philadelphia, February 23, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
February 22: A cloudy day with colored chalk inside
February 21: Charlie can’t face the long day

Charlie covers his eyes as he lays on a chair in our living room on February 21, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
February 20: A sunny afternoon in North Philly

The sun sets over “Logan Triangle” on February 20, 2013. Logan Triangle is a swath of land in the Logan section of Philadelphia where houses collapsed over a period of decades. Today the area is fields of weeds, although the city has entertained redeveloping the fields. (Dave Tavani)
February 19: A cloudy and rainy day stuck inside editing

Rain gathers on a window across from a window with an air conditioner on February 19, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
February 18: A couple shots from a day in Bucks County working on a video

Sheep meander the grounds at the historic Cuttalossa Farm in Solebury Township on February 18, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
February 17: A long day shooting a wedding
February 16: A night with Mumford & Sons

Mumford & Sons perform live at the Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, New Jersey on February 16, 2013. (Dave Tavani)

Marcus Mumford and Winston Marshall of Mumford & Sons perform live at the Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, New Jersey on February 16, 2013. (Dave Tavani)

A haze fills the Susquehanna Bank Center as fans wait for Mumford & Sons to take the stage on February 16, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
February 15: A sunny afternoon in University City

A tiny sliver of moon rises above College Hall at the University of Pennsylvania on a sunny afternoon February 15, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
February 14: An unseasonably warm day that confused some plants

Tiny daffodil sprouts break through the ground on a warm day despite the fact that there is snow and it is February 14, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
February 13: An icy cold morning
February 12: A sunny day in South Philly

A vine grows up a brick wall on 21st Street in South Philadelphia on February 12, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
February 11: A warm and foggy winter day
February 10: Another sunny winter day in Bucks County and Lambertville, New Jersey

Amano Contemporary Craft is open for business in the old 5 & Dime building on Union Street in Lambertville, NJ, February 10, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
February 9: A snowy morning and sunny day

A basketball hoop looms above the city skyline at the Marian Anderson Recreation Center just before dusk in south Philadelphia, February 9, 2013. (Dave Tavani)

On a snow morning, the wind blows snow from the bushes into the sunlight in our back yard on February 9, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
February 8: A cold and cloudy day, good for cooking
February 7: Another cloudy day stuck inside with a good beer

A bottle of Dos Equis sits on the kitchen table, ready to be drunk with dinner on February 7, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
February 6: A mostly sunny day all over Bucks County

The old Intelligencer Building stands in the afternoon sun on Court Street in Doylestown, February 6, 2013. (Dave Tavani)

The afternoon sun illuminates the trees lining the driveway at Fonthill in Doylestown, February 6, 2013. (Dave Tavani)

Ice crystals grow on tree branches over the Delaware River at Washington’s Crossing, February 6, 2013. (Dave Tavani)

The morning sun lights up trees along a snowy road into Tyler State Park near Newtown, Pennsylvania, February 6, 2013. (Dave Tavani)

The morning sun lights up trees lining a snowy road into Tyler State Park near Newtown, Pennsylvania, February 6, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
February 5: A cold and gray day
February 4: A snowy morning that turned sunny
February 3: A cold Super Bowl Sunday

The late afternoon sun hides behind a tree on Johnson Street in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, February 3, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
February 2: A birthday party in Hoboken
February 1: A cold and cloudy day with some snow
January 31: A sunny day after some serious morning storms that caused the Schuylkill to Flood

A lonely bench sits in the sun in Jefferson Square Park in South Philadelphia, January 31, 2013. (Dave Tavani)

The muddy Schuylkill River overflows its banks to a tree on the east side of the river on January 31, 2013 after heavy rains that morning. (Dave Tavani)

A bench sits between two trees along the east bank of the muddy and overflowing Schuylkill River, January 31, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
January 30: A misty morning with a bit of nice light

A think blanket of mist hovers over Holman Field in the Germantown section of Philadelphia on the morning of January 30, 2013. (Dave Tavani)

Brief morning glow and a bit of mist hang over Cherokee Street in Germantown on the morning of January 30, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
January 29: Another cloudy day with a few beams of sunlight in the late afternoon

An old-school Ford oil truck was delivering oil to a house on McCallum Street on the afternoon of January 29, 2013. (Dave Tavani)

The sun peeked out of the clouds for a few minutes in the afternoon lighting up the tiny puddle in this manhole cover on Pomona Street in Germantown, January 29, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
January 28: A cloudy day with warming temperatures

The frozen Schuylkill River, as seen from the Falls Bridge, starts to thaw as temperatures rise on January 28, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
January 27: Still snowy even after a sunny Saturday

A thin layer of snow still covers the intersection of Pelham Road and Emlen Street in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia, January 27, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
January 26: Bright sun on a snowy morning

The sun shines on a tuft of snow that sits on a dead rose of sharon flower in our back yard on the morning of January 26, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
January 25: Orange, Pink, and Purple in the pre-dawn morning glow on a day that finished with snow

The snow comes down outside of Tiffin Indian Cuisine in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia, January 25, 2013. (Dave Tavani)

The morning glow rises in the east over the First United Methodist Church of Germantown, as seen from Cherokee Street in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, January 25, 2013. (Dave Tavani)

The morning glow reflects in a window on Cherokee Street in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, January 25, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
January 24: A sunny afternoon with deep blue sky

The sun shines on the Comer Paper Company on Germantown Avenue in Philadelphia, January 24, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
January 23: A sunny morning commute out to Wayne

Powerlines sit alongside the Schuylkill Expressway as I am stuck in traffic on the morning of January 23, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
January 22: Sunny in Center City

The old Philadelphia Inquirer building stands tall in the sunlight at the corner of Broad and Callowhill Streets in Philadelphia on January 22, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
January 21: No time for pictures, until dinner was almost ready
January 20: Another sunny and warm January day

The sun casts long shadows of me and Elwood as we walk along Hermit Lane in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia January 20, 2013. (Dave Tavani)

The sun shines on the mossy stone wall at the entrance of the Kelpius Cave in the Wissahickon Valley Park, January 20, 2013. Johannes Kelpius used this cave as a shelter and place of meditation in the 1690s. (Dave Tavani)

The sun peeks through the trees at the small meadow along Hermit Lane in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia on January 20, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
January 19: A warm and sunny January day
January 18: Finally a fully sunny day

The sun casts a shadow of a light at the old West Johnson Garage in Germantown, January 18, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
January 17, 2013: After seven days of clouds a few breaks of sun and blue skies, and then back to clouds

Liberty One reflects in the Comcast Center on a mostly cloudy day in Center City Philadelphia, January 17, 2013. (Dave Tavani)

A tiny bit of sun reflects off a building on 18th Street in Center City Philadelphia on a mostly cloudy day, January 17, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
January 16, 2013: The clouds just wouldn’t leave

A drop of water sits on a leaf on another cloudy day in Philadelphia on January 16, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
January 15, 2013: Another cloudy day, but some interesting moss
January 14, 2013: Stuck inside editing on a foggy day
January 13, 2013: Another foggy day

A thick fog covered the Philadelphia area as seen on Cliveden Street on January 13, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
January 12: A foggy day that cleared up in the later afternoon
January 11: A cloudy day turned rainy and a long drive home

The lights of traffic in my rearview mirror reflect in the rain drops on my car window on January 11, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
January 10: A long day shooting video in the West Philadelphia neighborhoods of Spruce Hill and Cedar Park

The sun casts a shadow of a moped locked up on 50th Street in the West Philadelphia neighborhood of Cedar Park on January 10, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
January 9, 2013: A beautiful sunrise

The sun rises over the Schuylkill River and the Philadelphia skyline while geese swim in the river on January 9, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
January 8, 2013: Sunny all day long

The morning sun comes through the window to highlight the star on top of our Christmas Tree in its final days on January 8, 2013. (Dave Tavani)

The sun lights up the frosty window of a car on Cherokee Street in the Germantown section of Philadelphia on January 8, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
January 7, 2013: A sunny afternoon

The sun shines through an open gate on Johnson Street in the Germantown section of Philadelphia on January 7, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
January 6, 2013: A surprise dusting of snow in the morning, but an otherwise sunny day

The sun illuminates a decorative snowflake on my neighbor’s front porch on January 6, 2013. (Dave Tavani)

The afternoon sun lights the dusting of snow on bricks in the 100 block of Duval Street in the Germantown section of Philadelphia on January 6, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
January 5, 2013: A mostly sunny day

The afternoon sun warms a stand of bamboo on Duval Street in the Germantown section of Philadelphia on January 5, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
January 4, 2013: Another walk in the Wissahickon with Elwood after a long day of editing video

A thorny plant stem prickles with afternoon sunlight in the Wissahickon Valley Park on January 4, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
January 3, 2013: A bold sunrise
January 2, 2013: A walk in the park with Elwood after a long day of editing in a dark room

The sun shines on leftover snow at the Blue Bell Hill section of the Wissahickon Valley Park on a cold January 2, 2013. (Dave Tavani)

The sun shines on frozen tire tracks on a trail heading down into the Wissahickon Valley Park on January 2, 2013. (Dave Tavani)

The sun shines on a snowy trail leading from Blue Bell Hill down into the Wissahickon Valley on January 2, 2013. (Dave Tavani)
January 1, 2013: A cold day with a falafel dinner to start the new year
December 31: A nice New Year’s Eve dinner with friends and cocktails

The implements for cocktails are ready to be mixed at the Llewellyn’s house in Havertown on December 31, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
December 30: A cold, clear, but windy day for a wedding

The bridal party lines up for a photo at the Merchant Exchange in Old City Philadelphia on December 30, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
December 29: A snowy day for a wedding

A groomsman walks in front of the Merchant Exchange building in Old City Philadelphia December 29, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
December 28: Nice afternoon light after a long day of editing

The yellow light of the later afternoon sun creates a shadow of a traffic light on the wall of the old West Johnson Garage December 28, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
December 27: A bit of sun and blue sky on an otherwise cloudy day

The sun shines on the old Willow Steam Plant at 9th and Callowhill in Philadelphia, December 27, 2012. (Dave Tavani)

The sky cleared briefly to let the sun out to play at 9th and Market Streets in Philadelphia, December 27, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
December 26: Christmas leftovers
December 25: Christmas in Hoboken, NJ

The New York City skyline on Christmas Day as seen from Hoboken, NJ, December 25, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
December 24: A slightly white Christmas Eve in the Poconos
December 23: A quick shot after my morning run

The sun peeks over the top of a stop sign on the corner of Cherokee Street and Washington Lane on December 23, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
December 22: A mix of sun and clouds, literally here
December 21: A dark and cloudy day, but not the end of the world

Dark clouds rolled in during the late afternoon over Germantown Mennonite Church December 21, 2012, and the world did not end ? though it may have looked like it was going to. (Dave Tavani)
December 20: Another mostly cloudy day with a few short breaks of sun

Elwood lays in the hall as the clouds break and allow a few minutes of sunshine on December 20, 2012. (Dave Tavani)

The eastern sky blazes with an orange glow just before sunrise, as seen from Cherokee Street in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, December 20, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
December 19: Nice sunlight from Queen Village to Center City

The late afternoon sun lights the Philadelphia skyline as seen from the Chestnut Street Bridge December 19, 2012. (Dave Tavani)

Sunlight streams into the shadows under I-95 in the Queen Village section of Philadelphia December 19, 2012. (Dave Tavani)

The late afternoon sun warms Old Swedes’ Church (Gloria Dei) in the Queen Village section of Philadelphia December 19, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
December 18: Great sunlight in the late afternoon on my drive home from center city

The sun descends toward the horizon over Lincoln Drive and the Wissahickon Creek as see from the Henry Avenue Bridge in Philadelphia December 18, 2012. (Dave Tavani)

The Columbia Bridge reflects in the Schuylkill River along Kelly Drive in Philadelphia December 18, 2012. (Dave Tavani)

The late afternoon sun reflects off the Schuylkill River as see from underneath the Columbia Bridge along Kelly Drive in Philadelphia December 18, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
December 17: Another rainy and misty evening in Germantown

A street light shines on Duval Street in Germantown on a misty and rainy evening December 17, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
December 16: A rainy evening in Old City, Philadelphia

The U.S. Customs House reflects in a puddle on Strawberry Street in the Old City section of Philadelphia on December 16, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
December 15: A couple shots of some reeds along highway 309 in Quakertown on a mostly cloudy day

Reeds sway in the breeze and afternoon sun along 309 in Quakertown on December 15, 2012. (Dave Tavani)

Reeds sway in the breeze and afternoon sun along 309 in Quakertown on December 15, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
December 14: Cold start to a sunny morning
December 13: A walk in Carpenter’s Woods with Elwood and some afternoon sun.
December 12: 12/12/12 A shot from Matisyahu’s “Festival of Light” tour at the Electric Factory. Happy Hanukkah.

Matisyahu performs during his “Festival of Light” tour at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia, December 12, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
December 11: Glad to have the reign of clouds break, albeit briefly and sporadically throughout the day. A few of these tested out the HDR capabilities of the iPhone 5.

The sun streams through the fence of the Presser Senior home at the corner of Johnson and Cherokee Streets in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia December 11, 2012. (Dave Tavani)

The seed of tall grass catches the late afternoon sunlight at the corner of McCallum and Washington Lane in Germantown December 11, 2012. (Dave Tavani)

My scooter sits in the sun on Morris Street in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, December 11, 2012. (Dave Tavani)

The top of City Hall picks up a bit of sun just after the sky cleared on the afternoon of December 11, 2012. (Dave Tavani)

The Loews Philadelphia Hotel eclipses the sun along Market Street in Center City, Philadelphia December 11,2012. (Dave Tavani)
December 10: This morning fog covered Germantown and the rest of the day remained rainy and cloudy

Water droplets are suspended in a spider web on Upsal Street in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia, December 10, 2012. (Dave Tavani)

It is another foggy and wet morning on Duval Street in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, December 10, 2012 (Dave Tavani)
December 9: Yet another cloudy day kept me inside for most of the day
December 8: Another cloudy day

Drops of water catch the cloudy light on the thorns and crimson leaves of a barberry bush on Duval Street in Germantown, December 8, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
December 7: A cloudy day with very little light

The Comcast Holiday Spectacular plays at the Comcast Center. This is the view from outside on the evening of December 7, 2012. (Dave Tavani)

This shot is only a few steps from the one the day before. The light is very different: soft, diffuse, almost not there except for that halogen street light that reflects in the wet pavement. This shot was taken on the 6300 block of Cherokee Street in the Germantown section of Philadelphia on December 7, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
December 6: A few shots from just after my morning run and some stuff around the house:

The morning sun creates a shadow of our Christmas tree on our basement door on December 6, 2012. (Dave Tavani)

Sunlight fills our upstairs hallway as seen from the bottom of our stairs on December 6, 2012. (Dave Tavani)

The morning sun blasts the 6300 block of Cherokee Street in the Germantown section of Philadelphia on December 6, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
December 5: A few shots from an afternoon walk in the Wissahickon with Elwood

Afternoon sunlight fills the woods and highlights a dead tree in the Wissahickon Valley Park near Hermit Lane on December 5, 2012. (Dave Tavani)

The afternoon sun shines on a dead tree in the Wissahickon near the Henry Avenue Bridge on December 5, 2012. (Dave Tavani)

On a walk in the Wissahickon, Elwood basks in the afternoon sunlight on December 5, 2012. (Dave Tavani)

A mountain biker rides into the light after passing underneath the Henry Avenue Bridge on December 5, 2012. (Dave Tavani)

The sun backlights ivy leaves growing on a dead tree in the Wissahickon near Hermit Lane on December 5, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
December 4: A few shots from my morning run

The sun bursts through the leaves of a willow tree in Holman Field in the Germantown section of Philadelphia on the morning of December 4, 2012. (Dave Tavani)

The sun rises over the houses as seen from Green Street in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia on the morning of December 4, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
December 3: An image to celebrate the holidays

An antique looking Christmas ball is illuminated by a light on our tiny Christmas tree. (Dave Tavani)
December 2: A couple shots from a foggy morning run and an afternoon walk with Elwood

The sun illuminates the fuzzy seeds of Clematis virginiana along Duval Street in the Germantown secton of Philadelphia on December 2, 2012. (Dave Tavani)

Fog diffuses the morning light falling on the Walnut Lane Bridge in the Wissahickon Valley Park, as seen from the Mt. Airy side of the creek on December 2, 2012. (Dave Tavani)

Fog diffuses the morning light falling on the Walnut Lane Bridge in the Wissahickon Valley Park, as seen from the Forbidden Drive on December 2, 2012. (Dave Tavani)

A single car drives north on Lincoln Drive in the fog, as seen from the Walnut Lane Bridge on December 2, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
December 1: This was a pull over moment while driving on Kelly Drive

The sun ducks under the Strawberry Mansion Bridge and dapples the Schuylkill River along the Kelly Drive trail on December 1, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
November 30: Sunlight fills our upstairs hallway

Sunlight streams through the back window in our upstairs hallway to brighten up the spider plant on November 30, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
November 29: A couple images from the Passion Pit concert at the Electric Factory

The stage lights at the Electric Factory cast a magenta light on the audience during Passion Pit’s November 29, 2012 performance. (Dave Tavani)

A blast of light erupts from the stage at the Electric Factory during Passion Pit’s live performance, November 29, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
November 28: A shot from my morning raspberry picking in the backyard (there were still some there at the end of November!)

The sun peeks through the houses behind mine to illuminate the last few raspberries as December approaches, November 29, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
November 28: The first rays of light fill our old-school privacy window in our upstairs hallway

The first sunlight highlights the texture of the old privacy window in our upstairs hallway the morning of November 28, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
November 27: I hadn’t shot anything all day, and Elwood was too cute

Our bassett hound, Elwood, cozies up with his blanket for bed the evening of November 27, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
November 26: A shot from an afternoon walk with Elwood

The sun floods through the space between the trees and the Nugent Home on Johnson Street in Philadelphia, November 26, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
November 25: A shot from a trip to Nomad Pizza

Holiday stars light up the downstairs dining room at Nomad Pizza in Philadelphia on November 25, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
November 24: A shot from Elwood’s evening walk

A pair of shoes dangle on a wire silhouetted by the last light of the day on Cherokee Street in the Germantown section of Philadelphia on November 24, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
November 23: A picture from an afternoon walk with Lori and Elwood

Sun falls on a winter berry tree under a blue sky in the 6300 block of Germantown Avenue November 24, 2012. (Dave Tavani)
November 23: The first photo, from a walk with Lori and Elwood in the Poconos

An icy puddle reflects the cloudy sky along Margram Lane in Buck Township, Pennsylvania. (Dave Tavani)
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Dave Tavani
Dave Tavani is a freelance videographer based in Philadelphia specializing in the arts and nonprofit storytelling.

















































