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Final Project Photos

For my final project, I decided to take photos on what life was like in NYC during the pandemic....This project was probably months in the making, because i had gone out and taken photos during the early stages of the pandemic.... We are now, about 8 months in, and I wanted to see how much, if anything has changed... I had a notes on where I was going to shoot, as well as when to shoot... Photos are only as effective as the time they are taken... So after weeks of planning, and shooting, these photos I felt, if someone had not picked up a newspaper, turned on a TV, or had just awoken after 8 months, best show what our life is like today: 

In this photo, it is a simple, yet repeated message.....This photo was taken in High Line Park.......

I was on the Staten Island Ferry, with the goal of taking a photo of the riders... This shows all of the riders, with their masks on, but for this one gentlemen, what could he be thinking on the ride across the water? One can only wonder....

This photo of a woman on the subway doing what most of us do: Tuned out to the world, and on our phone... This photo I didn't really seek out; I had an exposure or 2 to use up, and I saw this as a chance opportunity....

I was at the mall in Hudson Yards, and saw this in the Levis Store... I actually thought this was creative, and thought this fits well into the assignment....

With COVID # going up again, lines at testing sites were long... Here at a CITY MD near the NY Stocks Exchange, a line of people wait outside to get tested...

During this pandemic, movie theaters in the city have been closed.... So what can we do? Create an outdoor drive in movie theatre!!!!!!! On this night, the movie shown is Frozen.... How Ironic..... One thing about this shot: I had heard about this diner (Bel-Air Diner in Astoria, Queens) having drive in movie nights... After at least 4 attempts (With 2 of those attempts the movie night was cancelled), I was able to catch a break and get a photo of the setup....

As with the pandemic, a lot of businesses had closed down, and were unable to recover... Modells, who had been in business since 1889, closed, and the Hilton in Times Square, also closed down as well....The advertisement above sums up how business owners are feeling today....

As a CUNY student, we obviously can't go to campus because of the pandemic... A perfect place for a photo of a CUNY campus is Brooklyn College... It is, to me a little sad, because I, like others, miss the hustle and bustle of Campus.... 2pm on Campus on a Thursday, quiet.... tells us of the times we are in....

NYC is Known for 24 hour service.... First time in history, there is no 24 hour service, as due to the pandemic, the cleaning of trains are done during this time.....

42nd st train transfer tunnel.... one of the busiest.... eerily quiet and silent... due to the pandemic.....

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Final Contrast Pictures

For the final contrast photos, I chose these 3.... I decided to do a reshoot this assignment... Although there were some photos I thought were good photos in the first shoot, I wanted to try again and see if i could even better photos... I chose the same location(Belvedere Castle in Central Park), went on two different days(sunny and an overcast day/no rain)... The only difference is I decided to stay with a 24mm lens instead of using a 50mm... 

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Final Portrait Photos

For the portrait photos, out of what i shot in the first assignment, these i felt were the best two... In the initial assignment i turned in a host of photos, and to me, i didn't think they were well received(the ones i thought were good as a lot of them came up out of focus). One regret i do have is not having the time to do the reshoot over, and not really doing the research on the type of film in regards to shooting portraits....I more than likely would have used a lower ISO film... Although i did buy some, by then the weather had gotten colder and it has proven to be difficult....

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As the semester comes to an end, here is my final artist statement for HUA 230 Intermediate Photography:

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12/13

Scanning some photos at the Gowanus Darkroom and watching the game while I'm at it... Down to the end of the semester....

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Museum Gallery Review

            As part of our Museum Gallery review, I chose to go to the Museum of The City Of New York on 5th Ave and 101st st in Manhattan. After researching some photography exhibits, this museum had what I feel would be a few interesting exhibits to look at and, in the end, review. Although I saw all of the exhibits, my paper will focus on the following: City/Game: Basketball In New York.

           Basketball has a very extensive history here in New York, and if you play basketball, or follow basketball, you may have heard stories about the playgrounds, or legendary players who have stories to tell. Basketball has been a part of the New York landscape for a long time. The City/Game: Basketball In New York, is an exhibit that goes over the history of basketball in New York, from the playgrounds and parks, too, if you are ever lucky to make it there, Madison Square Garden. The exhibit also focuses on not only culture, but the social, economic and racial history of the city while showing the progress of the game. Curated by Dr.Lilly Tuttle, the exhibit shows New York and basketball relationship with a ton of photographs, video and audio clips, and artifacts like trophies, shoes and jerseys from high school, college and pro teams. Although the exhibit talks about the pro game in the city, its main focus is its roots, which is the playgrounds and on the amateur level.  

           The exhibit tended to have more artifacts as opposed to photos, and a lot of the photos were behind a glass, making it difficult to get photos. However, I was able to choose two photos in which I thought if someone was to never got a chance see the exhibit, but wanted an idea of what it was about, would have that idea.  

In photo one, its 1975, New York is in a fiscal crisis not seen since the Great Depression, and in that time, a lot buildings were not kept up, and fires were very common.

In this  photo, while a building is on fire, and spectators are watching smoke billow from the windows in amazement, 4 kids are playing 2 on 2 basketball, oblivious to the scene that is no more than a few feet away. Fire and smoke coming out the building next to us? Who cares? The game goes on. This photo is shot on 101st Street and 1st Ave in 1975 by photographer Paul Hosefros, who at the time worked for the New York Times. According to LinkedIn, Mr. Hosefros was a staff photographer at the New York Times, and he is now retired, and living in Idaho. He also has an MFA in writing from BSU. He was one of 2 photographers that sued the Parks Department for publicizing photos without permission. (https://petapixel.com/2019/10/10/two-photographers-sue-nyc-parks-for-publicizing-unearthed-photos/).  I’ll admit, this photo, out of everything in there, caught my attention the most. I wasn’t around in 1975, but I always heard how run down the city was, and how there were a lot of fires. In this photo, Mr. Hosefros does an excellent job of capturing what the city life was like back then in 1975;while the fire is in the foreground, showing these kids  playing basketball is kind of surreal.  Those kids didn’t have a care in the world, they just wanted to play. Mr. Hosefros shooting the photo vertically gives the photo a strong effect, with basketball being the focus, all while the fire is raging in the background.

The second photo I chose goes back to 1970. Knicks vs Lakers playing the pro game in the Mecca of Basketball, Madison Square Garden. In the photo is Willis Reed grabbing a rebound for his team.  This photo is taken by Walter Iooss Jr, who is an iconic photographer who began his career shooting for Sports Illustrated for more than 50 years. He has photographed athletes like Michael Jordan, Muhammed Ali and a whole lot more .In addition, he has photographed Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue for 40 years. (https://www.walteriooss.com)

Although not a classic photo like any of his other works, this photo to me is another good one because, as a basketball player, we dream of making it to the pros, and playing in the MECCA of arenas, Madison Square Garden. The photo shows of a simpler time, of just playing basketball. None of what we see today, where the focus is more on oneself than the game. The photo is also unique, because its horizontal, and low to the ground, and you see everything. From the facial expressions, to the lights above, this is a great photo. Action shots to me, are just great. Also, the  average photographer doesn’t get an opportunity to be that close to the arena floor to take photos of the pro game so it’s great to see the game from another perspective.

           While both photos are excellent photos, there are more differences than similarities . In the photo with the kids playing basketball, the photo is shot vertically, is shot in the daytime, and has more grain and seems gritter to me.  The photo, although focused on the kids, and seemingly small, makes them seem bigger than what’s in the background, which is the fire.  In the photo of the Knicks/Lakers game, it is shot horizontal, as to capture all the players, shot indoors with arena lighting, and the film seems a lot cleaner with less grain. The only similarities are that the focus is on basketball.

           Historically, both photos are significant, but for different reasons. In the photo with the kids, while basketball is the focus, a deeper look into the photo shows at the time a city teetering on the brink of collapse, with fires in buildings being commonplace, and the photo paints a picture of how the city looked back in 1975. In the photo of the Knicks/Lakers, this photo is historic for a myriad of reasons: Willis Reed playing in the game, and this game took place in 1970, a year in which the Knicks won one of their 2 championships. While significant in terms of photography trends, in the first photo, while shot on the ground, todays advancements would allow todays photographers to get aerial views of everything on the ground. If it’s being taken for basketball, it would not be effective, as the focus would be on the fire, and not on the kids playing. There are photographers who still shoot on the ground, but its few and far between.  In the Knicks/Lakers photo, while there are changes in regards of how to get action photos at the arena, one thing has remained constant: there is nothing better than getting action shots on the floor close up.

           In conclusion, I thought City/Game: Basketball In New York was a great exhibit, going into great details about the game of basketball and the impact it had on New York. Its exhibits go in depth, from photos, jerseys, sneakers and trophies. It also shows how the game has evolved from the playground to the professionals. I liked that it also showed artifacts from CCNY championship season back in 1950. The only negative to me, is that is was a small exhibit, and I would have liked to see the photos up close. All in all, if you are a basketball fan, I would recommend seeing it.

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12/3/20

Alright so after shooting 1 roll, and having shot the other 4 over a period of 2 weeks(1 reshoot of the Stone/Water project, 3 rolls on the museum), time to drop them off for development... The costs have added up, so thats the only downside to shooting film.... Pickup on Saturday, and hopefully start scanning by Sunday....

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12/3/20

We are coming down to the wire here for this class project, and the list of places to go photograph get shorter, and as so the urgency...after positive feedback in the the last class session, back to finding some interesting things to photograph for what I think would be great for this project... The plan is to stop at a Cuny Campus, the Staten Island Ferry, the subway again, and a store in which cleaning supplies and things are sold...

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Some More Photos Of Life During The Pandemic

The last 2 weeks were an opportunity to go out and get photos for the final assignment... The major focus points were Times Square/Theatre District, as well as the NYC Subway... These were busy places that have been eerily quiet during the pandemic... the subway for the first time ever, shut down operations overnight.... In addition, i took photos of other things that, while odd, signify the times we are living in.... the Times Square and Subway photos were shot at night with 3200 film, the other photos were shot with 400 film...

People lined up to take a Covid exam... 

Manniquins wearing face masks in a store...

Social distancing in St Patricks Cathedral....

The lights are off here on Broadway; due to the pandemic, all Broadway shows have been stopped...

Businesses that have closed down due to the pandemic

A former Mcdonalds is shelter for the homeless in todays times....

No train service due to overnight cleaning during the pandemic; the first time in NYC Transit history in which there is no overnight service....

A busy transfer spot for people going to other subway lines, is eerily quiet, which is unheard of....

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Photo Museum Progress

As part of the class requirement, i went to the Museum of New York in Upper Manhattan on of all days, Black Friday!!!!!! I also brought my camera, and 3 rolls of film(i think i messed up a roll, but i won't know until later in the week)... The Museum has 4 exhibitions(Collecting New York Stories, Activist New York, City/Game:Basketball in New York and New York At Its Core); I ended up checking out all of them... I enjoyed it enough to say i’m trying to go back and get more photos of the exhibits... The cost of the museum wasn't expensive(suggested donation of $20, but you can pay as you wish), and it wasn't crowed, so i was able to enjoy it... I’ll post pictures in the coming days...

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Final Project progress

With no class last week, it was seen as an opportunity to make a dent in the final project, as well as do a reshoot of the water, stone project... In the last 2 weeks, i did a ton a shooting (at least 6-7 rolls), some during the day, but a lot of it at night.... I saw quite a few interesting things, but one thing is for sure, pandemic life at night is quiet, and to say the least interesting..... i just got the rolls back, and will look to edit and choose some interesting photos.... scanning the photos was a headache, and wasn't able to scan everything... I also still have to get some of the water/stone project reshoot film developed... But i feel good with what i was able to scan, and will post some of them before class on Tuesday, December 1st.....

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Final Project Test Scans

As part of our final project for class, we were required to choose a subject and come up with photos for it... For me, I decided to take on life during the pandemic... we are about 8 months into it.... i wanted to photograph how things have changed... Have things changed much? What is life like now? And also, how have businesses adjusted? Did they make the adjustments, or did they buckle under? 

In this set of photos, i used a Nikon fm2, with a 24mm and 50mm lens... The film used is the Ilford FP4 Plus(125).. The plan was to use this for daytime photos, and use a higher iso film for when i do nighttime shooting for this project.... I am happy with how the photos came out using this film.... 

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Reply To A Classmates’ Poem

This Poem was written by my classmate Aleks... although i didn't choose it, after looking at the picture, Aleks poem is pretty much spot on, because here in the image, is a man, looking in the mirror, not seeing his reflection, and he, does not look as he may have looked before. In addition, he looks worn, and beaten down, and in Aleks poem, his words reflect similar feelings i felt if i were to have written something about this image...

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On a cloudy afternoon, on a dirt road seemingly bound for nowhere,

Is a man with his bicycle and bag, too tired to ride.

His destination unknown, maybe near, but yet so far.

Maybe he has a city in mind, and wants us to come along for a ride.

With time on his side, and maybe not mine, we are seemingly on a never ending ride to nowhere.

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As you look into my eyes, tell me what you see.

Do you see a tired old man sitting in a chair reflecting back on life?

Do you see a weary man resting in the chair after a long day of work?

Or do you see a old man, with an unorthodox pose in the chair looking cool, calm, and collected?

As you look into his eyes, what I see, I may think I know, but to him,

We may never know.

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Personal Project Proposal

10/28/20

At one time, NYC was at the forefront of the coronavirus pandemic, with lots of people getting sick, businesses closed, and the city virtually shut down. As the city has reopened a bit, what is life like now? What is life like for us, for businesses? Have we recovered? My proposal is to take photos of pictures of businesses(whether they have reopened or closed for good), people doing normal things, such as riding the subway, and other things which are the new norms for us. Photos will be from different areas in the city, and during day as well as at night. The camera of choice will be the Nikon FM2, and will go back and forth between the 24mm f/2.8 and the 50mm f/1.8.. i may use a tripod for the night phots; depends on the lighting conditions.... in addition, i’ll talk briefly about each photo i take.... i’m intrigued to see how these photos come out, and despite some possible roadblocks that may occur such as protesters), i’m definitely looking forward to this...the film of choice will be Kodak 400 TX, and for night photos, i want to use a grainy film, like the Kodak Tmax 3200, and maybe the Ilford 3200....

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For the Sauna/Water/Stone assignment, i shot 4 rolls of film, on 4 different days, and under 4 different weather conditions.... I also shot photos facing the castle, as well as on the castle....In addition, I wrote down what shutter speed as well as the f-stop and which lens i used...Out of the 4 days, the rainy day was by far the worst of the bunch.... between seeing rain drops as well as condensation in the photos, it was awful.... in addition, the day in which the sun was facing me was also not great, as you can see a lot of sun glare(which i’m not a fan of)... As for the film, it was ok, I don't have a real strong opinion of it, but it is of good quality... i had never used a 100 iso film before, so this is new to me.... 

while i did use a tripod, i wish i had a cable release(wasn't able to get one because B&H was closed for the jewish holiday)...

these are the settings in which i shot each photo:

photo 1.(10/9/20) facing the sun/midday; f/5.6, shutter speed 1/125, 50mm lens

photo 2. (10/11/20) cloudy-late evening; f2.8, shutter speed 1/8, 24mm lens

photo 3. (10/12/20) rain-afternoon; f/2.8, shutter speed 1/6, 24mm lens

photo 4. (10/14/20) sunny-mid-morning/sun behind me; f11, shutter speed 1/125, 24mm

i had the photos developed at Bleeker Solutions(uncut, but i don't think i’ll do that again), scanned them at Gowanus Darkroom, but ran into issues when when clicking on photoshop, the student version expired!!!!!!! so i’m on the 7 day trial, so this is the reason for the late turn in....