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People Who Met Seyeon in New York

Interviewing people from all walks of life is my every day job. Having the opportunity to hear people's personal stories is one of the perks of being a journalist. As my life is full of other people's stories, I often forget to reflect on myself, and listen to my own.

Therefore, I will interview people I met in NYC, but I won't ask them their stories, I'll ask their impressions of me and how they think about me. As I conduct interviews, I set up a camera and take a picture of them using the rule of thirds. In every photo, I will show only a small part of my back, but viewers can get a sense of who Seyeon is from the interviewees' faces and quotes.

Seyeon Bang

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A trip to nothingness - Yujun Lu

Artist's statement:

A trip to nothingness

I started my trip in the middle of March. The decision to Iceland was hard, because of the long preparation time and the risk of traveling to an unfamiliar country. But the tiredness of staying in a high-pressure environment drives me to escape my life for a while. At the end of this trip, I plan to use a handmade photography book to record such a wonderful trip and protect my precious memory.

Capturing images during the trip is not an easy thing. That means I have to frequently leave our tour team for some tiny details which are worthy to capture and make the tour guide angry when I come back. My photos are most at ISO 125 and 400, and because of the strong light, I always use a small aperture and fast shuttle. There are 3 main topics for my project: nature, artifacts, and life. Far away from the megacity, I started to review the relationship between humans and nature. I ran in the field, climbed the glacier, and laughed in front of horses, I felt I never lived so free, and nature can provide me the vitality that I lost in the crowded city. I enjoyed walking slowly on the land filled with ice, watching the beautiful texture of ice, and standing in front of some isolated churches just staring and forgetting the time. I felt like I don’t need to do anything to just merge ourselves into nature, probably because people are coming from the nature and will back to nature finally. I remember a stop sign hanging on the road to the waterfall, so I’m just wondering how far can people really understand nature. Why do our lives always stop me from going to the forest but to crowd thousands of people? These moments have been captured with my thoughts, and I may take out my photography books someday in my life and say: hey little brid, why don’t you go back to nature but stand close to humans and the geography description?

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Shared Home in NYC Chinatown - Cathy Ma

My photography project focuses on the immigrants-runed small businesses in NYC Chinatown, diving into their life in a foreign land so different from where they came from. 

I often went to Chinatown for a quick bite after classes, or meet with a few old friends on weekend nights. As an international student, dining at mom-and-pop restaurants makes me feel close to home. Coming to a foreign country, I was forced to grow to be independent, be tough, and work hard, and sometimes I was too busy to forget to eat. For days or weeks, I could not eat Asian food that feel like home. But I know I can always rely on shops in Chinatown for a homecooked congee or dim sum in the morning. Remembering the first time I walked down the street of Chinatown,  I saw colorful lanterns in between the buildings, golden roast geese dangling in every restaurant window, street food carts for Chinese barbeque, and Asian pedestrians crowding in the middle of the streets. I accidentally walked into a bakery shop and saw the white sugar sponge cake that I haven’t tasted in years. It immediately reminded me of the time in the farmer’s market with Grandma years ago. 

However, Chinatown small shops were greatly impacted because of the Asian hate from COVID-19. Many of the shops were shut down because of financial difficulties. In a competitive market for restaurant businesses like NYC, many restaurants adapted to modern advertising, and fancy websites, and connect with customers using social media. But these things become especially hard for the first-gen immigrant business owners in Chinatown who are already facing cultural and language barriers, or even constantly experiencing racism and xenophobia. 

My photography work documented Chinatown as a shared home for all the Asian people in NYC and focused on two specific businesses. The first is the Chinese barbeque restaurant near Bond street station, run by a Chinese elder couple. Their business opens from early in the morning till midnight, and they draw their menu on cardboard in English and Mandarin. Throughout the day, they have to switch roles with each other and rest for a while. But most of the time they stand together to grill the barbeque. I asked if I could take photographs of their faces but they rejected. So I took photos of their card from different angles, their hands grilling the BBQ, their back while standing together, and their foot together. The second one is Taiwan Pork Chop House, which I visited for three times in order to interview the owner. It is a cash-only business for more than 20 years old, run by a Fuzhounese family. At first, I was intimated to talk to the staff, because they are so busy which I think they will reject my request. Later they said they are happy to do so, and suggested 3 pm in the afternoon for me to come by. The owner chatted with me for 40 minutes in Mandarin, and in the end, he encouraged me a lot about what I am doing and told me to try a lot of new things while I am still young. I took photos of their store, the staff at work, and the food, and recorded the interview and the environment sounds in a busy hour. 

I’ve carried my video camera and film camera to Chinatown many times. While I was there, I tried to imagine how Corky Lee traveled through Chinatown but took photos whenever he wanted to document some moments. The photo I remember the most from him was the one he compare the modern Chinatown to the old one at the same location, and I also took photos of the street views. If possible, I would love to do a comparison like his maybe decades later. The film I used is all in iso 400, but some of the photos I shot were after sunset or on an overcast day.

-- Cathy Ma

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I wanted to explore how food, movement, and bodies can be woven together and captured in an image. For as long as I can remember, food and dance have been two fundamental parts of my life. Born and raised in the Bay Area to a family of food lovers and cooks, weekly farmer’s market runs and baking at least ten pies for Thanksgiving were the norm. As a toddler, I recall (reluctantly) observing my mother's dance classes on Saturday mornings. I went on to study dances from around the world in high school, then focused on classical ballet and contemporary dance in college. These creative forms continue to be sources of inspiration for me.

I found that the types of food-related images that translated most successfully in black and white film were those that represented the whole ingredient–a bunch of bok choy or a singular strawberry–as opposed to a cooked or prepared dish where the ingredients are difficult to identify. Other images I found to be successful were those where bodies interacted with the food, conveying the innate sensualness and pleasure that is part of food and eating. I felt drawn to capture more of this idea in my images–the suggestiveness of eating a juicy strawberry, the intimacy of holding an heirloom tomato in the palm of one’s hand. Throughout the process I thought about the advantages and/or disadvantages of shooting food in black and white versus in color. Obviously, the vibrancy and distinctiveness of color is lost. But at the same time, this leaves room for the perception of other details that might otherwise be overlooked in a color image. For example, the lines and forms of a root vegetable, a water droplet on the back of a leaf, each individual seed of a strawberry, goosebumps on bare skin. 

The sensations of smelling a ripe peach at the farmer’s market and the nostalgia of baking pies with my mother have stayed with me. My hope is that my affection for moments like these come across in one way or another, though I feel like I’ve only skimmed the surface. There is much more to explore in this world of food and movement.

~ Manami Takashina

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"Everyday Noir"

Artist Statement

Each time you look at a photograph, you relive a point of time that has passed, as if it were frozen. Pictures have that power to make you feel and wonder. For the longest time, I didn’t know what it was about complete strangers that made me want to capture their moments. Perhaps I still don’t.

What I do know now is that there’s nothing that gives me more joy than standing on a crowded square, pointing my Pentax in a certain direction, and waiting for a stranger to walk into my frame, and reveal something about themselves. I set out to capture the gritty beauty of everyday life in New York City. The enigma of ordinary moments. In the act of composing, shooting, developing and printing over the past couple of months I’ve become more familiar with myself. When I finally sat down with my prints, I began to see parts of myself in the subjects of my photographs. When you see them, I hope you do too.

Shooting on black and white film on these bustling streets I almost felt like I was a miner hunting for muddy stones with diamonds encrusted inside. The analog moving of parts and capturing of light compelled me to make the best of what I had– the rawness of people living their lives. My camera and I were entrusted with the responsibility of recording this time as best we could. So, I learned more about the craft. I learned that I like the jaggedness of 3200 ISO, but that I like the balance of a 400 even more. I learned that a photograph needn’t be crisp and clear, almost textbook like, to evoke a feeling. It only needed to give you a reason to linger on.

More than anything else, I want to live sixty seconds worth of a New York minute, and catch glimpses of my own visions in tenuous celluloid. I want it to last forever.

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"These Women"

Artist Statement

I take a deep breath as my torso folds over my knees. The crease at my hips accentuates my stretch marks. My breasts press against my knee caps and my feet flex. The arch of my spine surfaces, creating waves that undulate across my back. A sense of bliss has been reached. The work day, the long walk home, and words from strangers have escaped my mouth when I breathe outwards, my inhale is short. The sun catches my pupil and I wince, but the warmth overtakes me and my eyes close. The open blister on my heel scapes against the fibers of my bedsheets. 

A woman's intimate life is sacred and something I strive to capture and honor. I captured my friends and family in candid moments, focusing on their raw and calm behavior. I observe them daily and watch their lives ebb and flow. Watch as they make mistakes, succeed, and get hurt. Yet the moments when it is just us being present together are often fleeting and taken for granted. 

I aim to highlight the beauty of my friends and familys’ bodies and minds in natural and comfortable states. Moments when both them and I feel comfortable and safe. The female figure speaks volumes as it is oftentimes how we are identified or ridiculed. By taking nude portraits I represent the body in my own light- a desexualized perspective that merely honors the roles they play in our lives. To house our minds, hearts, and souls. 

This project spoke to me the second I took a photo of my mother in bed. There was something about seeing the hardest working woman I know alone in bed. She probably wasn’t completely relaxed, knowing her. But sensing her calmness in front of the camera allowed me to find solace in her and the moment we shared together. 

I documented women that were very close to me. 

Thank you Hunter, Spencer, Rory, Jordan, Mahea, and Mom

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Hey Me: Cecilia Chen

I’m Yiyue. I’m Cecilia. Yes, both are me. Moving from a small city in China to New York City has been a significant change for me. 

I had to adapt to speaking my second language every day, get acclimatized to the new city sights and sounds, and learn how to navigate the ever-constantly busy city streets. I was confronted with that tremendous and drastic change, it felt so overwhelming.

Through a series of photos of my interaction with the city, I wanted to create a visual diary of my journey through the city. I want to explore how my relationship and interactions with the City have evolved over time and my internal feelings, from just arriving in New York with a sort of nervous excitement but soon feeling overwhelmed to feeling out of place and struggling to be my true self and finally keep learning and exploring my new and constantly changing identity. 

A lot of my photos focus on struggles. From the out-of-place column underneath the scaffolding, and unattended Spanish newspaper on the street, to the backside of neon Chinese characters in Chinatown, these objects mesmerize me, and they are speaking for me and my feelings. Through photography, I finally got to admit and embrace these feelings as parts of myself and my growth journey. 

Facing unfamiliar cultures, people, and language, I believe my feelings are shared by a lot of people who move like me. I want to express my feelings and show that struggling and feeling lost is fine. These feelings all shape us and are now parts of us. Yiyue and Cecilia are both me. It is through these feelings that we grow and learn about ourselves and become fuller people. 

Photos pdf link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DpWDOeuZbjeS5ZXs3csiqrM7zIZVuOGP/view?usp=sharing

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Growing Pains- Kaya Trefz

Growing Pains is a collection of 35mm photos shot on 400 ISO film across New York and Philadelphia that I created to capture the essence of home and outgrowing familiar spaces. I’m a Philadelphia native, so I revisited my hometown visiting places such as my middle school, familiar neighborhood spots, movie theaters I frequented and familiar walks I did throughout my life to view them through an adult gaze. This sweet collection features the idea of growing up and the way we view and appreciate the familiar and mundane around us. Specifically, everything I shot in Philly was in the span of a weekend trip home which made it hard. Thankfully I walked home an hour from the train station which allowed me to view areas I’d driven past in more slowed down, homey feelings. Being a Resident Assistant as well as working two jobs in New York makes it so I am rarely able to make it home, so in a sense I wanted to capture the essence of what makes Philadelphia home to me. In New York, I focused on shooting people and mundane aspects of my dorms, things I’d woven into this adult life I’d crafted independent of my family. A road bump I faced is that I shot on two different cameras and some of my negatives were over exposed from the lens causing a denser negative. Due to this the contrast is not consistent, however to me these softer images reflect how the mind softens memory within place, newer and stronger ones being sharper than others. I was inspired by Nan Goldin’s style of shooting people as is and was inspired by zine making and collaging to make different sized prints to be displayed.

-kaya trefz

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https://gaburmanphotography.squarespace.com/

"Outside In" by Gab Urman

(password: photo)

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I'm glad I exist

“I’m starting to believe that I’ve thought about this - about life - all wrong… I sat in Elsewhere Espresso, started my book and enjoyed the background noise of rain pattering on the plastic roof, general conversion, and I almost teared up at the “sheew” car tires make in the rain. I had forgotten how nice these sounds were. I lost track of time walking back to my apartment and I couldn’t help but think about how much happier, more satisfied with life, in these moments, these tiny moments with tiny details, than I ever have been with major moments in my life. But overall, I realized, I’ve been assuming that to be happy in life I have to be doing something momentous, when I’ve been missing the fact that it’s quite the opposite, that these small glimpses of beauty in mundane life are what make the hardships and disappointments that the major moments in life cause all worth it.”  Journal entry, March 24, 2021.

On March 24th, 2021, 4 years after I had decided to dissolve my commitment to compete college gymnastics for North Carolina, 2 years after I decided to come to NYU, and one year after I started therapy, I had this epiphany. After years and years of being told and truly believing that the only way to be happy was to be successful, this realization rocked my world, and through the next two years whenever I felt the despair creep back in, I would find ways to enjoy the things I knew would always be there: The sound of the car tires “sheew”-ing in the rain. Waking up at 10am on a warm spring day to the smell and sound of the grass being mowed. The smell of a marley floor. The stage of exhaustion where everything is funny. When you and your friend can communicate through the smallest lift of an eyebrow. 

The last two years as I continue to try and come to terms with the big moments of trauma I have from my life before, I’ve lived my life holding onto these little moments, and I’m glad I exist strives to represent the outcome of that struggle. The photographs are snapshots from my life that capture seemingly mundane moments in which I was finding joy in the little things. I strive to capture the connection and spiritual stillness I feel in these moment. Many of the photographs get close to the subjects or even have aspects of the photo cut off to focus on the central feeling the image should provoke, taking inspiration from Fransesca Woodman’s work. The four images of my sister on the grass focus on specific aspects of the experience that contribute to its feelings of simple pleasure, such as the feeling of grass between your toes, the sun hitting your face or stomach, and laying back on a blanket to enjoy a bright day. The few wider shots continue this connection and stillness but are representative of happiness that came from watching other people experience the little moments in life just in the same way, at the same time, that I did. The image of the man picking the flower, for example, came at a time when my sister and I had just been sitting amongst the flowers ourselves, taking in their beauty, and I was thrilled to look over and see another family enjoying the same experience of simple pleasure that I was. 

The photographs are collaged in a journal which extends to become one long page. As the book is opened, the photographs parallel a sort of timeline with each new page adding more to the story, representing how small moments can quickly add up to a life full of happy moments. I’ve titled each of these pages using a section of the poem “The Orange” by Wendy Cope, a poem I feel accurately puts to words my belief in the power of simple pleasures. Its final line reads “I’m glad I exist.” This statement has become an affirmation that I put at the end of each of my journal entries, contrasting the ending of my past journal entries which too often ended with the note “I’m just so fucking tired.”

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155 Red Oak Drive

My Artist Statement:

Today I turn four. My whole world resides within 155 Red Oak Drive. It's where I turned 3 and where I'll turn 5. I sit, legs dangling off of the middle kitchen stool. (The middle kitchen stool is normally saved for the birthday girl, but today I had to fight my big sister, Danielle, for it). I swing them back and forth as I eagerly blow out my candles following the 'Happy Birthday' serenade.

I wish to be four forever.

The false reality behind this wish crept in, as 5th and 12th and 20th birthdays were all celebrated at 155 Red Oak Drive. The scope of my world has now expanded beyond this house. There is rarely ever a fight for the middle kitchen stool, it is often either my sister or I that is home. My legs even reach the ground. The house lays idle, lacking the consistent buzz and excitement of two children. The house is actually no longer home.

After weeks of shooting my childhood home, as well as compiling hundreds of old photos, I attempt to capture the essence of an empty nest. I consider not only moving on and moving out, but also the absence and emptiness that is left behind in aftermath.

I now wish to return to when my world was as small as 155 Red Oak Drive, feet dangling in blissful ignorance.

-Kayla Fineza

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Hanning Ma: May I have a seat?

Artist's Statement

Approaching the end of my college, I realize that I spent my four years in four cities —— Boston, Shanghai, Paris and New York. They are giant, pulsing with energy and life, yet they can also be overwhelming and isloting. My friends said I am an adaptable person and I am able to befriend a city quickly. They ask me what the secret is. There is no shortcut. I know them by my feet and my eyes, and chairs are my witnesses. They are everywhere, found in gardens, on streets, on patios, at corners, beside trash bins, in my apartment, in my school. Some chairs are old and weathered, their chipped paint a testament to the passing of time. Others are sleek and modern, their polished surfaces a reflection of constant change of life. Some chairs are carefully placed in pattern, while others are abandoned and forgotten, left to decay on the side. They are knowledgeable and inspiring, sparking my imagination of passers-by. This black and white analog collection marks the beginning of my series, documenting chairs in New York City. I hope viewers could join me on this journey and kindle their own conversations with chairs and the city.

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My artist statement: Peace in the Chaos

Bustling streets.  Loud conversations.  Bright, flashing lights.  Blaring car horns.  Constant movement.  These may be some of the first things that come to mind when you think of New York City.  Being a part of the city’s crowd could be overwhelming for many, both locals and visitors alike.  However, by simply standing and observing the surrounding environment, the city feels different.  This is something that I find myself doing often.  I sit or stand back and watch others go about their day.  Meanwhile, mine stands still - time feels slower and things that may be overlooked begin to stand out.

Vivian Maier’s work conveys this same sentiment.  Her street photography is intimate and precise yet personal.  They showcase the ways in which major cities like New York and Chicago can slow down and just “breathe.”  Like Maier, I brought my own Mamiya C220 around the city with me while I explored new neighborhoods and revisited old ones.  During this process, I engrossed myself with the city; attempting to absorb everything around me: the beautiful views, the loud and disrupting sounds, and even the weird smells.  By doing so, I felt at peace in one of the most lively and chaotic cities in the world.

Sharlene Escaro

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Artist Statement: Public Space

My project is about public space and all of the value that it provides to people who live in cities. I grew up in an isolated suburb in Georgia, where the most public space in the way that they exist outside was a Chick-fil-A. As I began to explore cities like Atlanta, Hyderabad (my parent’s hometown), and New York in my early adulthood, I soon came to appreciate the different spaces that people and communities have carved out for themselves in defiance of cities that constantly build over themselves and erase history. Public spaces can make us feel small and insignificant because of their size and scale. At the same time, they can be open-minded spaces that do not prescribe behavior or activities and open our minds to endless possibilities. They show us the city and the world in ways we have never seen or considered before, only possible because of public investment in learning and health. Public space provides a refuge from a city of concrete and dust and connects us closely to the natural environment. It can also introduce us to new people or bring us closer to those we have known for a long time. Even after leaving, its effect lingers. There is the indescribable feeling of resting after a day of exploration through public spaces where limbs become too heavy to lift. We feel the satisfaction from a day not having gone to waste, a feeling that guarantees a deep and rejuvenating slumber. For most people, many of these experiences and emotions are unique to public space, and I wanted to capture these emotions in my collection. In a city that is becoming increasingly exclusionary in many ways and in which everything common is under attack, we must mobilize in defense of these spaces that have provided so much cultural value. I almost exclusively shot outdoors, except for a few photos inside a subway car, during the daytime, and only in public spaces. A challenge that I faced was photographing in the Rose Main Reading Room in the New York Public Library, my favorite public space in the city. Photography is not allowed there, but I managed to quickly take a picture. The library's inclusion is especially important for the collection because of how New York City residents recently defended the institution from budget cuts that would have closed the library on the weekends. Overall, I am glad I had the opportunity to carry out this project because it allowed me to represent visually and in words many of the aspects of public space that I have appreciated and taken for granted

-- Bhargav Tata

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Ethan Langenau

Artist Statement : The Cav

Throughout my life, I’ve always felt uncertain of my future. Worried that I’m never truly in control of my own life, rather my life is dictated by outside forces which I have no say in. However, one thing that seemed to break this mindset was driving. Having control in a simple sense in that I can control the direction of a two ton piece of machinery. But also having control over opportunities In the sense that I could go anywhere the roads will take me. 

This feeling started at 16 when I got my first car, my grandfather's 2004 Chevy Cavalier, or as my friends and I called it… “The Cav”. It wasn't inherently a cool or exciting car, and it had its imperfections, but it was special to me, everytime I would get in it I could still smell a hint of my deceased grandfather's cologne. In many ways I felt driving it was like I was driving with him again.

As the years went on more and more issues of the car began happening, and I was worried that I would have to give it up because it would get too expensive to constantly repair. I began this photo project to capture my last memories I would have with the car. I didn't realize however that in the process of this project, my car would get destroyed due to a flood.

Now I have these photos to immortalize the true last moments I had with “The Cav”

Through this photo project, as my last days of college were coming to an end, I realized that I will be starting a new chapter of my life, the scary chapter where I try to make it on my own. And while I wish the car was still around, maybe it's fitting. It was a huge part of my childhood, and maybe it was time to move on.  

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Artist’s Statement: No Good Racing√

The analog photography project No Good Racing utilizes high contrast lighting and slow shutter speed and high grain 3200 ISO films during night to capture the action and intensity of the New York underground racing and drifting scene. Growing up watching movies and playing video games such as Fast and Furious and Need For Speed, I am always fascinated by the speed and danger of the underground racing scene throughout the world. Throughout the years, my fascination and love for cars and racing grows stronger and stronger. The underground racing scene has a very mixed reputation. On one hand, many feel they are cool, and people love the show and action they created, on the other hand however, they are enemy of the government and law enforcement, they block streets and their dangerous actions endangers other people. For me personally, it is the adrenaline rush and the thrills that attracts me to the underground racing scene over the years, as Dominic Torretto says: Live one quarter mile at a time. So for this project, I want to create something different from my previous projects. Instead of clear and sharp-focused images, I want to use the blurriness, out of focus, motion blur created by slow shutter speed and the darkness due to underexpose to emerge the audience into the thrill of the scene. The name of this project came from the name of a very famous underground racing team in Osaka Japan called No Good Racing and their slogan is Bye Bye Police as they always challenges police during racing which I find very interesting. The main problem for this project is the lighting as the racings always happens after midnight to avoid pedestrians and police, and I have to push my film when processing with warmer water and longer processing time to produce the images. My main body of work for No Good Racing√  focuses on the action of the race cars, the crowds reaction and even the police that are cracking down on those illegal activites, as I try to include perspective on both sides to better showcase the whole scene to the audiences.

——David Tang

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Susan Meiselas's "44 Irving Street" is a good example of combining image and text, especially by using handwritten text with a personal tone.