NYC!

Spring break is soon upon us which means I take my very first trip to New York City! Beyond excitement, I find myself googling everything about the over-populated island. First, I wondered about the renowned photos taken in NYC. The same old, same old came up then I found the picture above along with other "random" black and white photos. I fell for this one because it holds so much juxtaposition. It also expresses the differences in people in addition to the irony of the "Learn English" ad behind Mr. Business. As I continued searching I came across 5 Pointz which is similar to the STL Tag Wall. Although it is closed, it was an outdoor art exhibit space in Long Island for graffiti artists around the world to create and express themselves. The colors and artistry is amazing and captures so many thoughts and emotions. Take a look!

5 Pointz

Outside 5 Pointz

Honest Abe??

Is he really "Honest Abe?"
Photo Manipulation Timeline

This past Sunday, I had much needed "me-time."  And when all else fails, I usually find myself at a bookstore with other stressed book lovers sipping on a grande Starbucks coffee.  A table stacked high with photography books caught my eye.  As I started flipping through Life: The Classic Collections,  I was thinking how raw the black and white photos looked.  Absolutely beautiful in unique ways, each one hitting new thoughts and emotions.  Then I began thinking about editing photos.  How did they do it in the past? How long have photos been retouched? Are there such things as un-retouched photos?  So next step I went to Google like every other inquiring individual.  I found this has been happening for years! Do you know of the famous photo of Abraham Lincoln's portrait where is standing tall and strong next to a chair? It is not even his body! Photos has been lying to us for years and years.  So is there such a thing as a true photograph?

Shadows and Shadows

The last few days have been absolutely gorgeous outside and what else to do besides grab a camera (pictures soon to come).  As I began to capture some pictures, I began to play with the shadows.  It really caught my attention.  I came home to put "shadow photography," into my Bing search.  These are some images I really loved and may get your creative juices flowing. 

The HONY Project

Inspiration is rare. Yesterday I came across the blog Humans of New York. It is simply amazing. Photographer Brandon Stanton began this project in 2010.

     "I thought it would be really cool to create an exhaustive catalogue of New York City’s inhabitants, so I set out to photograph 10,000 New Yorkers and plot their photos on a map. I worked for several months with this goal in mind, but somewhere along the way, HONY began to take on a much different character. I started collecting quotes and short stories from the people I met, and began including these snippets alongside the photographs. Taken together, these portraits and captions became the subject of a vibrant blog. With nearly four million followers on social media, HONY now provides a worldwide audience with daily glimpses into the lives of strangers in New York City. It has also become a #1 NYT bestselling book.. It’s been quite a ride so far."

I find it so amazing that someone is inspired to shoot strangers; people we pass every day and take it for granted.  Everyone has something beautiful to share and to capture their story with a click is an incredible thing.  Take a look.  It might inspire you to do the same. 

http://www.humansofnewyork.com/

Mr. Bresson

As time is simply dragging on, I still am not feeling that perfect mix of inspiration and excitement.  I know it will come but it seems to be taking an awful long time.  So where to begin?  Thanks to my fabulous regulars at Five Star Burgers in Clayton, Paul and Neil have been a huge help disectng though photo 101.  Beyond the genuine quality of these amazing gentleman, the books they lent to me  have endless photos to get the mind going.   



FRANCE. 1932. Paris. Place de l'Europe. Gare Saint Lazare.
Magnum Photo

Here is someone I am certain about; I have begun to fall in love with Henri Cartier-Bresson.  If you are familiar with photography, you probably know of his very famous photograph that began the talk of "The Decisive Moment." More than that, he has an amazing talent for capturing people's spirits and telling stories. Beyond that you suddenly feel happy looking into these amazing photos.  Reactions anyone?

So now the time is here where I actually write my blog. Let's be honest- I have no idea what to write. All that I think of is sitting in a coffee house with a beanie, drinking herbal tea while snapping to insanely personal poems.  100% stereotypical- yes. But by no means am I "hatin'." I actually find these people, or more accurately known as artists, to be so amazingly creative. I sit here wondering how they are going to take me, my blog, my ideas, and my outlook. So really my stereotype is created through a complete fear of judgement.  But isn't that why we stereotype? We are deathly terrified of people being different- not the norm. That is what is so damn beautiful about life; the limitless ambiance of a culture that encourages individuality.  But individuality is a really interesting thing.  It is incredibly special and personal.  I think that is what needs to be highlighted in life.  The individuality of life and people and creations and everything that surrounds us.  So this is the mission of the semester, and possibly the hardest assignment I could have put on my shoulders, to highlight the "pretty of individuality" when we don't see it.  Whether a person or a mere object, everything has a beauty that needs to be seen. Now we will see how this goes; we might even add a little Carrie Bradshaw twist.  Only time will tell.  Here we go.