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I walked outside of my building, wondering what I could possibly capture with my camera that would represent New York City and what I adored about it. The first thing I noticed about living in a city like New York were the amount of options and variety that it offers. Everywhere I go, I am overwhelmed with countless numbers of people, surrounded by vibrant colors, shapes, and objects. Everyone I see is in their own world, giving them the power to choose how they want to spend their day or go about their week. Everyday for a week, I tried my best to capture the unique qualities of the city and how the people of New York City use these unlimited options to live their lives to the fullest.
I chose to live and attend college in New York City in order to begin my life on my own while exploring the limitless opportunities that the city has to offer. I have always 
adored the way New York City stands out from everything else and the way that New York welcomes the entire world in while creating their own. One of my first photographs I captured was a snapshot of the Grand Central Information booth, along with the famous clock, standing in the middle of Grand Central Terminal. I decided to capture this moment as I sat on the steps leading up to the Apple Store as I waited for my train to arrive. I noticed the unwritten dance that was being performed right before my eyes, the way that every single person knew where they were going and were just as eager to arrive. This photograph captures the element of punctum, from Roland Barthes Camera Lucida, for me because it not only draws my attention, but it allows me to reminisce on the times I enjoyed when I was younger. As I child I always envied the way that adults walked through Grand Central, they exerted a sense of independence and individuality that I felt I could never live up to. Grand Central Terminal and the never ending movement that surrounds the famous clock is an amazing representation of New Yorkers’ independence, uniqueness, and willingness to never stop going forward.
Over the next few days, I took many pictures capturing the movement of the city and framing the way that New Yorkers’ never stop moving. One of my 
photographs was taken while waiting for the 6 train to arrive. I stood in the same spot every single day waiting for the same train, but everyday I went somewhere different. As Manhattan is just a small island, New Yorkers are able to travel to wherever they need to go using the MTA system. The ability to arrive anywhere in Manhattan in under an hour blows my mind, to say the least. As I stood there, I wondered what New York City would be without the constant access to transportation. I felt it was necessary to add a photograph of a subway in order to focus on the fact that New Yorkers truly never stop going.
The next photo I decided to capture was while I was at a thrift shop called L-Train Vintage on 1st Avenue. A group of friends and I decided to take the trip in order 
to find halloween costumes and shop for miscellaneous clothing articles. The second I walked into the store I was bombarded with every single type of clothing, from a rack of cheerleading costumes to a row of identical looking leather jackets. I captured a picture of only half of the thrift shop because I thought it represented the variety of New York City. The countless types of clothing, sizes, and colors reminded me of the millions of different types of people from all over the world that live in New York City.
While New York City is filled with so many different cultures and people from all parts of the world, the diverse culture can be found in all corners of the city. New York City holds so many different cultures, flavors, and customs that make every experience so unique. I decided to capture a photograph of a delicious Vietnamese meal that my friends and I enjoyed. I loved the fact that I was able to dive into a different culture by just walking a few blocks. New York City is 
concentrated with so many different restaurants that allow anyone living in the city to try something new or experience another part of the world without actually leaving their borough. I thought that including this photograph in my portfolio would reinforce the fact that New York City is unique and diverse, unlike any other city.
Coming from Westchester County, taking the subway everyday was a new experience for me. I quickly learned subway etiquette; to always give your seat to someone elderly 
or pregnant, trying my hardest not to bump into someone as the train stopped, and most importantly, never making eye contact with anyone. I decided to add a photograph of the inside of a subway car because it reminds me of the unspoken rules of the subway. New Yorkers are different than anyone else, we keep to ourselves and never worry about anything other than the task at hand. While the subway car may be completely silent, everyone on the train is preparing for their next move. While a viewer may experience studium while observing this photograph, just an overall interest in the photograph itself, I experience punctum after I remember how important understanding the subways and the overall attitudes of New Yorkers is.
I stood on the corner of 59th Street, looking up at a familiar building, Bloomingdales. 
Just looking at the building took me back to Christmas time, when I was so excited to shop for my friends and family in the store. I would always try to identify each flag on the building, testing myself to see if I could name each one. I needed to put this photograph in my portfolio of New York City in order to put emphasis on the fact that New York City is the home for people all across the world. The movement of the taxi passing the building, as well as the pedestrians walking across the street, adds to the New York City vibe I was trying to capture.
The last photograph I decided to add was a picture of a truck covered in graffiti.
I was taken back by the amount of graffiti on one vehicle, as well as how comedic the front of the truck looked. As Susan Sontag noted in On Photography, a photograph has the power to capture reality and interpret it. I knew that I was capturing the reality of vandalism and graffiti, while interpreting the artwork and intention of the artist. I intended for this truck to represent the art work that can be found all around the city. I knew that this was a separate concept of New York City than the other concepts I used in the other photographs, but I concluded that the artwork and graffiti in New York City contributes to the cultural feel of New York.
Looking back at the whole of my photo portfolio, I believe that I captured my view of New York City and the unique ways it contributes to the lives of every New Yorker. New York City is the center of the world due to the immense culture and availability that is found everywhere. I love that I can consider myself a New Yorker and I hope that I can appreciate the culture and diversity to the best of my ability as I live in this amazing city.
