Monthly Archives: October 2012

Snapshot Day

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When I found out about Macaulay Snapshot Day I had many different ideas about what I wanted to capture in my picture.  At first, I thought I would capture New York City in the daylight with its blue sky, tall buildings, and chaotic streets.  I thought about the different techniques we learned in class about composition and framing, and some ideas came to mind.  I considered using windows as framing and capturing some aspects of being a student; however, finding a picture I really liked wasn’t that easy.

I decided that I would take a picture of Radio City Music Hall although it was not what I had planned at first.  I had tickets to a concert at Radio City that night so I figured I’d find something interesting to photograph there.  I am pleased with my picture because I believe it does embody many aspects of New York City.  In the foreground you can see many cars waiting at a red light.  Something we’ve all come to know is that traffic is a very common sight in New York City although we’d rather not have to sit through it.  I also liked how you can see American flags in the image giving the picture a patriotic aspect.  Although it isn’t the skyline, you can still see the skyscrapers of New York City that I was considering capturing initially.  The main component of the picture is Radio City Music Hall and its lit up signs.  Capturing this famous venue in my image shows the importance of the arts in New York City.  Music and the arts in general are something to be celebrated, and this venue shows that.  Many events are held here from concerts to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.  It makes the photo somewhat relatable because Radio City is a part of New York that most people know about.

Compositionally, I like how the two vertical signs of Radio City almost lie on the thirds lines, and the horizontal portion of the sign lies on the bottom third line.  The curve of the sign gives some depth to the picture.  The cars in the foreground of the photo also give depth to the picture but do not take away from the photo’s main component.  Radio City’s lights and colors draw your eyes to the building.  The sign’s shape helps you to continue looking up and out by following the lines of the sign.  Although it is not the best picture compositionally, I still believe people can take what they want out of the meaning of it.

When I see this photograph in the future I will remember how it felt to walk in the city that night surrounded by rushing cars, flashing lights, and excited people.  I’ll remember the great time I had at the concert and how lucky I am to be able to experience it in my favorite city.  I’ll also remember our seminar and the different techniques we learned about.  Ultimately, I hope the photo can bring about some of these thoughts for other viewers as well.

Snapshot Day Photo

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On October 11th, I almost forgot that it was snapshot day. I did not walk around that day looking for something to photograph. Rather, it was during my break form classes in school that I was compelled to take this photo and remembered what day it was.

Initially, I remembered sitting and thinking about what kind of photo I would try to capture a few days before Snapshot day. I wanted to incorporate New York City, and movement. The photo I ended up taking is almost opposite of what I “planned”. I am still very happy with my photo and think it captures a lot. From this I realized that good photography cannot always be planned. Sometimes, a subject will just hit the photographer, how the idea of this photo hit me.

My photograph ended up portraying the stillness of NYC. I took it on the 8th floor terrace at Hunter. I was sitting and experienced such a moment of peace looking out at the skyline. In NYC, everything is fast paced and I fall into the daily routine of brisk walking, waiting for the subway, doing schoolwork, and sleeping. It was nice to stop for a second and take a deep breath. This photo represents my moment of ease, where the sight and fresh air seemed to calm me in the middle of a stressful day.

Putting my feet into the picture portrays the human experience of the city, not just the coldness of tall stoic buildings. I incorporated myself in the picture to put more life into the image, and to have the viewer imagine themselves sitting and looking out. I think my feet change the perspective of the photo. The buildings are vertical lines, and the balcony bar is the main horizontal line. My legs and feet create lines that draw the viewer into the photo more. I tried to use the rule of thirds by making my feet not exactly in the center, my right foot being the vertical 1/3 line. The balcony bar is also not in the center of the photo, being the 1/3 horizontal line. I also love the contrast of the colors in this photo since October 11th was such a nice and clear skied day. Of course, as a lover of architecture, I believe I also captured the beauty of some of the skyscrapers in NYC – something every New Yorker needs to be reminded about once in a while.

 

Snapshot Day

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In taking my photo for Snapshot Day, I had a difficult time thinking of what would best suit the tone of my everyday life. It had to be a shot I saw often, yet something that fully represented how I saw the city. I entitled my photo “Side by Side.” One of my favorite places to spend time when I’m sick of studying is down by the water on FDR Drive at the Waterside Apartments where there is a huge sitting area, park and a beautiful view of the water. As I sit here, I often think that the city is such a diverse place in that everyone and everything seems to coexist simultaneously; city and island; water and land; bridge, tunnel and buildings; west and east; uptown and downtown. The city has its own dichotomy and its own rhythm. To capture only one of these elements is to betray my experience in the city; I live downtown but I go to school uptown. I work on the East side, yet I attend arts performances on the West. The city is far from a place of isolation or a place where you get stuck in a bubble. More or less, I’ve been everywhere, exhausting my unlimited MetroCard. This snapshot, to me, was an encapsulation of my life in the city as well as the true history of a city like New York, where cultures blend together and where many lives coexist.

In taking this photo I kept the Rule of Thirds in mind; the picture is divided into water, land, and sky to represent the elements that all play an equal part in the city’s habitat. I also kept the lighting in mind; one of the most important elements of my photograph was the clouds–they seemed to be looming dark and grey over the city and lightening up to white, fluffy clouds towards the water. This changing climate, as well as the cloud streak that curves downward, seemed to run parallel to the slope of the buildings into the bridge. This slope of the buildings draws the eye across the picture from left to right, city to island. The bridge emphasizes how the all the elements of the city are connected into one unifying word: Manhattan.

Snapshot Day- Through The Looking Glass

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I entitled my photograph, “Through the Looking Glass”. October 11th, or Snapshot Day wasn’t a great day for me with the stress of my classes amounting and endless list of tasks augmenting. My sister and I were eating lunch together and I was half listening to everything she was saying since I was so frustrated and worried about all the things I had to get done. When I looked up and saw this view from the 7th Floor Bridge at Hunter College. The view was beautiful with the sun hitting parts of the buildings, creating shadow and depth to the city view. I had a feeling of tranquility and realization. The view reminded me that I was in the middle of in New York City and there are amazing opportunities, people, and experiences to be taken advantage of. Like Alice, when I look at this view I get transported into a new world (less literal for me) that comes with visions for my future and memories I wish to have in the city and that became my saving grace. I had to get through what I had to do in order to achieve my visions and cross through this looking glass.

The concepts of the rule of thirds, diagonals, and lighting played a crucial part in my photograph. I wanted to capture the view as I saw it with the light coming in, which represents my realization to the situation.  I didn’t want to just take a picture of the city but rather show my viewing of the city through this glass. I used the rule of thirds to emphasize the glass with the bottom of the glass being on the bottom horizontal line. The diagonals of the shadows show the passage of time and the depth and multitude of things that the city is composed of.

Even though my phone didn’t take a great quality picture, I will remember the thought behind the photo. Every time I’ll on sit on the 7th floor bridge, I will remember why I’m here and appreciate my surrounding and dream of what is behind this looking glass.

Snapshot Day!

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On October 11, so-called “snapshot day” I was on my way out of the subway on 23rd street when this image struck me. Maybe not in a deep, emotive sense, but in an awe of the visual conception before me. When last week, we examined the work of other photographers, I was drawn towards the work of Brassai, particularly Backstage at the Folies-Bergere. What held my gaze was his use of a unique perspective, sloping planes and diagonals leading the viewer into the photograph, and dynamic contrast between light and dark. All of these elements seemed to coalesce as I mounted the first stair of the subway exit.

As someone who grew up in the suburbs, what is striking as you step out into the street is that everything always seems to be going “up.” In Manhattan, the towering skyscrapers stand over you and rows upon rows of mounting windows ascend toward the sky. It is impossible to escape the presence of these domineering structures of concrete and glass. So for me, capturing the grandiosity of the rising buildings serves to convey my bewildered yet awed perception of New York, immense and soaring above me.

One other thing that stood out to me in that moment of inspiration was the lone woman reaching the top of the stairs. In the city, it seems unusual not to be packed into a crowded bus or rustling past dozens of strangers on the sidewalk. This was her single instant of solitude before entering the hurry shuffling down 23rd street. I felt like I was capturing a unique moment of respite from Manhattan and all its chaos. The buildings looming over her serve as a reminder that she is only but one of many to be under their shelter, seemingly small and insignificant.

My favorite part of this photo is how the composition came together so naturally. Lines and diagonals play a strong role in the movement of this photo, bringing you “up,” as I wished to convey. The railings guide the viewer up towards the lone stranger and the vertical orientation of the bricks and rising building pull the image upward to really create the sensation of that limitless height. The contrast from the dark stairway to the bright open sky also bring you up from the depths, while the woman’s bright red coat grabs you. I’m really happy with how my photo came out.

Assignment for October 17th

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Assignment for October 17:

  • Post your Snapshot Photo under Project Archive by Sunday, October 14th, 12 pm.
  • Prepare Caretaker Studies-study in stillness and space to be presented on October 17th at Cabaret Space at Macaulay Honors College
  • View Jerome Bel’s “Veronique Doisneau”!  Research Jerome Bel and be prepared to discuss his work in relation to contemporary dance.
  • Begin reading John Steinbeck- The Grapes of Wrath for Builder’s Association’s A House Divided

October 17-Meet at Macaulay Honors College – Cabaret Space-Bring Computers

  • View Caretaker Studies
  • Discussion of Jerome Bel and Pina Bausch.
  • Composition Exercise in Stillness, Space and “Ways of Seeing”
  • “Sharing your art as a gift”-Extending Studies to be given to the caretaker

PINA! DVD not available at Netflix. (They are still waiting for their shipment too.)

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Hello ARt Explorers,

I talked with Netflix and they too are waiting for their shipment of the DVD PINA!

We will be attending Pina Bausch on October 19 and immediately following, you will be required to see choreographer Jerome Bel’s “The Show Must Go On” at MOMA (You choose between October 20 (Saturday) at 1 or 3 or October 21 (Sunday) at 1.

Jérôme Bel (French, b.1964) is a central figure in a group of contemporary European choreographers who have questioned the fundamental parameters of their own practice—and the practice of choreography in general. As a result, they have produced highly conceptual and critical works that expand the boundaries of what dance can be. At MoMA, Bel stages The Show Must Go On (2001), which, in many respects, serves as a response to Judson Dance Theatre and Steve Paxton, whose work is shown in the same week. (notes from MOMA)

While we are waiting for the PINA! dvd (from either Macaulay or Netflix), you will view Youtube segments of Jerome Bel’s piece that was commissioned by the Paris Opera Ballet. Normally a choreographer creates a dance for the company which they perform. Since this is the Paris Opera Ballet, the audiences expect to see a ballet, even though some of the ballets are modern ballets (such as the Hong Kong Ballet we saw for Fall for dance). But in the “Jerome Bel” style, this choreographer again challenged the parameters of dance. While watching the piece “Veronique Doisneau”, keep in mind that this was seen by a ballet audience that has certain expectations of what dance is. Since it was a ballet audience they are also quite very familiar with the classics, such as Swan Lake, Giselle, etc. Before viewing “Veronique Doisneau”, you will start with a clip of the Pas de Deux from Swan Lake danced by the students of the Canada’s National Ballet School. This clip is a student showcase, thus the dance technical aspects are not the most professional but this was the best clip for Jerome Bel’s piece for those who are not familiar with Swan Lake.

Photo Analysis: DeCarava’s “Graduation”

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I chose this photo because of its striking composition and contrasts (both visual and symbolic); I like the play of light and dark and the textures in this Roy DeCarava photograph.

In terms of visuals, I like the bright sunlight and the shadows of a large building that overlay the shadows at the edge of the sidewalk, the light on another building in the upper left corner, the gentle gray shading on the girl’s dress. The diagonal of the main shadow line is not exactly at 45 degrees (it is more horizontal), which elongates the picture and makes it look like the scene is facing us, which lends an aura  of intimacy to the scene that it would not have it it was at a harsh angle from us. I also like how the triangle of light seems to pierce the darkness like a spearhead, bringing with it a beautifully gowned girl. 

In terms of symbolism, this scene offers much texture and nuance. The main subject, the girl, has recently or is about to graduate (as is indicated by the title of the photograph) but is walking directly from light into darkness, an analogy in complete reverse. She is wearing a gown, gloves, and headband reminiscent of a certain princess, but the sign in the background that presumably said “PRINCE” at one point is now falling apart and not offering; There is an advertisement for a “Style Star of an All-Star Line” Chevrolet, which she seems to be looking at, but the only actual means of transportation in the frame is a broken rickshaw. The entire scene has a sort of beautiful sad aura. 

This photograph is compositionally strong due to its observation of the rule of asymmetry (the main human subject, the girl, is off center), the rule of thirds (the girl is in the left vertical third and in the middle horizontal third), the rule of dynamic balance (I find that the distribution of light and dark is very well balanced), and the rule of diagonals (the girl’s head is on a diagonal, as is the black object very near the center of the photo, which I think grounds it all )

In the future (and specifically for Snapshot Day) I want to use more compositional rules like the rule of diagonals and/or golden ratio. Professor Grimaldi’s lecture broadened my horizons to new techniques that I did not know would improve the aesthetics of a frame (i.e. rule of dynamic composition). I love photography (I must have saved three dozen photographs on my search for this one) and now I have tools to create some myself. I especially like the (rule of?) the golden ratio; it is an old technique, even used in paintings (I like the idea that a photograph can look like a painting), and it is difficult to master but improves every picture once applied. I hope I can se it effectively in my own work.

Photo Analysis of “Playground in Mill Village”

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In Lewis Hine’s photo Playground at Mill Village there seems to be a group of kids playing a game of baseball within the confines of two buildings. There are a few spectators, who are mostly children, and there is also laundry hanging above. A few aspects about this photo drew me in. The movement of the boy in the middle contrasts the stagnant on-lookers, and the boy adds depth by pitching to someone in the back. The depth of the photo is also aided by the diagonal lines of the buildings and of the street. It makes me wonder what else is in the background of the photograph. The children in the front who seem to be looking at the photograph allow for more depth; they indicate that the photo isn’t all 2-dimensional. Then there are the articles of clothing hanging that create opposing lines from the  buildings and children’s sight lines. The clothes cut across the photo in interesting patterns that are visually pleasing.

The rule of thirds is applied here as well. The darker building on the right side is the heavier third with darker, more saturated colors. Then there is the boy who is pitching and the clothes that constitute the second third of the photo. Lastly there is the whiter,  lighter third on the left side. So, I’d have to say that color is key for this photo; it allows for the rule of thirds to be applied.

I plan on using the rule of thirds in my photo. I also think that black and white photos are more interesting as well. So I will aim to use third party apps such as instragram in order to make my photo look accordingly. On my phone itself, I plan on using the grid lines that come with camera app. This will allow me to find lines within the photo, and hopefully this will make for a successful photo like Lewis Hine’s Playground at Mill Village.

Photo Analysis: Kiss by the Hotel de Ville

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Kiss by the Hotel de Ville

Kiss by the Hotel de Ville by Robert Doisneau drew my attention because of its immediacy. The couple stands out mainly because they are stationary while the rest of crowd moves around them. Doisneau’s contrast between the stillness and sharpness of this couple and the blurred figures creates a dynamic component in the picture and draws the viewer’s attention to the couple. The moment is fleeting; everyone else rushes past, but this kiss is a moment of quiet in the midst of the chaos and busyness of everyday life. Doisneau’s use of the Rule of Thirds gives further definition to the couple. Though the man’s body is placed at the center of the photo, the kiss is what truly takes center stage; it is about a third of the way into the photo that the kiss is framed. The shot seems to be taken from a street cafe, with tables and other objects half-obstructing the view to the street, giving it an immediate tone. The cafe setting also obstructs the bottom third of the picture. The top third is framed by a stark white sky, contrasting the dark figures and framing the kiss.The couple is also flanked by two non-blurred figures, both walking in the same direction with identical expressions. These figures pay no attention to the kiss and act as balancing points for the kiss. Doisneau’s point of view and framing draw the eye immediately to the intimacy of the moment. The strangers walk past in a rush, not paying any attention, but this moment is just the two of them.

I hope to apply Doisneau’s techniques and elements of framing and perspective in order to focus on the subject of my photo. I like the immediacy of the moment and the rushed sense you get from the crowd, yet the quiet and stillness of the couple. This is such a fantastic element to apply to photos in New York. Though life here is rushed and chaotic, there are these few moments of stillness. Photography, to me, is about capturing a moment and cataloguing it and this is exactly what Doisneau does. I like that the moment is human; we live in a city that is packed with people and these moments happen every moment. Every second there is something going on. I hope to capture the stillness of a moment within the chaos of the city in my photo.

-Erica