On October 11, the day all Macaulay students were to take a picture of “anything that represents how you see New York City on that day,” I saw NYC [literally] through the lens of a research lab. As I was working, I happened to glimpse outside. I was captivated by what I saw. Usually the lab equipment, along with the small size of the windows, precludes a clear view of the world outside. Yet on this day, when I really took the time to look out the window, it gave me some perspective not only on where I physically was, but more importantly on where I was in terms of the implications of the research going on in our lab.
Humanity was what I saw outside: a plethora of people going about their daily lives.Through my viewpoint, I felt both empowered and obligated. Thus, in my photograph, I strive to illustrate the relationship between NYC as a community of individuals with the research going on to ameliorate many lives.
After establishing my content matter, I thought about how to convey this view of NYC. Using the rule of thirds, I placed the flask on the far right of the frame, in the right-most third region. In doing so, this allowed me to both incorporate it without taking away too much attention from the main subject matter, which is the view of the street and the people below.
I also used contrast between the shade of the window and the shade of the view outside the window to differentiate between the two environments. The movement in the picture, provided by the moving cars and the people, was allowed by giving these objects space to move into, whether it was the street or sidewalk. The angle of the buildings, street, and Hunter College bridge all led to a vanishing point as well. The vanishing point was placed off center to create a more dynamic feel.
