Stemming from the previous research I did around photographers and photography techniques, my concept was about the emotional connection to space in New York City. The idea is this: New York is a city that seems to demand participation from its inhabitants. It is almost impossible to take a lassiez-faire attitude towards the city. Everyday whether positive or negative, it engages you. I wanted to draw on the idea that people’s choices and prediction for one thing over another tells a story about who they are. For example: someone who claims Times Square as their favorite place probably has a very different attitude towards life than someone who adores The Cloisters or The Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Space is kind of esoteric in nature. Why we chose one place over another and for what reason changes from person to person. Particularly in New York, we are obsessed with space and are protective of the places that we love for one reason or another.

When I started to think about my favorite places in New York, I realized that I couldn’t say there was one unequivocal space I loved over another. What I realized is that based on what I need from the city; what emotion I am experiencing, that determines what space I want to be in. I broke it down into three main emotions: Stimulation, Inspiration, and Escape.

For me, when I want to really feel the energy of the city and have all 5 senses stimulated, there is no other place I would rather be than the Union Square Greenmarket. It often feels out of place in such a big city, but the contrast between small town and big city is what I love most about it. The idea of a farmers market is quaint and homey; the fact that it exists in the middle of one of the busiest centers of the city only adds to its appeal in my opinion. It allows you to experience New York through sight, touch, taste, smell, and sound.

For Inspiration, I chose Brooklyn Bridge Park. The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the most iconic New York symbols. To date, one of my favorite images of all time is the screen shot from Annie Hall where Alvy Singer and Annie are sitting on a bench with the Brooklyn Bridge perched majestically in front of them. The park is special and offers unmatched views of the city. Whenever I go there I fall in love with New York. It is a space that allows me to think and walk and clear my head while still engaging with the energy of the city.

Lastly, as my New York escape, I chose BAM Cinemas. Really, it’s not just BAM in particular, but any of the wonderful movie theaters that we have in New York: Film Forum, The Angelika, Landmark Sunshine, IFC, etc. Cinema is my escape. There is nothing I love more than sitting in a dark theater for a couple of hours free from the pressures of talking to anyone or fighting crowds or waiting for trains and buses. There is something about the ritual of the lights dimming and the screen lighting up that completely transports me to another place. I don’t have a favorite theater, as I find every time I’m in one of the great art house theaters, I decide I love that one the most.

My initial thought was to document these three spaces and present a visual portrait of myself. What do these places say about me to others? I thought also that the project could be expanded to include other people and their favorite spaces based on the ideas of stimulation, inspiration, and escape.

The actual execution however, did not go as planned. I found it incredibly difficult to implement the lighting concepts explored in the Zettl text as I was primarily at the mercy of the weather, which was not very cooperative. As a result, the photos I took for the latter two spaces did not turn out well enough to include as a part of my final concept (I suppose it should now be considered a “work in progress”). For the majority of the time I was taking photos, the skies were very overcast and gray not allowing me to explore some of the various ways that lighting can alter a photo.

I was also hindered by scheduling constraints. This far and away has been the most difficult hurdle in executing this concept. As a full time graduate student with a full time job, it has been difficult to set aside enough time to give this project the attention that I desired. I have really been enjoying this exploration of photography and want to be able to dedicate more time than I physically have available to me.

Additionally, while I do really like the concept that I am working with, I was also so incredibly struck by Sakear’s photography and the more that I “mulled it over” I had other ideas come to me, that in all honesty I wish that I had thought of earlier. While too many ideas can never be a bad thing, I found myself feeling at the end of this project slightly unsatisfied. It definitely doesn’t feel finished and I would love the opportunity to continue to explore the lighting techniques as well as trying out some of the new ideas that came to me just a little too late in the brainstorming process.

The photos posted below are from the “stimulate” portion of my concept and were shot at the Union Square Greenmarket.

I am most drawn to the image of the pickles and relishes in jars. I think that the composition is really interesting the way that they are stacked up on top of each other and the way the sign fades in the background. It is also one of the few photos where the light was cooperating and I was able to use it to show the reflection in the glass jars.

As a result of this experience, I appreciate photography in a new way and really enjoy the creative catharsis that it brings me. I would really like to revisit this project as well as some other ideas that came to me towards the end of the assignment.