Okay, okay, I know did not take this picture this week, as the date on the photo shows. However, I did attempt to take a similar photo on the corner of Sycamore and Covell, but I failed horribly. As soon as I find my cable to transfer my photos to the computer, then I will show you my failed attempt at that intersection. As for now, I will have to stick with this one.This is a picture taken on the intersection of Park Avenue and E57th St. It was not easy to take this picture. I, wearing a t-shirt, jeans and a pair of flip-flops, waited at the intersection with dozens of New Yorkers dressed in business attire. As soon as the light turned green, with a strong cold wind blowing against me, I ran half way through the intersection and aimed toward the Metlife building. In the process, people just simply walked through between my camera and the scenery even though they knew I was trying to take a picture of the street. Despite the fact that people were blocking my view, I took the picture anyway. I ran back and checked my picture. It came out blurry. The process restarted again. After about seven failed attempts and angry drivers yelling at me with heavy New Yorker accent, I finally succeeded. I remember I was on that same intersection for about 20 minutes before heading to my next destination. I walked a few blocks and entered a Subway station, I waited for the train to take me to Little Italy. When I double checked my pictures while riding the Subway, I was very amazed what a great picture I took. I captured the heart of Manhattan- streets filled with cars, limos, buses, businessmen, tourists, tall buildings, etc. Even though it is a scene of the modern world, there were trees and bushes in the center divider. It truly is a blend of nature and modernization.
2 comments:
I am intrigued by this "blend" of "nature and modernization" that you describe. I wonder if the frame of a photo has a way of highlighting this 'blend'? At what point does the blend become a blur, and we no longer can even use the two terms independently? Nature and technology (what I'm taking you to mean by "modernization") have been historically opposed; I wonder if we are seeing a shift in this opposition, toward a more prevalent conception of *blends*? I look forward to seeing the Davis remake of your NY photograph!
That's a funny point you bring up of the way you were trying to take the picture during a sort of rush hour. Having people walk in front of you is a natural moment and isn't a picture supposed to capture a natural moment in time? And oppositely, when people look directly at you destroys the point of a picture. The point you make of mixing nature and modern civilization, every piece of land we build on was once a green landscape and we, as humans, simply built over it. So in reminiscence we leave a piece of that behind. And probably because without plants, trees or anything not built, the setting would be so bland. And because I guess people believe that with a few trees the air will be cleaner... Always trying to catch the 'perfect' image/picture seems impossible because we'll never be satisfied with what comes out and just settle. It's rather what you capture in an image than how clear it is. And you did that perfectly by capturing "the heart of Manhattan." Great post.
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