35mm Photography - Governors Island

During the summer months in New York City, Governers Island is open to the public. It's an island right by the city that used to be a military base, with views of Staten Island, New Jersey, and Brooklyn. Now converted into a park, the island hosts festivals, craft fairs, and bike riding. I actually went the last week before it closed.

During my trip, I decided to rent a bike to explore all parts of the island quicker. It's great to get a bike first thing in the morning since the afternoons have more people populating the pathways. More bike paths have been incorporated this year though. Most of the buildings are unused. If they are in use, its usually for gallery exhibits, handmade shops, and food vendors.

This section is located near the newer areas just opened this year. They have small clusters of flower patches you can walk (but not bike) through. It's also near a new baseball field and viewing areas of the waterfront.

I found this while exploring a courtyard. I'm not exactly sure who this was dedicated to, but I thought it was interesting. It reminded me of a crime scene, especially since this was in a sectioned off area.

I really loved these red chairs! They're very striking. They're ideal for a nice sit down amongst friends during a lazy afternoon. That particular afternoon was lovely; a cloudless sky, a gentle breeze, and a good camera to capture it all. I look forward to visiting it again next year. 

 

Photography - Lavander In The Battery

Can you string a quick story out of these photos?

 She gazes at the sleek straight backs of stiff shouldered buildings. She wants to escape these statuesque shells, empty of blood and feelings. It is time for her to depart the concrete tower.

Through spit-cleaned doors, down compact stairwells, she stumbles upon a tunnel, empty and dark. Gulping anxiety, she tips toes through, afraid to disturb the stillness huddled in the quiet.

 The flowers are a pleasant surprise once she makes it to the other side. They gently bob their heads as if to greet the new visitor. Hopeful, she continues past them.

 Her travel is cut short upon reaching a pier, where a river snakes its hulking body between concrete cities. The sun sits high and proud in the sky, clouds a wispy dress twirling around its body. She spots the boat drifting further from the pier, and decides she needs one for herself.

This is it. She'll escape the tang of smoke bellowing from orange cones, the dreary smell of sewage when she walks past a crosswalk. She'll run away from the cold shouldered buildings, the black bubblegum sidewalks, the crumbled waste hugging the base of trash bins. She'll escape the city and finally be free.  

Camera: La Sardina
Film: 35mm Lomochrome Purple (100-400)
Taken By: Carolina
Where: Battery Park City, NYC

Photography - Earl Gray Cityscape

Under Construction. 35mm. New York City

On a rainy day in 2013, I decided to head to the Chelsea neighborhood in NYC. Walking aimlessly, I snapped a photo of this incomplete building.

Buildings in construction remind me of metal monstrosities coming to life. Their steel beam limbs could crush me if they weren't imprisoned to the ground.  

Splattered. 35mm. New York City

Turning onto a one way street, I noticed this facade of a closed art gallery. The wall felt alive; white paint seeping and spreading to the sidewalk, as if the wall itself was bleeding profusely (even though the paint was assuredly dry). The creature on the wall was like a hunched over gorilla, skulking past, oblivious to onlookers.    

Body Works. 35mm. New York City

Another shot of the same closed art gallery. I wish I could have a wall just covered in signs like these, withered by time, the paint chipping from the letters.

View From The Highline. 35mm. New York City

I took this image while strolling along the Highline, an abandoned railway system that had been converted into a park. I like street views like these and I hope to take more in the future.

When it warms up a bit more in NYC, I'll definitely will be going on more adventures!

Spring Photo Collection

5 Things I'm Looking Forward To This Spring

35mm film. On The Ferry. Taken by Carolina O.

1. Sitting outside on the ferry while heading to and from work, feeling the sunlight on my eyelids and the sky tinging my skin a tad shade blue. I'll be staring at the water, rocked to sleep by the motion of the waves while the breeze pushes my hair from my face.

I've never grown tired of the view from the ferry. It's especially nice when the sun is setting. Next time you come to New York City, ride the Staten Island Ferry to get a view of New Jersey, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. The fare is free!

35mm. Battery Park. Taken by Carolina O.

 2. Reading a good book, drawing, or taking a nap on a nice large rock in the park (I seriously do this, I take naps everywhere).  

35mm. Botanical Gardens. Taken by Carolina O.

 3. Plant life. The buildings in the city look tired, especially since they've had to stand through a strenuous winter. Bursts of color to break up the dull brick reds and grays would brighten the look of their exteriors considerably.

35mm. Botanical Gardens. Taken by Carolina O.

 4. Green, truckloads of green. Did I mention green is my favorite color?

35mm. Cherry Blossoms in Bloom. Taken by Carolina O.

5. Cherry blossom season at the end of April! I used to go to the Cherry Blossom Festival at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden every year, but it gets really packed and I'm not able to enjoy the flowers as much. Although, the best part of the event is the taiko drumming performance and the stalls selling sushi pillows and paper crafts. Last year, I went a week after the festival and it was much better since it was less crowded.

I took this image in the Japanese Garden section, my favorite spot! I'll definitely be going again this year.

What are you looking forward to this Spring?

Photography - Botched Film Interpretations # 1

Staten Island Ferry 2013. 110mm fisheye film. Taken by Carolina O.

Botched photos remind me of abrupt dreams, like I'm gasping awake from a grainy nightmare I can't recall the entirety of. Emotions fill the empty spaces left by forgotten things. 

Staten Island Ferry 2013. 110mm fisheye film. Taken by Carolina O.

They also remind me of moments before someone blacks out, or in this case, 'whites out.' Images stack together like double exposures. It's disorienting, dizzying as memories fight each other to take precedence in your mind. They each want to be the last thing you vividly remember because they aren't sure when you'll wake up. 

Red District in NYC 2013. 110mm fisheye film. Taken by Carolina O.

This botched photo reminds me of alcohol intoxication.   

I snapped this shot on my way to an art gallery. I've never been on this street in the city before, lined with neon signed bars and red roped lounges (If I recall correctly, I spied strip clubs too). Long corridors led into the innards of buildings, colorful lights hinting to fun times just beyond, and the walls plastered with posters whispering promises. 

That door at the end appeared innocent, but I imagined it caked in all kinds of things; the sweat of bodies pressed against its surface, lips on lips, of countless fingertips pushing it open. I wondered if those same digits ever pushed against the other side to get out, if the people attached to them even wanted to leave and if they didn't, what dark desires beckoned them to stay? 

Imagine someone stumbling into a place like this alone, vision blurred and limbs disoriented after a few drinks too many. It's frightening, but also makes for quite a story.

What do you think of when looking at these images?

Photography - 110mm Fisheye Camera

I spotted this fisheye camera while browsing for film at the Lomography Camera Shop. They sell it in different colors with plastic bodies. I particularly liked this model because of the metal incorporated into its design (which made it more costly, but definitely worth it).

 

It fits perfectly in my pocket and makes for a great traveling companion. I can do double exposures and leave the bulb on to take brighter pictures in dark areas, so night images are possible. However, the camera doesn’t come with a flash, which is fine for me since I’m not particularly fond of that feature. If you want crisper photos, you’ll have to use a tripod.

Capturing silhouettes is a strong point of this camera. I took this while visiting the botanical gardens in the summer of last year, using a special film that develops in hues of reds and oranges. Silhouettes are loaded images, and I like the endless interpretations you can get from them. They’re also like shadows of an idea, not completely come to fruition. 

 

My first few rolls came back with many botched pictures (especially when I kept forgetting to take the lens cover off. Doesn’t that just make you fume when you forget little things like that?). I usually recycle those photos into other projects. I'm thinking of using them as book covers too. 

The black and white film rolls are my favorite. Grainy, old time photos are something that attracts me, and I'm glad I'm able to have some aspect of that in my photos. This was at a park in New York City, right across from my old work place.

See how tiny it is? Perfect for a hobbyist or a professional. I purchased my camera for $50 (but they usually offer deals through Groupon). Without the metal body, it costs $40. They do offer this camera in a larger size as well.

What do you think of this camera?

-Piki