How do you find New York?
In July, I made my first visit to the big apple, and made every effort to experience it on my own terms even (especially) in hitting some of the iconic sights. In making pictures, it's a great challenge to capture everything we know a place is, yet bring yourself to the picture too! I really wanted to explain what it was like taking part in the NY thing, as well as being true to my personal reality which is about space, and peace, and breathing in and out.
The thing with NY is, we all know what it looks like as the backdrop to so much of our movie culture. There is a huge temptation to make something look like another picture I've seen, but I struggle with the point of doing that because what really needs to happen is we work on explaining experiences in our own voices. That's how we get past the homogenous, corporate exterior of what we're fed, and remain connected as human beings.
It was a massive challenge making a mini-portrait of my personal journey in NY—no more than one minute—and so much I had to leave out! I had a go though, without a plan, just to feel my way around with a camera, to see what would happen.
The place is frantic.
But amidst the street vendors clattering under hanging yellow traffic lights, and grubby subway rides downtown, I paid attention to quieter things too – to stay connected to moments and places where I could breathe and stop a while to digest that big, juicy bundle of apple-like life.
Thank you, New York, you and your Central Park roses were ridiculously, fragrantly lovely.
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This was all shot on an iPhone SE and edited in After Effects. Music: 'Raindrops' by Grapes, under a CC License.