These are pictures from Canal Street (May 29th) and Coney Island (May 28th).
This portrait was taken at Coney Island. Portraits are my favorite type of picture to take, especially when I’m good friends with the subject. The model in this picture is one of my oldest friends so I immediately found myself liking the picture right off the bat. As a picture, however, I think the directional lines in the background make the photo as a whole more interesting as well as serving to draw your eye into the photograph. The shadows on her face and on the background surface add something to the photo, keeping it from being flat or boring.
This was also taken at Coney Island. The mural in the background is colorful and cheerful, but this picture is actually heartbreaking to me. The cheerfulness that comes from the colorful and happy mural in the background is contrasted by the subject of the photo: a homeless man… the darkness falls on him, while the light is just above and below him. The directional lines of the mural wall itself, the top of the mural wall, the boardwalk boards, and the shadow on the ground all lead the eye into the photograph. I may end up editing out the white building seen in the sky above the mural, but I’m not sure yet.
Taken in Chinatown! The aperture priority in this one is cool. I just focused on a tiny part of the railing and kept everything else out of focus.
This was taken on the red door that is on the left side of the background of the photo before this one. I like the red in this picture and the shadows as well. I want to see what is behind this door!
Taken in Chinatown. I like how this photo is pretty monochromatic, and yet not boring because of the various shades of brownish-grey. The lines are pointing to the right, just like the subject’s gaze.
This one is from Coney Island, of course! I originally boosted the already vibrant color a bit, but I decided to make a black and white version of it also. Everything on Coney Island is loud and vibrant and colorful, so I think it’s a nice change to take all of the color away. It makes the picture seem nostalgic somehow, which is fitting because Coney Island is being knocked down soon.
Also at Coney Island. Opposite from the picture before this, I decided to boost the color and keep that famous Coney-Island feel to it.
June 4, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Thank you for inspiring me to get my butt out to Coney Island before it’s gone! You’ve gotten me interested in taking photos with my Holga there. Do you have more photos from Coney?