As mentioned in the previous post, I spent a very hectic five days last week visiting all five boroughs of New York City.
Less than a full day in each, of course, but it was still revelatory to get out of the much more familiar Manhattan and learn more about how the people in this sprawling city live, work, and play.
Here are just a few of my favorite images from the trip, with a full gallery here. And, if you need to see more, a second gallery is here.
At the top, a great city does not function without an extensive public transportation system. Besides the subway, New York has busses, trains, ferries, and far too many cars. Except for the cars, we got to sample them all.
This is lower Manhattan as seen from the Staten Island Ferry. It’s a spectacular view that is commonplace for thousands of New Yorkers but one that many tourists manage to miss.
One thing I learned during this short trip is that New Yorkers love, and support, their parks. This is Prospect Park in Brooklyn which rivals the more famous Central Park in size, facilities, and community use. Just as great cities need efficient transportation, they cannot exist without great public recreational space.
Many people who know of Flushing, one part of the borough of Queens, associate it with the Mets. Maybe the 1965 World’s Fair if you’re old enough. Possibly the 90’s TV series The Nanny. The thriving Asian community is more representative of the area today.
For some reason, I’m drawn to making photos of people taking selfies, from the screen side. A walk across the Brooklyn Bridge offered far too many opportunities. As a bonus, I took my own selfie at the same time. So very meta.
With the invention of digital photography, especially in cell phones, I find it difficult to determine whether I should take a photo of something or not. Who needs yet one more picture of the pyramids or the Statue of Liberty or a mountain valley? My son takes a photo of every meal he eats, I think. At what point do we have such a flood of personal photos available, the somehow dilute, rather than enhance, our memories?
BTW, I always enjoy your photos. It’s why I am asking you!
Your question about why we take so many photos is a good one, and lots of people I talk to can’t really answer it for themselves. “What do you do with all those images?” has been a major topic in the smartphone camera classes I’ve taught over the past five years. Most of my students (largely retirees) leave with some ideas to consider but no real solutions.
For me, it’s a hobby, of course. But I still regularly reflect on why I enjoy it and where I want to take my photography next. I agree that the world probably doesn’t need another shot of an iconic site like the Statue. Which is why I try to find a perspective that is slightly different from what others might see.
Anyway, your comment provides a great prompt for a future post and I thank you for that. And for viewing my photo galleries.