Essays / s /

Settling in the city

This site has languished for awhile like most photo sites tend to do. What can I say ? Life happens. Work got in the way and I moved halfway across the country from Minnesota to New York City, before I knew it — one a half year had flown by.

I’ve shot here and there since then but it’ll be awhile before I manage to update the site properly.

In the meantime, here are some random snapshots I’ve taken in NYC.

This was perhaps a month after I had arrived in the city. I moved to the Bronx which is a wildly different place compared to my previous home for the past five years or so — quiet little St. Cloud, Minnesota.

I admit I was terrified by everything for a little while. The sheer amount of people and noise was overwhelming, and the reputation that the Bronx held wasn’t helping either. Combine that with the chaotic traffic I had to drive through daily — it was one hell of an experience.

I’ve been to NYC a fair number of times in the past, and actually knew Madison Square Garden’s layout fairly well even before I moved here. My sister used to, still do but also used to (get the reference ?) reside in New Jersey. I’d visit her in the summer or during winter break, and would spend a bomb on New Jersey Transit to get to NYC and just wander around.

One day, and at this point I was still reeling over the sudden change in scenario, I found myself at Madison Square Garden on a particularly downcast day. I thought I should start shooting again, just maybe.

No profound thoughts on any of the photos, but even less so on this one. The subway is hot. It stinks. it’s amazing. It’s also a long wait.

I wanted to get used to shooting again.

I’m not a partying kind of guy. Never was, will unlikely ever be, but I found myself at a rooftop party shortly after I arrived. A friend of mine was having a surprise birthday, I missed the surprise but I got there for the party anyway.

The view was fantastic but it was still rather frigid which was unfortunate.

It was summer, I was waiting for my ex-​girlfriend at Chelsea Market, and thought I’d try my luck at a hand-​held extended exposure. I realized later on that it was the line to the women’s bathroom — which would explain why some of them were so patiently still.

I do, however, wonder still about the gentleman in the corner there.

The day my nephew was born I rushed to the hospital like any good uncle would. I don’t actually remember taking this shot but it’s my favorite of that day. I have quite a number of typical baby shots, but this one actually says something.

If you’re wondering what it says, it’s probably around the lines of “RAWR OM NOM NOM !”

My family hasn’t been together in one room for many years now. Family can be complicated as I’m sure anyone else can attest to as well. This made the photo exceptionally… sentimental for me. Note that my baby nephew is in the corner.

I’m missing from the frame, of course. 10/10, worth it, would snap this all over again.

We had gotten tired after walking quite the distance. We went to Mel’s to grab food because Mel’s has a particular significance for me. And from there we walked to Central Park and made stops in between. 

My brother’s growing out his hair. I joke about shaving his head when he’s asleep. It might not always be a joke, I think.

A spectacular building for numerous reasons. I still wish they had went with other designs. 

We joked that it looked as if they were a couple having time out after a fight. Both equally hipster, I feel.

They’re fairly good friends of mine, one of the few NYC-​based friends I have. They’d be great friends if they’d stop proselytizing and attempting to convert me into Soka Gakkai. Until then, good it is.

He, uh, thinks of himself as the Lord of the Iron Throne, Guardian of the Porcelain God. Suffice to say I laughed really hard at the death stare he gave me.

Last week. Hello fellow film shooter.