Life Through My Lens: Back in New York City
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Getting Warmer - NYC to Riviera Maya
It's been a strange few weeks for me. After an awesome six month run, my freelance with JWT ended at the end of January. It was a fantastic experience - I met smart people and got the experience of working for a "big traditional" agency. I also contributed to two major new business wins (Google Enterprise and PUMA). And then was hired to work at JWT Inside - their employee engagement agency for one project. But then last Thursday, it was my last day - except there's always the possibility I could come back for another stint. So kind of a weird - goodbye but maybe not goodbye.
While I was trying to tie up any loose ends, finish my project, say my maybe goodbyes, etc. my friend messaged me on Tuesday saying she's in Playa Del Carmen - I should visit. It just so happens that I'm on my other friend's flight benefits since his sister just had a baby and isn't likely to travel but I've barely used them - other than U.S. flights. The weather was really starting to wear on me.. even this charming couple on the Upper East dressed like they never left the 1970's or the East 70's wasn't enough to keep my spirits up in the cold.
Fast forward to Saturday morning at 4am - I drag my suitcase ten minutes to the subway in 25 degree weather wearing a light fall jacket and manage to check in literally three minutes before they close checkins on international flights. My adventure has gotten off to a great start. The flight is full with one standby seat available and the guy who had priority decided to take a later flight. I wish him all the love and karma in the world.
I sit next to a couple pushing 80 - both with some major hearing loss. I know this because they speak so loudly that even the guy across the isle with the noise-canceling headphones can hear them and gives me a sympathetic laugh. But I can't complain as I imagine my bare feet dipping into the sand. The couple wisely advises me not to study or think too hard and to get some sun. I greatly respect the wisdom of my elders.
The crowd at Cancun makes for some interesting people-watching. Retirees going on group trips, quickly changing into warm-weather clothing. I learn that nothing gets more friendly attention in Mexico than a single woman. If I had stayed any longer at the map booth - I would have received a proposal.
TRAVEL TIP: Take the Ado bus to Playa Del Carmen or even Tulum. It runs fairly frequently (I only had to wait a half hour) and only costs about $10 vs. the $70 for a car service. I realized I made the right choice when I was the only non-Spanish speaker on the bus.
I arrived in Playa Del Carmen with only a vague idea of where my friend's apartment was and a meeting time but it was incredibly easy to figure everything out. Playa basically has one main road that doesn't allow cars and goes for about a mile or less. You feel like you're walking in a huge outdoor mall. I dragged my suitcase over the cobblestone streets wearing a black t-shirt, jeans and sneakers in the 80 degree heat and easily located my friend by using one of the three Starbucks' wifi. I suppose there are some benefits of globalization.. I'm also pretty sure that the main drag had more free wifi than all of NYC.
The above is how I felt after squishing my feet into the sand. After two days and nights in Playa walking around what I felt was not really Mexico - more like South Beach / the Jersey shore, I decided it was time for me to check out Tulum. On Monday, after kicking around the idea of leaving on Tuesday - I decided why wait - saw that the bus was leaving in an hour, packed and sweated my way to the bus station. A 45 minute bus ride has led to a world of difference.
As I write this, I'm sitting in a hostel in Tulum, chilling with a Canadian couple and young Guatemalan, getting tips on what to see and do. This -after meeting a guy who owns a clothing-optional resort and horticulturist who can grow and identify about every plant / herb that's ever been used for.. medicinal purposes and seems to be an expert in native medicine.
On to the next chapter. There's a word for this... YOLO.
Remembering Warmer Days - NYC Street Photos
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Life in Photos: Colorado
I'd like to interrupt my regular writing for some photos I've taken over the last month or so. As I'm sure many others have done, I've used Instagram to quench my hunger for street photography. But recently, I've started carrying around my Canon 40D, using my fixed 50mm 1.4 lens around - because it's currently the only working lens I own.So.. here it goes. I've been fortunate enough to have gone to Colorado every summer for three years in a row. My second cousins on both sides of my father's side have all converged in Colorado. Even more coincidentally, every year for the past three, one of them has gotten married. I'm absolutely in love with the state and am lucky to have such an awesome extended family.
Keep Calm And Instagram On: #NoFilter
This week's Instagram fiasco told an interesting story beyond that over user's rights. I woke up on Tuesday to a slew of privacy right screen shots and declarations that Flickr was the new, old, new old.. you get the idea. I downloaded the new Flickr app just to see what all the hype was about and while it was definitely an improvement over the old app, I still wasn't terribly impressed as it forced me to switch between the mobile website and app. But that's not the point.
Everyone had their own, very strong opinion. Some Facebook friends declared how happy they were because they thought Instagram was dumb. Personally, I think they're dumb and were missing the entire point of Instagram in focusing on its filter functionality. HINT... intimate life sharing and relationship building! Many declared they'd be deleting their account in mid January before the new user rights came into effect. I just absorbed the conversation.
As a former art buyer, purchasing stock imagery and hiring photographers, I knew right off the bat that there was no way a photo of me via Instagram would find its way into a banner ad on Facebook. First off, unless Facebook has some sort of secret image recognizing technology or thousands of visually trained photo editors, there is no way an art buyer or photo editor is going to shift through millions of untagged photos to find the right image. For every breathtaking sunset, there are probably at least one hundred boring, blurry, under exposed, or plain visually unappealing photos. And beyond separating the good from the bad, most stock photos are tediously key worded from the more obvious descriptions to the more esoteric. Who would they hire to do that?
Now let's say that they've somehow shifted through the photos and pulled out a handful that they deem sellable. Do you think any photo buyer would risk getting fired or sued just to use an Instagram photo when they have plenty of model released, legally acquired photos from Getty, Shutterstock and iStockPhoto? When I worked for an agency owned by a major holding company, we weren't even allowed to experiment with some of the lesser known stock agencies unless vetted by legal. In fact, every photo used was carefully tracked and assurances were made that the photos had model releases and the stock agency legally owned the photo. While imagery is more important than ever, the stock industry isn't necessarily growing. Rumor has it that 20 year old Corbis, Bill Gates' pet project, is just starting to turn a profit. And while startups like Foap seemed like an exciting idea, I don't know anyone who has actually made a sale of their photo.
So now let's get back to the users. What I found truly interesting about the situation was that as social network users we're becoming increasingly freaked out over the usage of our data. Yes, by all means, it seems oddly more terrifying to have a company profit over our "art" than the cumulative use of our data. But people come on! We've come to expect so much from startups without giving them anything in return. Instagram has introduced me to new friends. I've gotten job interviews through building relationships on the site. I've learned new recipes. I've discovered new restaurants / foods. I've been inspired. I've been moved. And I've been encourage. All through a service that I got for free.
So what can Instagram do to make a profit? Remember when the startup moto used to be, give people something for free and then once they have users, make them pay? Instagram could get away with changing a yearly fee, or creating a pro vs regular account like Flickr. They could work with advertisers like Tumblr to create branded content. Or they can even crowdsource from their loyal users to find out a better way to sustain the service. Now excuse me while I check my feed.
A Brief History of Street Fashion Blogs
Aside from the crisp fall weather and chance to start afresh, one of my favorite things about September is the NY fashion shows. Every year, I try to photograph the fashionably dress characters who come in and out of the shows. This tradition has consistently come with its share of adventures.A few years ago, I endured the fridget February cold for the Fall shows, standing outside the DKNY show, secretly located in the West Village, and managed to capture this celebrity filled scene. Nearly three years later, these are still some of my favorite shots taken with my humble Canon 40D using the kit lens.
Later that evening, I stood outside the Marc Jacobs show, making friends with some of the other photographers who I had met earlier during the day. One of those photographers, Henneli, went on to become an international photographer / celebrity. I'm happy to say that I've recently found a few magazine articles and features on both her style and work. She's a model turned photographer and became known for her impecable style, not letting even the highest heels get in the way of her photography abilities. We bonded over our Norwegian heritage (she's actually Norwegian while I only inherited my last name and love of gravlaks). And she invited me to an exclusive party thrown by Justin Timberlake. It was definitely one of those "only in New York" type moments that reminded me why I love the city so much. If you keep an open mind, a smile and a sense of adventure, you never know where the day or night can take you.
Stay tuned for photos of my most recent mini adventure.
Stepping Away From The Internet
One of my favorite things to do is wander around the city, photograph people or draw them. Yes, I know, all slightly stalker-ish activities. But I've always found endless fascination with people-watching. Yesterday, I did just that and thought I'd give you a visual recap of my day.
I spent a significant amount of time at Ground Support in Soho. My initial intention was to read and catch up on news but with my iPad, new Bamboo stylus, and Paper 53 app, I couldn't resist one of my all time favorite past times - sketching people. I later overheard the French girl I drew talk about how high rents, mentioning she took a Skillshare class about how to live rent free. Which I mentally noted was the same class I took. Small world.
My sketching was briefly interrupted by a celebrity sighting. I think that years or should I say, 10,000 hours of memorizing figures and faces in order to draw them, has given me excellent facial recognition. Can you spot him in the above, right picture?
One of the benefits of everyone being glued to their devices is that they sit relatively still for a few minutes, giving me enough time to draw them. Thank you internet. While I was admittedly tempted to sit across from MG and practice my sketching using him as a subject, I smartly chose to sit outside instead.
I witnessed a lost pigeon flying into a café that had trouble getting out. So like MacGyver, I instructed the panicked staff to create a trail of crumbs out the door. Success!
Street Fashion Candids: Herald Square, Sweatpants-chic
It's been a long while since I took my Canon 40D out for a stroll and captured the styles of New York so for the next few days I'll post what I find. Now if only I could afford to get the 5D Mark II and upgrade my photos.
Friday Afternoon Inspiration: Gravity // Un Reve De Demain
Nice find Michelle![vimeo 34896859 w=400 h=225]
GRAVITY // UN RÊVE DE DEMAIN from Filip Piskorzynski on Vimeo.
Occupy Wall Street - A Turning Point
It's hard to write about Occupy Wall Street and say what has not already been said but I'll share my thoughts. If you live near New York City, you should visit the movement because it's unique experience that can't be fully taken in through pictures. I absolutely support the movement. These people are sacrificing their time, comfort and daily lives to stand up to a system that is not working. And when I say system, I believe it's not the absolute fault of Wall Street, but an entire American system that includes people spending beyond their means, a culture that values having more stuff, government regulation or lack of, politics, unions, our health care ... the list goes on.Their two weeks of occupation is gaining more traction than countless opinion articles in the New York Times and they're doing more than most of us who are merely complaining to our friends and family about our anger against Wall Street. Occupy Wall Street looks like a scene from an apocalyptical movie where people from all walks of life come together to fight for a cause. You have the Jesus lovers, hippies, homeless, yuppies, students, blue collar workers, old, young, musicians, super heros, yogis, and then you have all the people coming to observe this cast of characters, capturing moments with their iPhones, iPads, point and shoot video cameras, fancy cameras, analogue cameras, or pens and notebooks. There are people who choose to protest with their voice in song, use their wit in clever signs, their t-shirt design skills, their sub-conscious in meditation, or their hands letting their instruments speak. And their are the cops who stand around doing their job and watching the movement with amusement.
But a picture tells a thousand words.
Photographic Journey Through Brooklyn
I recently moved from Prospect Heights to Crown Heights, only a few blocks away but a world of differences. I'm really enjoying exploring my new neighborhood from the discount stores, to the cheap but good Mexican restaurants, to the signs of gentrification, i.e. chill coffee shop with great internet, and even better $4 coffee that's totally worth it. Instead of the quiet, tree lined streets of Prospect Heights with young, blonde, children watched by their black nanny's, I pass by young, black mothers, white or multi-ethnic young, creative-types, and blinged out, tattooed, muscular black guys standing next to their BMW's. Around the corner from me is my new favorite bar, Franklin Park, where I danced my ass off, even going as far as showing off my hip hop moves in a dance circle and keeping up with a 6ft4 dude rocking an 80's hip hop look. On the next block over is potentially my new favorite coffee shop, called The Breukelen Coffee House with ample benches, an outdoor space and chill R&B music cutting the library silence. Across from the coffee shop is a Rastafarian owned vegan cafe serving healthier versions of Jamaican patties and $5 green juices. And later in the next few days, I'll post pictures of the West Indian Day Parade, an all day event that was complete mayhem, enough sensory overload to make one want to stare at a blank wall for hours to clear one's head.
