Mercedes-Benz Spring 2013 Collection at Lincoln Center
I realized my last post title was deceptive since the photos where from a few years ago. This week, I managed to shoot outside the shows twice and the adventures continued. Lincoln Center seems to be a much better location than Bryant Park because the long pathway from the street to the entrance allows for plenty of photography opportunities. I almost feel bad for the celebrities, models and fashionistas who have to navigate the walk in six inch heels with dozens of photographers snapping away.But the location change is nothing compared to a major cultural shift in the last three years or so. First, let's rewind back to my last post where I described the scene three years ago outside the shows. At the time, there were only a handful of street fashion bloggers, Hanneli, Jak and Jil, The Sartorialist, and a few others who mainly shot with more professional-grade DSLRs like the Canon 5D. While they certainly dressed well, especially Hanneli, the photographers mainly focused on shooting those coming out of the shows, especially celebrities or models.
Now lets fast forward nearly four years later. The iPhone and Canon Rebel have been out for a few years and it's nearly become the norm for people to carry around a $500 piece of machinery on their necks or in their pockets. With Tumblr, Instagram and Twitter, everyone has a fairly robust social media presence, perhaps even a popular blog. And with Pinterest, Gilt, and Etsy, it seems that everyone has access to trendsetting designer pieces that they put together in head-turning ways.
That brings me to this week where I saw first hand how the photography industry and fashion world has been flipped on its head. While the fashion show attendees were often demurely dressed professionals, some seeming to purposely avoid attention, the photographers wore brightly colored, edgy, ensembles that screamed for attention. If you were thin, tall, well dressed and beautiful, you were bound to have a cluster of photographers surrounding you. If you were average looking but wore a quirky, well-styled, funky outfit, you could command the attention of the eager photographers. And like the NY Times pointed out today, everyone readily answered who they were wearing. While a celebrity like Kelly Osbourne or Kimora Lee Simmons occasionally caused a mass stampede, the real stars of the Lincoln Center runway were the bloggers, fashion students and anyone else who wanted their 15 seconds of fashion fame.
In fact, this image sums up the experience entirely. The word "meta" comes to mind as I captured my friend, a photographer, who eagerly captured the scene with her adorable four month old son happily attached to her front. People were so enthralled by her son, and her passion for photography that they photographed her while she was photographing others. And others were so delighted that she was now getting her 15 seconds of fame, that they photographed the photographers who were photographing her. And the cycle continues.
Gaining Exposure Through Fashion Week
After a slightly exhaustive internet search, I finally discovered this is Abigail Spencer after having only remembered she was in Mad Men and had dated Don. My amazing memory and facial recognition skills strike again! I've often considered becoming a paparazzi but then question the moral implications. Then again, there are plenty of well known actors who have managed to stay out of the stoplight, making me think that those who are photographed put themselves in situations where that will happen.
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.
The Great Brooklyn Neighborhood Tour
Since moving back to the East Coast in March, I have had the privilege of living in three different apartments, three distinct neighborhoods and with a total of six people, all within Brooklyn. I lived with people from all different backgrounds and ages, from a 20 year old college student about to enter her senior year of college and become legally allowed to drink, to a 39 year old Harvard educated, former doctor about to hit a very different milestone.
I experienced, witnessed and lived through countless events on a historial and personal level. During the hurricane that wasn't, also my last weekend in Prospect Heights, I was awoken by the falling of a huge tree right outside my window, a tree, that I later found out, had been in front of the building for over forty years.
A week later, settled into my new neighborhood of Crown Heights, only a ten minute walk but a world of difference, I came home one night to a swarm of policemen and roped off sidewalks. There had been a major shooting 6 blocks from my apartment and two people had been killed, including an innocent bystander. This shocked the neighborhood, an eclectic mix of West Indians, Orthodox Jews, white, creative professions and hipsters. I've only been in "my" Park Slope apartment for nearly a month and with a new freelance gig, my reality has changed dramatically. It seems that with each apartment, there is the possibility of a new beginning and I am making the most out of every moment.
My first apartment in Prospect Heights was a world of first's; first time being outnumbered by male roommates, living in Brooklyn and living in an up and coming neighborhood. My neighborhood was more racially diverse than the East Village but less diverse than my home town. The local ice cream shop, Blue Marble, catered to hipster parents with young children, eagerly lining up for all natural ice cream and young professionals, like me, excited that my fair-trade iced coffee came in a compostable cup.
My apartment building was a mix of young, white professionals and African Americans of all ages, some with kids and some who had been in the building their entire life.The neighborhood itself consisted mostly of brownstones, nearly as beautiful as Park Slope but not as crowded or as developed. Vanderbilt was lined with only a handful of restaurants and Washington had various hidden enclaves like Sit & Wonder, among local corner delis and laundromats.
My next Brooklyn apartment in Crown Heights coincided with one of the most difficult experiences in my life financially and emotionally. The cliff notes are that my cat nearly died and some other stuff happened that I'd prefer not to write about. I don't have many fond memories of my dark apartment, with a window that overlooked a garbage filled courtyard, but I'm happy to have discovered Franklin Avenue and all
the lovely restaurants. Most importantly, I'm still trying to cope with not having Chavela's corn on the cob once a week. And I'm still kicking myself for having only discovered,a week before leaving, that Abigail Cafe, with their mellow atmosphere and healthy menu is the absolute perfect work spot. I usually went to Glass Shop on Classon which was a great coffee shop but you can only drink coffee so much before you need a real meal.
Finally, we come to ParkSlope.Call me simple, but I am easily influenced by amazing food and like Crown Heights, there are culinary delights to be found. I had my mind expanded and blown away the other day with a breakfast dish from Juventino, two poached eggs over wilted greens (swiss chard perhaps?!), brioche with garlic infused chicken broth poured over the dish - a perfect cold day, fall or winter treat.
And now instead of "hipster cafes" with freelancers on laptops, I'm a block away from Café Martin, acoffee shop with enough French staff to allow me to pretend I've just stepped into Paris. Now, instead of being surrounded by "hipsters," I'm surrounded by parents with their children who have won the clothing battle. Once again, a am faced with an entirely new beginning and a neighborhood full of new discoveries. What's your favorite neighborhood in Brooklyn?
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.
Brooklyn Flea in Williamsburg
I just moved into Prospect Heights yesterday and am kicking myself for not moving to Brooklyn earlier. So much of Brooklyn reminds me of San Francisco with their more laid back attitude, plethora of internet cafes and creative culture that's missing in Manhattan as a whole. I know this is all obvious but you don't realize it fully until you actually spend more time in Brooklyn. I guess I shouldn't kick myself too much because I spent 4 years on St. Mark's in the East Village and had a pretty sweet deal... but ..Yesterday I had a delicious dinner with a friend I met on Twitter - I know - hello 2011! The first bar we hit had outdoor seating AND, I ran into 2 people I went to Skidmore with who weren't together. Random. I'm excited to see the whole crop of people from my past that I'm likely to run into now that I'm in BK.
So a while ago, I posted pictures of the looks and styles of people in San Francisco. A few weeks ago, I hit up the Brooklyn Flea market in Williamsburg. I've never been that big on Flea markets. As much I love history, I often think that Flea markets are selling the stuff that I have around the house that I want to get rid of.. but as far as the BK Flea goes, I can come back every week and stay completely entertained. Aside from antiques and vintage clothing, there are indulgent, exciting food stands like lobster rolls! and novelty items that I wish I thought of, like a necklace carved out of a record! But a picture tells a thousand words right?
