People's Climate March in NYC

This past weekend I went to the People's Climate March in NYC. There was over a quarter million people in attendance at the march and it was a great celebration as well as a call to action on climate justice. I spent much of the day taking photographs while also being a participant in the march.

I greatly enjoyed taking these photographs and am also fairly pleased with how they came out. I took these photos with a Canon Rebel Xti and 28-55mm lens which I borrowed from the photo department.

In this photograph I was trying to capture the number of people in the length of the march. I liked the variety in different kinds of people and different things going on. I liked how the "One way" sign points in the direction that the marchers are going suggesting that there is only one option to tackle climate change. The woman on the left side of the photograph was a challenge for me. I first attempted to crop her out of the photograph but there was no easy way to do it without crowding the street signs or cropping out the photographer man next to her. In the end I decided to leave her as a part of the photo because I felt she added to the different people, actions and moods of everyone in the photograph. I spent quite some time burning, dodging and desaturating certain parts of the image to emphasize and highlight particular parts.

 I liked this photograph because of the red, white and blue elements. During the march I was considering the idea of democracy and patriotism. For example isn't it patriotic to take part in democracy through peaceful demonstrations. I think that was why this woman really stuck out in the crowd for me because of her red and white striped shirt and blue and white sign. I also like the man in the foreground wearing his People's Climate March Peacekeeper's shirt although I wished I had snapped the photo just a moment earlier so that he would have been a bit further to the right.

 While looking through my photos I first didn't think much of this particular one but in the end decided to put a bit of time into it. I like the times when people's voices are heard and people join their voices together in chants. I was a bit rushed when editing this photo and didn't spend a lot of time with it but I think it captures a moment in the march.

The People of Cambridge

I took these photos with a Canon Powershot G12 that I borrowed from the Clark Univ. photo department. The photos were taken on a walk from MIT to Harvard Square on Mass Ave. in Cambridge. I struggled with the camera a bit because it does not work 100%. The photos came out simultaneously a bit blurry and noisy as well. I did what I could with what I had in photoshop to create these images.

 I felt this photo had something to say about couples. The man with the bike and woman in purple out together and the woman with the flowers checking her phone suggest something about the relationships between people.

 This woman is often around Harvard Square. This photo was originally under-exposed so I tried to lighten it and especially brighten the shadows of her sweathershirt, milk crate and cart wheel. The end result was very flat looking and the photo is not very clear but I captured some of the essence of this woman. She is the only one of my subjects who was looking at the camera.

 This man snuck up on me, or rather I snuck up on him as I came around the corner and saw him there. I shot the photo from waist level without him noticing as I passed by. In post-processing I eliminated some distracting elements on the ground. Unfortunately, the photo is not the best quality.

 I like this image of the men talking on the street. It is probably the clearest one I shot that day.

I liked the idea of this photo. With the seemingly homeless many preparing for the rain with another man walking by without seeing him. I think it is related to the invisibility of homeless people in big cities. It is also rather flat and a bit unclear.




Overall, I enjoyed taking these photos but was not so pleased with how they came out. I am usually too shy to take photos on the street but by taking photos inconspicuously I was able to branch out into my first street photography. I also spend a lot of time walking from place to place so it is a good opportunity for me to take photographs at the same time. I'm hoping to dabble in this a bit more over the course of the semester.

Beginning of the beginning

I am just delving into the beautiful world of photography. I have taken one film photography class at Clark University and am now moving into the basics of digital photography. I hope to share the images I make on this blog and get feedback and constructive criticism so that I may improve and learn. A life of photography is a journey and I am just beginning.