Bodega, Nor'easter & How-sten Street

Bodega. Nor'easter. Houston Street (pronounced How-sten). I'm not in Kansas anymore. Or rather, Fort Worth, where we actually moved from. Nope. Definitely landed on a new planet. From Cowtown to the Big Apple. I've had to learn a few new things.

I have visited Houston (pronounced Hew-sten), Texas, as a child and as an adult. It is the largest metropolitan area in Texas. I attended Sam Houston High School. You can hunt in the Sam Houston National Forest in south east Texas. It's fair to say that the pronunciation of Houston is burned into my vernacular. In NYC, when I first heard the subway conductor say, "How-sten Street" while riding the Number 1 train, I was perplexed. It is spelled the same way, but pronounced so differently. Where was I? I have tried to pronounce it the NYC way, but I feel ridiculous. Not sure I'll be able to adopt that. 

In Texas, if you need to go to the corner store, you call it that. "I'm going to the corner store." It's a store. On the corner. Simple. In NYC, it's called "bodega." Spanish for grocery store and specialty wine store. When I first heard of bodega, it was a radio news clip mentioning where someone went for help after a mugging, so I thought it was a counseling center or something. But then a friend mentioned stopping at the bodega to buy a newspaper. And then it became clear. Glad to get that straightened out. 

The weather here has fluctuated between perfectly calm and sunny to terribly disastrous and miserable. And I've been told that is not normal. After the first week of moving here, there was a tornado along Long Island Sound and Connecticut. I thought it was normal, being a Texan. We replaced the roof on our house this year because of hail damage from a normal, typical Texas tornado. And then Hurricane Sandy hit the North East coast October 29th. That was terrible. And then a week later a nor'easter hit the area. Hurricane I get, but a wha? Nor. Easter. Had to look that up on the weather websites. It's when forces of varying pressure slam into each other at the same time above the North East. Cold Arctic air from the Atlantic mixed with warmer Gulf air from the south mixed with air from the Ohio Valley area. Crazy wind, crazy precipitation. Six inches of snow fell in a few hours. 

So now I know that when you live in New York City you go to the bodega and stock up before a nor'easter. Very useful info. But please don't give me directions to "How-sten" St. You will see this sweet, southern gal cringe with distaste, cover her ears and walk away humming the tune of Texas, Our Texas. 

Around City Hall & Brooklyn Bridge

Brooklyn Bridge

Do these work?

Welcome to the Brooklyn Bridge - I think they could add a few more signs just to be clear

A footpath after you cross under bridge and head toward City Hall

Artwork in front of police station behind City Hall

South Street Seaport After Sandy

Went down to check out South Street Seaport after Sandy and there wasn't much going on. People were milling about, mainly crossing through from a ferry to get to their destination since all the buildings were without power and boarded up. It was still majestic to see the ships, the cobblestones and old architecture.

Simpson Street, Bronx, NY - 2/5 Trains

This station has a great view of the tracks so I went to check it out. This is what I saw on a late afternoon in November...

Afternoon light makes tracks look vibrant

View from above, loved the light

View from above

the platform

Sidewalk car ride

Stained glass window on station platform 

Staten Island Ferry

I took the Staten Island Ferry for the first time 12 years ago, as a tourist, to see the Statute of Liberty a little closer. Two days ago, I took the Staten Island Ferry for the second time, as a resident of NYC. I saw Miss Liberty, lots of tourists looking at Miss Liberty, and a beautiful sunset.

Forget the seats, the place to see the view is from the back of the boat, like this.

Loved the light reflecting on these doors.

People pressed up against the glass to catch a glimpse of the Statute of Liberty.

Everyone is looking at the view and this seagull is looking at everyone looking. 

If yellow is your favorite color, this is for you!

L

This is what everyone was seeing off the back of the boat - the beautiful setting sun! 

Days During Hurricane Sandy

Thursday, October 25, 2012: I was walking down 34th Street with my friend Marty, headed to Penn Station. We had enjoyed the afternoon at Photo District News' Photo Plus Expo at the Javits Center. My mother-in-law called me to tell me she heard about a storm that was predicted to hit the NE coast over the weekend.

Friday, October 26, 2012: Michael and I attended Photo Plus Expo together and I bought rain boots to have during the potential flooding in the upcoming week.

Saturday, October 27, 2012: I tuned into the news and heard the subways could be shut down Sunday evening at 7:00pm. I went to Target and everyone was buying water and toilet paper. I went to a grocery store and all the grocery carts were gone except one. That's when I felt that slight desperate feeling that things could get bad. I bought some bread, water, lunchmeat, fruit, candy for Halloween and a few other items. I knew we had batteries and candles if we lost power.

Sunday, October 28, 2012: I stayed home all day. All the news stations were reporting that Hurricane Sandy was decreasing in pressure and could be huge. I learned about the three zones and that we were in zone C. Michael and I helped our landlord trim trees and clear out brush and leaves. The wind was getting stronger throughout the day. I learned that the subways would officially be shutting down and I probably wasn't going to work the next morning. 

Monday, October 29, 2012: I stayed home all day. Spoke to family members and assured them we were safe. Learned that the storm was moving really slow and wasn't getting weaker. Michael and I discussed plans of action and what to do if we were flooded. The wind was terribly strong. It was uncomfortable standing outside. The bursts of wind and mist stung my face. We lost power around 6:30pm. Out came the candles and radio. We heard a loud crash at 8:00pm. The neighbor's tree had fallen onto their home, crushing the roof and back porch, and ripping up the chain link fence the roots had grown into. The wind was powerful, I think 70mph, but I am not sure. Our neighbor gave us an extra candle and we gave them our spare radio. We stayed up late listening to reports on the radio and watching the sky glow with bright flashes - transformers blowing up.

Morning after the storm. Our neighbor's tree fell on their house

Tuesday, October 30, 2012: I stayed home all day. The wind was calm. Michael and I walked around the neighborhood to see the damage and saw trees and power lines down. Neighbors were sweeping the streets and cutting fallen trees. We walked the dogs. We listened to reports on the radio. My heart sank hearing about New Jersey and everything else. It was hard not being able to actually see anything, only listen to reports. I heard power may not be restored for 7-10 days. I knew the food in our fridge would spoil without ice. And we didn't have enough supplies for 7-10 days! We decided to eat all of our perishables in the next few meals.

One of the many trees in our neighborhood that had to be lifted off electric lines and cleared for traffic

Wednesday, October 31, 2012: We walked the dogs and assessed a safe route to drive out of the neighborhood to buy more supplies. No traffic lights were working and 50% of the drivers were still driving like New Yorkers--speeding and thinking they're the only ones on the road. We found an area that had power and bought gas to have a full tank. We went to five or six places to buy ice and no one had any. Finally we found a shop that was going to get a shipment in an hour. We came back and bought the last two bags. They looked like they had been split from one bag. We paid $2.99 for each. We bought canned meat, ramen noodles and extra batteries. Good thing I am an experienced camper!

Charging phones in lower Manhattan

Thursday, November 1, 2012: We made steak for breakfast. It was going to go bad. We walked 1.5 miles to the nearest train that was running. We met up with a friend and explored lower Manhattan. It was a ghost town, empty streets, closed up shops. A few places had generators and people were powering up their phones and electronics. We walked for hours. We went to Battery Park and could see where the water came up and pushed the plants over. The water was calm. The bus we took to Grand Central became packed at the second stop. People were frustrated. It was not comfortable. At Grand Central, all the lights were on, and people were charging their electronics. I met a 24-yr-old woman who lost her home in Brooklyn. She showed me pictures. She was wearing her friends clothes because all hers were damaged. Her eyes welled up telling me her story. Mine did too. Michael and I took the subway home. Half of the 1.5 mile walk home from the station was in complete darkness. It was erie. We made it home safe.

Friday, November 2, 2012: The melting ice in the freezer and refrigerator started leaking out. I threw it out and dumped all the food. I knew the milk would be sour, but I smelled it anyway. Yep, it was bad. Came to a cafe to get online and connect with the world. Finally seeing photos and videos of the destruction of Hurricane Sandy. Very grateful that I only lost power and a week's worth of work. The last week has been nothing like I thought it would be, but I'm glad it's over. Next week will be better. 

Pop up vendor selling flashlights but not all of them came with batteries

Building on 14th St Manhattan, facade ripped from structure by strong winds

Battery Park playground

Many buildings lost power and generators had to be set up and connected. Workers and tenants discuss details.  

Art Review - Faking It at the Metropolitan Museum

Art Review - Faking It at the Metropolitan Museum

I was really looking forward to this exhibit. Whenever I see photography, I always have a tendency to closely inspect the image for signs of retouching. I usually can spot a line not matching up or pixel distortion from the use of too much patch tool. Or some other strange pixel artification. But sometimes, everything is perfectly seamless and I am so impressed. Not because I want to catch errors, but because retouching and tweaking photos is an absolute necessity and it is required in everyone’s work whether it’s analogue, digital or video. So, to see a compelling image that is perfectly retouched and flawless, that, to me, is the height of enjoyability.

As much as I enjoy the functionality of retouching/manipulation/doctoring, whatever you want to call it, I equally am intrigued by the creativity that spawns from modern technologies and photo software. Sometimes my intrigue stops short when I don’t particularly like the result of that creativity. For instance, it’s taken me years to get used to HDR effects. I’m just not a huge fan. And I’m seeing HDR in every movie poster, every liquor advertisement, even food photography. Gasp! But sometimes, with other effects and tools, I wonder simply, hey, why didn’t I think of that, that’s pretty damn cool.

Anyway. I was looking forward to this exhibit so much that I went back the next day because I wanted to see it all over again. That’s how nerdy I can be about retouching and photography. I think the Met Museum knew I was moving to New York City this fall and planned this exhibit as my homecoming. Thank you Met! How thoughtful of you. To show my appreciation, I nudged the sleepy, amateur writer in me and jotted down some observations about a few pieces that stood out to me. Oh, and I’ll be back in over the next few months to see it all again and again. To my photo friends, when you visit NYC over the holidays, plan a day to see this exhibit.

The current photography exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Faking It: Manipulated Photography Before Photoshop, unravels and exposes the history and mystery of the manipulated photograph. From daguerreotypes to digital prints, viewers see how photographers alter their art. Modern photography easily has a reputation for being doctored, but as the exhibit analyzes, primitive photography involved manipulation in many different forms. Post photography manipulation has always been and always will be a sub context of the camera obscura. 

The opening photographs in the exhibit show photography in its infancy and the challenges pioneer photographers faced simply by the equipment available at the time. Carleton E. Watkins’ Cape Horn, Columbia River, 1867 is displayed as two prints side by side. One photograph shows a serene landscape with cliffs, a river and a white sky, commonly referred to as “blown out” meaning there is no detail in the area of the print. The second photograph is the final print, with a toned sky and fluffy clouds. At the time, the technology wasn’t invented yet for the photographer to record the light bouncing off the dark landscape as well as record the bright light of the sky. Watkins created the final seamless image by combining two negatives - one exposed for the landscape and one exposed for the sky. To create what he saw in reality, out of necessity and with precise craftsmanship, he manipulated the image.

Other works in the exhibit show intentional bias by the photographer by using multiple prints of individual objects or people. Or in the case of Union Army Officer, 1861-1865, painting in new details. The final image with all the objects and people are placed together, creating a new scene or narrative. The original photograph Union Army Officer, 1861-1865, by an unknown photographer, consists of a uniformed soldier standing on a decorative rug with his hand and hat resting on a table covered in a lace tablecloth in a non-descript studio. The final image is the same soldier in the same pose, but is hand-painted with bright hues and realistic skin tones. But the photographer didn’t stop there. The officer is revealed in a new setting – a pristine countryside, complete with an encampment of tents and soldiers in the distance. His new surroundings are romanticized and idyllic and cast an entirely new response to his stature. This work stands out because the original print is adhered to the altered print, allowing the viewer to see both before and after. Rather than belonging to a family member as a personal memento, the dual structure of the piece seems fitting as an example for retail purposes, perhaps to advertise painting and hand tinting skills at the studio.

Similar photographs were used as socioeconomic tools and political propaganda to express crafted ideologies to sway the masses. Henrich Hoffman, Hitler’s personal photographer, photographed Hitler with filmmaker Lani Riefenstall at her home with a group of people; including Hitler’s propaganda minister, who is standing next to Riefenstall in the original capture. In the final photograph released to the media, Riefenstall is standing next to shrubbery; the propaganda minister is entirely removed from the image, making his presence invisible to the viewer. While the reason is unknown, the transformation was successful by doctoring the published photograph. 

Other images on display are magazine covers and iconic advertising. Ralph Bartholomew Jr.’s Advertisement for Texaco Inc., 1957, shows a classic car at a filling station and an attendant zipping around the car completing multiple jobs. The attendant is duplicated eight times and has a ghosting effect, while the car is perfectly in focus, shining in tip-top shape. The manipulation is intentionally apparent and recognizable to the viewer. While some images try to disguise the doctoring, in Advertisement for Texaco Inc., 1957, Bartholomew exploits the opportunity to alter the medium to please his paying client.

The exhibit is devoted to early photography and pre-digital imagery, to the mid 1990s, filling an expansive seven rooms, divided in the large, dimly lit gallery. A walk across the hall will take you to a secondary exhibit running concurrently, called After Photoshop: Manipulated Photography in the Digital Age. The viewer will feel the distinct leap that photography as a medium has experienced in the last 30 years. Featuring 25 works from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, the digital era artwork explores artists using modern technology to manipulate photography. 

Interestingly, my sister-in-law's portraits are in this exhibit. I could write another blog post about that fun fact, but the short of it is, my sister-in-law, Kiba, is the subject of photographer Kelli Connell's photo project Double Life, and two of her prints are displayed: The Valley and Carnival. 

Anderson Low’s Untitled (Kit the Swordsman) 2009, embodies a graphic, comic book feel, perhaps by using different filters in photo manipulation software. It appears to have been influenced by video game effects, with solid, bold colors and chunky outlines around objects. There is nothing subtle about it. It demands attention as you enter into the gallery.

Tom Friedman’s Untitled, 1998, at first glance appears to be nothing more than a line drawing. Upon closer inspection, the artist created a portrait and stretched the pixels from one edge of the print to the other, forming a series of colored, horizontal lines.

In Matthew Jenson’s The 49 States, 2008-9, Jenson used Google Earth to find the glaring sun in 49 states in America and group them all together. The aesthetic cohesion is the bright sun as well as the size and shape of the prints. The internet is used a sub context to the medium. Jenson incorporated photography by utilizing the accessibility of Google Earth. Without even touching a camera, Jenson created a group of images that is hanging in a photography exhibit in the Met.

The exhibit is up October 11, 2012­ through January 27, 2013 in the Galleries for Drawings, Prints, and Photographs and The Howard Gilman Gallery. The show is sponsored by Adobe Systems Incorporated.

http://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-museum/press-room/exhibitions/2012/faking-it