Tag: Brooklyn

The Case for Color

Brooklyn Bridge Park, New York
Brooklyn Bridge Park, New York
20140927-_DSC3599
To crop or not to crop?

After visiting Photoville I’ve been overcome by the feeling that my standard B&W view of photography is hopelessly outdated: I’m creating works that simply betray my age. The web world is colorful, bright, spontaneous (and superficially ephemeral). So here are 2 very different takes on the exact same shot: one black and white, one color; one almost the entire original frame, the other severely cropped. The cropped version focuses more on the face of the boy with his arms dramatically outstretched. the B&W version shows the distance between the black boy and the 2 Asian friends and shrinks the people relative to the gargantuan New York harbor and skyline, the Brooklyn bridge looming behind them. Which do you prefer (open the blog post to answer a poll)?

Featuring Louis Mendes

Photoville, Pier 5, Brooklyn, New York
Photoville, Pier 5, Brooklyn, New York

Louis Mendes, in the background, is a well known street photographer who can often be found on the corner of 34th St and Ninth Avenue (near B&H) with his Speed Graphic and polaroid back. You can take his picture in return for his taking yours (for $20, as I learned to my cost).