Update: New York City Five Borough Tour

"Art is what we call... the thing an artist does.

It's not the medium or the oil or the price or whether it hangs on a wall or you  eat it. What matters, what makes it art, is that the person who made it overcame the resistance, ignored the voice of doubt and made something worth making. Something risky. Something human.

Art is in the... eye of the beholder. It's in the soul of the artist." ~ Seth Godin

Good morning; afternoon; and evening friends and fans! Namaste. 👋 I know this blog is mostly about photography and I hope to keep it that way or unless if it's something important, I'm not saying that my previous blogs aren't important. Okay, as I'm here writing this blog listening to some music on Spotify [specifically, Music for Writing playlist for now] and once when I'm done with this, I'll watch some videos on YouTube on photography since it's been a hot minute since I've watched anything pertaining to photography and in recent months I've been watching The Angry Prepper/The Angry Truth; A Call For An Uprising; Prepper Nation; and several others, it's been a while since I've watched the Canadian Prepper or Blackscout Survival. At any rate,  I wanted to write something that isn't a scary bedtime story that we've been hearing so much about in recent months about this nonsense about the Coronavirus; a majority of us know that this is some fucking bullshit to keep families apart and it's nothing but the flu. The more I think about it, the more annoyed and pissed off I get and having my monthly friend isn't helping in any kind of way. I need to take my mind off of the fake COVID-19 and Omicron (B.1.1.529). I'm just annoyed with everything going on but enough on that and just to make this clear, I am not vaccinated regarding my own personal reasons why. I suppose for my own comfort sake, I've seen several people use this 'Cool Protection Stand - 3D Mask Bracket - Face Mask Inner Support Frame - Plastic Brackets - More Space for Comfortable Breathing Protect Lipstick Washable Reusable' and it looks a bit more comfortable than having this mask smothering you and making it impossible to even breath or speak properly in these masks.

Just to let you all know that I am cootie free! I know I sound like I'm in grade school but people will not care if you're COVID-19 free and I'm tired of people asking me if I've gotten the vaccine. Already made up my mind, not getting the vaccine and if my job fires me for refusing the vaccine then I shall quit my current job and go on my photography career instead of scrubbing toilets because I have way too much to offer.

-New York City: Five Borough Tour-

"A photographer is like a cod, which produces a million eggs in order that one may reach maturity." ~ George Bernard Shaw

I had gone on a photography walk in mid October just to help me clear my mind and be in my own reality for several hours before going home. I had gone to Grand Central Terminal to finish up a roll of film that I was already using in Manhattan and the following day, I had gone to Long Island City by the Pepsi Cola sign since it was my first time going to the Pepsi Cola sign. Refer to Pepsi-Cola Sign in Queens Gains Landmark Status on one of several landmarks throughout the Queens area. On my way to the Pepsi Cola sign, there was a film crew shooting a scene for Blue Bloods but didn't stick around long since I didn't know who was in that particular scene since they were shooting a scene at one of those outdoor dining areas. It was still cool as anything and I believe it was either the next day or the following week, I went back to the Pepsi Cola sign, the film crew was there and I got to see Steve Schirripa and (the dude who played Bobby Baccalieri from The Sopranos) and Donnie Wahlberg. I did once some time ago have a dream about Donnie Wahlberg once and I would have approached them for a selfie but I was too shy. I got pictures of them on both phone and on my trusty Minolta X-370. I'd have to either get my Minolta X-370 repaired or invest in another Minolta camera so I can finish my project that I had started originally as a class project in 2013 and passing the class, I want to make this project with no specific deadline. I'll often check with Professor Gordon's Wordpress' for syllabus to see what's good.

"Photographers tend not to photograph what they can't see, which is the very reason one should try to attempt it. Otherwise we're going to go on forever just photographing more faces and more rooms and more places. Photography has to transcend description. It has to go beyond description to bring insight into the subject, or reveal the subject, not as it looks, but how does it feel?" ~ Duane Michals

With my project, I have places  picked out for when I go to Brooklyn between the months of April 1 until September 30. As far as Staten Island is concerned, it will be tricky because I'm unfamiliar with the Staten Island area and I feel like Staten Island will be a challenge since I'm not from there. I hope to find a camera of choice and if in the even that I'm unable to have my Minolta X-370 repaired then I'll consider getting another Minolta camera so the 50mm and zoom lens won't go to waste. I'm considering in having three to four additional film cameras but two of those cameras I will put to use and if in the even that one of the cameras end up being temporarily out of commission then I'd have an extra camera on hand. Two cameras will be for black and white and the other will be for colour. I already have ideas on what I wish to accomplish in the upcoming months and I want to have something that I can be proud of, something that I've created on my own and something that I can show off to people. There's no specific deadline but I want to view this as a personal goal of mine. It's similiar to walking across that stage to accept your college degree at graduation knowing that you've poured every ounce of blood, sweat, and tears into all that work you've put into doing what you have to do. In the end, I'm very much looking forward to seeing the end result of my project and it'll feel like a kid on Christmas morning. Since I have friends who live in Staten Island; the Bronx; Brooklyn; Queens; and a small handful of family who live in Manhattan. I would ask my friends to meet me in each of these boroughs so we can go on photography walks and I'll include them in on my project. I hope to at least work on my project roughly for another eighteen months and towards the end of my project, I'll spend time putting together the book, chapter by chapter. Heck, I'll even add in a preface to my book and I'm very excited about my book. All in all, I hope to speak to my friend, Chris and see if he wants to tag along with me on my photography walks in the upcoming months. I'm going to include at least three links to three of the New York City: Five Borough Tour books for people to have an idea what this project is about.

• New York City: Five Borough Tour - Big City Traces by Nataliya Plusnina
• New York City: Five Borough Tour by: Sirrod Ishhod Crippen
• New York City: Five Borough Tour Through the Eyes of A Warrior by Ricardo Aca

Since winter is around the corner, I hope to have enough funds to get another Minolta camera so I can get back on track of going on my photography walks with my headphones; phone; and portable charger fully charged; with enough film to last me for an entire day. Considering that it's cold outside, I may end up shooting one roll of film but three at most out of five rolls of film.

Blessed be,

Jennifer

Film vs. Digitial [Photography]

"If I didn't have my camera to remind me constantly, I am here to do this, I would eventually have slipped away, I think. I would have forgotten my reason to exist." ~ Annie Leibovitz

Happy New Year and first blog of the year! Good morning; afternoon; and evening friends and fans out in the world taking care of business or sitting down reading this during their spare time. As the year is just beginning and I would like to give my review on [35mm] film and digital photography. I may not own a DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex) camera but a proud camera mom to a lovely Minolta X-370, a 35mm film camera and have a point and shoot camera. Since the spring semester of 2013, I have not used a point and shoot camera since, I've gone with a 35mm film camera and have invested hundreds and thousands of dollars investing in film since then. Yes, shooting film can be cost effective between purchasing film and dropping them off at B&H, well, whenever I use colour film. Since I haven't been in a classroom environment at LaGuardia Community College since the fall semester of 2014; I'd have to be a current student in order to use their darkroom to develop my own black and white film such as Ilford Delta 100; Ilford Delta 400; Ilford Delta 3200; Ilford HP5; Kodak Tri-X and just to name a few [36 exposure]. That's the struggle of using film for street photography or any event. Have no fear, I'll eventually upgrade to a DSLR camera once when I've furthered my educational in Commercial Photography and have enough funds to transition to a DSLR camera.

-Film Photography-

"I fell in love with the darkroom, and that was part of being a photographer of the time. The darkroom was unbelievably sexy. I would spend all night in the darkroom." ~ Annie Leibovitz

Since shooting film from the spring semester of 2013 until present day, I enjoy shooting film despite the financial cost of buying and dropping the film off at B&H. I do intend on buying the fifty pack of the Ilford HP5 and/or Ilford XP2 films from B&H or Adorama when I've paid off my two charge cards and begin paying off my [Nelnet] student loans from when I was attending TCI: College of Technology (from 2007 - 2008 for three semesters) then purchase film. What I like about using film is the contrast and it doesn't lack what digital photography brings to the table. The colours are bright and not looking distorted the way digital photography looks or looking all crazy in megapixels. Either way, film and digital both still produces lovely pictures, however, I fancy film over digital due to contrast and the grain of it. Film brings out the colour more brightly than digital which I like and in favor of at the moment. I love the photography aspect of film but not so much the cost of buying and dropping the film off at B&H for film processing. All in all, I do enjoy the outcome of what I've taken thus far. I do feel like film photography can be the best or the worst teacher if you're on your own, starting out. There's that level of gratification when it comes down to film photography and there's that silent satisfaction of shooting film. There's that joy, satisfaction and that instant gratification when shooting film and being able to view them; to me, it feels like Christmas morning once when I've spent the amount of money on buying and dropping off the film. In the end, it is worth it because you can ultimately learn from film of what to do; what to avoid; and what not to do on your next photography adventure; what to avoid; and what not to do in the future. Again, in the end, it may be worth it (despite the cost) and as much as you're tempted to "delete" a picture which is impossible to do with film photography. At least you can somehow learn from it and it is a learning experience for those who have zero experience of using film photography. I do feel like people rely too much on digital photography because there is that instant gratification involved that film may not have and I do love that gratification of film photography.

-Digital Photography-

"I never have taken a picture I've intended. They're always better or worse." ~ Diane Arbus

Onto digital photography of pros and cons of what I like, enjoy and dislike when it comes down to using digital photography. I personally find digital photography lacks in contrast, that same contrast that you'd find in film photography. In regards of black and white photography, to me it's not the same as using films such as Ilford HP5 or Ilford XP2 and the Kodak brands of black and white films. That same gratification doesn't feel the same but there's that instant gratification whenever you take pictures but so very easy to delete these very photos due to your own dislike for that particular picture. Yes, digital photography is very cost effective but doesn't share the same common feature but then at the same token, it's annoying when you have to empty your memory card then transfer your pictures and/or videos onto CD's/DVD's. If in the distant future, I'll invest in a DSLR camera and use the camera for YouTube and concert purposes while I continue to use my 35mm film camera [Minolta X-370]. I hope to feature a photography challenge in my next blog and will make sure it's posted by the end of the month. The pros of digital photography is its cost effectiveness and instant gratification but the con is that you don't feel like a kid on Christmas morning opening gifts and your parents seeing your facial expression. Digital photography has its own self/instant gratification. In the end if you ask me which I have more an appreciation for in regards of digital photography or film, I would say I now have more of an appreciation for film than I do for digital but both are equally similar in their own way and both offer the same outcome regarding photography.

Warm blessings,

Jennifer