Analog Perspectives: The Art of Black and White

Every city block, every building, and every street corner has a story to tell through its structure. For me, photography is about uncovering those stories and distilling them into images that speak to viewers. My film photography embraces both high key and low key aesthetics, depending on the mood I wish to convey. High key photography emphasizes bright, clean tones with minimal shadows, often giving a sense of openness and positivity. Low key photography leans into darker tones, shadows, and contrast, creating a moodier, more mysterious feel.

Walking through the streets, I’m constantly scanning for lines, curves, and angles that form the architecture around me. Film, with its grainy texture and rich contrast, offers a timeless quality that digital often struggles to replicate. When shooting city streets, it’s about capturing not just a moment, but the essence of a space—whether it's a towering skyscraper or a quiet alleyway. Film forces you to slow down, and be intentional with every frame. I embrace the shadows, allowing them to add depth and mystery. In both cases, contrast plays a key role. Whether it's an abandoned building with stark shadows or a vibrant street scene highlighted by the play of sunlight, contrast creates emotional resonance. Film enhances this by providing a tactile, analog depth to the image that digital cannot easily replicate.

I invite you to experience the city through my eyes—where each frame tells a story of geometry, emotion, and the beauty found in both the light and the dark.

Unprecedented Indictment Forces NYC into Lockdown

On April 4, 2023, former president Donald Trump made his way through NYC in order to surrender to authorities following a historic indictment.

Yes, the United States is currently experiencing politically polarizing times. The country is divided on a number of issues, including but not limited to social, economic, and cultural issues. This polarization is reflected in the political landscape, with political parties and their supporters holding deeply divergent views on a range of topics. This has led to a highly charged political environment where compromise and cooperation are often difficult to achieve, and where partisan gridlock has become a common feature of the political landscape. Whether one views Trump as a charismatic and effective leader or as a divisive and controversial figure, it is undeniable that he has had a significant impact on American politics and culture in recent years and continues to be a subject of intense interest and debate.

A bird's eye view

NYC is a city known for its impressive skyline, with towering skyscrapers that seem to touch the clouds. The city is often photographed from the ground usually downtown somewhere and in color. I opted to change things up and shoot uptown instead of downtown, monochrome rather than color, and a bird’s eye view vs ground eye level.

I was at the mercy of my surroundings and found myself a bit overwhelmed at first since there is so much to look at from here, hence I thought it would be a good idea to include an architectural element that can help the audience process this frame gradually from the right. Perception can be influenced by many factors, such as culture, personal preference, and even language I feel. In truth I wanted this picture to focus on everything all at once, but I understood I needed to be careful so that the audience can appreciate the intricacies of the picture without being startled.

My overall advice is to consider the audience, it helps ensure the picture remains relevant hence increasing engagement and more time appreciating your picture. After all that is all a photographer wants right?