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Here are some of my favorite recent shots taken in NYC.

NYC Update

Ok, wow... A lot of time has passed since I've last updated this blog. The over abundance of schoolwork, hectic commutes around the city, and my general lack of sleep haven't made it easy to work on anything extracurricular. Despite being pretty overwhelmed with school (what I'm calling NYC shell shock), I've managed to accumulate tons of material to share on my Flickr. Lately my Canonet rangefinder has been my best companion and I'm becoming an expert at finagling little photo sessions into my days. This post is comprised of small details in recent graduate school life.

First I'm going to talk a little bit about my desk at school. I mainly use it for storage, but the drawer is jammed full of my biggest vice, fresh Fuji film (in multiple formats)!




Its so beautiful! I think it looks like I'm getting a photo MFA rather than a design one. Photos are part of the design process right?!




Here's a cellphone "creature" that I built for my Design Experiments class. Its a commentary piece about what happens when we change the context of something by creating accessories for it. In this instance, what happens when the cellphone becomes an autonomous, walking entity? I outfitted the iPhone case with a switch, so when you drop the phone in, it activates a motor and zips away. Its a basic prototype and would like to have the cellphone control all of the functions of the creature in the future.




Played scratch offs for the first time here in NYC! It was really fun, but probably not a sustainable investment.




Ok, so this picture isn't that recent (there are leaves on the tree still), but I walk this way to the 6 Train almost every morning. I love the way the light is cast on the street as it slices through the openings of the buildings. Also, do people still drink 7up?




This shot is one of my favorites that I've taken here. The focus and distribution of the leaves gives the composition a dynamic and fleeting feel.




People throw out the strangest stuff in the Flatiron District near our studio.




I've been running around 3-4 times per week and there used to be a lot of purple glitter on the path.




Also snapped this while running. Living amongst such massive structures makes you feel very small. You also have to look up a lot.




This elementary school and playground is just down the street from our studio.




When you exit the subway from here...




This is what you will see.




Went on a nice walk in Prospect Heights with my buddy Liam last month. This is one of the last images that I shot with Minni, my beloved, but now broken Minolta Hi-Matic E.




I love this part of Brooklyn. Its spread out and the park/botanical gardens are close by.




Also been eating at my fair share of diners. This one is in Court Sq. Queens near MoMA PS1. My friend Zena and I stopped in here after checking out the Cyprien Gaillard show (which had Desniansky Raion, a beautiful piece that was at the Carnegie a couple years ago). Zena and I kept asking the waiter which pie was his favorite, and every time he responded by saying "Fresh." We finally got the answer we were looking for and chowed down on a slice of Oreo-vanilla.

Music Box Portrait

As you might know, I’m obsessed with analog photography (thats why a few of my projects at SVA have been focused around cameras). This design is a 3D printed camera housing that plays music and eventually takes a picture when the user turns the crank. Lately, my designs have been more about kinetics and less about the form of the object. I left the gears exposed so that they become part of the visual experience.
There's something about waiting for the pencil to strike the shutter that alleviates the awkward tension of getting your picture taken. No more pouting model faces! The Music Box Portrait is about catching candid, genuine emotion.
This particular iteration, “Version 2.0 ” is comprised of 3D printed ABS, laser cut acrylic, metal bolts, washers, lock nuts, and a music box that I purchased online. I've outfitted the design to work with a disposable camera.





This video shows the Music Box Portrait in action.




Here are some of the portraits.

De/Re: My Life

This is the design of my life



I just finished the most inspiring design studio at SVA called Deconstruction/Reconstruction. The project was to create a model of my life, which was refreshing after weeks of design research and systems analysis! Above is a little teaser image to show a detail from my finished object. Below are 4 images that depict the construction of my sketch model, a marble racetrack.



1



2



3



4



Deconstruction/Reconstruction is the design process that our professor, Ayse Birsel, uses in her daily practice. The first step to redesigning a life is to find a metaphor that describes it, "My life is like taking a ride on the subway for the first time. The anxiety of not knowing whether I am on the right side of the platform keeps me alert. Though I am not necessarily in control of the train, I can decide where to get on and where to get off. In the back of my mind, I know that I will eventually get to my destination."

The marble race track is much like the train. Though the parts can be constructed in different forms, the framework is always the same. I chose to redesign this toy because I had a strong connection with it as a toddler. Below are some preliminary sketches for the redesign of the marble track.




Initially I was considering making a table that would flip up into an arcade-style pachinko board. Though it might've been a cool piece to have around the house, it didn't seem to fit the metaphor.







Tubes and tension! I like some of these, maybe I'll make them in the future.



This is the sketch I decided to work from - it looks like chicken scratch! I guess there was a moment of clarity where I pictured the final model and thought, "Oh hell, I don't need to do a nice sketch!" So this blobby, bird-like form became my life. Its actually the perimeter of one of my favorite places, the F1 circuit in Montreal where I saw my first Grand Prix.



In true architect style, I designed these 2D piece schedules in AutoCAD. The body of the marble track is made of laser cut acrylic.



I used Rhino to design the moving wheel and 3D printed it from ABS in a Dimension machine!



Lots of assembly required. If I were to do it again, I would try to make it with parts that could screw together rather than be glued. Acrylic glue is a little pungent and is known to contain chemicals that cause cancer in the state of California.



Glamour shot #1



#2



And #3 with hand-model

Color Fields

Here are few of my favorite 35mm frames. They're from an expired disposable camera that was found sitting in a drawer. I believe that the camera came with me on a family vacation sometime around 2005. Anyway, I love the way the emulsion spreads like fog, creating these expressive compositions.

New York City Part 1

This past August I started a graduate design program at the School of Visual Arts in New York. Its important to note that I found out I was coming here only a week before school started! Imagine, leaving my job, taking things out of storage, figuring out finances and moving in less than seven days. This whole journey has been insane, stressful, in some ways heartbreaking and in most ways absolutely incredible. Only since last week has it sunk in that I'm actually living in New York - so cool! I'd also like to say that my grandparents are amazing for letting me crash with them until I find an apartment. Its really special to spend so much quality time with them!

In sadder news, because of this devastating storm, I actually have time to work on my blog. School will be closed for at least a week while we wait for the power and subways to be restored. My heart goes out to all of the homes and businesses that incurred damage. If any friends need a place to shower, let me know!!


I shot this photo out in front of SVA on the first day of orientation. I don't actually remember taking the picture, but that must have been the last time I was capable of waking up early enough to see the light cast in that direction. This image is actually showing the building across the street from where the design studio is.

I had two rolls of film developed with just prints and no scans on a cd. This proved to be a bad move... I was told that our scanners in the studio had film attachments. NOT the case. This was the only print that scanned well enough to post, and the world will never see the rest of those shots!!!



I took these pictures back in the summer, but they show the amazing views from my grandparent's apartment. We have a beautiful view of the Chrysler Building at night!


There are some amazing camera shops down in Flatiron/Chelsea (the neighborhoods where SVA is) that do all kinds of film processing. I picked up some slide film and hit the streets. This is the East River looking South toward the Queensboro Bridge.


I trundled on up to Harlem, but didn't happen to take any more pictures. When I got home though, I was able to snap a pic of this lovely sunset!



I took these shots down in the 60's while waiting for a bus. The crane in the second photo is the one that broke and flipped over during the storm.


This is from the walk to school. Love the clouds and the reflections from the windows on the building to the left.


Entering the subway while transferring from the 6 train on my way to Queens. I spend lots of time down 'er on the 6 train (soon I'll be switching to the A train if I move to Brooklyn???). I love the cute little rats who scurry along the tracks.


Back in Manhattan, I got some shots of buildings in nice light! Sorry that this post is jumping around like crazy. Shows you how much I'm moving around the city while shooting a roll of film.


This is it for this installment. I have more slides to show from Brooklyn, and two more rolls that I'm going to get developed tomorrow!