The Way of the Light

The Cloisters, New York City

"There are two kinds of light - the glow that illumines, and the glare that obscures. " James Thurber

It has been some time since I went to The Cloisters now but I can still remember it vividly as if I went yesterday. Now that doesn't happen often to me. The place has to be truly exceptional for me to remember something in such detail.

This room we see in the photography was superb, not only in matters of decoration but also the texture of the stone and the way the light was hitting everything. The room was somewhat dark but a lot of light was entering through the two windows in the photograph. It was creating dramatic shadows and contrasts. 

There was something else that caught my eye, or rather my ear but unfortunately you can't see it in the photograph. The acoustics were exceptional. Even if you whisper you could be heard.

The Cloisters is a place that a lot of tourists miss when visiting New York City and I want to be honest if I wasn't with a local I would have never found it. It's fascinating that even though it's in New York City once you get there you'd feel like you are in some enchanted forest.

This black and white photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Lucifer IV

Window To Eternity

The Cloisters, New York City

"A photograph can be an instant of life captured for eternity that will never cease looking back at you." Brigitte Bardot

Lets be honest right away. I have been avoiding going to this place because for some reason the name didn't sound very appealing to me and I could not imagine how New York City could be the home of something medieval that is genuine. After honesty comes truth. I was wrong, very wrong.

The walk towards The Cloisters was immediately haunting. It was extremely quiet and I got in character very fast. At one point I could hear myself breathing and as most of you know that rarely happens in New York City. 

By the time I arrived at The Cloisters I totally forgot that I was in New York City and when I remembered I found it difficult to believe it. This place is magnificent. I would go there again without hesitation. The rooms are beautiful and as I said very genuine, so genuine that if you concentrate hard enough you can imagine monks walking around in their loose brown robes chanting Gregorian. 

This particular window caught my eye right away. The way the light was hitting it was beautiful and the sun was so bright that if you looked outside you would see nothing except that burst of light you are seeing in the picture. That same light hitting in the chandelier in the middle of the room reflected a nice light on the walls and revealed their texture and colors. 

This photograph was captured on my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app. Some minor editing was done in PS CS4. Settings for Hipstamatic were BlacKeys B&W/Libatique 73 Lens.