Distorted Dreams

72nd Street, New York City

"All human beings are also dream beings. Dreaming ties all mankind together." Jack Kerouac

While this picture really does look like a distorted dream, I can assure you that it is pretty real. The picture was shot from 72nd Street on Broadway a few days before Hurricane Irene hit. 

Personally I think New York City looks best on cloudy/stormy days. The dark dull clouds make the red stone on several buildings pop more. It's like New York City becomes alive when it's raining. At least that's how I see it. But then again, rain for me is beautiful and mystical at the same time and that's mainly because I am coming from a country that gets almost 340 days of sunshine every year. 

Yes the picture is crooked and I wanted it to be that way. I wanted to portray an inward perspective, like you are being led into the engulfing clouds and ready to be swallowed in the storm. 

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/Lucifer IV

Towards The Light

"We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light."

 

 

Plato

This photo was captured outside a New York apartment building on the Upper West Side and is part of the Hipstamatic photography series of New York, Manhattan.

I still remember the first time I came to New York and looking up towards those buildings I couldn't see any beauty. Actually I thought they were rather ugly. My eyes were accustomed to the pale limestone color that they use for buildings in my country, Malta. 

A few years have gone by since I first set foot in Manhattan, New York and nowadays I can't stop looking at these architectural masterpieces. Whether it's just a red stone, or a black fire-escape ladder I always see something interesting and worth to be collected into my photography archives. 


New York is the city of dreams. Many come here to achieve their dreams, to walk towards the light, the highlight of their life. But I am also sure that New York shatters many dreams too and drags people to a dark pit. But no matter what, we should not be afraid in seeking the light. After-all what's the worst thing that could happen?


So whether you are a model trying to make it happen or maybe a photographer who is trying to build that terrific photography portfolio or maybe an accountant who is trying to make it into the big leagues, New York has something to offer to you. Just don't miss the opportunity because in New York opportunities appear fast, but they vanish even faster.

The settings on the Hipstamatic camera for this photography series were Lucifer VI Lens/BlacKeys Monochrome Film. Some minor adjustments were done in Photoshop CS4.