This final blog post is a combination of our last two days at the workshop at the George Eastman Museum. On Thursday, we explored silver gelatin prints and film photography. My favorite thing that I learned from this session was about cyanotypes, a way of creating photographs without a camera. A surface such as paper or cloth is coated in a a special mixture, and then exposing the surface to UV light with either a transparent negative of a photo or stencils will prevent the chemical from changing colors. Afterwards, all you have to do is wash your print and you're good to go! The photograph is a very dark prussian blue, and I can't wait to experiment with this further! We also got to see a camera with two golden sea dragons on them, which is thought to be one of the earlier versions of the "little birdie" to help children look at the camera. Friday was our last day, and we ended it with a bang. Steven Sasson, the inventor of the digital camera was one of our guest lecturers of the day, and it was so amazing to get to hear him talk about photography and the tech industry. His patent for the digital camera was existent since the 1970s, and it was Kodak who decided to keep it a secret because they knew the digital camera would be the death of their company since they relied so heavily on film and paper sales. One of his quotes that's lingered with me is that technology is never in its final stage. The newest model of anything is always just going to be a prototype and example of a newer technology that we can't even conceptualize yet. This trip has been such an experience and I really got down and dirty with photography in ways that I've never been able to before. Thank you so much to everyone who's helped us on the trip, as well as anybody who has read this blog. 💜
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This morning was the earliest we gotten up for the whole trip, as we piled into the van at 8:30AM. From 9-5, Wed-Fri, we will be attending an Evolution of Photography at the George Eastman Museum. For those unfamiliar with George Eastman, he is the founder and creator of Kodak cameras and really made cameras accessible and affordable for the public. Today, our workshop focused on the early stages of photography and went in depth about daguerreotypes and other photographic methods around that time. Our workshop is a mix of lectures, and then delving into the archive rooms to see the technology behind the cameras and the prints that came from them. It's crazy to think about everything they had to do back then to create photographs. Everybody at the museum is super nice and great at handling my in depth questions. My favorite thing that we say today was Megalethascope, which was a slightly bent photograph on wood, and in direct light would look like an empty street photograph in the day, but when viewed with the lights off and a light source coming from the underside, would suddenly reveal crowds of people, colors, and lights poking through little holes to illuminate street lamps and stars. After our workshop, I walked around the residential areas of Rochester since the weather was so nice and took pictures of all the cute Victorian houses. As it got darker, I decided to get a start on writing the last paper I will ever have to write, and then call it night.
Today was a sad day as we packed up everything from our apartment and stuffed ourselves back into the transit van for a 6 hour drive to Rochester. It was hard to see New York City in the rearview mirror, but all good things must come to an end. I fell asleep most of the way upstate, which was a blessing because otherwise I would have gotten very restless. Eventually we arrive in Rochester and check into our hotel for the few days we will staying. For dinner, we go to an Italian restaurant called Napa Wood Fired Pizzeria, and I order some delicious homemade gnocchi. For the rest of our time, we will be going through a workshop at the George Eastman Museum, so we head off to bed for our early rise tomorrow.
This was our last full day in New York, so when we weren't packing and trying to get some of our class work done, we were rushing around trying to get the last of the sights in. Jordan and I walked around Central Park to take in the beautiful weather. If I lived in NYC, I would spend every moment I could there because it was so peaceful and calm, which is surprising since its surrounded by the more bustling parts of the city. We casually strolled through the lower half of the park for a few hours and got to see sections of the zoo, many musicians whose music would ring through the undersides of bridges, softball games, couples sprawled out on the grass, artists painting and sketching atop of rocks, old people feeding the birds, a few castles, the John Lennon memorial, and so much more. My favorite part was reading the plaques on the memorial benches because you really got to take a peak into a person's life and read about their family, life, or philosophies. For dinner, I finally grabbed some New York style pizza at Vinny's Pizzeria. Then later, Jordan and I went to Grand Central Station to view the restored ceiling. So many people sprinting through the corridors to try and make it to their next train, made me appreciate only being here for pleasure. We then stopped at Times Square one last time for last minute souvenirs and gifts and are now finishing up our packing and laundry for tomorrow's departure.
Today we had a free day so Jordan and I grabbed brunch at Burgerfi, a burger joint that locally sourced all of its ingredients. One of the places I've been aching to go to was Nintendo NYC, the only Nintendo store in all of America. So we head over to Rockefeller Plaza and enter its golden doors. There was so much Animal Crossing stuff, truly heaven. Upstairs there was a small "museum" of all the Nintendo systems and some extra ones too, like an original gameboy that's been through the Gulf War. You could also jump on some consoles they had out to play the new release of Mario Kart. I brought along my 3DS for the streetpasses, but surprisingly received a free game demo via spotpass! As we ended our trip, I stuffed as many plushies as I could into my arms and checked out. We stopped in the plaza and got to see the new Jeff Koons sculpture Seated Ballerina which was an ENORMOUS inflated balloon. We head next to the Museum of Sex, which was wild and glorious. Immediately when walking in, you have to walk through a bunch of dildos and vibrators. The security guard at the door said his favorite thing about his job was seeing people's faces when they enter. At the base of the museum, there's a disco bar with all gender bathrooms that included handles on the walls for grabbing *wink*. They had a special on boob jell-o shots, so we really couldn't turn that opportunity down and slurped them down before heading into the museum. The exhibits ranged from the history of sex toys, the biology of all animals and their mating rituals (surprise, animals also do orgies and gay sex), history of pornography, education on fetishes and kinks, and pornography in art. For dinner, we found a Japanese noodle restaurant and had a real ramen bowl which cleansed my soul. Tonight became a laundry and homework night in preparation for for tomorrow's big plans.
Today was a very historic and humbling day as I visited a few places that I feel play a large context to my identity. We started the day with a bang by taking a pilgrimage to the Museum of Modern Art, one of the most famous art museums in the world. There were crowds on crowds on crowds of people to no surprise, so it made grabbing a decent picture of any artwork very difficult. But even being in the same room as some of the paintings was a very powerful feeling and being reminded that yes, somebody actually sat down and made that thing in front of you. You just don't get that feeling when you look at art in a textbook. Some of my favorite pieces that I got to see today include:
For lunch we quickly had burritos at Dos Toros Taqueria, and then moved onward to The Met Breuer. My favorite exhibit there was from artist Lygia Pape, where one of her pieces took place in a large black room with a large lightly illuminated platform of golden strings reaching from the floor to ceiling. The lines would intersect and overlap, creating visually stunning patterns and feeling like actual sunbeams from heaven were emerging from the roof. I could have spent hours in that room. We also went to the main Metropolitan Museum in Central Park, which was a lot to take in. There was a great photo exhibit from Irving Penn who used to be a photographer for Vogue. On the way back, we stopped at a great mom and pop restaurant called Wrap-N-Run where we got a big plate of hot, greasy food which was the remedy we needed after walking around all day in the cold rain. After drying off and resting up, Jordan, Sarah, and I head out to lower Manhattan to go to a lesbian bar called Henrietta Hudson. It was a little ways out, but it is very difficult to find a WLW centered establishment, so I had to go see my fellow ladies. They had an event going on that night called "Snatch Saturday" and you paid a $10 cover that included a free shot upon entrance. It was a cozy bar with warm lights, benches, 2 bars, and a billiard table. It was a little dead despite it being 11PM, and Sarah insisted we were here too early, while I argued we were there too late because lesbians don't stay out late IF they decide to go out at all. After a drink, we decide to try another gay bar in Times Square that we will know will be hopping, but found that the subway station we needed to enter was taped off. We tried searching the area for another station that might not be closed, and instead found that we were at the Stonewall memorial/bar! It was fate all along. We eventually found a station further up the route and attempted to go to the other gay bar, but severly underestimated how far it was to walk there, and returned home to our warm apartment because at that point we were fatigued, cold, and were starting to be at risk for developing trenchfoot.
Nobody slept very well last night, so waking up was a challenge. I especially was tired and hangry from the get go. We headed out and attempted to visit the International Center of Photography, but had terrible timing because they were in between installations so the building was closed. Not being defeated, we continued on to the New Museum in Lower East Side Manhattan. There was a very interesting exhibit by Kaari Upson that featured a video of two potential homebuyers looking around apartments like they would on House Hunters. It was very surreal and existential as the actors would crawl into fireplaces and roll around on the carpet. There was a second part to the exhibit where Upson installed rows of Costco shelves and stacked them with mannequins that looked like one of the actors from the video along with hundreds of "----- For Dummies" books. While waiting for the group to assemble to move along to the next gallery, Sarah Bishop who is a saint bought me a small piece of layered rainbow cake and I am forever grateful <3. For lunch, we went to the famous Katz's Delicatessen, and while it was great food, was maybe a little too much considering how grouchy and tired we were. We showed up at lunch rush, so we had a little trouble squeezing our group of 13 into the deli. The way Katz's works that you receive a ticket at the door, and then you proceed to a counter for whatever it is you want to eat. They had several counters for sandwiches, soups, omelettes, drinks, etc. You hand your server your ticket and then they mark on your ticket what you ordered, give you your food, and you proceed to another line if you would like to continue adding to your meal. After you gather all your food onto one tray, you make sure you still have your ticket and dig in. I ordered their famous pastrami sandwich and was not let down. However, getting to that point of eating to my food was terrifying because there were huge lines everywhere and it was very confusing at first to understand how things worked. It was also very loud and I had a lot of difficulty hearing my server which caused them to become angry. Would not recommend for the social anxious. But we survived and had leftovers to tell the tale. Once you finish your meal, you take your ticket to the door and pay for your meal on the way out. So the legend goes, if you lose your ticket, it's somewhere between a $50-$100 fine to leave. We then go to the Whitney Museum of American Art in Manhattan. I saw a Keith Haring mural so any bad moods I had that were still lingering were instantly relieved! There were so many interesting videos, VR pieces, mixed media installations, interactive video game rooms, and other modern art pieces, I wouldn't even know where to begin to talking about them. There was a 3D film regarding artificial genes that had a sound system that would shake the seat you were sitting on. There was an infinity mirror installation that had only 4 rooms set up on the sides so when you looked into the mirror tunnel, each level of mirror looked like you were looking into a different apartment building. I saw some more Edward Hopper paintings so that turned my good day to a GREAT day. And many many more that I could never list even if I wanted to. Since it's Friday night, a few of us head back to Times Square at night to take in the crowds and lights. A few days ago, I bought a pair of kaleidoscope glasses and 3D glasses that create rainbows when viewed at a light source, so I brought them along to experiment as lens filters with all the neon lights in the busting square. The results definitely speak for themselves (these are unedited RAW images from my camera): Today started by taking a very long subway ride south to other side of the river. While passing the time, I started experimenting with long shutter releases at stops to try and capture the chaotic motion of people scurrying past the station platforms. When we arrive in Brooklyn, we first visit a few local galleries to view the photographic exhibits. One of those galleries was the MINUS SPACE where one of the owners turned out to be from Michigan (and is GVSU alumni!). They showed us an upcoming project with the United Nations of giant photographic cubes to be placed around the city. They also gave us a really cool booklet of photographs of haircut models from the 1980s of a salon that was known for iconic styles. Afterwards, we walked to the Brooklyn Bridge and stopped to relax with some hotdogs in the park. We continue on our way to the Brooklyn Museum which had a Georgia O'Keefe exhibit open. Museums always make me feel a certain way and I get overwhelmed in the best possible sense. When you see a painting in real life that you've only seen in textbooks, it's like meeting a celebrity. Everyone is very courteous and intimate and you really get to reflect on the exhibits and what they currently mean in today's society. There also was a video installation which let me lay on a reclined beanbag for 30 minutes which was a blessing for my tired legs. For dinner, a few of us went to a Shake Shack in Upper Eastside Manhattan. I took a lot of photos today, so the rest of my evening was spent reviewing and editing what I had collected. All that's left is a very long shower and some sleep.
Today we walked to NYU Tisch (the art program) and visited the student galleries. We even got to sit in on some student thesis presentations regarding black culture. Afterwards, we got free time so Aeriel Stroven, Jesse Morre, and I walked to Times Square. We mixed up our directions a little but that turned out to be for the better because we stopped in a lot of cool shops along the way. We stopped at Macy's along the way and climbed God knows how many escalators to the top. So many clothes, bridal dresses, furniture, and restaurants to even worth mentioning. We continue along our journey and make it to the plaza. We visit quite a few stores and end at American Eagle for a final treat. Jesse and Aeriel buy a few items which grants us a photo on the big screen in the square. We step outside for 5 minutes and witness our 15 seconds of fame that was traded off for capitalist consumerism. I snap a few more pictures, and then we head home with tired legs and slightly emptier wallets. After swearing we're tired to do anything than shower and go to bed, we hear that other people are going to a bar close by for free margaritas, so we obviously shower, charge our phones, and get ready for a night out. We walk a few blocks to Ziggy's, which was having a lady's night special where girls can have as many magaritas, sangrias, and beer as they wanted free of charge. They even set up a beer pong table which I of course tried flexing my skills on to represent the KI spirit. Of course by then I was 5 margaritas deep and did not fair as well as I would have hoped, but still did pretty alright. Tomorrow we are hitting some museums up, so I stumble home for some shut eye.
The day started out by leaving our Super8 motel at 10AM and continuing our pilgrimage east. It took a long time to get out of Pennsylvania, but the swooping hills, trees, and rivers made it enjoyable with the companionship of Fleet Foxes. We cut through New Jersey pretty quickly and then it's not long before we're driving over the George Washington bridge into New York City. Sandy somehow manages to parallel park the huge passenger van across the street of our apartment and we sprint inside to claim our beds. The apartment is spacious with 3 floors: 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a living room, dining area, and full kitchen. Jordan McGowen, Rouchen Ding, and Wanqing Wang and I all share a room on the third floor. Looking out our window, we get a great view of our neighbor's Bowflex on the patio underneath us. After setting down, we venture about 10 minutes away to a French restaurant called Le Bonne Soup for our welcoming dinner. Our mighty party of 13 work ourselves upstairs and almost piss ourselves at the menu prices. A meal had to be a MINIMUM of $15 per guest. Luckily this meal was on Alma College. I ordered a La Croque Madame (bread with ham and fine cheese, a special sauce, and topped with a fried egg) and had a French martini to drink. Honestly the best thing I've ever eaten in my life, no exaggeration. I felt pure, blissful, and content with life afterwards. And then the bill came. For 13 people to have drinks, a dinner, and dessert, the grand total was $764.23. Honestly, worth it though?
After dinner we take to the streets. A few of us explore around our apartment and scope out the bagel shops, sushi restaurants, bars, stores, and liquor stops. Tomorrow we start our official outing, so both me and my camera batteries are getting a good night's rest. Today was a travel day as we head east. We left Alma at 10:30 AM and got to Brooksville, PA around 6PM. There wasn't a lot to look at riding through Ohio, so I started messing around with the panorama feature on my phone. I would place it against the window of the van and it would auto detect that I was moving the camera and start the panorama process. I messsed around with positioning permanent fixtures of the van in the frame to see how it would look along the moving background. I also discovered that sometimes the panorama feature would cut out or end my picture early while traveling under overpasses due to the sudden darkness. Below are my experimental photos with this feature:
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