Mott St. Chinatown, NYC

Desolate Chinatown during the pandemic of 2020. Shot in August/September I believe, Rolleiflex 3.5E Kodak Portra 400

 

To me, especially if you want the image to convey loneliness or solitude, converting the image to B&W is advisable. Regardless, I think the image could be improved by dodging selective elements at ground level.

Hmmm! I don't know about the dodging part, but definitely agree about converting to grayscale or b&w.

Hmmm! I don't know about the dodging part, but definitely agree about converting to grayscale or b&w.

Have you been there? IMO, the vividness is a key feature of the community, even nearly vacant. There are numerous adjacent areas, at least there were back in the days when I roamed NYC, where I would agree. I do love monochrome. Back then, color was a budgeted treat.

Have you been there? IMO, the vividness is a key feature of the community, even nearly vacant. There are numerous adjacent areas, at least there were back in the days when I roamed NYC, where I would agree. I do love monochrome. Back then, color was a budgeted treat.

Yep! Right across the bridge.

I hope you don't mind but I went to Google maps to see what it looked like when busy at more or less the same location you were on Chinatown's famous Mott Street. Their shot must be pretty old. The building way in the back was not there yet. And there are other changes made since then. NYC is always under construction. A Frenchman once visiting asked, "When will you be done?"

 

It seems never.

 

The other thing at 4 Mott Street they had 50 years ago, and maybe still do according to Google, is the dancing chickens and the chickens you play TicTac Toe against. They never lose. See the Chinatown Fair store in this Google shot.

Google Maps

 

If you want to see really busy Chinatown. Come down on Saturday night when everyone is there to eat. Waiting lines out of restaurants, etc. Canal Street during the day with shoppers. Nuts!. Well, sadly, it use to be that way. Hopefully again, soon.

About the chickens. Unfortunately, they disappeared before the pandemic. Maybe bird flu? :)

Jeremiah's Vanishing New York: Chinatown Fair

This thread took off in a cool direction. Love the history of Chinatown and the tic tac toe chickens But, NY is always changing. Not much we could do about it

Sorry this is the photo from Google. Taken in 2019. The big building is there.

Google Maps

I would try to catch it again another day at another time with better lighting. The image is flat. Lighting at 10:00 or 2:00 would add texture and shadows making it more interesting. And yeah, definitely B&W.

I like the shadows and distortion here.

Chinatown is usually so busy, it's extraordinary to see it deserted in daylight- or any other time for that matter. This scene is plenty colorful enough to really benefit from use of color film, but to my eye, in shadow, the colors are as subdued as the overall scene with its lack of people & activity. So perhaps the downbeat, shadowed nature of the color palette is well matched to NYC at a standstill after all?

Chinatown is usually so busy, it's extraordinary to see it deserted in daylight- or any other time for that matter. This scene is plenty colorful enough to really benefit from use of color film, but to my eye, in shadow, the colors are as subdued as the overall scene with its lack of people & activity. So perhaps the downbeat, shadowed nature of the color palette is well matched to NYC at a standstill after all?

Tried converting it to B&W but it did not look right.