Project Idea?

[lowfatgraphics]

Hey guys! Im taking a photography course and I have a project where I have to shoot a topic or subject as much as

i can during the course and apply the technique's I've learned in the course. I work 5 days a week and sometimes

on the weekends. So I don't get much of a chance to shoot. I work in the New york city and take the train

everyday to work. Any Idea's for a person who's trying to balance a work life and learn photography?

[bfeeny]

Well I would think you have pretty good options since you live in NYC. NYC street photography is an endless source of good content. Buildings, subways, taxi's, commuters

[lowfatgraphics]

well it has to be a more tighter subject like certain students in my class are doing like stairs, broken buildings and steal.

[allison_richardson]

If you take the train to work everyday, then why not focus on something in the train.... like people's shoes or articles of clothing. You could also focus on train graffiti or advertisements, human interactions. I hope this helps get your mind rolling.

[pisq]

Balancing a working life myself I can understand. Lunch time is a good break time, if you can afford it. buy or bring a bag lunch and head into the streets. You can pick an idea ahead of time and stick to the theme, but be not afraid to be spontaneous. Lunch time is hard light except on overcast days. Alternatively, head to the traiin station early and try to catch early on late day light, use standing walls as a brace if needed, or set teh camera on top of something sturdy. I think that whatever the topic, once you launch out to shoot you'll usually come up with some interesting points of view on the subject. Remember, it's fun...

[jpuckett]

If you using a digital camera then you have an infinite nuber of pictures to take and in New York there no ends

to cool stuff, everything in new york is interesting...

 

also, lens make for interesting results..ultra wides like fish eyes lenses for building, subways tunnels,

shooting down from very high up...zoom lenses with open apertures like 2.8 are great for getting close to people

that may have alot of character and street wear with blurred backgrounds and you can keep stealth...

 

Alleys, old doors, arches, organized and uniform lines in buildings, floors, stairs, tunnels etc.. night shots around

the square steam from streets and other night lit places, there are endless ideas..but...

 

...the best Idea place in the world is Google Search for new york photographers and see what they find

interesting.. locations, angles, exposures, perspectives.

[hjoseph7]

Try something like Park Benches, or street lamps, because there are plenty of them and they are not going anywhere. Stay away from subfleeting subjects since your schedule is so tight.

[jose_rivera9]

Okay, NYC subway... How about the melting pot but stick with a gender or age of a group. As far as graffiti on the trains only the ones in movies.

[colleen_stephens]

If you want to shoot a theme, and not just specific objects, what about the NYC commute? Or the busy-ness of NYC? Or just commuters themselves - NYC is so multicultured, you could photograph all sorts of different people you see. Or maybe couples - holding hands, one with their head on another's shoulder on the subway, an elderly couple with his arm around her on a park bench or walking holding hands, etc.

[gen_b.]

Some ideas off the top of my head:

 

- The "Noise" of the city: Folks on cellphones, taxi cabs, crowds, an approaching subway, etc.

 

- New York Communication/the "Hustle-and-bustle" of the morning commute: Again, crowds on cellphones, overzealous

physical expression oft-seen in New Yorkers, couples, public camaraderie, acts of kindness between strangers,

etc. You could also experiment with a lot of various shutter speeds, or even time-lapse for a change of pace.

 

- Litter/pollution/graffiti/ways in which the city is "tainted" over time.

 

- Poverty vs. wealth.

 

- The evolution of the city (if you pass any areas with heavy construction)/ old vs. new.

 

- The multi-ethnic background of the city -- visit Chinatown, Harlem, Orthodox Jewish, Italian-American,

Polish-American areas, etc.

 

- Different ways in which people "escape" from the city: wearing headphones, visiting parks, reading, sleeping,

sitting in

bars...

 

- 9/11 tribute.

 

- Transportation: Taxis, highway, subways, bridges, boats, airport, helicopters, streets and sidewalks, bicycles,

horse-and-buggies, etc.

 

- Society's idea of beauty (so outwardly displayed on billboards, modeling agency buildings, endless beauty and

fashion stores...)

 

I hope that I have been of some assistance;

 

Good luck!