"'New Yorkers' Choice at Herald Square: 'Shop 'Till You Drop' or 'Go Straight to Hell'"

This is the scene at Herald Square, home of Macy's flagship store,

where one literally can 'shop 'till you drop', but if one heeds the sign in

the foreground, there may be a diversion to the underworld in stock for

passersby. All at Broadway and 34th Street, Manhattan. Your ratings

and critiques are invited and most welcome. If you rate harshly or very

critically, please submit a helpful and constructive comment; please

share your superior photographic knowledge to help improve my

photography (That Star is Macy's Logo). Thanks! Enjoy! John

Macy's offers a huge flagship department store full of expensive wares, a Christian fundamentalist argues that we're going to hell, and the street sign marks the place.

 

Signs of the Times (and the place.)

 

John (Crosley)

Good catch John...Welcome to NYC...Marjorie

Cacophony is a term used for dissonant and bothersome sounds and noises, but I felt it also could be stretched a little and applied to a welter of signs, like here.

 

Yes, welcome to NYC; it's changed since I was a student at Columbia on Morningside Heights, when it was not uncommon for people to get stabbed on the subway. Not at all uncommon indeed. It happened to a friend of mine, and I saw a knife flashed out in Queens where the downtown express becomes the Flatbush local -- the glint of steel flashed under the rather dim lights of the El station.

 

Yes, things have changed; NYC is entirely more friendly. I once had a five-room flat on the middle West side for $375.00 month, rent controlled but gave it up because of threats from the neighbors and their HUGE noises for weeks at a time while they went away -- Puerto Rican Music against my bedroom at all hours at 100 watts.

 

Later I figured out my landlord paid them to do that so he could turn over the apartment and raise the rent to the next sucker and keep doing that until he approached market rent. He was a bloodsucker and made my life and my newlywed wife's life hell for several months until we got out of there.

 

Imagine, a ground floor (one floor above grade) flat for $375/month!! Rent controlled. It's like having the Kimberly Diamond, but I got screwed out of it and didn't even realize how it had gone down until I went to law school later.

 

Now there are pedestrian benches on certain avenues where cars used to drive . . . and everything friendly for the hordes of tourists.

 

It's not the NYC I knew where everybody clutched their keys between their hand and their first two fingers in case they had to fight a mugger and just walked like that everywhere. Or the lucky ones carried a 'box cutter' made from a razor blade -- used in stores for cutting open boxes.

 

And I got shot, though not exactly in NYC, but on the train.

 

Things have changed.

 

Thanks for the welcome.

 

John (Crosley)

Well framed. A lot going on in addition to heading to hell. www.LearnEnglish is still on line. Your description of NYC???

This is a corner in New York City, caught on one day at one moment.

 

I note that the person who apparently misread things has removed his comment, as he often does, but this comment to Mr. Meir Samel will remain. He often removes his comments which is a main reason his comments no longer are replied to.

 

This photo despicts the visual equivalent of sound's cacophony, I think.

 

There are, as the television show of the '50s told us, 8 million stories in the 'Naked City' which obviously was New York City, and this is just one of the views that I as a photographer saw during a brief few hours there. Photographing NYC is not a photo project of mine; I just happened to have a few extra hours and was there with a camera. It's prohibitively expensive, unless one has a free place to camp out, and I don't, or I'd spend more time there.

 

The task 'in this photo' was to capture the essence of the 'signs of NYC' at its busiest and thereby to capture through its signs, the hubbub and visual field that the pedestrian would see if and as he/she looked more upward, from the 'Learn English sign over the subway entrance (I think) to the sign about going to hell and the carefully placed Macy's sign framed by the Street Sign. I couldn't get the 'street sign' and Macy's spelled out fully under the conditions and still get the guy with the banner in place so i could read the banner's message, which is central to this photo.

 

If one looks up in NYC, especially as one approaches the '40s, one sees a welter of not only signs but entire buildings that are visually interesting -- although many buildings also are signs -- and valuable ones, as millions of people including many tourists stream through the city every day.

 

This was an ordinary (though warm) day with thunderstorms threatening in middle fall, and the city was aswarm with people, including many, many tourists, but the garment district also was aswarm, and moreover it was the Jewish holidays and some businesses run by Orthodox Jews were completely shut down, [not all, although it is a tenet of orthodoxy that businesses be shut completely].

 

Young orthodox Jews were on the streets offering for holiday a handful of 'herbs' [but not distributing them -- just offering them to visitors and passersby to 'view' and to 'smell' and 'partake' ] as one explained to me (we talked rather extensively about the holiday, which will be obvious to Jews by this description.)

 

New York can be tranquil as any place in nature, if one goes to Central Park, or it can be totally overwhelming, depending on where one goes and at what time of day.

 

It is a view to how mankind will deal with the loss of habitat -- as the city has 'grown upward' for much of the last Century and even parts of the Century before, so even skyscrapers and high rises can be very, very old (with some ornate and historic ironwork inside of them, if one looks closely).

 

I did choose the street pedestrian crossing sign to show the raised hand (halt), to keep with the message of the sign and to 'arrest' the viewer. Of course, the whole scene shows differently (and very well) in color.

 

[This was a day in the Jewish Holidays in October -- not November as wrongly was surmised by one viewer who commented below; I make a point of being accurate -- November has not come even now, although that commenter wrongly suggests the photo was taken in November.]

 

[comments added for those who misread things -- perhaps intentionally and/or at least not carefully and are too quick to make surmises.

 

[Moreover, Orthodox Jews not only live in Manhattan but they also can consistent with Orthodoxy walk during the holidays, which is how they arrived nearby on the streets of Manhattan, as they explained to me -- completely negating implied criticism added below by one viewer from Israel who seems to consistently get things 'wrong'.]

 

John (Crosley)

A long time ago someone asked me what kind of photos I took, and in comments then, about 2004, I wrote, that I hoped I took 'interesting photos'.

 

I wrote that I take many kinds of photos, but most of all, I hoped I took 'interesting photos'.

 

'Interesting photos' don't have specific subjects or particular photographic methods; they just are inviting to look at. They needn't be beautiful, as even the the word 'aesthetics' isn't a synonym for 'attractive' or 'beautiful' -- though some people seem to think so, but instead can also encompass things that are striking and otherwise visually appealing and/or interesting and especially those subjects which have an 'impact' whether it be positive or negative.

 

I suspect some of the lower raters of this photo may have been Christian fundamentalists, but then again, I may be wrong. I really don't care. I post what I will post and really don't worry about the rates when I make a decision to post, and in almost every instance do not remove my posts. (I think I have removed one post in the last year, and only after it got no rates or comments after being posted, and then reposted it when people were awake and actually viewing the critique requests-- now the system has changed so it doesn't matter what time you post a photo -- which is all for the best.)

 

I have another rule: Keep all the interesting things within the frame and keep all the uninteresting stuff out.

 

That doesn't mean there can't be lots of 'negative' or 'empty' space within a photo. It might be part of the space that serves to isolate and 'focus' attention on a subject, or otherwise convey a message or be essential for composition.

 

But in a photo like this, the task was more compelling (and hard to achieve as the cloth sign kept moving -- keep all the interesting signage within the frame and have it convey a 'feeling' about New York City.

 

In essence, this is a photo about 'feelilngs' or 'emotions' -- it is the photo that covneys the sense of the almost overwhelming welter of messages that a pedestrian can encounter in certain heavily-trafficked parts of the city.

 

It starts from the 'Learn English' and the telephone number on top of the subway entrance (I think that's what it is) at the Herald Square station for the IRT (again I think), to the Fundamentalist's warning about 'turn'[ing]] to Christ because people are 'headed for hell', to the Macy's sign across the street on their flagship (primary) store, to the street signs which identifies the location, then finally to the American flag at the far right which flys over one of Macy's entrances.

 

Although there are pedestrians in this photo, they are incidental, and are not meant to be more than partly depicted; their complete depiction would negate the 'story' of this photo.

 

Trying to take a photo of visual dissonance that overwhelms runs the risk also of being visually dissonant, and perhaps viewers will find this photo uncomfortable -- if so, the photo successful.

 

Uncomfortable or not, I suggest that it is 'interesting', and that in some way it is unique -- outside of some New Yorkers and visitors to the 'Naked City', and some movie viewers, this is a scene that is completely alien to most people, worldwide, and is one man's view of the sometimes overwhelming nature of New York City.

 

John (Crosley)

the religious message too (that is so central in the composition) derives from a biblical quotation that fits quite well in this context: "If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire" (Rev. 20:15).

 

The book of life ... this could be an interesting title for this work.

 

Technically speaking I wonder how this shots could be in colors, and I ask myself this knowing that quite a lot of the messages we find in this work rely their meaning not only in "letters"/"words" but also in their form and color. Thank you, Giuseppe

Thanks for adding the relevant quotation.

 

Did you know that some Protestant sect Bibles do not include the Book of Revelations?

 

That is one of those 'iffy' books that some deign to include and others do not.

 

It's pretty much 'out there' as far as the distinction between more 'liberal' Protestant thinking and Fundamentalist thinking.

 

It has been opined that George Bush who is a fundamentalist, is getting ready for the rush into the final judgment and believes in the book with the names.

 

Of course, that's why Fundamentalists build so often small and temporary churches -- the final judgment may come at any minute -- why build a cathedral?

 

Of course, those more house-like structures also double as 'family gathering spots' for the parishioners, and so they'll have a kitchen, etc., meeting rooms -- things the Catholics with their cathedrals never would have included. Times change,don't they and structure (of churches) follows expectations and specifically what one 'sees' in that paragraph from Revelations. It's truly 'the key' to a second schism in Protestantism.

 

This makes quite a display in color, but not so cohesive. I had to use shadow/highlight filter somewhat (and corrrelative adjustments in the 'raw converter') to 'work on' the words so they'd all be legible, and also contrast adjustment.

 

I don't think I worked up a color version, but watch this space in a day or six, as I may (for the fun of it) post a color version, now that you've shown interest.

 

If this is cacophonous (visually), the color version is more so, but it doesn't 'hang together' as well, since the 'orange' sign the man is holding up dominates the scene so much, and the other words seem to fade more.

 

As a 'composition' where one reads the words and they achieve some sort of equality -- the B&W version is better, in my view.

 

I'll see about posting a color version if I can work one up that's viewable. This was in a shadow area in the foreground. It required some careful 'slider' adjustments to make it work.

 

Thanks for contributing to my and viewers' education about this photo.

 

John (Crosley)

There is no such holiday; "Young orthodox Jews were on the streets offering for holiday a handful of 'herbs" does that not make "us" look a little stupid? If you want to invent, don't invent about us.

Please stop your trolls on these pages.

 

I am preparing to go to abuse@photo.net if you do not cease.

 

You had said quite some time ago you would cease posting on my photos.

 

I am sorry if your life is not what you want it to be, but indeed young Orthodox Jews were on the streets of New York City (sidewalks actually) with representative herbs, offering to share their tradition, even with us gentiles.

 

Now, please leave and stop calling me a 'liar' as you just have. Any more of this and I will ask that you be banned.

 

This is just another ad hominem attack that is inappropriate and against the terms of use. I had told you previously that your ad hominem attacks (some of which you removed or reworded) were completely without the bounds of decency, but you have now again persisted, as well as have commiited numerouss other acts of rudeness.

 

Unless I receive an e-mail from you within 48 hours that you will cease to post here any more under my photos, I will take this matter up with the Administration.

 

I also have (somewhere) photos of just about everything I do and have encountered, so to call what I write an 'invention' is to call me a patent 'liar' which I am not. And somewhere there are photos to disprove your bald-faced assertion, but I presently cannot be troubled, as I am traveling and your wrong asssertion,sir, is not worth it; I have a good reputation here for truthtelling and getting my facts strraight and won't have it impugned by you.

 

I read your biography, and I have tolerated your numerous rudenesses out of charity, because I have felt sorry for you, but please do not take out your enmity on me, and further, do NOT tell me what photos to post or not to post as you have in more than one instance.

 

That also is without the terms of service; it also is rude and arrogant.

 

I suggest you find some good manners; I have been more than charitable in tolerating your bad behavior, and now it must stop.

 

John (Crosley)

 

P.S. have kept a copy of your remark, in case you try to reword it as you have in the past or remove it, or even pretend it was posted at a different time as you have in other communications with me.

 

You, sir, are NOT welcome here as I abundantly made clear in the past, and in return you promised to stop posting here, but you have broken that promise.

 

Please do not let the door hit you in the rear as you depart.

 

[i think those very nice young orthodox Jewish men with whom I chatted about their herbs which they were sharing with passersby, would be embarrassed by your colloquy about them, since you were not there, and I was, and you presume to speak for 'them'. Indeed I speak for 'us' (they and I) as to the truth of the matter; perhaps you have got it twisted around as you have in numerous recent posts. That is another matter to consider in my complaint to abuse@photo.net being prepared -- that you continually misconstrue facts to the detriment of the site and polite discourse.

 

John (Crosley)

happy to chat about it on email John.

Your behavior on e-mail in the past contained transgressions.

 

You have used a public forum to 'call me a liar' and on more than one occasion to tell me what to post and to tell me how to write my prose.

 

You have admitted rudeness and explained away your arrogance by claiming somehow it's a part of national characteristic (not in my experience with Israeli citizens at all -- all of which has been positive till now.)

 

I gave you a chance to 'chat' by e-mail last month, and you abused that considerably, so that time is now past -- I am tired of your ad hominem attacks, your misconstrual of my assertions, your claims that your e-mails were somehow delayed in the e-mail when internet hub markers show them to have been just made, and numerous other transgressions

 

I have taken the matter to abuse@photo.net

 

John (Crosley)