The Best Route Through Town

Living, first, in Chicago and then moving to New York, commuting through the city is very similar but at the same time so very different.

Chicago has the 'L' which allows you to quite literally fly through the city (roughly 3-4 levels above the street while the New York City subway (for the most part) keeps you beneath the street level unless you reside and spend most of your time in the Bronx or parts of Queens.

The beauty of connectivity and convenience is a major factor that draws people to city living. However, here in New York, it's easy to lose spatial recognition spending so much time beneath the surface. Many people pass through numerous neighborhoods everyday that they've never before seen. Life doesn't stop in transit...

For me, biking bridges the gap.  It allows the city to feel a bit more tangible to me.   These are shots taken while and between riding through some of the neighborhoods that I wouldn't normally see otherwise.

Doughnut Run through Crown Heights/Bed-Stuy

Seeing the town with one of my favorite Chicagoans

Traversing the Williamsburg Bridge

Various Vantage Points

The more parking restrictions for cars (signage) the better for cyclists

Next stop, Manhattan

In all of it's majesty, Brooklyn Bridge

Follow the line

Departure preparations

That One Time in Paris

Le Tour Eiffel Paris, France

This architectural monolith is definitely a sight to behold.  The intricate details of its construction makes this monument a must-see at some point in your lifetime.  It's really a magnificent structure.

I live for these days...

This is how I'd like to and plan to spend many more Saturday's to come:

(Taken in Montmartre neighborhood of Paris)

Dining al fresco is no foreign concept and there a plenty cities stateside that take the practice seriously and offer it in abundance.  However, in Paris, I'd have to say that they hold this practice dear and it's more about social aspect as opposed to making sure that you're spending money to enjoy a service.  The numerous places like this in the many districts of the city make you feel like you you're constantly at a picnic where there just so happens to be someone passing by that doesn't mind bringing you the food and drinks that you meant to bring with you anyway.  The way that the seating area just starts to blend into the neighborhood without strict borders allows you to lose yourself in your neighborhood surroundings.

Life from the Carry-out

Urban city life is never complete without fulfilling the prophecy of "hurry up and wait."  Whether it's the daily work commute, trying to rushi up the stairs behind tourists, or waiting in the longest checkout line at the grocery store when you only went in for two items.This lesson is constantly reinforced when ordering from the local Chinese spot in my neighborhood.

What better way to pass the time than a few quick portrait series headshots:

December 18, 2014, 19:18

December 18, 2014, 19:19

Philadelphia: A Photographic Retrospective of a Short Visit

All New York City residents know or quickly find out that it's imperative to take a break from the "city life" whenever it's possible.  Some people spend summer weekends in The Hamptons.  Some take resort weekends and ski trips to the Adirondacks or the Poconos.  I chose to take two days off from the overcrowded, bustling megalopolis that is the Tri-State area, to spend time in the moderately less crowded metropolis that is Philadelphia.

Here is a quick Retrospective that captures this beautiful city through my lens.  I shot with a Canon T3 Rebel and edited the photos using Virtual Supply Company's VSCOcam app with the Analog 5 filter and low color saturation.  I thought the more monochromatic palette would give a deeper depth to the images and I believe that it worked out well.  Enjoy...

- Esoteric

Monument or Trophy

American History

Art & Culture = Tourists

The House that Rodin Sculpted

Streets That Could Have Been Alleys

Heritage

"Please Don't Put Any Trash Here"

Side Streets: Where Life Happens

Dream Garden

West Philadelphia's Baltimore

JFK Boulevard

7tb & Arch

All Day?

Only 2 Ways Out

Stainless

Broad Street Bully

Connections

Relics

Urban Decay

Time Capsule

The Alley...

...a dreadful record of sin...

Still Shooting

Need a photographer?  I'm still working on finding my artistic touch in the form of photography.  The past few months, I've been taking the time to really invest in my craft and it's beginning to pay off.  I've booked a couple of paying jobs and I'm ready for more.  It's fun to allow the world to see life through my eyes.

Call Me, I'll do the Shooting...

Walking to a bike that I'd like to ride....

...Then I noticed how close I was to the Williamsburg Bridge. 

Bricks and Bikes in Williamsburg

a man and his mode of exploration... from city to city, country to country... the world is always on his side. 

This past weekend I discovered pretty much the best way to get around the city; on two wheels. Regular drivers can make the streets a little scary but sharing the roads on a Sunday afternoon is not as terrifying as I thought it would be. Unlike Keilon, I don't own a bike, so I rented one from the bike share system in NYC, Citi Bike. Although it's nice to ride and not have to worry about looking for a place to chain my ride, I'd prefer to not be limited the lack of bike stations located north of 63rd St in Manhattan and south of Atlantic Ave. in Brooklyn. With all that being said maybe one day I'll have a bike of my own, and give up the A/C of the train. 

-Amanda

Swiss Breakfast

While discovering a new breakfast dining spot in SoHo, that will definitely be revisited numerous times in the future, I took the time to capture the essence of the beauty of the ambience.

La Femme de la Ville

Café Select is a great way to begin the day before taking to the bustling shopping district streets of SoHo.

- Keilon

The Perfect Block

New York City can be a constant visual overload; which in my opinion is why it works so well for film making and videography. The viewer is constantly engaged by not only the subject but also the environment of said subject.  However, when it comes to my idea of photography, I prefer a less is more approach.

While strolling between villages in Manhattan (West Village into Greenwich Village), bar hopping, I chose to take a quieter, less scenic route between busy avenues and arrived at this gem of an intersection:

Minetta Triangle, Manhattan, NYC

I was taken with the simplistic beauty (reoccurring theme of mine) of this environment.  Although it's in the midst of a very popular party and entertainment district, it manages to retain it's quiet charm.  Additionally, the melodramatic artificial glow on the block personified the after midnight diminishing ambience of the moment.  I was reminded of the heavy footsteps upon concrete echoing back in the night that I experienced in an equally as charming southern setting in the city of Charleston, South Carolina some years back.

This environment has inspired me to finally decide upon a setting for a short film drama that I've already written which is in need of a location. I look forward to re-imagining inspiration on this side street.

Lady in the Meadow

When I think of the the American Midwest, aside from the bustling metropolis of Chicago, I think of the beauty and majesty of the the natural environment. The generally flat lands and rolling meadows that define much of the landscape outside of the region's major cities, and sometimes even within them, dominates the perspective. Case in point, this shot that I took along the embankment (technically someone's backyard)  of Fall Creek in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Lady in the Meadow, Indianapolis, Indiana

Whenever I see this photo, I'm reminded of the simplistic beauty that life and nature provides us each day.  Embrace life and God bless.

- Esoteric

Summer Evenings...

I'm looking forward to warmer, and maybe even hot, weather later this year. I'll trade baking in the sun for sunsets like this again.

Late Summer Sunset on Chelsea Piers in Manhattan:

Trains to Stations

3.20.2014

It was a beautiful day in the city...but being underground and beneath ceilings have their perks as well.

This is just a couple views caught beneath Lafayette and Spring streets in SoHo and a pit stop to pick up a friend at Grand Central Station in Midtown Manhattan.

~ Esoteric

Across 110th Street...

*cues Bobby Womack's iconic theme music*

This is simply an excerpt in a day in the life.  All shots taken and lightly edited by me using a wonderful instrument called an iPhone 5 and a fun easy to use app called VSCOcam courtesy of Visual Supply Co.

110th Street - Duke Ellington Circle, Manhattan, NYC

Viaduct at 103rd and Park Avenue, Manhattan, NYC

Thank you to my partner and muse for letting me be her paparazzi per usual.

Also check out my slowly evolving grid at esotericislike.vsco.co for more images that I've shot and edited. And do check out more information and products on Visual Supply Co's official website.