In the article “Capturing a Vanishing View of Park Slope” photographer Erica McDonald attempts to capture the essence of Park Slope Brooklyn before it completely changes. Eric McDonald wants to capture the faces behind this historic neighborhood rather than the strollers, cafes and lovingly maintained brownstones that itâs known for. As time goes on, the world around us is constantly changing and evolving, Erica is using photography as a tool to document and capture a specific moment in park slot history. Eric is attempting to capture Park Slope in the moment, the “now”.
I admire Eric’s enthusiasm and passion when it comes to preserving the present; photography is a very useful medium when it comes to preserving and capturing moments throughout time and space. Change is a natural part of life and maybe the changing atmosphere in Park Slope isn’t a bad thing and may have good effects on the neighborhood. Only time can truly tell.
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/12/capturing-a-vanishing-view-of-park-slope/
I use to live in park slope and you really see the difference from how it was a few years ago…itâs beginning to be more diverse and the network of people is starting to grow…capturing moments the way Erica did is a unique way of looking at the neighborhood…people of all ages and ethnic background tells a story of the neighborhood that I once lived was always full of wonderful people who looked out for one another…it is true that park slope is flooded with little restaurants and cafes, but itâs what brings he neighborhood together…pictures can truly be viewed in many ways, but only the beholder knows what it truly means to them..
This post reminds me of a blog post I read last year about the drastic changes New York City has gone through since the 60s and 70s It’ll be very interesting to see what NYC looks like in 40 years; comparing them to photos of today. Park Slop and much of Brooklyn it seems has become the âNew Manhattanâ and throughout the next 5-10 years will be going through an extensive gentrification. Photography, and video, are great mediums and tools for this generation to capture the essence of their neighborhoods before theyâre gutted, renovated, painted over, renamed, and rezoned.
I always love to observe black & white photos. Taking the color away from subjects and its use of shading helps the the photographer have more focus on what he wants his viewers to see. Black & White photography has a way of making images timeless, and what Ms McDonald is doing is preserving the culture of a New York City community. It’s always intriguing to see the cultural make-up of a neighborhood, and to have it captured in a way for viewers to not only witness in present time, but also for future New Yorkers to see what this neighborhood’s residents were like in 2012 can be an important document for future use.
Im visiting from ENG2003 Intro to Poetry, and I would just like to say that I found this article particularly interesting. NYC is one of the most diverse cities in America and to see a neighborhood change can be overwhelming, yet helps to create a melting pot for newer generations to come. I think Erica Mcdonald is trying to show this by capturing the faces and lives of different cultures and faces to show the diversity and culture of the neigborhood now; from a tattooed youth of today to an elderly man in business casual attire from yesterday.
Welcome! I’ve noticed a few Poetry student in my other sites too, are you in Prof Gold’s class. Feel free to browse around…
Photography has been a way we see changes around us, like environment and people. I love Black and White photography! I had experience during High School and College being in the darkroom developing film and B&W photo. B&W photos brings out more feeling to the photography.