I understand the desire of Walker Evans to capture pictures of people in a sort of raw state and how he perceived this to be his very own style of art. Certainly taking pictures of unsuspecting individuals on New York City subways allowed him to do exactly that. I’m sure his decision to wait twenty five years to share his photos had much to do with his knowledge that on some level, his photographs were an invasion of the subjects privacy. That being said, his work certainly serves as a documentation of history. While the attire of today’s subway riders has somewhat changed since the 1940’s, the looks on the faces of the commuters are still very much the same. Today, with the use of modern technology, I’m sure it would be much easier to snap a secret photo of an unsuspecting individual, however the immediate consequence if you were to be caught could be pretty awful.

Walker Evans photographed many people in the New York City subway between 1938-1941 during the Depression Era where the camera played a pivotal role in the culture. Although, in modern times, this particular photography could be viewed as an invasion of privacy; Walker Evans respected those he photographed. He took “spy” pictures by having his 35-millimeter Contax camera hidden in his coat and it was powered by a hand-held device that could produce a shutter. I believe that this surreptitious approach was the best way to capture candid photographs in the constantly evolving variety of people in the city’s range that rode the subways. Still the possibility of the subway passengers having the knowledge of Walker Evans’ photographic actions, unfortunately it would have led to more posed, unnatural photographs. Evans displayed his consideration of those he photographed by publishing his pictures twenty-five years later in his book, “Many Are Called” since this would have allowed the unknowing participants to age enough to become virtually unidentified by the photographs.

The New York City subway riders during the Depression Era are very similar to the subway riders in today’s society. While, Walker Evans was simply trying to document the effects of the Great Depression by photographing the many who had ridden the subways and were suffering. But, these pictures can easily be compared to the modern day subway riders who may be struggling through the recession. I found the subway portrait of the blind man playing an accordion extremely similar to the straphangers who board the train now, in the hopes, of entertaining the passengers in exchange for cash. Many of his other subway inspired photographs depict normal scenes that regularly occur on the train such as a couple conversating or someone being engaged by the attention of a newspaper although nowadays it is most often a phone, tablet, or an electronic, audio device.

A Bowl of Raspberries

I believe that breakfast is one of the most essential meals of the day since it is the first source of food that we consume in the day. While America’s conceptualized idea of food has revolutionized to fast food, or food on the go, the most popular available choices of breakfast are protein bars and cereal. These aren’t exactly the healthiest of food choices since they are refined in order to last on our shelves or in our cupboards for months at a time. Breakfast food items have become a pinnacle in the advertisement of food, commercials constantly suggest their product as the healthiest despite the ingredients and even include the use of children to persuade viewers to either purchase these items for their children or be coaxed by the innocent eyes of a child to buy these items. But in this world of Poptarts, Lucky Charms, Fiberone, etc. we are told that healthy choices such as apples or oatmeal that naturally possess their sources of vitamins are boring and dull while these labels are exciting and fun. These items that are supposedly healthy and give is energy are packed with exceedingly high amounts of sugar and carbohydrates that deceive our bodies as energy but quickly die out. We as Americans need to make healthier choices despite the connotation of breakfast.

I am personally not interested in taking pictures in the subway because I don’t want to get hurt by some individual who might be interested in my phone or ipod and whatnot.  While I might try to take pictures on the subway for fun ( probably wanting to take pictures of rats ), I think Walker was trying to capture the gloominess on people’s face in that particular era. When you think about it , the subway is one of those places where even though there is a lot people, you get a sense of privacy because whether you are smiling, crying, or look really mad, no one will dare ask you any question. I think that Walker was well aware of that, and I noticed that he only took pictures of adults on the subway maybe because it was the only place they could actually think seriously without having to worry their kids, and so on. Walker’s approach on photography is really interesting to me in a sense that I think that he wanted to show people’s various expression in the subway, because he knew that the depression was going to be over one day anyways and people would probably have different facial expressions. Even though Walker took another approach on photography, the fact that he sneakingly took the pictures is a little too much…

looking at these pictures, made me hungry! I’m one of those people that skip breakfast because I cannot eat in the morning. I know that breakfast is essential and all that but I can do without (most of the time), so I kind of felt ashamed looking at the pictures of kids eating breakfast because their diet. I only have breakfast when my mom forces me, and most of the time I cannot eat things like: pancakes and syrup, cold cereal and all those sugary stuffs. When I think of the calories in a typical American breakfast, it makes me want to stay away from it because I feel like the amount of calories they have is more than half of the amount of calories we are supposed to consume daily. When I do have Breakfast, I usually have maybe scrambled eggs, or hot milk and rarely yogurt, but I have seen people eating chicken, french fries, pizza and other greasy stuff in the morning and i think that that’s totally sick (but hey! who am I to judge?! I’m sure that there is someone somewhere that probably thinks that the fact that I skip breakfast is insane or something.

Milk or any milk products such as chesse or yougurt should be a must for breakfast.

I definitely think everyone should incorporate breakfast in his or her meal list, not just the kids. I think breakfast is an essential meal of the day because if you walk out your house with any empty stomach you do not function as if you left with something in your stomach you feel tired, hungry. I do think American breakfasts are too sugary because cereal is the main breakfast food for kids and those adults who eat cereal tend to always pick the sugary cereal. When Americans go out for breakfast, they tend to have pancakes and these are loaded of sugary syrups. For me personally I grew up eating lucky charm fruity pebbles, those were my favorite cereal and if it wasn’t that I would have fresh squeezed orange juice and coffee with pancaked and obviously the syrup. Like me, many kids and adults incorporate the sugars in their daily breakfast. It is amazing to see how some this kids who were interviewed have a breakfast large in variety but all this kids have in common is that they all have some sort of sugar in their breakfast such as in their tea, chocolate milk, bread or cereal.

After seeing Evans pictures of the depression era and riding present subways I can see many similarities and differences. It obvious that from when the pictures were taken and present time technology has advance tremendously, we now see people on their phones watching movies on the go, and back then people carried newspapers to keep them entertained. The facial expressions of people dazing out or staring at others have not changed. What has changed is how train station and trains looked and picture quality. People during the depression era dressed vey differently from today’s people. It is definitely interesting to look back and see how things were before and to see how things are today. That’s why I think Walker Evans decided to wait 25 years to share his pictures because if he were to share them during the depression era when he took the pictures it would not have caused an amusement to most people since they saw this during their everyday life, it make sense for him to have waited the time he waited.

I think Evans approach on photography is a bit intrusive. I think its a unique idea to photograph the everyday people and there look on the subway but at the same time people are entitled to there privacy. The pictures are real life looking you can almost read what someone of the women are thinking from there facial expression. they tend to look deep in thought or worry. I sometimes pay attention to people facial expressions as well on the train they are similar to some of the photographs that Evans has taken.  Things has not changed much on the subway, in one of the pictures you see entertainment on the train of a guy playing his instrument. This happens almost everyday on my train ride.

My first immediate reaction when I view the breakfast pictures from around the world was “wow, these kids have one heck of a fulfilling meal”.  It made me envy because I will never have the time to prepare such fulfilling breakfast with small dishes on the side. The breakfasts from other country  looks very healthy and essential for the kids. Some of the meal even look more like it should be serve for brunch instead of breakfast. Overall I think I think it is impressive compare to what kids eat in America. Sugary cereal with milk might fill their stomach until lunch time but it doesn’t qualify as a healthy breakfast in my opinion. I am guilty of skipping breakfast or have unhealthy breakfast like Nutella on toast.

I remember my professor from Perspective of Hospitality Management told the class that the American breakfast which includes bacon egg and cheese with toast or waffles are ideal breakfast for the farmers. “But guess what guys? We are not farmers, therefore we consumed more carbs than we should.” My ideal breakfast would be something healthy and flavorful like an acai bowl. It contains thick smoothie topped with fruits, oatmeal and peanut butter or dark chocolate.

Acai bowl.