NYC: 5/5: C'est La Vie

Robert Elder

 View from the window of 46 Beard St. Brooklyn, N.Y. 

After our late night last night, we crawled out of bed and checked out by 11. Robert Elder came to the apartment our professor has been staying at to speak with us and show us his photographs on St. Mark's St. "6400, f/2.8 at /125" from the waist only. Film and digital. It was interesting to see something a little different from someone much older and photographing for his own person.

Since no one wanted to go to Shakespeare & Co. with me, we all parted ways after Bob Elder's talk and I was on my own (at last) which was much more educational than a group. In groups you're hustled along, people get as fidgety in bookstores with me as I do with them shopping for clothes and things. I bought Jack Kerouac's On the Road finally and started reading it on the subway (which I successfully navigated entirely on my own). Five days and I feel like I could get myself almost anywhere. Andreas Gebhard, an editor of Getty, said I have "virgin New York eyes". C'est la vie. 

After I picked up my car from the garage I got so frustrated with Google maps on my phone that I just started driving. Brooklyn is south, so I went south and ended up on some FDR 495 route and sang along with Ray LaMontagne as I just guessed at directions. I ended up within 7 minutes of the apartment. To hell with electronic maps, they're always trying to outsmart me. Give me a piece of paper and a compass and I'll eventually make it. All of the IKEA signs make it easy to find once you're within a mile's radius. Mark Ovaska and Alan Chin have been so welcoming- the bottom photograph is the view of the street from the room I'm staying in. The photojournalism industry is terrifyingly/wondrously small. I'm so grateful for professionals being willing and welcoming to us lowly students. 

Alan Chin has been feverishly editing his Egypt photographs and Jason Eskenazi came in to pick ones that he liked. It was great to see them looking at each other's work and hear the discussions that go on here. 

Please note the old car in the street photograph.