New York City. Dirty. Exciting. Harsh. Fast. Cold (even in the Summer) I love it that way. It’s an artist’s playground. With so much going on inspiration is bound to hit you. But if I compare the City to a body, the towering buildings, bustling streets and the neon  lights are all surface attractions, skin. And it is the skin that tourists are most attracted to. I guess you can call me a tourist too. But living so close to NYC allows me to dig deeper, traverse into the veins, climb bones and smell the sweat of the world’s most famous metropolis. For me the biggest attraction is the subway…

There is always something new to be seen. What amazes me most about the subway is its connecting factor.

Not just taking people from one place to the next, but the different types of people you can see at once.

Rich, poor, businessmen, housewives and students. One train could represent 10 countries, maybe more. All of whom are squished together for the next few stops as they temporarily share a journey.

Everyone has a place to go. I like to imagine everyone’s story as to why they are in the subway at that exact moment. I always think back to those scenes in movies where the train is stuck in the tunnels. I wonder how the personalities would mesh.

As the passengers settle into their seats and standing spaces, a quietness settles over the subway car. Faces stare blankly, carefully avoiding the eyes of each other. The subway seems like a pause in time, where everyone reflects on their busy lives above the ground.

I imagine their minds speeding just as fast as the train they sit in.

A subway ride can prove to be a moment of solace if you can ignore the screech of the tracks below, which over time becomes a whisper to the trained New York ear.

The subway is a culture all on its own. Though it is reminiscent of what can be seen above, it has an exotic flavor that’s sharp on the sensory palate.

Every once in a while you can find a smile…

but it is rare. In these moments of travel we can finally catch our breath, but we know eventually we have to return to the hustle and bustle of city life. At least there is time to process our thoughts, even if only for a moment.

Lately, I’ve been driving into the city which usually takes 20 minutes without traffic. I miss taking the subway, even if my trip into the city takes two hours, it gives me time to read, think and people watch. To me that is time well spent. The skin is nice, but give me flesh and bones any day. I’m an underground tourist.

I love being a journalist.

Meeting strangers, getting to know them and coming out with more then when I first started. Rinse. Wash. Repeat. It can never get old. Whether it’s writing, photographing or videotaping, I’m there. Capturing personalities and sharing their life experiences with the world. That is what I am here to do:

Westchester County budget 2011 proposal public hearing:

This was one of my assignments for The Journal News (NY) where I work as a visual specialist. I mostly do work in video, but I got a chance to cover this hearing with stills. Video would have really drove the story home, but I did what I could…

Westchester County Board of Legislators hosts a public hearing on the proposed 2011 budget submitted by County Executive Robert Astorino. It included many cuts to social programs including childcare and after school programs, Pleasantville High School, Pleasantville, NY Nov 23, 2010 ( Melissa Elian / The Journal News )

Many of the crowd members brought signs to voice their concerns.

From left, Julia Sigua and her children Christian and Erika Sigura hold up a sign in protest of the proposed budget cuts surrounding childcare services provided by the county. Sigua depends on the daycare centers to watch her children so she can provide for her family.

Many of the crowd members lined up and spoke on behalf of the daycare centers and children’s centers across the area that they depend public funds to provide social services for local families.

Christian Sigua is held as his mother explains in Spanish to a translator how she depends on the services provided by daycare centers that enable her to provide for her family. His mother testifies in front of the Westchester County Board of Legislators.

The last image is my favorite. I almost didn’t take it. The others came out blurry and after this moment passed, he turned back to his mother, never to look at me again. Coincidentally, this is the image that brings the message home to me. This is the child whose future remains at the hands of the adults in the background. At the end of all the talks and proposals, the most important person is the child, around which this debate centers. He has no voice he just takes what is given. He remains innocent in our crazy world at least until he is old enough to participate in the madness. That is what I think of when I see this picture and when I look into his eyes. He is curious. His eyes wander. Maybe he is scared…

Photography for me is less about the beauty of the image itself and more about the beauty of the people captured. It is the connection between the subject and the viewer and it drives me to capture more fleeting moments in times such as these. I will continue.

I will succeed.

Peace,

Bunni (^_^)