New York, again

Ray Sachs

Legend
Location
Not too far from Philly
Name
you should be able to figure it out...
My daughter was finishing up her final medical school rotation in Brooklyn this last week (with graduation and the start of her residency in June) and I went up for a few days to get in my NYC fix and to make sure she had someone around to celebrate with when she finished up what has been a pretty gargantuan four year undertaking...

So the purpose of the trip wasn't photograph, but I brought some gear along and did a fair amount of shooting anyway. I was staying in a part of Brooklyn without much to shoot, but made it into Manhattan and some of Brooklyn's more interesting neighborhoods as well. Almost everything I kept was street stuff, plus a few scenics from the Brooklyn Heights promenade. I mostly ended up walking around with either the DF and a single prime (a 24 or a 35) or with just the Coolpix A. For 95% of what I shot, I could have gone with just the Coolpix A.

The most interesting thing for me were the ultra-orthodox Jews in the Borough Park area where I was staying (my daughter's hospital was just around the corner). I'm nominally Jewish myself (raised as a reformed Jew, but only hold onto a few cultural vestiges as an adult), so somewhere waaaaay back in my ancestry, these are my people. And yet, when I'm in their midst, they're as foreign/alien to me as anyone on earth could be. They remind me a lot of the Amish, who I live around, the key difference being that the Amish live and work on farms and the the ultra-orthodox are more urban creatures. And many of them, from what I can tell, spend their days and nights studying Torah. Even the little kids, while acting like any other little kid, dress and wear their hair in the traditional and mandated ways. I must say I'm aware of a connection more than I actually feel one. Here are a few from this neighborhood, which I was somewhat reticent to shoot, but I did anyway...

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NYC 2016 - DF-21-2-Edit
by Ray, on Flickr

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NYC 2016 - DF-23-Edit
by Ray, on Flickr

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NYC 2016 - DF-17-2-Edit
by Ray, on Flickr

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NYC 2016 - DF-30-2-Edit
by Ray, on Flickr

Most of the Yeshivas where these folks study and worship are carved out of little row homes in the neighborhood - no big houses of worship, just lots and LOTS of little out of the way places.

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NYC 2016 - DF-14-2-Edit
by Ray, on Flickr
 
And here are some more shots from elsewhere in the city...

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NYC 2016 - DF-146-Edit
by Ray, on Flickr

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NYC 2016 - DF-81-2-Edit
by Ray, on Flickr

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NYC 2016 - DF-117-Edit
by Ray, on Flickr

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NYC 2016 - DF-77-2-Edit
by Ray, on Flickr

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NYC 2016 - DF-141-Edit
by Ray, on Flickr

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NYC 2016 - DF-133-Edit
by Ray, on Flickr

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NYC 2016-189-Edit
by Ray, on Flickr

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NYC 2016-141-Edit
by Ray, on Flickr

Breakfast in Soho - SOOOOOO HOOOOOO GOOOOOD!!!

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NYC 2016 - DF-2-2-Edit
by Ray, on Flickr

If interested, the whole set is here:

NYC April 2016
 
Ray you captured some poignant moments. My favorite may be the 2nd one in the 2nd set; the clasped hands, the looks tell me they have a history. Also, congratulations on your getting to celebrate with your daughter. You have every right to be a proud dad!
 
For me, great pictures because it's a reflection of the time I had there. Staying in Flatbush then getting the subway on the Red line into Manhattan was as good an introduction to the area and it's people as any and your pictures really take me back.
 
Congrats to your daughter. As someone who works on the "getting into med school" side I know it's an extraordinary amount of work. Your images are your usual quality work.
 
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First of all, congrats on your daughter's achievement! I considered trying to get ito med school after completing my previous masters, but then I got a roommate who went to medschool, and seeing just how much work it was, I abandoned those plans. Really cool that your daughter made it all the way!

Secondly, some really nice photos in there, as usual. The clasped hands is a genuine moment, the asian girls with the arch in the background is a very nice composition.

Is that a fortune teller in the traditional African clothes?
 
First of all, congrats on your daughter's achievement! I considered trying to get ito med school after completing my previous masters, but then I got a roommate who went to medschool, and seeing just how much work it was, I abandoned those plans. Really cool that your daughter made it all the way!

Secondly, some really nice photos in there, as usual. The clasped hands is a genuine moment, the asian girls with the arch in the background is a very nice composition.

Is that a fortune teller in the traditional African clothes?
Yeah, watching my daughter go through the med school thing, particularly the first year and then later studying for her boards, was one of the most impressive and grueling things I've ever seen anyone go through. I worked pretty hard for many years, but not even CLOSE to that level of commitment. There were many times when she doubted herself, but she hung in there and made it through. And having shown she's got adequate or better technical skills/knowledge, I think her personality is gonna help make her a great doc. She's wanted to be one since she was about 5. So, yeah, we're enormously proud of her and happy for her.

And, yeah, I'm pretty sure that's a fortune teller in the African clothes. I don't know for certain, but it's the only thing I can figure from having seen her and seeing the stuff in the photo...

-Ray
 
Thanks for the kind words folks. I've been in a pretty serious lull recently, barely shooting at all in my day to day life. New York City is such a photographic wonderland, that I couldn't let that trip go by without doing some shooting. But I honestly wasn't feeling much enthusiasm for it. I was more just enjoying the city than spending much time thinking about photographing it. I've been a lot less active around the forum lately - I feel enough affinity for this place and the people here that I keep checking in, but I have less and less interest in gear and rarely even get inspired by the images I'm seeing or posting myself. Which says far more about where I am in my own cycle of hobby-involvement than any lack on the part of those posting fine work here. So it's nice to do a little bit of shooting and actually have something to post for a change, but it feels like a last hurrah in the midst of a serious downturn rather than any sort of re-birth.

I'll still be around, but probably more and more in the background, as I've already been. Until, hopefully, at some point, the bug bites me again and I may get really involved again. But for now, not a lot happening photographically at this end. Anyway, I appreciate the nice thoughts for what feels like this rather meager effort...

-Ray
 
Lovely sets, Ray. I'm particularly taken by the fur hats in the first set... They look really strange to me, like they are several sizes too large but perch on top of heads, nonetheless. What is it with those?
They are worn by ultra-orthodox men, but only those who have married and only on the Sabbath or on a Jewish holiday. The expensive ones, which they wear for important occasions and in dress-up situations are made from real fox tails and cost upwards of $5000 - I kid you not. They also make less expensive ones for everyday use (for example, when I was up there we were in the middle of the extended Passover holiday, so these guys were wearing these hats ALL THE TIME) that are made from some sort of synthetic material and sell for closer to $1000-1500. My daughter and I were so fascinated by them that we did a little research - 10 days ago I didn't know any more about them than you did before you read this... They also have amazing rain suits with hoods that are sized and shaped to fit over these hats - that's REALLY unusual to see walking by...

Here are a few last shots I found and processed...

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NYC 2016 - DF-67-Edit
by Ray, on Flickr

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NYC 2016-75-Edit
by Ray, on Flickr

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NYC 2016 - DF-73-Edit
by Ray, on Flickr

-Ray
 
Even if you only occasionally pop out of the background, I still enjoy reading your input Ray! And whenever you do feel like picking up the camera, you know how to make an interesting image.

I myself have decided not to buy anything too expensive in terms of camera gear, given the strong fluctuations in my desire to shoot. Maybe a new camera, particularly (ultra) wide angle, could give me a solid boost - but I'm not certain enough to justify spending the money. And I feel that I still have things to learn with the X100...
 
Even if you only occasionally pop out of the background, I still enjoy reading your input Ray! And whenever you do feel like picking up the camera, you know how to make an interesting image.

I myself have decided not to buy anything too expensive in terms of camera gear, given the strong fluctuations in my desire to shoot. Maybe a new camera, particularly (ultra) wide angle, could give me a solid boost - but I'm not certain enough to justify spending the money. And I feel that I still have things to learn with the X100...
Thanks Bart.

The only piece of new gear I'm giving some thought to is the Nikon DL 18-50 when it finally hits the shops. But that's more of a simplification / reduction than anything. I'd no doubt sell some of my lenses for the DF to pay for it - I have duplicates at a number of focal lengths. And that, maybe along with the Coolpix A or G7X, or maybe just by itself, would be a really good day to day walk around camera for me, covering my favorite focal lengths short of the portrait range. I'm definitely keeping my DF for the foreseeable future because there are times nothing else will do and I do have a variety of lenses for it that are pretty wonderful quality. When I don't carry it, I get a little frustrated by the lack of wider angle options with the Coolpix A and G7X - I probably wouldn't use 18mm much but I'd use 21 quite a lot and I expect the quality of this lens at the very wide end will be quite good given that's the emphasis of the camera and they didn't try to extend past 50 at the long end. I'll have to have a play with one first and see how much I like a few of the details with it before I commit, but if it comes close to expectations, that could be a pretty frequent companion when I do go out and want to have a camera but not one I really have to think about too much...

-Ray
 
Yes, that is the one camera that has really piqued my interest in the past half year. TZ100 would also be nice for travel, but the DL18-50 is a really unique prospect.
 
Yes, that is the one camera that has really piqued my interest in the past half year. TZ100 would also be nice for travel, but the DL18-50 is a really unique prospect.
Yeah, and especially for me, since I'm such a wide angle junkie - I LIVE at the wide end. I love portrait length lenses and on rare occasion a longer telephoto, but those are generally very specific shooting situations where I'd be happy to take my DF and a few lenses along for the purpose. But for day to day walking around, all I need is a few primes in the 21-35 range and the DL would give me all of that and a decent sensor to boot. In a camera that's not quite pocket-size, but pretty small and low impact to have available...

-Ray
 
don't go for too long Ray. Your shots speak to a lot of people here. Loud and clear!

Terrific shots here which are at odds with your feeling of ennui
 
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