Sunday Fun-day: Ocean Beach, Lands End, Sutro Baths

Garry Winogrand Convinced Me That Summer is Better in Black and White

In need of some culture, I forced myself to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art last weekend to see the Charles James costume exhibit and the Garry Winogrand retrospective. Both were equally inspiring, exceeded my expectations and definitely worth leaving Brooklyn for. I was particularly inspired by photographer Garry Winogrand and his black and white portraits of America, so much that I ended up shelling out money for the 463-page exhibition catalog. I took a black and white photography course back in high school and his photographs made me nostalgic for the full process of shooting black and white film with an SLR (notice the missing "D"!), developing the film, creating proofs and enlarging the photos in a dark room. I now take photos recreationally with my DSLR and seeing the beautiful grain and soft lighting in Winogrand's photographs inspired me to take another look at my photos from this summer--this time in black and white:

Locations, top to bottom: Children's Museum in London, Donau Kanal in Vienna, Jalpa's birthday surprise, Alfresco dinner in Williamsburg, Ai Wei Wei exhibit at Brooklyn Museum, Streets of Bushwick, Rockaway Beach, Streets of Portland, Portland, View of Manhattan from my roof, Charles James at the MET, and Terrace on the Park in Queens.

These TomorrowWorld Pics Cost Me $25

1 disposable camera ($12) + developing the disposable camera ($13) = 20 discernible photos (priceless)

There's something so satisfying about disposable cameras. That click! sound after you take a photo and the winding of the film until its taut. The need to ration your 27-shot camera across the course of 3 days, limiting you to roughly a photo an hour. But nothing beats the anticipation of receiving your photos weeks later in those paper envelopes, only to find out a third of your photos are just all-black because you didn't understand or forgot how to use the manual flash. Nostalgia is what the soft grainy quality of my glossy 4x6 photos feels like, and the imperfections of my TomorrowWorld photos is something no Instagram filter can replicate.

Independence Weekend in Upstate NY

While the rest of New York City flocked to the Hamptons, Montauk or the West Side Highway for July Fourth weekend, myself and a few friends drove two hours north to get some much need R&R and, more importantly, a pool. This was the first time I left the city for July Fourth, and it turns out a few other firsts, such as my first time to Woodstock and Levon Helm's studio for the Midnight Ramble, my first time picking (and eating) fresh raspberries and my first time having a hammock snap off a pole as I'm laying peacefully in it.

In a short two days, I learned a few lessons: 1) Supermarkets are far in upstate New York, 2) Mountain Brauhaus' Shnitzel Jager with spaetzel makes great late night food, 3) Farm fresh eggs in Upstate New York are amazing--no really-- and 4) Don't forget bug spray, because we did.

It was nice to get out of the city and explore upstate. It reminded me to get out of Brooklyn more often, maybe even venture above 14th street... thanks again to Hannah and Noah for planning!