New York Shadow: Behind the Scenes

By profession, I am a biomedical engineer with many years of experience overseeing the application of medical technology in New York City hospitals. By desire, I am a photographer with many more years experience than working in my profession. I am an amateur in the classic sense; I photograph what I care about. I was born in New York City (Doctor’s Hospital, now a luxury condominium), and have lived and worked in and around NYC all my life. My education in photography began about age 17, and took place in a small darkroom, a closet under the stairs leading to the basement of the house I grew up in. Eventually, my darkroom had two enlargers, one for medium format, and I could produce both color and black-and-white images. Now, like most, I use a digital camera, scanner, and printer. Not better, just different. I’ve never been a high-tech enthusiast, although I have studied aspects of Weston’s and Adams’ zone system. My favorite cameras were the Nikkormat 35mm and the inexpensive, early point-and-shoot cameras, like a Brownie with 127 film. And now - simple, inexpensive, point-and-shoot cameras. Different technologies offer different ways of feeling about the process of photographing: SLR with film - careful, exacting; Brownie with film and viewfinder - playful; rear display digital point and shoot - casual, careless. New York Shadow: Behind The Scenes, is 8 series of photographs, totaling 173. Each chapter is a story about New York City, and of course, the experience of the person taking the pictures. I could be called an accidental photographer because I never thought about becoming a professional, though by the mountains of prints and boxes of negatives I have, I am a photographer. Sometimes were are what we least expect.