Black and White Photographers Part 3

 1) When I first discovered Helen Levitt, her photos intrigued me. First, the photos were of everyday people on the streets in New York City, and they were all candids. Also, each photo was different in the best way, and had its own story behind it. People in New York city spent a lot of time outside, so the photography opportunities for Helen were great around her time. I chose these two photos because they stood out to me the most. The first photo shows two people sitting on a subway in New York City. The look on the subjects faces are very deep as they stare into each others eyes. The two people are holding hands, which indicates that they are in love, which makes the story behind the photo even greater. I chose the second photo because it was also a candid of children playing in the streets of New York. A long time ago, children had to come up with their own games and entertainment in the summer. As the children play, it gives off a feeling of youth and happiness, which is what drew me to the photo. The story behind these two photos are the most meaningful and interesting to me, and that is one main reason why I picked them.


  I see - I see people sitting on lawn chairs outside as I walk along the streets of New York City. People have set up kiddie pools on the sidewalk to cool off. I then walk by some children playing pirates on a small awning. One child struggles to clim up the wall as I stop and set my camera up.

I smell - I smell smoke from the factory a couple doors down, which causes me to cough a little. The dirty children reaked of dirt and sweat, caused by long, fun, summer days. A citrus scent wafted my way from the lemonade stand down the street. 
I hear - Dogs barking on their morning walks filled my ears. I hear the children yell, "Get off my pirate ship!" to one another. The game was followed by giggles and laughter of the children every few seconds. Adults converse in the distance about their commute to their job. 
I taste - The taste of gasoline from vehicles fills my mouth. Also, I taste the warm air fill my nose, wanting something cool. The taste of dirt from the dusty pillars touched my tongue lightly.
I feel - I feel as if I was one of them, a child without any worries in the world. The suns rays beat down on my shoulders as they turn bright red. A wave of worry comes over me as the child hangs from the awning. Snap the photo, and I feel their happiness radiate off of me. 

I see - I see the lights of the subway as we drive by each station. Two people are sitting cross from me, holding each others hands. The woman grabs the mans hand and looks at him passionately. The lights flicker on and off as the train shakes.
I smell - The smell of hotdogs fill up the subway because the person sitting next to me had one in his hand. I also smell smoke from a cigarette about 10 feet away from me. The dusty seats of the subway train give off a "dirt" smell, causing me to sneeze.
I hear - I hear the screeching of the subway against its rails, making me scared. The speaker says "You have now reached your destination" as the exit sign lights up. The man sitting across from me says, "Did you know that I love you?" to the woman who responds with "yes" and takes his hand.
I taste - I taste the smoke of a cigarette that was being smoked minutes before. I taste the feathers the feather coming off of the ladies jacket as they fall off one by one. The taste of success fills my mouth as I set my camera up to capture the two love birds.
I feel - I feel the subway quickly come to a stop, jerking me forward. I click the small button on the camera and feel it snap the picture. The couples passion for each other makes me feel warmhearted and loving. I feel satisfied as I step out of the subway with a magical picture in my camera.

3) I would like to create a poster to show the world Helen Levitt's work. Tis would include many of her pictures of street photography, and her photos with the best stories behind them. I would also include background information on how she captured such great pictures. One important thing I would like to tell everyone is that street photography was becoming more well known because of Helen Levitts's work, and her work should be acknowledged more. If you analyze her photos more, the photo becomes more meaningful and deep.