Composers Letter
“A Routine” is a reflection on the rituals and habits we keep alive everyday through repetition. My process for creating these images was basic, I sat in my room and thought “what is the route that I’ve been traveling the most often?”, and out came a frame by frame of my walk to a local panadería. The main story seems ordinary, yet upon closer inspection, it unfolds into a hyper-localized vignette of a 10X10 block radius of Ridgewood, Queens. Moving through the images it feels as if I’ve been taking this path my entire life, but that would be impossible since I’ve only just moved into the neighborhood. I want the audience to come away with a similar feeling of false intimacy, I’d like for them to claim this routine as part of their experience, even if they never follow the same footsteps. In the process of curating which images to include and which to leave out, I challenged myself to only include photos that captured the essence of the area through a critical and aesthetic lens. It’s lamentable that we are not able to peer into the interior of our neighbor’s homes to see how they decorate, as I think that this reveals more of their character than how they decorate the exterior. However, I decided to use my temporary access in this building to show a glimpse of what goes on inside. I have adopted this space and it has presented itself to me in bright yellow and orange hues, tons of brick, and a light bar of being. I think it’s important to note what has been left out of the sequence, a school, children, construction workers, churches, synagogues, mosques, a large savings banks, and empty streets lined with townhouses. What remains is a private view from the inside looking out, a snapshot of parked train cars, businesses that have gone defunct, piñatas, cans of condensed milk, and a bakery struggling to keep dust from overtaking the merchandise. I, and hopefully the viewer, walk away with an inkling that this neighborhood used to be a prosperous manufacturing town with little space unoccupied, and is now on the downturn of things. As such, this neighborhood may be a prime location for a new wave of energy, residents, and businesses, the latest to be gentrified. When that change happens, “A Routine” will be outdated. In some ways, it already is. Previously, the images were standalone, but after some feedback, I decided to caption them in order to guide the viewer with a stronger hand.
Hi, Seth,
Good images but you need a composer’s letter (see assignment sheet for prompts) and also consider a short intro on the title page or right after, along with captions.
If you want me to review before tomorrow email me when you’ve posted your composer’s letter. –Lisa
Hi Seth!
I really enjoyed your photo essay A Routine. For me, it captured the natural beauty in simplicity and everyday life. Each of the photos were well composed and aesthetically pleasing in terms of color scheme, leading lines, and perspective. You do an excellent job of creating a cohesive timeline with your images, from waking up and gazing outside, to navigating the neighborhood, getting food, visiting local shops, etc. I look forward to your presentation and hearing what some of these images mean to you!
Great work!
-Emma