Some of you reading this may have seen my social media photo stream, lately showing images from my recent trip to New York.
Although I stayed for just over 48 hours, all my free time was spent walking, armed with my cameras, chasing the light and colours. This is quite usual as I travel to new and old destinations, but somehow, it felt different, like I was looking for something that should already be there. At the time I just couldn’t find what it was, I was somehow less free in my way of seeing. Frankly, I was frustrated!
It wasn’t until 2 days ago that it all came to me.
Someone commented about the editing of the photos being different, the colours particularly. Yes, I had noticed when processing the photos the recurrent yellows and reds, and that was the starting point of my slightly different editing.
Still, at that point I didn’t know why. And then the “Radio City” sign made the connection. I remembered my first trip to NY, 20 years ago, for the “Millenium” celebrations, December 1999. I was shooting film back then, slides. And that “Radio City” red sign was in these photos.
It’s been 20 years since I have used my favourite slide film, Kodak’s Ektachrome. And I now realise, looking at the photos from NY 20 years ago, how I miss it, and how it still influences my seeing. What you see below are my photos from 1999, grainy and all!
By the way, my then wife to be was already standing on street corners, waiting for me to get the shot… 20 years of patience with a slow walking photo head!
NEW YORK, December 29th, 1999
Geoffroy Schied 