NYC Through our Eyes and our Lenses

Editor's note: The second-year Lambton College Digital Photography students are on a five-day work study visit to New York City.  Follow our daily blog about the adventure.  Each day two students will share their thoughts on the experience.  Please join us as we experience New York City.

By Oluwasegun "Bisi" Alawode and Will Larocque

Lambton Digital Photography students await the arrival
 of the shuttle bus to begin our adventure in NYC.
(Bisi Alawode / Lambton College)

As the week comes to an end and our trip to the Big Apple comes to a close, we take time to reminisce about the new memories we have created through our eyes and our lenses. The stay at the Courtyard by Marriott was truly comfortable after a long day of walking and riding the subways and Path trains.

Our journeys back and forth from Newark, NJ to NYC brought us in contact with a diversity of ethnicities and cultures. I found that all the people we came into contact with were receptive and even more welcoming when they found out we were Canadian.

A taxi drives through the colorful neon lights next to the 
Rockefellar Center near Times Square, New York. 
October 05, 2014. (Will Larocque / Lambton College)

My (Will’s) eyes were set ablaze by the colour of the neon lighting in Times Square and my taste buds feasted on the different flavours of food, including (but not limited) to Indian, Italian, seafood, and street food.

Just like the hustle and bustle of the big city, our trip seemed to go by too quickly. Next thing we knew, we were leaving the Big Apple’s skyline and returning to our homes in Canada, to hopefully someday return to build on what we have come to learn from our experience in the city, and our teachings from our professors.

A man connected to people beyond his physical environment
in the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
(Bisi Alawode / Lambton College)

In the five days and four nights we spent in New York, I (Bisi) have come to appreciate the diversity and complexity of our world through the eye of my camera. We were required to bring to bear all we have learned in a fast paced environment, which was meant to prepare us for a fast-paced world. Combining skills that have taken us months to harness in 5 seconds in a bid to get ‘that’ shot and not missing it in the crowd. Lighting, composition, foreground, background interaction, decisive moments, and contemplated moments, I believe we nailed it. We forged ahead like a resolute army, and made every moment count.

            
The journey was full of emotions both happy and sad.  We stood by each other and cared for one another: we were more than just friends. We were family. I have come to realize that this trip wasn’t just to make us better photographers, but to make us better people. One thing I know is that we shared memories money can’t buy.

Students pose for a photo illuminated by light strips on the ground in New York city. October 03, 2014. (Will Larocque / Lambton College)

A graffiti mural painted of Lady Liberty on the side of a building in China Town, New York. October 05, 2014 (Will Larocque / Lambton College) 

A violinist plays atop of a bridge in Central Park in Manhattan, New York. October 03, 2014. (Will Larocque / Lambton College)

In Central Park, a man shadow boxes during midday. Manhattan, New York. October 06, 2014. (Will Larocque / Lambton College)

A woman who is battling cancer is handing out rosaries to the public to rase awareness. Manhattan, New York October 03, 2014 (Will Larocque / Lambton College)

A man wipes his face after a long day, next to a Manhattan subway train.
(Bisi Alawode / Lambton College)

 A panoramic night view of the Brooklyn Bridge. (Bisi Alawode / Lambton College) 

 A woman shows her ability to multitask in Pier A, Hoboken, New Jersey.
(Bisi Alawode / Lambton College)

People blur through the High Line Park, near Chelsea Market New York, 
a city that never stops

(Bisi Alawode / Lambton College)

 Some of our Photography Family strike a pose in Central Park. (Bisi Alawode / Lambton College)