Well... where to start?! Yes, it has been a while... a drastically long period of time that feels like I may as well be starting from the very beginning in the land of blogging! Why? In all honesty, life has gone by in a New York minute – a phrase I never truly understood until I got a job and joined the world of functioning New Yorkers… although I wouldn't really say I was functioning at first.
I found myself with two part time jobs that, for many reasons, weren't compatible and made me pretty unhappy. And didn't the people I love reeeeeaaalllly hear about it?! It took a couple of months for me to realise how much each and every conversation I had was tainted with my constant complaining and it took me even longer to do something about it.
I reasoned with myself that it was OK, everyone goes through periods in their professional life that make them unhappy. Surely I should just be grateful that I have two great opportunities to work in NYC, the capital of theatre?. In hindsight, I can't believe it took so many people (you know who you are, you wonderful bunch!) to convince me that it wasn't OK and actually it was all right to want to change the situation. Frustratingly, I had been allowing myself to be a tad miserable; I was accepting my circumstances and ignoring the many opportunities that the American Dream™ had to offer.
I needed some intense coaching on how to quit TWO jobs at the same time... resulting in two fairly emotional situations, one beyond furious and the other wonderfully supportive and understanding – outcomes that convinced me that my decision to move on was the right one.
Now I am very comfortably on the other side of the coin and loving the opportunity to indulge in the things I love. In the last 3 months, since I started my new job, I have: picked up my camera multiple times (mainly portrait photography); seen some fabulous theater (I attended a Shakespeare in the Park opening night performance and afterparty, and was also invited to two awesome workshops for original musicals, one of which was Pretty Woman!); started writing again; started reading again; managed to be present in social situations without continuous whinging (I'm sure everyone is thrilled with that one); and, most importantly, fully appreciated living in NYC. I think I’m now seeing the city in the same way Ted always has, and am on board with the love for it.
Now that I have explained (perhaps over-explained) my absence I shall get to the main point of this blog... the photography.
I'm kicking this series back off with Vantage Point (have we done a similar theme before?)
I love being on a rooftop in New York. It's incredible how you can find peace and quiet above a city that is hustling all the time, and looking down at all the matchbox buildings offers a perspective that simultaneously calms me and slightly terrifies me. When you're in amongst the city life it is so easy to get swept up in the routine and to forget that you are one in literal millions; the vantage point of the roofs re-calibrates your day to day problems,helping you to realise that for each window there is another person with their own difficulties and struggles.
I had to dig into the archives for this image as, over the last 8 months of absence, I've been focusing on portrait photography a lot. At the moment I feel more inspired by portrait photography, so I think I need to get out into the city and walk about more. With a 10-6 job, it's so easy to fall into a rut and forget to get out and explore, so that is my aim for the next couple of weeks – I'm going to reawaken my enjoyment of wandering around this city.
It's good to be back, happy snapping!
Love,
New York.