Randy Andre  


Typical Times Square NYC - Old Normal by Randy Andre

August 2020 - Typical Times Square NYC - Old Normal

About the Image(s)

Venturing into Times Square on an old-normal day was like venturing into chaos. An instant overload of sights, sounds and smells. So many people moving in so many different directions, some with destinations, some wandering, some lost, all seemingly at odds with each other yet arriving without too much calamity. Food smells, people smells, music, shouting, laughing, engagements, buses, cabs, cars, horns, all nationalities, all present and accounted for. Will it ever be the same again?

Shot 1/160sec at f/5.6 iso 320 with a 18-200mm zoom at 130mm.


This round’s discussion is now closed!
11 comments posted




Dr Isaac Vaisman   Dr Isaac Vaisman
Randy, indeed this image denotes chaos as you describe. the signs give the location. The B&W interpretation is well accomplished, but the chaos prevent me to stop at a focal point, since in every inch of the real estate something is going on. I would have labeled it Pandemonium.   Posted: 08/02/2020 08:03:59



 
Pandemonium would have been a good name. The non-focal point is classic NYC (or any big city), its that overwhelming, how does this go on day-in and day-out 24/7, 365days/year and yet everybody keeps coming back for more.   Posted: 08/02/2020 15:02:53



Gloria Sprung   Gloria Sprung
Randy… Good idea to convert to B&W. Nice camera position - perhaps from an overpass overhead. The image is almost a triptych with the two main light posts creating three vertical sections. What a mass of humanity with layers and layers of people. Definitely no social distancing taking place. Although there is no clearly defined subject, the emotional impact is one of claustrophobia. You didn't mention what year this was taken - but judging from the lack of cell phones and the clothing - I would guess perhaps the early eighties?   Posted: 08/13/2020 12:23:34
 
Hi Gloria, I took this picture in July of 2014. I was standing on the steps of Times Square by the TKTS booth. It was a very crazy scene.   Posted: 08/15/2020 18:21:05
 
Hi Gloria,

I missed your comment on the triptych nature of the composition and I missed it in my own photo. Thanks for seeing it and commenting.

  Posted: 08/19/2020 17:44:42



 
At the first look the photo immediately shows the chaos. This has certainly been successful, the use of B and W is a good approach. It is a image of the modern big city.   Posted: 08/15/2020 07:51:04



Bruce Goodman   Bruce Goodman
Wow! My first reaction was "what am I looking at?". It became very clear on a second look. I like the elevated vantage point from the TKTS steps. I was fortunate to work just above Times Square on 50th/Broadway with a view looking south down Broadway to 33rd St. but with a significant difference in elevation (42nd floor). It was too high up to appreciate the challenges at ground level which you have enhanced with the zoom lens. I generally avoided commuting through Times Sq because of the crowds --- now just miss going in to the City. Thanks for the throw back.(iPhone image from Oct 2013).   Posted: 08/18/2020 20:12:56



Stephen Levitas   Stephen Levitas
(Group 32)
Hi Randy,
Great view of Pandemonium. William Blake coined the term in his poem "Paradise Lost," and of course it is the name of the "city of all demons."
I felt something should be added, not quite as a focal point--that would defeat the pandemonium idea, which is excellent--but to enable a stronger engagement with the scene. So I would rather not say what I did in the attached version, but ask if you can notice any difference, and it you like it or not. Thanks.
By the way, I think Gloria's observation about the triptych composition is a brilliant compositional observation.
  Posted: 08/19/2020 16:44:56
Comment Image
 
Hi Stephen,
It appears, to me, that you've added Tide Laundry detergent to the photo. Forgive my humor, but the whites appear whiter and the overall photo seems cleaner. So perhaps bringing out the whites and upping the clarity? Thanks for the comments and yes Gloria's observation was spot on concerning the triptych composition observation. So much so that I completely missed it myself.   Posted: 08/19/2020 17:43:12
Stephen Levitas   Stephen Levitas
(Group 32)
Randy, I am glad it looks a bit better. I selected roughly the left 10%, the right 20%, and the bottom 25%, and applied a bit of sharpening. That's all.   Posted: 08/19/2020 17:53:47



 
I liked how the photo is showing us how our modern life is. So crowded in the streets as well as our ideas in our minds. Our cities are somehow reflecting our ideas inside us. I like how there are so many details in the photo, people, transportation, signage boards and other things. Converting to bnw is a very good idea.   Posted: 08/29/2020 07:05:41