First day of shooting

First Steps

I started at 218th street and Indian Road, right next to Inwood Hill Park, and made my rounds. Walked up to Seaman, then Broadway, Park Terrace, Up to Broadway Bridge, etc. As I took photos I would stop various people in the street and ask them to answer the question “Why do you love living uptown?” Most of the responses that I got was about spring time and the parks. I think this was because I was still around the park and most of the people outside were walking their dogs or pushing a stroller around. I realized that noon is dog walking time. I’ve never seen more dogs outside at the same time. Inwood was also going through a sort of make over. There were crews of men chainsawing branches all over Inwood Park and Isham Park. A bunch of residue landed on my coat, it looked like it I had the worst case of dandruff of all time. 

Human Interaction

The people I met yesterday were so friendly. There was not one person who didn’t want to participate in the project. I met people who have lived here all their lives to people who only have been here a few years. My favorite interaction was one woman, Sarah, who I actually met before at Mike Fitelson’s Northern Manhattan As Muse exhibit at NoMAA, who told me that she loves so many things about living in Inwood that it is impossible to narrow it down in one paper. She was walking two kids for her friends and these kids were funny and adorable. One of them got to write on one frame and his favorite thing about living uptown is “Baseball.” The funniest thing was that he misspelled his name. I really enjoyed talking to all these people, but I realized that it slowed me down. I walked around for about 3 hours, and I didn’t make it passed Isham street, mainly due to the fact that I had a meeting. This made me realize something though, this is MUCH harder than I thought it would be. 

Looking For Inspiration Around The Corner

My initial idea for this project came to me when I was walking home along Broadway and noticed that there was so many great things to look at all over Uptown. I decided then, that I will eventually take pictures of every intersection in Washington Heights and Inwood. Little did I know that it would not be that easy to find great things to look at on EVERY block. Not to say that all the streets aren’t beautiful in a way, it is just not that easy to find it knowing that I have hundreds more to go in a limited time. I found some great things to look at, like the entrance to Baker Field, Graffiti on 10th ave and 215th street, and beautiful houses along Park Terrace East and West. Other blocks were harder to be inspired by, but I believe I did the best I could with them, let’s hope you guys like em too! 

Heightened Security

As well all know, after 9-11 security has been beefed up on all things city and federal related, so taking pictured of the MTA and Santation locations around 9th avenue and 216 street was not as simple as one may thing it would be. After almost finishing every block around that area, I was approached by two men who seemed to be in charge, and was asked why I was taking photographs of the bus depots and other buildings. I told them about this project and even showed them the pages of intersections to prove to them that I was serious about this project. I gave them my card, had a little chat about security and exaggerations, and I was on my merry way. For those that don’t know btw, that area is pretty awesome to photograph. Trucks, buses, high smoke stacks, there are so many cool things to see there. I was told that anytime I would be photographing things like it that I should expect security to come up to me and/or cops to stop me. Ah well, I think it’s worth it!

Another Stroll Through Inwood Hill Park

I had a meeting with Led Black and he decided to make me walk as I ate my patacon up the not so easy to walk hills inside the forest area in the park. As funny as it was that I was getting a work out while I ate, it was totally worth it to see this amazing art work done by apparently a Chinese man who just loved doing things like that. He used natural park resources to create amazing curves along the ground forming ying and yang figures and S curves along some small trees. If you have time, just walk up the hills that begin where the dog park is in the park, on the left side, and stick to your right. They’re amazing! I don’t know where the rest are but I will definitely be looking for them. 

HOPE TO SEE YOU ON MY WALKS!

Thanks for reading.

-Dj Boy

The frames are here! Ok, so you may think “well, wouldn’t you want to get frames AFTER all the photos are taken?” Yes, under normal circumstances, BUT, there is something extra that I am implementing in this project. I don’t know what to call it, but basically it goes like this. I am going to attempt to have every single frame (417 or so) have local residents’ thoughts on why they love living uptown. The first one so far that was filled up cannot have been done by a better person. It was my mom! She love’s living in Washington Heights because “it’s like being in a family with all our neighbors,” amongst other things. I have these frames at Word Up Books as of today. If you live in between 155th st and 225th st, any avenue, you can pick one and fill it out and just place it in the box where they are set now. Invite whoever you want to fill it out. Please just write on the frame area, not the inside or the back, since no one would see that. Format “I love living up here because the trains are so close to my house - Dj Boy”
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The frames are here!

Ok, so you may think “well, wouldn’t you want to get frames AFTER all the photos are taken?” Yes, under normal circumstances, BUT, there is something extra that I am implementing in this project. I don’t know what to call it, but basically it goes like this. I am going to attempt to have every single frame (417 or so) have local residents’ thoughts on why they love living uptown. The first one so far that was filled up cannot have been done by a better person. It was my mom! She love’s living in Washington Heights because “it’s like being in a family with all our neighbors,” amongst other things.

I have these frames at Word Up Books as of today. If you live in between 155th st and 225th st, any avenue, you can pick one and fill it out and just place it in the box where they are set now. Invite whoever you want to fill it out. Please just write on the frame area, not the inside or the back, since no one would see that.

Format

“I love living up here because the trains are so close to my house - Dj Boy”

Observe The Heights - An Intro

What’s up ladies and gentlemen.

    Here’s the deal. This blog has been set up to show my progress through my project, Observe The Heights. Observe The Heights, or O.T.H. I will call it for the rest of this post, is a photography project that will take place all over Washington Heights/Inwood Manhattan. The physical prints and artwork is being made possible by a grant I got in January from NoMAA. It is the first grant I have ever received and I am excited as hell to show you guys that I do appreciate all the love I have gotten from you. Everyone can be involved in this project in a way, more on that coming soon.

    Now, what is O.T.H? Short story. I always walk around the heights and enjoy the beauty that comes out of every corner, every sunset, sunrise, people, traffic, etc, so I came up with an idea to capture as much of the heights as possible, for now at least. I will be taking pictures at every intersection, or block, of uptown Manhattan starting at the tip, Marble Hill, and working my way down to 155th street.

    I will be updating every time I go out on a picture run so keep your eye out for that. I already began the process but will actually restart due to a creative change. Thanks for reading, hope to see you all out there!