Such a unique study in geometry and staircases Marcelo! You have mastered that sheen I attempt to have as a result of my b&w workflow. Everything is so crisp here! Lines are very sharply defined!
Processing is masterful.
Dan
What a great idea for a photo series, and you handled it beautifully. The angles lend themselves to some fine compositions and you used them perfectly.
Brent
SOHO! in another life a long time ago I worked for artists that lived on Bleeker and I had a studio exchange down on Debrosses. I walked through these streets all the time and still miss them…
Very interesting mix - but I find the 4th one special - with its concentration on the geometric abstraction without the dilution/distraction of the general environment there - tho' I am sure others will appreciate the broader views.
taildraggin wrote:
Lived in Soho a couple years. Fun to find the cast foundry marks on the buildings, most were made in Manhattan mid-19th century.
Ephemeral NY - Foundaries that built SoHo.
Thanks for the "backstory" Steven! That provides more context to the compositions and makes them so much more unique!
Here in Mary-land, many of the real old buildings have the "fire mark" embedded into the front of the building/home.
Need to make a study of these rare and unique finds!
Dan
Danpbphoto wrote:
Such a unique study in geometry and staircases Marcelo! You have mastered that sheen I attempt to have as a result of my b&w workflow. Everything is so crisp here! Lines are very sharply defined!
Processing is masterful.
Dan
Thank you very much Dan for the comment and kind words. I was using a very old Nikon AIs lens and I am very surprised of the sharpness of it.
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bnfotografie wrote:
What a great idea for a photo series, and you handled it beautifully. The angles lend themselves to some fine compositions and you used them perfectly.
Brent
Thank you Brent for the feedback, I found it very challenging to compose with so many disttactions and modern elements mixed with the old structures.
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chad hites wrote:
Very cool set and perfect use of black and white!
Thank you Chad.
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newyork wrote:
Really excellent series
Thank you Rich.
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bmike-vt wrote:
SOHO! in another life a long time ago I worked for artists that lived on Bleeker and I had a studio exchange down on Debrosses. I walked through these streets all the time and still miss them…
Nice set!
I am glad the pictures brought great memories of your time in NYC. My 1st job also was for an artist on Broome St.
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taildraggin wrote:
Lived in Soho a couple years. Fun to find the cast foundry marks on the buildings, most were made in Manhattan mid-19th century.
My wife was born and raised in Soho, and her family still lives there. Thank you for the link, I had often noticed the cast foundry plates but had no idea what they meant.
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krug wrote:
Very interesting mix - but I find the 4th one special - with its concentration on the geometric abstraction without the dilution/distraction of the general environment there - tho' I am sure others will appreciate the broader views.
Thank you for the feedback, that one is my favorite because the same reasons you stated.
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taildraggin wrote:
The modern Jenga building in the 1st is a great contrast, too.
I am now interested on these plates, I will walk this week looking for it.
Elevators (Otis) ended the cast iron building age. You could build higher than the 6 story walkup's practical limit, but taller meant the next new tech, internal steel beam construction. When elevators were later grafted into these old warehouses, they were usually placed on the edge of the building next to the huge windows. When FDNY broke through the window to fight a fire off the ladder, they would fall down the elevator shaft. So, if you ever you wonder why a vertical line of windows has, "SHAFT" painted on it...
My Mom doesn't know where "Soho" is - it didn't exist in her day. She's 97 and worked for IBM in the '50s, living in Murray Hill (midtown). She married Dad and they eventually moved to the 'burbs. "Madmen" captures the time perfectly.
I have to explain to her that Soho is below Greenwich Village, by Little Italy (which is pretty much reduced to a single street today). Can't mention "West" and "East" Village, Tribeca, Nolita, NoHo, NoMad, FiDi, etc, either. Terms that didn't exist.
probishaw wrote:
Superior example of subject selection, composition, exposure and tone, Marcelo. These should all be at the top of the page.
Beautifully done!
Thank you so much for the kind words, I really appreciate it.
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taildraggin wrote:
Elevators (Otis) ended the cast iron building age. You could build higher than the 6 story walkup's practical limit, but taller meant the next new tech, internal steel beam construction. When elevators were later grafted into these old warehouses, they were usually placed on the edge of the building next to the huge windows. When FDNY broke through the window to fight a fire off the ladder, they would fall down the elevator shaft. So, if you ever you wonder why a vertical line of windows has, "SHAFT" painted on it...
My Mom doesn't know where "Soho" is - it didn't exist in her day. She's 97 and worked for IBM in the '50s, living in Murray Hill (midtown). She married Dad and they eventually moved to the 'burbs. "Madmen" captures the time perfectly.
I have to explain to her that Soho is below Greenwich Village, by Little Italy (which is pretty much reduced to a single street today). Can't mention "West" and "East" Village, Tribeca, Nolita, NoHo, NoMad, FiDi, etc, either. Terms that didn't exist.
Nice facts about the elevators, I know the first building that used a modern elevator in NYC was in Soho on the corner of West Broadway and Broome. Doing a google search I found the following:
The first building in NYC to use a modern passenger elevator was the E.V. Haughwout Building (488 Broadway, SoHo), where Elisha Otis installed his first commercial safety elevator on March 23, 1857, revolutionizing vertical transport and paving the way for skyscrapers.
This cast-iron department store used a hydraulic lift with Otis's famous safety device, allowing safe movement for customers up to the fifth floor.
Key Details:
Building: E.V. Haughwout Building, a cast-iron commercial building.
Location: 488 Broadway (corner of Broome Street) in SoHo.
Date: March 23, 1857.
Inventor: Elisha Otis.
Significance: The safety mechanism prevented falls, making elevators practical and safe for passengers, a crucial step for tall buildings.
Pino's stakes and Raffettos pesto sauce are amazing.
