We’re back, and in LIC

Sooooo it’s been awhile.  I know, not cool. Our apologies.  But let’s forget all that and just get right down to the goods of our most recent shoot in Long Island City! 

Two weeks ago we took the train to Queens to visit a site we had long wanted to shoot, 5 Pointz in LIC.  5 Pointz is a giant, ever-evolving outdoor exhibit for graffiti artists, as well as a haven for NYC photographers.  The owner currently rents the interior of the building as studios and work spaces for various local artists, and allows graffiti artists from around the world to continue to decorate the exterior during the day, out in the open, every weekend. 

Upon hearing talk that 5 Pointz may be torn down to make room for some new high-rise buildings, we decided to finally make the trip.  We weren’t disappointed.  After getting lost wandering 5 Pointz, we enjoyed the rest of the day checking out the other sites of LIC, from the Pepsi sign and view of Manhattan, to local pubs and some excellent beer (check out Sawtooth Ale, yuum).

 Check out more pictures from 5 Pointz and our day in LIC at the website, www.bkg1853.com 

ZombieLand

Hurricane Katrina caused catastrophic damage to the city of New Orleans on August 29, 2005, and the rebuilding effort is an ongoing process.  A unique example of this fact is in the now deserted & destroyed compound of Six Flags New Orleans.  The park is located in a low-lying area of East New Orleans, and so was extremely affected by the flooding caused by the hurricane and the ensuing loss of the levees.  The neighborhood residents view the park as an eyesore and accident waiting to happen, as teenagers enter the park and climb on shit (an understandable problem for the adults but an understandable temptation for the kids as well).  During Katrina, the park’s drainage system failed and the water was not subsequently drained from the park for over a month.  A majority of the rides were ruined, and all the debris and equipment that could not be utilized in another franchise park was ultimately left behind.  While I fully understand the annoyance of the residents to this rotting reminder of the damage inflicted on the city, this very negligence also enabled us to step over that broken fence and photograph the abandoned park over 6 years later…

Please enjoy our tour (and check out more pics at http://www.bgk1853.com/) of the graffiti-artist playground that is Six Flags New Orleans 2011.          

Spreading the photog love to the kiddies of the boogie down Bronx…

Two fabulous friends of ours started a non-profit with the goal of ending digital inequality in the underserved communities of NYC.  Started from a Bed-Stuy apartment and the community of Lafayette Gardens in 2007, IgotITtoo now works with numerous agencies and communities throughout the city.  This fully volunteer-based organization doesn’t just teach computer literacy courses, but work to build on the inherent strengths and values embodied by each individual community. 

So anyway, when our bud asked that we come out and teach an “Intro to Street Photography” class with the kids of Morris Heights in the Bronx, we happily accepted.  The community had recently suffered the loss of several youth to street violence, and a rally was being held later in the week in order to draw attention to the increasing violence in the area.  The rally was organized by an amazing woman, Ms. Cathy, that we had the pleasure of meeting during our time in the Bronx.  A great woman, doing great things for her community.

The kids were AMAZING.  Such pure joy and tremendous talent running around the neighborhood, snapping at everything!  The beauty was that these were people, places, and things they had passed numerous times before, but that were now being looked at in a different way, being really seen.  After spending about an hour shooting in the community, we headed back to the community center, where Ms. Cathy had graciously loaded photo editing software on all the center’s computers so that the kids could each edit their favorite picture of the day.

Check out the great stuff going on at http://www.igotittoo.org/.  Or even better, learn how you can become a volunteer with this amazing organization!  There are lots of ways to share the love, from teaching a class to donating old computer equipment or showing up for a “tech day” to donate your IT skills!  So hit them up, and tell Clare we say what up…       

A Rainy Afternoon in the NY Public Library

There is nothing worse than anxiously awaiting the weekend, only to find that the weather is overcast, rainy, and gloomy.  While an overcast day can definitely make for some amazing photography, a rainy day doesn’t; well, not if your plan for the day is a fantastic shoot outside in the wonderful world of NYC.  I had learned this lesson the hard way too many times, and so I began to keep a running list of amazing places I wanted to shoot, all of which were inside and screaming “come see me on a rainy nasty day!”

One of the top places on my list was the New York Public Library (NYPL), the oldest library in our country and considered one of the top five research libraries to date.  The NYPL is gorgeous.  It serves as part library and part museum; part nerd hangout and part tourist attraction; part functional space and part historical landmark.  It is all these things at the same time, which is what makes it a truly amazing place.

There was another major thing drawing me to the library…my obsession with card catalogs.  I love them, don’t know why but I have an intense fascination with them, and even dream of owning one someday to keep in my home (I know, it’s odd).  Perhaps it’s the nostalgic aspect of remembering the days flipping through the catalog before racing off to locate a book.  Or perhaps it’s related to my love of all things “old” and vintage, to which category a card catalog certainly applies these days.  Either way, I couldn’t wait to find one, and I thought it would be easy—I mean, it’s a library.  And while all things are online these days, I expect a library to keep one, at least one, just for old time’s sake.  It took a solid 45 min of exploring but find one I did! Well, technically Austin did, but whose counting.  I guess on the positive side, the lack of numerous card catalogs in a library as huge and old as the NYPL is a good sign that my dream of having my own may not be that hard to accomplish after all.

Greenwood Cemetery, a pleasant day

Austin and I passed this massive and gorgeous cemetery thousands of times before finally making the plunge and taking an impromptu BKG day at Greenwood!  As there was no attendant at the gate, we passed go without getting a map and quickly realized what a bad idea that was.  It is amazingly easy to lose all sense of direction once wandering through a maze of tombstones, trees, and mausoleum-style resting places. 

There was no method to our walking, just turning corners and climbing hills when something new caught our eye.  Therefore, it should not have been surprising when we realized we had no clue where we had actually come in.  But, hey, that’s the best part of exploring a new place—so much more is found when you are lost.  At times we would pass a dozen graves huddled together in rows, and minutes later stumble upon an isolated monument perched alone at the top of a hill.  It’s always strangely pleasant to be in one of these enormous tree-shaded areas plopped throughout our concrete city.  

Eventually we found our way back to the gate from which we entered.  When we had first arrived, it appeared the cemetery was preparing for a funeral as numerous cars and people in black clothing were loitering outside the only large building on the premises, tell-tale signs.  Now, when we resurfaced by the gate, the cars and people were gone but the chimney was burning…a lot.  We hadn’t been lost for long enough that a fire-breathing chimney seemed appropriate.

As it appeared there was a nice view of the Manhattan skyline in the distance, we walked around the back of the burning building only to find a dumpster filled with the discarded and forgotten flowers that loved ones had purchased for the recently deceased.  It was somehow sad and beautiful at the same time.  So, we admired the skyline view, checked out the fancy little Greenwood trolley, took some pics of the dumpster, and then started the journey to find our way home.        

Loosies, nutcrackers, and shooting the freak...the sweet joys of the former Coney Island

Ahhhh a sunny day in Coney Island...there is not a person in my family who can't recall a fond memory from their youth spent in this favorite Brooklyn locale.  There was a time in the not so distant past when one could not help but wander down the nail-ridden boardwalk to the sound of a call to grab a hot dog, pop into the freak show, and of course, practice your aim with a family-friendly game of shoot the freak.  When we heard about the destruction taking place in our favorite summer haunt, the CI beach and boardwalk, Austin and I headed over on a gloomy Fall day in 2009 to document the demolition of a Brooklyn icon.

As we wandered around the mass of fallen plywood and forgotten furniture, we had many concerns for what would come of the future Coney Island.  Would the true nature of CI be taken away by the dreams of a "Brooklyn Disneyland" that the city hoped for?  Would the local owners who have spent their lives in these boardwalk shops and bars be booted out, only to make room for the "classy" franchises that wished to move in?  Could we still rely on buying a loosie and a nutcracker while sunning in the sand on a hot July day??  We sure hoped so...

While the Shoot the Freak stand no longer exists, and while new rides and shops have definitely entered, all is not lost.  I recently spent a beautiful Saturday on the CI beach, and I honestly had a great time.  My heart will always go out to any families that made the boardwalk their living, only to be pushed out by ever-increasing rent prices. But while things have changed, things have stayed the same too.  The kiddie rides continue to circle the park to the sweet sounds of hip-hop, and that was refreshing to see, and hear.  The usual suspects of characters were omnipresent, and I had the expected joy of explaining to my nephew how a member of the CI freak show "was born that way" (which is not entirely true) and why he should not stare.  A random fight broke out on the sand, with umbrellas as weapons and all.  Yet, as always, I walk away with the memory of a good time. 

And, lucky for us, loosies and nutcrackers are most certainly still for sale....

Allow me to (re)introduce myself...



The king, Tyson, and his little minion/sister, Cameron



Hello blogging community!  My name is Liz and together with my husband Austin, we created the graphic design & photography company BKG1853.  We reside in Brooklyn, NY and while we love documenting our wonderful city, traveling is right up our alley too.  We live in 550 square feet with our two dogs, Tyson and Cameron, and love every minute of it.    

I have started this blog as out an outlet to share our pictures and preserve the stories and memories they represent, but also as a way to share the inner workings of our lives.  Some days may correspond to our creative endeavors, like pictures taken while BKG’ing (yes, it’s a verb, meaning to capture, create, shoot, document) a neighborhood of Brooklyn, or a new design that Austin is putting together.  I want to share the places we have been and those we are going, and ultimately this blog is about anything and everything we love.  Urban landscapes and vintage frames, cooking new foods and learning new crafts...these are a few of my favorite things. 

I’ve always felt that a picture can tell a thousand words, but I likewise believe that a few well-chosen words can relay a whole picture.  I hope that you are attracted to the images displayed, can relate to the words written, and share your thoughts with us as frequently as possible!

Cheers, and welcome to the life, and lens, of BKG1853!