Photos MDPNY is the daily online image showcase (read: photoblog) of Matthew Powell, a 31 year old art director living in Washington Heights, NYC.
The site's street photography documents daily life in and around New York City.
A little about me:
I've been fascinated by photography for basically my entire life. As a child I was amazed by the camera's magical ability of stopping time and then re-presenting it in such vivid color and detail. As an adult, I'm still amazed. Photography has given me the opportunity to appreciate, and share, otherwise overlooked details in the world around me.
Being able to stop a moment and share it almost exactly as you saw it can be an amazingly better way of communicating than with words. My mind has always worked visually, and photography acts sort of like a language. To this point, I usually have some form of camera with me at all times.
What interests you visually?
Subject wise, I enjoy street photography of city living, architecture and urban details of both growth and decay. In the past I've been a little (a lot) afraid to include people in my photographs, something that I have read is pretty common. My goal for the year is to take more photos that include people. I'm really fascinated with the connection between people and their environments, and NYC is an amazing place to observe this interaction. During certain seasons many of the people on the streets don't live here, so you are seeing them out of their environment; which makes for some real one-of-a-kind moments...and, of course, those who do live here also make for equally amazing moments.
Why photoblogging?
Gee, quite a few reasons really...here are a few:
Development and Growth. I have a strong desire to improve my skill and further develop a personal style. Taking photos has always been the easy part; capturing moments in a way that I'm really proud of is somewhat harder; and sorting and editing a mass of images down to one defining shot has by far been the hardest part. By having an online photo timeline, I hope to gain a clearer understanding of the photos I take and the environments in which I choose to take them.
The power of interactive communities. I'm amazed and inspired daily by people who share their world through images on the Internet. I don't know these people in real life, though I share a connection to their work. I also love that it's interactive, which allows for conversation and commenting; it's really interesting to see how differently people experience the same photograph.
It's the closest thing I've ever come to realizing a childhood fantasy of being able to see the whole world at one time, and in a way I think it shows that everyone in the world has a lot more in common than most mainstream media would have us believe.
Giving back. I have taken thousands of photographs since purchasing my first digital camera a few years ago, and in the years prior to that I shot a lot of film. The majority of both have never been shared with anyone. Each week I look at a lot of Photoblogs and enjoy them immensely, I've experienced many moments through others' photos. |
