As seen on Times Square during the summer of 2019. Digital photography and Photoshop.
Edwin Roman’s recent book of photography, Brooklyn: Black and White, is now available. All proceeds will be donated to American Kidney Fund.
Yesterday, on July 30, 2021, I visited The Met. I primarily went to see the Alice Neel: People Come First exhibition (another blog entry to follow). Of course, I brought my camera. From the moment I got off the train at Penn Station, I found myself pointing my camera upward. After the museum, I wandered around Central Park and Manhattan. It was the first time I had wandered around Manhattan since the summer of 2019. While I was cognizant of the gentrifying construction horrors on what is now being called “billionaire’s row”, it was still a shock to see how much of the skyline had changed—and not for the better. I prefer the skyline when Essex House was what dominated the southwestern side of Central Park.
I hope you enjoy this photo essay. Let me know in the comments below what you think.
The featured image of this blog entry was taken on the eve of Trump’s inauguration during the New York City protest around Columbus Circle. I had gone there to participate and document. I didn’t stay as long as I had intended because in the midst of it, I got a call from my sister telling me that my uncle had passed away. Until I started working on this entry, I had never looked at the photographs from that day.
The individual in the featured photograph had the absolute gall to show up wearing a (made in China) maga hat (someone had asked him to remove it so they could inspect the label). I can’t begin to convey the vitriol he encountered, which was absolutely deserved. I watched him for a while and my favorite exchange was with a woman who conveyed that based solely on his appearance, he would be thrown over Trump’s border wall. She noted that most of his supporters would only ever see him as a terrorist or criminal. She completely shut him down and I managed to capture that moment. Ultimately, I thought he did this as a stunt; a way to garner attention and trend online to get his fifteen minutes. He was recording all of this exchanges on his phone.
It has been a long year and I have done my best to do things that counter the limited mindset of Trump and his supporters. I continue to volunteer, engage in activism and create art. With regards to photography, I largely engage in it during the warm months. I consider myself to be a street photographer and hate working with my camera while wearing gloves. This year, I found myself inspired to try and capture the beautiful diversity of New York City.
It is with great pride that I present to you my favorite pictures of 2017.
People watching at the Queens Museum. Summer 2016. View in greater detail here.
Recently, I had a conversation with a friend about photography and experiencing the moment. I mentioned that when I visited San Diego in 2014, I went whale watching and did not take a single photograph. I did take photographs around San Diego, but wanted to experience the whales without distraction — it was something I always wanted to do, see whales on the Pacific. In this conversation, I also noted that I regretted being so restrained with my film camera in the 1980’s and 1990’s (stemming from the fact that I did not have much money to spare) because there are places in New York City I would have loved to have captured during that time, not unlike the way in which one of my favorite living street photographers, Matt Weber, did. While I may not have photographs, I remember these places as they once existed and carry them in my heart like the whales of San Diego. Still, I would have loved to share them with the world today. Interestingly, sometimes, I’ll see a photograph by Weber and think, “Wow, I could have easily been in that shot.” Or, “I wish I had taken that shot.” Painfully, the photographs that I did take were lost during a move.
Now I have a digital camera and am significantly less judicious about turning my shutter loose. I have decided that to make the distinction between photography and experiencing the moment, I will capture the life and scenes from everyday life. There is a New York that is being lost and it should be captured. In the spirit of everyday New York City life, I present to you some rainy day pictures of my beloved home town.
Do Not Enter. 2012.
Commuters and Bagels. 2016.
The Wet QMT. 2016.
Artful Rain. 2015.
Queensborough Storm. 2012.
Wet and Naked Billboard. 2016.
Autumn Showers in the Bronx. 2015.
Taken at the Bronx Community College Hall of Fame.
Reflections of Light on the LIE. 2013.
Misty Morning in Queens. 2015.
Rainy Day Reflections in The Bronx. 2016.
Leafy Drops. 2011.
One of the things I LOVE about living in New York City is public transportation and riding the subway. It is the ultimate place to people watch and is the most democratic form of transportation: you can simultaneously ride and interact with the 99% and the 1% (though I have recently expressed my concerns about how lately it is catering to and fostering the wealthy—take out a subway map and follow the route of gentrification).
I love it when I have my camera or sketch book on hand to capture this largely wonderful experience. I am happy to present my favorites from the last couple of years!
Subway Slumbering. Edwin Roman, 2015.
Downtown and Brooklyn. Edwin Roman, 2015.
ZOOM! Edwin Roman, 2015.
Above the Streets of Harlem. Edwin Roman, 2015.
Come on Over. Edwin Roman, 2014.
Commuting Sketch. Edwin Roman, 2016.
Braided. Edwin Roman, 2013.
No Device. Edwin Roman, 2015.
Tuning Out. Edwin Roman, 2016.
Trains are an everyday part of my life and I have had a life-long love affair with them. I often find myself wishing that I could have traveled on a train like the 20th Century Limited as depicted in Alfred Hitchcock’s classic, North By Northwest. Trains have also become a part of my art, most notably in my photography. Many of the images here were taken while commuting and later re-mixed with Photoshop. I have captured so many images that I actually had a difficult time selecting what to showcase here. I decided to show the work captured on railroads (as opposed to New York City subway trains via the MTA), in the New York City area, during the Summer of 2015. I hope my depictions take you on a journey of the mind devoid of delays!
Long Island City Train Tracks. Edwin Roman, 2015.
Conducting. Edwin Roman, 2015.
Speeding Over the Harlem River. Edwin Roman, 2015.
Commuter Silhouettes. Edwin Roman, 2015.
Harlem’s Signs. Edwin Roman, 2015.
Afternoon. Edwin Roman, 2015.
Speeding Out of Morris Heights. Edwin Roman, 2015.
“Spring passes and one remembers one’s innocence. Summer passes and one remembers one’s exuberance. Autumn passes and one remembers one’s reverence. Winter passes and one remembers one’s perseverance.” – Yoko Ono
Seasons Pass. As seen over Queens Boulevard.
I was sick during the weekend and the weather was rather lousy on my way to work. My camera perfectly captured the mood as my bus approached the Midtown Tunnel.
i love having my camera with me during my daily commute and getting lucky! This was traveling over the Harlem River via the Metro North.
Edwin Roman 