This kicks off an exciting new chapter in my photography, where I will begin exploring street scenes and bringing you fresh slices of the daily New York grind. There was no better way to begin this endeavor than by capturing New York City’s iconic Grand Central Terminal using my fantastic Nikkor 35 mm f/1.4G, wide open.
"We Are Reflections of One Another"
Thoughts:
The photograph above is entitled, “We Are All Reflections of One Another,” and captures a woman looking out from Central Cafe in Pershing Square right outside the Terminal. The silhouettes of people she is observing are reflected onto the window and herself, reminding me that in this bustling metropolis, perhaps even seemingly unrelated people who have nothing in common are in fact somewhat alike.
"Watch the PM Rush"
Typical PM rush in Grand Central, with one woman, perhaps waiting for someone, observes New Yorkers walking swiftly by. Perhaps she understands that we take life way too seriously sometimes and run without actually knowing where we are going. So please slow down and look around, and enjoy what you find in that moment of peace.
A little bit of history:
Starting out as Grand Central Depot in 1871, the station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue brought the trains of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad, New York and Harlem Railroad, and New York and New Haven Railroad together, and then remodeled into Grand Central Station between 1899 and 1900. Then, between 1903 and 1913, the entire building was demolished and replaced by the Grand Central Terminal, designed by the architectural firms Reed and Stem and Warren and Wetmore in the Beaux-Arts style.
Having undergone multiple renovations since that time, it still remains the largest train station in the world by number of platforms: 44, with 67 tracks along them, and will expand further when the new Long Island Railroad station opens. The terminal serves commuters traveling on the Metro-North Railroad to Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchesscounties in New York State, and Fairfield and New Haven counties in Connecticut.
All images are ©2011 Alexander Filatov Photography. All rights reserved.
