Melbourne is a cultural melting pot. With a vibrant creative scene and thriving art community, it is a city filled with street art. A trip to the city with a friend led me to explore Hosier Lane.
Melbourne is a cultural melting pot. With a vibrant creative scene and thriving art community, it is a city filled with street art. A trip to the city with a friend led me to explore Hosier Lane.
So much has happened in the last 2 months. I left New York, moved back to Melbourne Australia, started a new job and reconnected with old friends. Relocating is always overwhelming and disorienting. It’s challenging – you can’t help but miss your friends and the lifestyle you had in the place you left behind. Yet its exciting; it’s time to reconnect with friends and family that you had missed when you were away and you are presented with new possibilities. It’s a great time to start things afresh. Although I am still going through this awkward period of readjustment, I’m looking forward to my next chapter in Australia and I am determined to make the most out of it.
I plan to document this new journey and share photos of this beautiful country along the way. Here are a few photos to start with for now.
With only 2 weeks left in NYC, I decided to create a video that aims to capture the essence of the city and the spirit of its residents.
I wanted to showcase the qualities of this city that I adore; the dynamic energy, colorful diversity and sense of endless possibility and wonder. For me, it is these characteristics that make this city so incredible.
Here is New York from my perspective, condensed into one and a half minutes. Enjoy!
Here are a few portraits of Farnoush I captured in my East Village home. I played around with natural light, movement and dashes of color.
At the age of 22, I moved to New York with a sense of naive idealism and a general lack of life & adult experience. 4 years later, I am still impractically idealistic (though less so) and I still have much to learn, but through the experiences I’ve gained and the people I’ve met in this city, I’ve discovered a couple of things about myself and life.
I’m still working on executing alot of the things I’ve learnt, but atleast I am armed with self-awareness. 🙂
Emotional rawness, accentuated by the stillness and solitude of the night.
Here is my portrait series of my housemate Shriya, taken on our balcony at midnight.
As part of my Computer Graphics certificate at Pratt, I’m taking a Lighting for Photography class this semester. As a freelance photographer, I’ve shot mostly outdoors with natural light. It’s great to finally learn about studio lighting. In yesterday’s class, we set up tungsten and strobe lights. Here are a few photos from the shoot 🙂
I got to spend 28 hours in Philadelphia over the weekend. I caught the train to Philly from New York on Friday at noon. I arrived in the city at 2pm on Friday and left the following day at 6pm via BoltBus (only $10 – totally worth it!).
Philadelphia is a colorful city rich in history, culture and unique in character. Despite the brief trip, I managed to pack in quite a few of the major attractions of the city, to my surprise. Within 28 hours, I was able to (aka my recommendations):
Despite the brevity of my trip, I had a wonderful time exploring this city for the first time. Whether you’re a history buff, culture junkie, self-proclaimed foodie or simply in need of a weekend getaway, you’re bound to have a great time in Philadelphia 🙂
I used to stay awake at night dreaming about living in New York. In my idealistic, adolescent mind, it was a city of dreams; it represented freedom, opportunity and celebrated cultural diversity and artistic expression. I imagined a colorful city that was constantly on the go and full of energy and life; filled with interesting people who were driven, smart, talented and different from me.
This daydream was brought to life 4 years ago upon receiving my acceptance letter from NYU (thank you NYU and thank you parents!). And so, my New York chapter began at Greenwich Village, home to NYU, in 2012.
I vividly recall the mixture of emotions I felt when I arrived in New York for the first time during the summer of 2012; I was overwhelmed, anxious, scared (moving to a new city alone yikes), but most of all, incredibly excited. Excited for the new chapter ahead and all the colorful possibilities new beginnings bring.
I remember the first time I walked through Washington Square Park with my parents on a hot summers day. Despite the scorching heat, the park was pulsating with life and buzzing with energy. Music filled the air; there were jazz musicians and artists on every corner and the park was packed with NYU students, locals and tourists. I looked around with wide-eyed wonder.
Greenwich Village, often referred to as “the Village”, is the neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan. Greenwich Village is regarded as an artists’ haven, the Bohemian capital, the center of the modern LGBT movement, and the East Coast birthplace of ’60s counterculture movements.
Despite its popularity, Greenwich Village exudes an intimate, neighborhood charm. It’s packed with 24-hour dining, shopping and nightlife, yet remains personable, with ample greenery, low-rise brownstones and a plethora of boutique shops and specialty stores.
Having been acquainted with the neighborhood over the past few years, I’ve developed a list of my favorite spots and places worth checking out. Here are a few I recommend:
This quaint yet dynamic neighborhood celebrates culture, diversity and music. It’s filled with plenty of dining options, boasts a vibrant nightlife and exudes an idyllic and artistic charm. These reasons alone make it one of my favorite neighborhoods in the city. But what really makes a place special is the meaning and memories you attach to it. Greenwich village will always hold a special place in my heart because it is home to NYU, making it the birthplace of my dream of living in this city. I will look back at my days spent in this neighborhood with great fondness.