DOCIT

Our quarantine around the world

The pandemic disrupted the lives of everyone everywhere. After the shutdown of New York in March, many of us returned home and others stayed in the city facing the epicentre of COVID-19. From Thailand to Argentina, no matter where we all ended up to be, quarantine is our new way of living. This is how 16 of us are experiencing, documenting and coping with this global crisis.

Violette Franchi – @violettefranchi

Location: Southern Alps, France.

Here, I’ve been inspired by bodies and landscapes, and lately I have been photographing shapes and structure in my own intimacy with myself, with my partner, with the new space I just landed on after months and months in New York City.

Luca Jardim – @lucajardim

Location: Iporanga Beach, Guarujá, Brasil.

I am privileged to be located in a gated community close to the beach (even though it’s closed) and nature. I take daily walks which help me breathe and stay sane. It’s good to see that the earth is still the same, with birds singing and waves hitting the sand every day. I’m inspired to photograph the daily life in this condominium at this period, which was supposedly a place where people came to spend weekends or vacations, and now we are living here, while every day “the sun is the same in a relative way, but you’re older”.

William Hickey – @ahickeysituation

Location: Arlington, Massachusetts, my hometown.

I have moved away from here quite a few times, but I always seem to return. I have mixed feelings about being here, this wasn’t my plan, but if there was going to be a pandemic, I’m not going to complain about being stuck with the people I love most in the world. I am with my family every day and this will probably be the last time we all live together like this. That’s where I get my inspiration. When this has all passed, I will always have these pictures and these memories.

Gili Benita – @gilibenita

Location: my apartment in Ridgewood, New York.

I am mostly inspired by different films lately. Twin Peaks, Old Boy and also Chunking express. Also a lot of lectures with different people such as Sally Mann, Stephen Shore and also Cate Blanchett. Lately I have been photographing my roommate and his new partner that came to live with us in the apartment.

Netnarin Padungjirapuntip – @makemydays365

Location: New York.

When New York became the center of the outbreak of coronavirus, I decided to take the riskt, I needed to go out and make pictures. It’s incredibly useful both for myself and on a historical level to keep a daily record of what goes on around the city during this difficult times. I’ve been photographing the 7 p.m. clapping for essential workers.

Seung Jae Seo – @wittgens1

Location: I’m breathing in a small apartment in Brooklyn, New York.

Although it’s not easy to be isolated for a longtime, the COVID-19 pandemic gives me an opportunity to look back at my life and people around me. Sometimes we forget the importance of small things around us. For example, we don’t realize how thankful being able to breathe until we can’t breathe anymore. I want to share small things that I found around my life during COVID-19 through the lens.

Minik Bidstrup – @bidstrupp

Location: Upper West Side in Manhattan.

Lately I find myself inspired by the music of Wojciech Golczewski, when I am out at night photographing in the streets.

Napat Wesshasartar – @tar.napatw

Location: Bangkok, Thailand.

I’m inspired about the inequality in my home country which it’s now easier to see, how big is the difference between the underprivileged and privileged classes. I’m photographing my love-hate relationship world, and also an ongoing project about the sport industry, related to the pandemic.

Lucía Vázquez – @luciavazquezph

Location: Buenos Aires City, Argentina.

The national quarantine has kept me inside for six weeks now. Inspired by the little I could see of the outside world, I followed and photographed my neighbors’ daily routines and activities in their balconies, the closest place to the sun we have, trapped in a domino of concrete buildings of seven floors and up. Lately, I’ve been turning more to the inside, capturing the light entering through the windows, portraits and moments of my loved ones at home.

Fuxuan Xin – @xinfuxuan

Location: Fort Lee, New Jersey.

What inspired me to do these is just the unsettle feeling of the current situation with the virus, which is constantly circulation in my head, even with the arrival of spring.

Flo Razowsky – @flowalksfree

Location: Brooklyn, New York.

Lately, my inspiration comes from processing the new world around us, capturing the off balance nature of this new normal, tracking the passage of time by photographing out the front window each morning…

Srini Venkateswaran – @srini.vee

Location: Tribeca, New York City.

I am inspired by the presence of people who are venturing out while conforming to ‘social distancing’ norms. I have been photographing street scenes in downtown Manhattan. The city never sleeps… it is just taking a rest break, I would like to think.

Jordana Bermudez – @jbtph

Location: Brooklyn, New York.

I love researching what other photographers/artists are doing to keep theirs spirits up and stay creative through Covid-19. I feel inspired by watching A24 films and finding new podcasts and series. I do yoga 3-5 times a week and I try to photograph often through FaceTime or from my rooftop. Since the last week of march I’ve been documenting the daily life of my East Williamsburg neighbors, playing frisbee, reading, smoking weed, tanning on a towel, having small gatherings, exercising or clapping and cheering at 7:00 pm. Each photograph shows someone on a rooftop, balcony or window.

Itamar Dotan Katz – @itado10

Location: New York.

I’ve been photographing since before the pandemic a Jewish community called The New Shul and now I’m documenting their transition to Zoom and and how they deal with spirituality, religion and sense of community in an online space. Seeing how they can still have that sense of community is inspiring me, how they can still have moments through a computer. These portraits were for a school assignment, inspired by Katy Grannan’s portrait of Robert Frank.

Rebecca Fudala – @refudala

Location: Manhattan, New York.

I’ve been doing self portraiture and a study of the light and shadow that illustrate confinement and separation from the world outside.

Ximena Natera – @menanatera

Location: I’m from Mexico City but currently living and under self isolation in Brooklyn, New York.

Deciding to staying in the US instead of going back home was a hard decision, but after much discussion with my family we decided that the best and safest was to stay here. I have a network of friends, teachers and neighbors who makes me feel safe and not alone and that has been fundamental. The firsts couple of weeks after my roommates left I became terrified of the outside so I began to photograph my apartment following the light that comes through the window in the sunny days and eventually myself, something I had never done before. For inspiration, but mainly for a sense of companionship, I have been following closely the work of my peers in different parts of the world, from newspaper photographers in Mexico to regional collectives in Latin America and Spain. Also I have found a lot of comfort and inspiration in the work of women who have explored the notions of caring, nurturing and the process of rebuilding in situations of hardship, from Svetlana Alexsievich, to Daniela Rea, Rita Segato and Agnes Varda. I also talk to my mom almost daily, usually while we both cook dinner.

Large format with Greg Miller in the streets of New York

During the not-so-cold January workshops, our students went out to the streets of New York to capture the city in large format. Guided by teacher Greg Miller, they discovered the world of film photography and got to create some beautiful portraits. These are their images and thoughts on the experience.

Photo by Netnarin Padungjirapuntip @makemydays365

“There’s no hiding with large format photography. Even when you duck under that blanket to attempt to wrangle your focus, you’re very visible. From a time before street photography and snapshots, 4×5’s and other large format cameras force you to slow down, to interact with your subjects, and to really observe the scene in the viewfinder as one quickly learns that film does not grow on trees. The cameras are clunky, inconvenient, and strangely beautiful. They look more like accordions than cameras and weigh enough to build a strong appreciation for technological advances. But the photos they can make are in a class of their own. They can be incredibly sharp, powerful and marvelous. These photos can make all the frustrations, heartbreak and utter confusion worth it. Which goes to show as Greg Miller @gregmillerfoto taught us: it’s far more about the photos you produce then what you use to produce them. So best to stop worrying and point the camera at something you love and care about”.
Billy Hickey @ahickeysituation

“I took ‘Portraiture and Street Photography Large Format’ workshop with Greg Miller focused on approaching and photographing people and places on the streets of Manhattan. It completely changed the way I utilize the camera and how I approach photographing people altogether. The process of making images made me slow down, manage a subject and methodically compose a portrait that reflects my vision and that has definitely improved my work. This workshop covered technical and conceptual sides that may apply to create a strong image and we learned how to edit and sequence the work”.
Netnarin Padungjirapuntip @makemydays365

Netnarin_Large Format-004.jpg — Photo by NetnarinPadungjirapuntip @makemydays365

“In the workshop I learned about the general use of large format, but also how to use it with lightness and just like any other camera. I learned to interact more with the people I photograph, I learn to not hesitate to place them too. We also addressed the topic of happiness as a photographer, and as human being. I do plan on using large format for my long-term project as it slows me down and make me engage with people differently”.
Violette Franchi @violettefranchi

“I really learned a lot from the large format workshop. It was a game-changer for me. During the class, I learned how to approach to the subject and the way of communicating with them. I am going to continue taking large format picture, if possible”.
Seung Jae Seo @wittgens1

Climate Strike

On Friday, the 27th of September, 2019, young people from around the world took to the streets to participate in one of the largest global climate protests in history. The strike was initiated by a teenager from Sweden named Greta Thunberg. Greta has demanded immediate climate action along with a change in the attitude towards the crisis. Together with her supporters, she inspired global protests that took place during the UN Climate Action Summit.

The Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism students at ICP covered the events that took place at Foley park in New York City as part of their first assignments for their Visual Journalism class.

Gretha Thunberg, Climate March, New York City, September 27th, 2019.
© Napat Wesshasartar

Climate March, New York City, September 27th, 2019.
© Violette Franchi

Climate March, New York City, September 27th, 2019.
© Lucia Vasquez

Climate March, New York City, September 27th, 2019.
© Minik Bidstrup

Climate March, New York City, September 27th, 2019.
© Srini Venkat

Climate March, New York City, September 27th, 2019.
© Ahmed Gaber

Climate March, New York City, September 27th, 2019.
© Rebecca Fudala

Climate March, New York City, September 27th, 2019.
© James Lattanzio

Climate March, New York City, September 27th, 2019.
© Seungjae Seo

Gretha Thunberg, Climate March, New York City, September 27th, 2019.
© Ahmed Gaber

Climate March, New York City, September 27th, 2019.
© Gili Benita

Climate March, New York City, September 27th, 2019.
© Itamar Dotan Katz

Climate March, New York City, September 27th, 2019.
© Ahmed Gaber

Climate Strike 2019

September 2019 will remember for the climate strike events and protest around the world. The Doc students of 2019-2020 went out to the streets of New York City to cover those events.

The Light of the World by Zoe Freilich

La Luz Del Mundo or The Light of the World is a Christian denomination church that was founded in Guadalajara, Mexico in 1926. Aaron Joaquin Gonzalez, the church’s founder had appealed to people belonging to the poorer sections of society and offered the church as an alternative to Catholicism. In spite of the growing criticism on ritual practices in the church over the years, the group has managed to expand rapidly across the United States and in 2018 even established its first branch in the Republic of Congo.

Female members follow a strict dress code that includes long skirts, no jewellery and headscarves during religious services. When girls in the church turn fourteen, they must announce if they have decided to be baptized. These photos were taken at La Luz Del Mundo in Jackson Heights, at the 14th birthday party of Betsabe Escamille by Zoe Freilich.

Earth Day Feature: Falling In Love Under The Great Oaks

The early ’50 were the days of the Kibbutz Movement. Fifteen families from Alonim left to create an alternative community near Kiryat Tiv’on, a town in the Haifa District of Israel. They built fifteen houses that were identical to each other and established the Shikun-Ella neighbourhood. Small farms, spacious backyards, children in donkey-drawn-carts headed to school and parents rearing cattle were the most common sights.

Most of my memories as a teenager are of my family and friends on the farm. I remember walking under the hills, where the statue of Alexander Zaid, one of the prominent leaders of the Second Aliyah, sat upright on his horse and saluted the people. I remember the path I took to school which led me through the valley and under the great oaks, where I fell in love, searched for solitude and learned to photograph.

I carried my camera everywhere so as to not miss a moment on the farm. I bore witness to time as people got older, trees gave way to saplings and my friends moved on from toys to beers. It has been years since I’ve returned but no matter where I go, I always carry with me Shikun-Ella.

Text and Images By Daniel Rolider

Arik and Irit, my mother, outside our house in Shikun Ella neighborhood in Kiryat Tivon, Israel, October 2016

Arik and our turkey in our backyard, Kiryat Tivon, Israel, June 2016.

Uriya, my step brother, in our warehouse in our backyard, Kiryat Tivon, Israel, March 2018. we used to hang out in the warehouse, to play and watch movies, until we grew up, as we used the space less and less.

Uriya, walking our donkey and goat in the fields near our home, Kiryat Tivon, Israel, January 2013.

Arik in our backyard, Kiryat Tivon, Israel, June 2016.

Irit, my mother, in the fields next to our home, Kiryat Tivon, Israel, April 2017.

Uriya, my step brother, and our donkey, during a daily trip the Zaid’s Hills, Kiryat Tivon, Israel, May 2016.

Amit, my brother, in our backyard, Kiryat Tivon, Israel, October 2016.

Shiri, my sister, in our warehouse in our backyard, Kiryat Tivon, Israel, March 2016.

Amit (c.), my brother, and his friend Omer, walking our donkey uphill to Zaid’s Hills, Kiryat Tivon, Israel, October 2016.

Uriya, my step brother, walking down Sheikh Abreik Tomb, a local landmark where people use to have tea and play music under the stars at night, at Zaid’s Hills, Kiryat Tivon, Israel, May 2016.

Uriya (r.), my step brother, and his friend Uriel, in the fields of Kiryat Tivon, Israel, June 2015.

Kerem, a family friend, climbs on our house’s rooftop in Shikun Ella neighborhood, Kiryat Tivon, Israel, October 2016.

Uriya, my step brother, sneezes, in the warehouse in our backyard, Kiryat Tivon, Israel, March 2018.

Tommy, a family friend, in his backyard, when his brother, Uri, makes a bonfire, Kiryat Tivon, Israel, May 2016. Tommy’s family live 15 minutes walk through the fields from our home in Shikun Ella neighborhood.

Uriya, my step brother, at Zaid’s Hills, Kiryat Tivon, Israel, May 2016.

Arik, my step father, in our backyard, Kiryat Tivon, Israel, April 2016.

Uriya (l.), my step brother, and his friend Erez, traveling in the fields of Kiryat Tivon at sunset, Israel, May 2016.

New York Subway Musicians

Each year, hundreds of musicians flock to the MTA Music Under New York program to become officially sanctioned New York City subway musicians. This year, MTA MUSIC received 309 applications with audio samples and selected 82 finalists to audition. The MTA Arts and Design program, which started in 1985, aims to find the best subway performance groups to enhance New Yorkers’ commutes.

Diego Oliver, a student of the Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism program, brings us images of a few of these musicians who make our commute, memorable.

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The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

With 12 marching bands, 26 floats, and musicians like Rita Ora, Diana Ross and John Legend performing, this year, the 92nd Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, was witnessed by nearly 3.5 million people in Manhattan. The parade began in the year 1924 and has been a holiday tradition ever since.

May Meng, a student of the Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism program, photographed this year’s parade.

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Eric Soto: A Man On A Mission

Eric Soto, 17 years old from Inwood, did not grow up in a political household. His first taste of politics was the TV show House of Cards. As a high school senior, his college counsellor set him up to volunteer with Max Rose’s Staten Island campaign for one day. Soto had never been to Staten Island. Now, he commutes roughly four hours roundtrip, is Rose’s youngest employee and a canvassing legend within the campaign.

Soto holds the record for collecting the most confirmed “yes’s” (143) in one day. Another campaign worker, Max Davidson, says the first time he watched Soto canvass, “it was what the people at the Manhattan project must have felt the first time they saw an atomic bomb go off. Then put that on repeat.”

His success as a canvassing powerhouse quickly got him promoted to field manager and head of training, where his responsibilities include teaching volunteers to canvass and work the phone bank.

Soto thinks the fact that he cannot vote (he turns 18 two weeks after the midterms) might occasionally make him more convincing as a canvasser, but often does not even come up in conversation. “If there is one thing that sets me apart from other canvassers, it is that I really feel I need to make a connection with people.” Though still young, Soto has developed his own political one-liners. “We cannot let the toxic politics of yesterday,” he says, “affect the good we can do today.”

Text and Photographs by Cheney Orr.