PhotoMap of NYC by

PhotoMap of NYC

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This project challenged me to never repeat a location, leading to a discovery of the city’s diverse and intricate details through fresh eyes.

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The image is a portrait of a black man with curly hair, wearing a green jacket. The man is looking to the side and not directly at the camera. The photo features a blurred foreground of grey bars, with the focus on the man's face, and a soft, indistinct background
The image features a woman with blonde hair and makeup that includes prominent pink and green details around her eyes. She is wearing large pearl earrings and a colorful garment with pink, blue, and yellow patterns. The woman is gazing upwards, and the photo is taken from a lower angle with some yellow flowers in the foreground, which are blurred, while the woman is in focus. The background is a sunlit environment
The image is a close-up portrait of a woman with blonde hair and creative makeup featuring a pink star near her right eye. She is wearing large pearl hoop earrings and there's a soft focus on greenery in the foreground. The background is overexposed, giving the image a bright, airy feel. The woman is looking slightly to the side, and her facial expression is serene. The lighting on her face is soft and warm
The image is a portrait of a woman with shoulder-length brown curly hair leaning against a tree. She has a neutral expression and is looking slightly away from the camera. She is wearing a red floral top with a V-neckline and a delicate necklace. The lighting is warm, casting soft shadows on her face, and the tree bark provides a textured backdrop. One of her eyes is in shadow, the other is brightly lit up by the sun, making it seem as if she has heterochromia. The overall tone of the image is warm with a focus on natural colors
The image is a portrait of a woman sitting with one knee drawn up, leaning against a tree. She has curly brown hair with red highlights, is smiling slightly, and is looking at the camera. She's wearing a red dress with a floral pattern and a V-neckline. She is wearing a delicate necklace. The environment suggests an outdoor setting with foliage and red flowers in the background. The lighting is warm, enhancing the red and green tones in the scene.
The image displays a woman sitting cross-legged on grass, with a smiling expression and looking upwards to her right. She has blonde hair with bangs, and she's wearing a pink blouse paired with floral-patterned trousers. She has on white sneakers and is adorned with earrings and a ring. The background features green foliage and a reddish-pink building, which together with the woman's attire and the green grass, creates a colorful and relaxed outdoor setting
The image is a close-up of a woman holding a white flower close to her face, smelling it with closed eyes. She has prominent black eye makeup, blonde hair, and is wearing a pink blouse. Her earrings are long and beaded, and a delicate necklace is visible. The background is softly blurred with a warm, glowing light, suggesting a setting with soft natural lighting, possibly during golden hour
The image depicts a woman standing in a very large window frame with her left hand extended to the side of the frame. She has dark hair and is wearing a brown jacket, black top, dark shorts, and brown cowboy boots. The window reflects the street and buildings opposite. There is a large leaf in the foreground on the left side of the frame, adding a touch of greenery to the urban setting
The image is a close-up portrait of a woman with dark hair and fair complexion. She is looking directly at the camera, with part of her face partially obscured by out-of-focus green leaves in the foreground. Her makeup includes subtle eyeshadow and red lipstick. The background is filled with more greenery, which creates a natural backdrop for the portrait.
The photograph captures a woman with a nose ring on her left nostril, a serene smile, and her gaze directed downward. She has a tattoo of the moon on her collar/chest area and is wearing a long-sleeved black halter top. Her hand is gently touching a necklace's pendant, drawing attention to the moon tattoo on her collar. There is another tattoo picking over her arm. In the background, the lights of a train create a bokeh effect, contributing to the night-time urban atmosphere of the scene
The woman is perched on a metal railing and dressed in a large beige sweater, cuffed denim jeans, and black boots with spike embellishments. She has her hair tied back, adorned with a headband, and her red lipstick is a distinct feature. Her face is turned to the side, yet her eyes are gazing directly at the camera, creating a direct and engaging connection with the viewer. Behind her, the urban backdrop of tall buildings under a softly hued sky in a city environment.
The photo captures a woman lying on her back with her eyes closed, resting on a hard surface, draped with a beige textured sweater. She is wearing red lipstick. In the background, the Brooklyn Bridge spans across the frame under a clear blue sky, with people walking by.
The photo shows a close-up of a woman with curly hair, looking directly at the camera. She has pinkish-red lipstick on, and the lighting casts a warm glow on her face, accentuating her features. In the background, out-of-focus lights create a bokeh effect, contributing to a warm ambiance. The woman is wearing a patterned garment, although it's not fully visible. The overall tone of the photo is warm, with a focus on the woman's face and expression.
In the photograph, a woman with dark hair tilts her face upwards while her eyes look directly into the camera. Orange foliage surrounds her face, with sunlight highlighting her features. She wears lip gloss, and the interplay of light and shadows creates a vivid texture across the image.
The photograph displays a woman inside a museum, dressed in a white dress with puffed sleeves and adorned with a pearl necklace. She stands with her hands clasped in front of her, looking up thoughtfully. Statues from classical antiquity are visible in the softly lit background, contributing to the cultured ambiance of the setting.
The photo features a man in profile with sunlight filtering through the leaves, casting a warm glow and creating a bokeh effect around him. The man has brown hair, and the sun highlights the contours of his face. The lush greenery partially obscures him, giving the image a natural, serene feel
The photo captures a man holding a pair of round sunglasses, with his face turned towards the sunlight. He wears a grey polo shirt and black pants with a belt. The photo is framed with a blurred edge, focusing the view on the man as he stands against a textured wall that is lit by warm sunlight. His expression is contemplative as he gazes towards the sunglasses.
The photo shows a man with dark curly hair and a beard, his gaze directed off to the side. The foreground features out-of-focus orange leaves, creating a frame around his face. The man is wearing a grey shirt, and the background has a muted tone, putting emphasis on his face

PhotoMap of NYC captures the unseen and underappreciated facets of New York City, a journey beyond the familiar into the heart of its hidden corners. This project challenged me to never repeat a location, leading to a discovery of the city’s diverse and intricate details through fresh eyes.

In this exploration, I found beauty in the mundane, turning overlooked spaces into captivating scenes. The project wasn’t just about the places, but also the people. Engaging with subjects across the city, I sought to weave their stories into the tapestry of New York’s narrative. I found locations based on not only my experiences but on those around me. I chose places I had been to and felt a connection to, such as Washington Square Park, the center of NYU, as well as places suggested to me by others who live in and love this city, such as Dimes Square and The Met Cloisters. I reached out to people from the city to model, some are professional models while others are not. In all cases but one, I let the models pick from a list of locations so that they were able to choose somewhere they felt a personal connection to. The outlier was the model for Chelsea Piers as I found her while I was at the location for another project and gave her this proposal on the spot.

Alexandra O’Sullivan (BA ‘25) originally created “PhotoMap of NYC” in Jeff Day’s Spring 2024 Arts Workshop “Photograph New York, Create Your Vision.”

Thumbnail image courtesy of author.

 
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