Beyond the Frame 3/

A musical New York photo project

This week finds me in a decidedly hot and sticky New York City.

Before leaving Switzerland, I had been trying to think of a productive way to spend some free time when, as often happens, inspiration came via music.

Suzanne Vega’s song, Tom’s Diner, popped up on a random playlist.

“Hmm, I wonder if Tom’s Diner is a real place?”

Sure enough, Tom’s Restaurant on the corner of 112th Street and Broadway is not only the diner in the Suzanne Vega song, it also features in an obscure TV show called Seinfeld, which, I’m told, was quite popular back in the day.

I tried to think of other songs with Manhattan locations in the lyrics.

Leonard Cohen’s Chelsea Hotel #2, obviously.

Tom Waits’ Union Square.

Umm, Empire State of Mind?…

Then I was stuck.

A friendly AI chatbot helped me compile a playlist of songs with Manhattan location-specific lyrics.

And that was the genesis of a two-day project photographing nine diverse locations in Manhattan, linked only by the fact that they are mentioned in song lyrics.

That’s exactly the kind of random, serendipitous project that appeals to me. It comes from nowhere and yet seems fully-formed the moment it has life breathed into it.

I spent Sunday and Monday travelling back and forth across Manhattan, making photographs in each of the nine locations. I also enjoyed a hearty Eggs Benedict, OJ and bucket of black coffee in the super-friendly Tom’s Restaurant, which maintains a reassuringly neighbourly feel, despite its fame.

Here’s a sample (of my photographs — not the coffee and eggs — they’ve gone now).

Tom’s Restaurant, 112th Street & Broadway — Tom’s Diner by Suzanne Vega

Bleecker Street & MacDougal Street — Bleecker & MacDougal by Fred Neil

Union Square Park — Union Square by Tom Waits

53rd Street & 3rd Avenue — 53rd & 3rd by The Ramones

I’ve compiled a series of 18 images, which I’ll share in this Friday’s newsletter in an edition about the value of self-assigned projects.

If you know of any other songs with specific Manhattan locations in the lyrics, let me know.

Oh, and I’m using these files to test a new Kodachrome emulation for Lightroom, which I’ve been fine-tuning for longer than I care to admit. For all of the incredibly patient photographers who are waiting for an update, the brand new (and, though I say so myself, rather splendid) version will be available soon. Honest!

Kate Winslet is Lee

I see that Kate Winslet is to star in a biopic of the photojournalist Lee Miller.

You might have seen that Annie Leibovitz recreated a famous picture of Lee Miller in Adolf Hitler’s bathtub. Miller’s colleague, David E. Scherman, took the original picture on 30th April, 1945.

Lee Miller in Adolf Hitler’s bathtub by David E. Scherman

I love the muddy boot prints on Hitler’s towel.

The recreation was to promote the film Kate Winslet “was born to make” and for an article in Vogue.

Kate Winslet recreates the famous photo of Lee Miller

Steaming Hot Buns

Finally, I promised you steaming hot buns last week. Never let it be said that I fail to deliver.

Zhonghua Yang’s photograph of freshly-made dim sum has won the Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year contest.

Red Bean Paste Balls by Zhonghua Yang, Food Photographer of the Year

The Winners’ Gallery features several more travel-style photographs and is well worth a look.

Looking at the light catching the steam rising off those hot dumplings has made me a little peckish so I’m heading to Chinatown in search of a Red Bean Dumpling or two. Maybe three.

Until next week, go well.

Gavin

“My camera is my best friend when I travel. It opens doors for me, and helps me to see things that I would not have noticed. I keep memories forever on film, like the sunrise on Mt. Fuji, or a Greenlandic sledge dog staring at me in Uummannaq, northwest Greenland. Yes, a camera really is a man's best friend.” — Páll Stefánsson