Hi, my name is McKayla and Im a senior at LREI. My mother always told me she took photographs “to remember  the moment”. I always agreed because it sounded like a true and logical statement that made sense to me, but I don’t think I ever truly understood and put my own meaning to this until I was older, and since then I have valued the art of photography and the photos I take so much more. Recalling memories through stories or conversations has always been one of my favorite activities because it’s almost like reliving the emotions you had during those experiences. These moments are even better when you talk about shared memories with other people because then all of you can experience those emotions again together. I began taking pictures just like my mom for this very reason. At first I mainly took photos of my family and friends to remember and recall moments with them, but I think I took on an extra appreciation for photography when I began taking pictures of random things that I simply liked to look at or thought were intriguing. For a long time I struggled to define my interests and hobbies. I had always felt like in order to claim something as my personal interest I had to be perfect at or know everything about it, and so I wasn’t really sure of my general likes and dislikes. I didn’t realize it but through my photos I was learning more about my own personality. It made me appreciate my time with myself more because looking at photographs of my individual experiences reminded me, even if I’m only reliving a moment through a picture, that what I felt during that moment was real, whether it was happiness, sadness, anger, etc. It reminds me that I thankfully have the ability to feel and experience emotions so deeply, which in my eyes, means I’m living to the fullest extent. 

For the Senior Project I want to incorporate my passion for photography with my other interests like sociology. As someone with several intersectional identities I think that it’s interesting how even though NYC is known to be the most diverse city in the world, it is still so divided. Sociology has always been a passion of mine and is even what I plan to major in in college, as I’ve always searched for answers as to why it’s embedded in society to devalue one’s existence based on parts of their identity they cannot control.  

I’d like to use the 14D/A bus route as my photography subject to explore diversity in NYC. The bus route runs from Chelsea Piers to the Lower East Side and back, and makes 22 stops in total over its entire route. The 14A and 14D separate their routes on 14th street & Avenue A, where the 14A continues along Avenue A, and the 14D ends its run along Avenue D. This bus route was once super prominent in my life as it was my most used form of transportation to and from school and to many shops and stores throughout my neighborhood. For my project I’d ride the buses from first stop to last, getting off the bus every few stops and photographing my surroundings. I’d pick two to three common places or things to photograph that would be present at each stop I explore, such as schools, delis, and parks, as well as photographing the area. This includes the sidewalks, trash bins, buildings, greenery, stores/shops etc. These photos would be taken on my iphone and printed out on a wider scale, ultimately to be put side by side with one another to compare the diversity and quality of these neighborhoods. I also plan to add simple captions to the photos explaining where and what they are, as well as what bus stop they are closest to on the route. 

For the service portion of my project I plan to volunteer at organizations in the neighborhoods the bus route runs in. For example Henry Street Settlement is an organization that serves the youth of the Lower East Side and its main office is located directly across the street from where the 14A bus route starts. Volunteering at places near where the bus runs will give me a better understanding of the demographic and community in the neighborhoods.

Overall, i’m really excited to execute this project.