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Photos: Gorgeous Views Of NYC <em>Through The Lens</em>
By
Ben Yakas
Published Nov 22, 2014
Modified Nov 22, 2014
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Nov 22, 2014
Modified Nov 22, 2014
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Photographer Vivienne Gucwa has been a steadfast contributor to Gothamist for years: her stunning photos have graced countless Early Additions, Extra, Extras, various photo galleries and more. Now she's gearing up to release her first collection, NY Through The Lens, a 192-page coffee table book featuring photography and writing about NYC. Check out some of our favorite photos of hers above.
Gucwa, a Lower East Side resident, described to us about how she first jump-started her career in photography with no formal training:
I was so broke six years ago since I had just quit my job and put myself back in school (pre-med) that I couldn't afford a smartphone at the time or anything else really. This led me to buy the cheapest point and shoot I could find on Amazon which was $79. It had only a handful of settings most of which were broken when I received it. But through the process of sharing my photos and vision of NYC online using this camera, I received tons of requests for my work from advertising firms and other agencies for usage across media (television, album covers, book covers, etc...).
This year I became one of 9 photographers worldwide sponsored by Sony and have been lucky enough to make photography my full-time career. I am now a full-time travel photographer (who still actively photographs NYC).
She also described her style as distilling the essence of NYC into "distinctive visual remnants that resonate:"
The fantastical elements of how I perceive New York City are something that I intend to keep on imbuing into my photography. The exploration of what is reality and what is perceived reality filtered through a variety of influences is a key focus of my work.
Most of my photography is heavily influenced by cinema, music, and other art forms as I have a background in fine art (painting and art history).
I am also endlessly haunted by a sense of saudade and sehnsucht: a deep longing for a place that is unidentifiable but somehow familiar and indicative of what could be identified as home. I am on a never-ending quest to attempt to imbue my photography of cities and
landscapes with this complex notion of nostalgic longing.I am fascinated and interested in exploring how certain tones can produce feelings of different forms of nostalgia and how color or lack of color influences memory and desire.
You can find all the info about the book, which will be released this week, and where to buy it, here. And if you want to contribute to Gothamist, tag us in your photos on Flickr or email [email protected].
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Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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