NYC essay

This article was published in the school newspaper as well as given to the Andreas Foundation who sponsored our trip.

This semester one of my life dreams came true…I went to New York City. I still remember last semester when our professor, Doug Burg, came back from New York; my classmates and I joked about how he should have taken us with him. Approximately three and a half months later we embarked on our epic field trip on steroids. I’m at a loss of words to accurately explain how great of an experience this was. It still amazes me that such a trip was made possible. After Burg threw out the idea of us going to New York as a possible Spring Break trip, our classes were jam-packed full of anticipation; every week I’d go to class hoping for the 100% “Okay Go!” Once Dordt approved the trip, the few months following were full of planning, Facebook countdowns, and saving every penny I could.
Now, sitting here in my classic “I <3 NY” sweatshirt, I can’t help but want to go back. Countless people have asked me how many pictures I took and what my favorite part was. I took approximately 3,700 photos and picking a favorite part is nearly impossible. I loved the fact that we were able to experience so many different artistic aspects of New York. At the airport we jumped into a taxi and upon arriving were immediately bombarded with art in our crazy hotel, Ye Olde Carlton Arms, followed by spending hours in MoMA, the Museum of Modern Art. That night we experienced the chaos of Time Square—loved it so much it was a unanimous decision to return (multiple times). We also did a day and a half of mission work on Staton Island. All of us took photos and videos for the missions, Project Hospitality and El Centro, around the community and at the dinner projects; we, as a whole group, learned a lot about photojournalism and how we can use our talents to serve other people
Spending time with Rene Clement, a professional photojournalist living in NYC and working on publishing his 3rd book, was a pretty big deal; by the end of the week, it was as if he had always been part of our group. Throughout the week we had one-on-one critiques with Clement and Burg, which I cannot begin to describe the learning benefits it provided.
Combine all of this with the busyness of Canal Street, Wallstreet, and Chinatown, the history of the World Trade Center, the beauty of Coney Island and the Brooklyn Cemetery, and the breathtaking view of the setting sun from the top of the Rockefeller Center, and you just might catch a small glimpse of my class’ epic spring break.
I can’t write a whole essay on my spring break without mentioning the people; we were incredibly blessed with a great group of students and professor who had the motivation, energy, and excitement that made this trip the excellent experience that it was. Every night, all eight of us would pack into one of the hotel rooms and edit until 1am, sometimes 2am. Not only was it a hoot and a half, we all learned from and inspired each other.
Coming back to Sioux Center has been different—all the buildings are “fun size!” On a serious note, I’ve come back with a lot of knowledge—knowledge on HDRs, panoramas, photojournalism, and most importantly, a fresh outlook on “making pictures,” as Rene Clement would say. Or, rather, in the words of Martin, “I’m under the influence…of photography.”