Block Photography

As many of you may know, Parsons School of Design is my number choice for college. I recently submitted my application and one of the mandatory supplementals was something called the Parsons Challenge. The criteria required you to create 3 original photographs that showed 3 different perspectives on something around you, in your every day life. With each photograph a blurb describing your photo and concept is needed.

This is what I came up with.

Concentration Title: What Los Angeles Means to M e

To me, Los Angeles means Board Meetings, whether that be in the conference rooms or in the skate parks. Los Angeles is a commonly thought of as a cutthroat town. It’s hard to live, work, and succeed in. However, if there’s one thing to know about L.A. it’s that there’s more than meets the eye. L.A. hardly maintains a strictly work approach. Despite all the city’s intensity,

when necessary, Angelinos definitely know how to cut loose. Alex Riley is the perfect example of L.A.’s laid-back yet hard working attitude. His work is also his play, skateboarding for Adio Footwear. Since age eleven he’s been flipping and grinding on the skateboard ramps with great success. Like many other Angelinos he successfully found an outlet for his passion, reaching new heights in the best city on Earth.

To me, Los Angeles means Reaching for the Stars. When people hear I’m from Los Angeles, they think of one thing, Hollywood. Though copycats have been made, none compare to the original. As the stereotypes suggest, Hollywood is full of drama, glamour, and of course, movie stars. People come to Los Angeles from all over the world with the hopes of making it big as an actor or actress. The city is full of ambitious amateurs looking for someone to give them their next big break. Though it seems a cliché to us locals, it’s the dream of thousands. However, as Marilyn Monroe once said, “Dreaming about being an actress is more exciting then being one.”

A River Runs Through It. This statement is a literal description of Los Angeles and an uncommonly known fact. The Los Angeles River runs through the majority of the city and plays a crucial role for both man and animal. Though its recently fallen on hard times, the L.A. River represents Los Angeles’ past. As history has shown us, civilization follows the water. We settle in hospitable areas near riverfronts. Though the river is no longer our main source of water it shows our history. We once revolved around this river, and it still plays an important role today.
It’s the home of hundreds of wildlife creatures. Though the river seems simply like a dark moving surface I see far more when I look at it. I see the history of the city I’ve lived my entire life in, I see its present importance, and I see a vision for the future.