Grungy, uninviting alleyways and shop fronts bustling with people line the gum-spotted sidewalks of Massachusetts Ave. Boston’s famous Citgo sign rests between buildings, peering over the far side of the Charles. Crammed onto racks, chained to poles or just resting against walls bikes can be found everywhere. The subway rumbles beneath the streets, sending vibrations up and down pedestrians’ legs. Throngs of people erupt from the steep steps of the T to venture through the store-lined blocks of Harvard Square. Brick buildings line Harvard Yard, casting long shadows that stretch over students sprawled across the green. Named after Cambridge University in England, Cambridge, Massachusetts was christened in 1846, unifying Old Cambridge, Cambridgeport and East Cambridge. The fifth most densely populated city in the U.S. with a population of 105,162, Cambridge is often dubbed, “The City of Squares,” referencing Kendall, Central, Harvard, Porter, Inman, and Lechmere square--each unique in their own way. “Cambridge is a great place to work and play,” said Richard Rossi, Cambridge Deputy City Manager. Its close proximity to Boston and ready Subway access makes Cambridge a prime commuting city—and subsequently a prime spot for new arrivals to the Greater Boston Area. Cambridge, as one of Massachusetts’ foremost gateway communities, has a significant immigrant population. Around “29.0% of Cambridge residents are foreign born and 11.2% are naturalized citizens.” “It’s a place where all different people come together, there’s a lot of respect in Cambridge for people’s differences,” Rossi exclaimed. A wide array of communities mingle and mix each day on the streets, evidenced by its culinary diversity. “It amazes me how many different restaurants can be found just walking down one street, Indian, thai, America, I can’t even name them all off the top of my head there are so many. I’ll never get bored with the food here.” says Andrea R. when asked about the restaurant scene in Cambridge. The city’s density has other network effects, with technological growth, research, and academia thriving in Cambridge. With ten colleges scattered throughout the city, including the prestigious Harvard University and MIT, the student body constitutes a significant part of the city’s landscape. “This city has something special for anyone,” said Rossi. Like a newsfeed, the city is constantly refreshing, updating every second of the day.

     At first my initial "pitch" for my photography project was, "to set off into the City with no idea in particular and let the people and the surroundings of Cambridge decide my project for me. Everything and anything will be my inspiration, and slowly but surely the City of Cambridge will carve the path of my project for me." However after a day or so of shooting it was clear I probably needed a little more structure! I then had the idea to take pictures of the various aspects found throughout the city of cambridge, so off I went into cambridge and shot a wide array of pictures that I thought somewhat enraptured the moods felt all around cambridge. After looking back on my photos a couple days in it was clear that I was attracted to geometry in my photos. The majority of my photos were close ups of interesting patterns and objects.

 

     I really enjoyed walking around the streets of Cambridge in search of the perfect picture! I also was very happy that I became much more educated with photography; I now understand how to change the ISO and aperture appropriately, which was a huge help since usually I tended to have many overexposed photos!

 

     In the end I was able to write my mini article about the city of Cambridge, filled with many descriptions of the many senses I felt each day walking through the city.