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.   

On the first day, Biz showed us a slideshow of different photo techniques and we learned a lot about the camera. I had never worked with a camera before without putting it in auto so I had a lot to learn. We learned about the apature and shutter settings of a camera. After learning the different parts of a camera we got with a partner and took photos of each other. Biz then put the photos up on the projecture and critiqued each one. During this exercise I was able to learn a lot about taking portraits and using the light and space around me to create something amazing.

Biz then told us to go out and practice interviewing people. In groups, we all went out and asked questions to people on the street to get used to approaching people. It turned out that talking to people on the street was a lot harder than I thought it would be. Not everyone wants to give you their time and some people can be very rude. 

We then began brainstorming different things to write about. As a group we made different categories and figured out what we were all interested in. After a lot of brainstorming, I was able to come up with the idea to compare MIT and Harvard. This idea came to me when I realized that it is very unusual for one town to host two ivy league schools. I began questioning many things about the schools and immediately wanted to know their similarities and differences. 

I then went to both schools and interviewed some of their students and took pictures of the campus. When I came back Henry critiqued all of my photos and told me to go back to each school to take more pictures and get more interviews. He mainly wanted me to take more pictures of each person that I interviewed so that we could have more options. Also, he wanted me to take more candid photos. 

Once I was done getting all of my information, I began writing the final piece. With the help of Henry and Biz I was able to create a great article to go with my pictures. 

At the beginning of the Local Narratives Studio, Biz taught us camera basics and how to shoot photographs on manual. We then began to practice with the cameras by taking portraits of fellow students and wrote short biographies about each other. After reviewing the portraits, Biz challenged us by pushing our boundraies of what a portrait is. A portrait does not need to just be of one's face taken on a white background, but can include movement and does not even need to include one's face. After re-taking the portraits, we began to see the improvement made from practicing. 

   To begin the brainstorming process, we were told that the project would focus on an aspect of Cambridge or Boston. In groups, we brainstormed what is interesting and different about Cambridge, and what topics we could write stories about and photograph. Each student then picked his or her topic and wrote a pitch, explaining what their project would be. I decided to focus my project on the Longwood Medical Area, highlighting the collaborations between hospitals and doctors. 

    I decided to interview three doctors, Dr. Georgian-Smith, Dr. Mark Puder, and Dr. Steven Fishman. Over the next week, I travelled to Longwood on three days to photograph and interview. When I arrived in the bustling Longwood area, I set out on foot to photograph the hospitals and doctors on the streets. Faced with the challenge of being prohibited from photographing inside the hospitals, I had to use the bridges between the hospitals and people on the streets to exemplify the collaboration between hospitals. Throughout the project, I recieved puzzled looks from doctors and pedestrains covering their faces when they saw my camera. I learned that sidewalks covered by awnings outside of hospitals are not public property when an employee of Beth Isreal Deaconess informed me that I was not allowed to take pictures while standing on their sidewalk. From all of these challenges I learned to think differently about spaces and how to work around strict parameters. From the images taken on my first visit to Longwood to my last, I see a vast improvement in the quality of my images. I became more confident and was willing to climb on ledges, approach doctors on the street, and use different exposures to better my photographs. Overall, I learned a vast amount about photography and journalism from the local narratives studio. 

On April 15, 2013 two bombs exploded at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring over 150. The week after the attacks, Bostonians demonstrated resolve in a number of ways—businesses reopened, workers reentered the city, and traffic flowed through the streets. Many turned to sports in order to cope with the tragedies. At the Bruins game the following Wednesday, Rene Rancourt, who has sang the national anthem at the matches for 35 years, stepped forward to sing to the unusually somber crowd. Unable to finish, the Garden erupted with the voices of those who grieved, remembered, and reflected upon Monday’s events. The voices of 17,565 joined in singing the Star Spangled Banner that night, but one single voice permeated through arena and people’s televisions.

Sports prevail in Boston. Walking down the street, team logos dot the landscape—Boston-branded sports paraphernalia is a quintessential addition to any local’s closet. The five major sports teams—the Boston Bruins, the New England Patriots, the Boston Red Sox, the Boston Celtics, and New England Revolution—have had a highly successful decade, with 7 championships in total—3 from the Patriots, 2 from the Red Sox, and 1 each from the Celtics and Bruins.

Fans look towards Boston teams as a guiding light. Chris Biotti, a former D1 Harvard hockey player and NHL defensemen, and current Managing Director and Market Executive at US Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, sees Boston sports teams as a connector for the region, providing inspiration to fans. “I think they are an inspiration...[the teams] are often a microcosm of the region...they are the pulse,” said Bitotti. Unlike other parts of the country, New England only offers one team per major sport. Fans connect better with the team and each other knowing that they will not come across a fan rooting for a different New England football or basketball team. This creates a create a bond between a Bostonian and their team.

The bond is strengthened by the sense of accessibility that exists between the teams and players. On any given day in the city, one could expect to see Tom Brady running next to the Charles River, or a Celtics player volunteering at Children’s Hospital. Boston players are known to stay in the city after retiring, but still continuing to be an active member of the community. Tedy Bruschi was born in San Francisco, but played for the Patriots for 12 years until retirement. He and his family still own property in Boston, he ran in the 2012 Boston Marathon, he had played saxaphone for the Boston Pops.

Boston teams are in many ways producers of strength. “Teams can help the community come together [after tragedy]...rally each other, and support each other,” said Larry Scott, Commissioner of the collegiate Pacific-12 Conference. Five days after the attacks, at the Red Sox game, David Ortiz grabbed the microphone and just like a protective older sibling screams “this is our [explicit] city!” While a little uncouth, the crowd burst out in applause. His words brought fans and him closer–knowing they were all going through it together.

These models of strength can be seen in the enormous memorial to the Bombings has emerged in Copley Square. Walking through the memorial, which stretches one block, the ground and guardrails are covered with caps and shirts bearing Boston sports logos. It looks like an outdoor fan shop—but means so much more. Families gather to honor the victims. While the the surrounding blocks are filled with the usual city noises, the space surrounding memorial is silent, as people young and old pay their respects to the fallen and injured. When the city was attacked, morale fell. But when it came back, Boston sports were there to lift it up.

I’m Jewish, but where I’m from Sunday is holiest day of the week for everyone. The Pats play Sunday. It’s a beautiful Sunday morning, a classic New England winter day, with sub-zero wind chill and a foot of snow. The game starts at 1, but my father, brother and I are out of the house and on our way by 8:30. Around 9:00am we pull into lot 52, the regulars are already yelling, “Jesus! You’re late, where ya been?!” and it’s still 4 hours before kickoff. The dirty, broken folding tables are embellished with an array of flavorful finger foods just waiting to get plucked from their plate and devoured by the eager, beer-buzzed masses at our tailgate parties. By 11:00 am, two hours prior to the first whistle, we see parking lot 52 already jammed full of ardent patriots fans, enjoying a delicious, enormous pregame meal. After hours of chowing down on everything from dry-rubbed pork ribs to steaming hot chicken chili, nearly 70,000 screaming fans pour into our temporary home for winter sundays each year, Gillette Stadium. We’re all there to support our team. We all share an allegiance to our players that borders diehard. We’re all brought together around one central entity, sports.

In Boston, sports are ubiquitous. Whether it’s kids throwing the pigskin around in the yard or the Celtics playing ball in The Garden. Everywhere you look in Beantown, you see people sporting Red Sox logos and Pats symbols. Downtown, it’s virtually impossible to look in any one direction without seeing a piece of Boston sports apparel. Sports are like glue, they hold the city together and keep Boston running as a cohesive unit. Everyone in this city rejoices around our athletics teams and when our teams are doing well, we’re doing well.  Sports are truly the way in which all of Boston can relate to each other. In an interview, David Friedman, a senior vice president in the Boston Red Sox Legal Division, said, “Boston is a sports town. And the people here are so passionate about their sports. Not just the Red Sox but also obviously with the Bruins, Celtics and Patriots. Sports, I think, bring the city together, give us something to cheer about when things are dark, and, you know, sports are a big part of what makes the city so special.” When the city is getting torn apart, there’s always a game to get us all back on the same page and all rooting for one team. In Boston, sports don’t relate to the community, they create a community.

Sports in Boston are important for many different reasons spanning from the emotional connection they provide to the sheer jubilation they cause the city to feel. One significant reason that Bostonians love our teams so much is that they win. A lot. With just four pro sports team (as opposed to, say, New York, who has ten) Boston has appeared in 57 championships including at least seven from each sport. Of these championship game appearances, we’ve brought home 33 rings, seven of which have come in the past twelve years. Kevin Faulk, a former Patriots running back, is a man who knows his fair share about championships, sporting three Pats super bowl rings on his hands. When asked what make Boston a sports town, Faulk replied, “Titles. Got a lot of titles between our teams, man. This city’s got the Celtics, Bruins, Red Sox, the Patriots. I mean, we got titles.” Aside from our championships, Boston is a powerhouse town in terms of attendance to games in every sport. While other cities struggle to get fans to come to games, Boston has to try and keep fans out. For an autumn game in 2010, the Tampa Bay Rays organization gave away 20,000 free tickets in an attempt to fill their stadium. In Boston, every stadium is packed for every home game. The Red Sox recently ended a ten year sellout streak of 820 games, shattering the previous professional sports record. The Patriots have a sellout streak that is still alive today and which dates back to 1994, consisting of well over 200 sold out games. The Bruins haven’t had an empty seat in the house since 2009, that means four straight packed-house seasons. And the Celtics haven’t had an unsold ticket since 2007, comprising over 200 sold out games.

But its more than just success that makes Boston Sports so great. Fans and players alike have more that just an interest in sports, they have passion. Kevin Faulk said, “There’s only one word to explain [the connection], and that’s the passion. Passion for the game. The passion of the fans, it’s like they’re actually playing in the game with us. And as a player, we have passion for what we do.” Passion is what connects a Patriots fan to a Patriot. Passion is what connects a Patriot to Boston. And passion is what separates Boston from any other self-proclaimed 'sports town'.     

Beyond the emotional support, the teams provide an economic stimulus to the city. When 20,000 people pile into the Garden for a Bruins game, the restaurants nearby fill to the brim with eager hockey fans enjoying a meal before the match. Larry Scott, the commissioner of the NCAA's Pac-12 conference said, "They give support for local businesses. They bring a tremendous amount of pride for a city. They improve the quality of life in a city. And there are many forms of community interaction through sports, ways that are helpful for youth and other stakeholders."

Many people think athletes are arrogant and greedy, they say that doing everything athletes and teams do is just for money. Despite this public misconception, David Friedman remarked, "[the Red Sox] are all in huge support of charities like the Jimmy Fund, and with their help the Red Sox Foundation has raised over fifty million dollars in the last ten years." Our teams and athletes often work with people in need but they also work with us when the whole city is in need. After the recent marathon bombing, the city was looking for ways to bounce back and one of the places it looked to was the four pro sports teams. In this time of need, the athletes of this town granted the city some much needed civic pride. The community rallied around their teams. At the Bruins game directly following the bombing, Rene Rancourt, a long time Boston resident and opera singer was singing the national anthem when suddenly all 20,000 people who were packed into the Garden joined in and sang together. Larry Scott said, “Sports teams are essentially a source of pride and emotional connection for a lot of fans, they can really play an important role and can be very helpful in the healing process. Teams can help the community come together which is really great to see in times of, a tragedy in this case, it’s nice to see a community come together, rally together, and support each other.”

It’s nearing the end of the fourth quarter and the Pats are dominating their opponent by thirty points. With every good play and every Patriots touchdown, the fans still go crazy, with no sign of letting up no matter what the score. My dad, brother and I are all huddled together for warmth in section 104, row twenty, seats five through seven, we’re freezing and just don’t care. We haven’t sat down in four hours, because that’s just how we do it at Gillette. We all watch in awe as Brady takes the snap looking down field, he sees the all-powerful Gronk running down the left hand sideline waving his arms to signify he’s open. The ball is launched like a missile from the arm of our beloved quarterback into the air. It zooms through the atmosphere at what seems like light speed into the arms of our 6’ 6’’, 270 lbs. tight end Rob Gronkowski. He catches the missile in the endzone and the whole stadium erupts like an active volcano. We’re ecstatic. “The fat guys,” as we call them, who sit behind us are dishing out high fives while everyone joins together in an enormous cheer. The touchdown was meaningless. With the game already decided, this score gave the Patriots a thirty-seven point lead rather than just thirty. But no one cares. We love where we are and why we’re there. We love Gillette Stadium and we love our boys out on the field. We love the enlivened ambience and we love being together. We love sports and we love Boston.

Central Square in Cambridge, well known for its art scene, has a history of murals by local artists on the walls of the square. Whether it’s graffiti, constantly painted and repainted all the time, to murals by professionals to illustrate a point, it’s near impossible to walk through the streets of Cambridge without seeing a wall or other city landmark decorated.

One of the best known murals lives on the wall of the Middle East Restaurant. According to Owen Kennet, the general manager of the Middle East, “The mural is a testament to the multi-faceted aspect of the Middle East. It pays homage to the really important figures who, from the community, made this place what it is...It’s a representation in paint of the very interesting and open community that surrounds us and the community that gives us strength and diversity. It’s just fantastic and I love everything about it.”

The Middle East operates differently than most music venues. It is made up of various parts—the Corner, the Downstairs club, the Upstairs, and ZuZu restaurant. Each part has its own menu and performance space to house various types of entertainment.

The Middle East dates back to 1968, when the original restaurant was opened. Purchased by Nabel Sater Habib who still owns the Middle East, with his brother Joseph, they opened what is now the Upstairs as a restaurant space in 1974. Later, he turned the dining area into a performance space and a spice store. In 1986, the space for the Upstairs club was established. In 1990, the Corner, which was then a bakery, went out of business, and Habib purchased it and turned it into the Corner restaurant. In 1992, a bowling alley below the Corner shuttered, and Habib snatched up the opportunity to turn it into a performance club, now the Downstairs, where big names headline shows.

With its various restaurants and venues, the Middle East draws different crowds depending on the performers of the night. Ranging from punk rock, to rap, to heavy metal, to funk and beyond, there is always a wide variety of music on display. Altogether, the complex can hold up to 600 people. The venue has seen greats come through over the years, including Tony Bennett, Public Enemy, Flava Flav, Aerosmith, and Eminem. The walls are lined with memorabilia—photos of the restaurant in its original state, flyers from past shows, signed images, and electric guitars—filling the space with a sense of history.

And the space has withstood the test of time—despite the economic downturn, the venue has consistently sold out shows. The Middle East—like the mural adorning its exterior—is a staple of the Central Square community. As Kennet says, “It’s just fantastic and I love everything about it.”

This was an interesting studio in terms of learning more of how journalism works and what needs to be done in order to have a good story made. I learned how to take different shots such as reflection shots and taking portraits. I also learned of how to conduct interviews, interviewing Middle East was very interesting especially learning about its past performances many fancy individuals have performed there and the history of the restaurant's start was also very interesting.

Here is a link to the picture on the NY Times blog.