Continuing my project with longtime friend and fellow photographer Paul Kingsley, the theme we selected for July was “Landmark”. Living in New York, I’m surrounded by landmarks – I work just 20 blocks from the Empire State Building and see it each time I leave my office. I wanted to choose something that was still iconic but not on every postcard you find at the local bodega. I chose the Main Branch of the New York Public Library (properly known as the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building). I have a long-standing love of libraries stemming from having free reign of my own local branch all through childhood and my teen years. For some reason, after almost 10 years of living in the city, I’d never visited the main branch, something I regretted the minute I stepped inside. Cool, quiet, the marble practically glowing in certain parts while dark and dim in other spots. Beautiful hallways, incredible architecture, hidden treasures. I wandered into different rooms, the click of my camera seemed deafening in an environment where the only noises were pages being turned, quiet clicks of keyboards, the occasional throat clearing. Down one row of books I found a stretch of old card catalogs and that is where I took my photo for July. This photo taught me that I need to improve on my depth of field skills when working in low lit areas without a flash. Still, I think it’s an interesting shot. More photos of my visit to follow…