Wednesday can be a bit middle of the road. A bit insignificant; a bit nothing-y. But Brooklyn-based (and sometimes New York on My Mind) photographer, Bekka Palmer, and her friend Dave Dawson, have created the perfect mid-week distraction. They go out walking around New York City, talk to New Yorkers to find out what they’re doing and take a picture of them… On a Wednesday. Here are a few of my favourites from their collection:
John
Location: Hudson River Greenway
Time: 2.34pm Wednesday 24 September
What are you doing today?
Working production at Pier 59 on a photo shoot. I’m prepping and wrapping the job, being on set, helping people get here, setting up the catering, setting up the studio. When I get done with work, and I can enjoy the city.
What are you doing tomorrow?
Working again.
What are you doing tomorrow?
Another photo shoot, but at a different location, at someone’s apartment on the Upper East Side.
Fran
Location: Washington Square Park
Time: 8.35am Wednesday 14 August
What are you doing today?
Well mostly, I have been retired and I’m doing whatever I please today. As I do most every day. I’m going to go up to a friend’s. Right now I’m sitting in the park reading my paper. I do that every morning. This is my backyard. I live two blocks away, over on Waverly and I love living in New York. I love it. I don’t know why anybody would want to live anywhere else. Well, that’s a little extreme. This is like my backyard. I like coming over here in the morning, I’m too old to enjoy the afternoon and evening nonsense.
What is your favourite part of the day?
I’d have to say, probably morning. Just because I’m an early person. I didn’t like to get up and go to work, but I like to get up in the morning now. I was a runner for a long time, and ran in the mornings. When my running was over, the best part of my day was over. It’s odd, most of my friends that are retired think I’m nuts. “Why don’t you sleep late?” Well, sleeping late has never been something I want to do. So yeah, that’s the favourite part.
What are you doing tomorrow?
Gee, I haven’t thought that far ahead. I’m going away on Saturday, so I’m taking care of some things for that. I’m going up to Maine for a few days. Some shopping, seeing a friend, nothing very dramatic.
Giovanni
Location: Union Street Bridge, Brooklyn
Time: 6.22pm Wednesday 17 September
What are you doing today?
Today I worked for an artist in Soho, doing some gilding on some of his large paintings. He makes giant abstract paintings. He’s world famous, from New Zealand. I did some gilding, I met with some people who are making a documentary film on us, and I bought a tie because I’m going to a wedding next week in London. Now I’m going to my apartment right over there on Union Street. I’m going to drop off my crap, put on my painting clothes and go to my painting studio down there by 9th Street. And I will paint a giant pink background, and then when that dries I’m painting a wolf on top of that, a black wolf. So that’s what I’m doing tonight. It’s going to be a six-foot painting of a wolf with a pink background.
What’s your favourite part of the day?
I just now came out of the train and it’s still pretty sunny, but I saw some things with the trees that I thought would be great to paint. Clumps of trees had all of these shadows in them, and where it was thinner, they were brightly lit, so you can see that. It just makes sense, but you don’t think of it as a painter, necessarily, it’s just a cool trick. Obviously the leaves are casting shadows on each other, so where it’s thin, they are well lit. I just thought that was awesome.
What are you doing tomorrow?
Tomorrow I am shipping a painting of mine to California, which freaks me out. I have to take it to FedEx. It’s a five-foot painting that I’m packing in cardboard and shipping to California. I have to send it and make sure it’s OK.
Libby
Location: Madison Square Park
Time: 9.10am Wednesday 24 July
What are you doing today?
I’m shooting a student film, but the actor hasn’t shown up yet. So these are some of the guys on the project. The director goes to New York Film Academy and he’s waiting for the actor, who’s over an hour late. This doesn’t usually happen. He’s probably panicking more than me though. I’m just sitting here waiting.
What’s your favourite part of the day??
Probably evening. Usually because I’m done with work. I just like the light, and it cools off in the summer. It’s nicer then. Early morning is nice too. I like the less hot parts of the day.
What are you doing tomorrow?
I’m off, so I don’t know, we’ll see. I don’t have to work. I’ve been doing some time-lapse photography with flowers. So I have one flower that will hopefully open. I did it yesterday. The flower was in the air-conditioned living room and it didn’t open. The kitchen is near the highway so it shakes! It also has leaves, so I’m going to cut them off so they won’t move as much. And I need the sun and the warmth. There’s no air conditioning in the kitchen so I think it will open up.
It’s such a lovely idea and there are so many more stories over on Bekka and Dave’s website, here.
Also… find out where you can see 3000 Hopper paintings in once place and take a photo with Don Draper.
2 Comments
What great post, such a simple and compelling idea.
Isn’t it? It’s such a great idea. Which was your favourite? I liked hearing about Fran’s day. She seemed to have a good philosophy on life – and I LOVED that Washington Square Park was her ‘backyard’!