Snapshots and Snippets From New York

I tend to hate the photos taken of me next to my laptop. I’m a blogger, so naturally, reporters ask me to pose with my weapon of choice. I don’t mind acquiescing, especially since I’m not a photographer myself and it’s not like I have a suggestion for a better shot. Still, I can’t help thinking that the more obvious setup the setup, the less meaningful the picture. It’s strange that the easiest portrait to shoot is the one that appears the most contrived. I never look natural in my photos next to computers.

But this one I like for some reason. He took it Saturday night. We’d just gotten back to the hotel from coffee on the Lower East Side. I was looking at my Tumblr dashboard when he shot this (you can tell from the screen it’s Tumblr). I didn’t know until we scrolled through his photos later that he had taken anything at all.

An actual candid of me. Pretty rare.

Another interesting photo (from our coffee earlier that evening). I started taking pictures of him with my cell phone and he responded by snapping me with his digital camera at the same time. It was war.

Got back from New York this morning after sleeping at some atrocious hour last night. 72 hours in New York. Christ. Things I did this weekend (with helpful links):

* Got two dresses at AuH2O, this fantastic East Village clothing store with one-of-a-kind pieces made from recycled fabrics. Kate, the owner (who’s only 23!), is doing a custom piece for the Guy. New York fashion students, intern for this woman. She’s responsible for cool, creative, affordable stuff like this Metrocard dress.

* Had a cup of New York’s best coffee at Abraço

* Best meal of the weekend: dinner at a great French place in the East Village called Antibes Bistro. The desserts are amazing. What I recommend: butternut squash ravioli and the chocolate terrine.

* Brought the Guy and the dog along for a fascinating meeting with a downtown production company.

* Visited the International Center of Photography. Really enjoyed the Glenn Ligon exhibit critiquing Robert Mapplethorpe’s The Black Book (a volume of homoerotic images of black men)

* Saw a lot of people, just generally. Consumed a lot of coffee and Haribo gummi bears, just generally (the latter brought back from Germany when I visited Kennedy over spring break).

* Hung out at night with the Guy’s sister who studies fine arts in the city. Wound up in Williamsburg both Friday and Saturday night after disliking the pretentious crowd at Plumm and D’Or. Jules (my down-to-earth NYC companion from last summer who was the only person I knew who lived in Brooklyn) would’ve been proud.

* Took plenty of candid photos and video, somewhat against my perfectionist will, but oh well.

Good drive. Good company. Great weekend.