PiXEL Magazine: The Initiative Issue by NUPiC Photography Club

PiXEL m a g a z i n e

VICTORIA ROMULO BRIAN BAE HANNAH OSOFSKY ALENJANDRO AVILA

THE INITIATIVE ISSUE

BRIDGET FISH BRIDGET FISH (cover photograph also by BRIDGET FISH) 2

PiXEL m a g a z i n e by

NUPiC

Table of Contents 14

Victoria Romulo

Brian Bae

Hannah Osofsky

Project #NHP

Autumn Outings

Alejandro Avila

About NUPiC

Meet The Team

KATHERINE HINDS

SUKRIT SRISAKULCHAWLA 6

letter from the editor I had a vision - to create an authentic space for the creatives, the dreamers, the ones who boldly touch the lives of others through their art and their passion. It was no easy feat but one made possible by the efforts of an extraordinary team. It is truly my pleasure and honor to welcome you to the very first issue of PiXEL magazine. In the spirit of new beginnings, this issue aims to highlight the power of taking initiative and recognize members of the community who have embraced a philosophy of creating, not because they are told but because it feels right. Our goal was to uncover the stories of those courageous enough to pursue something beyond what was asked of them and hopefully inspire and challenge you to do the same. When you are in the creative field, whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a photographer, a musician, a poet, or a director, it is important to surround yourself with people who inspire you, keep you on your toes, and give you real and honest criticism. Our story on Victoria Romulo aims to capture the beauty of the coexistence and interdependence that communities provide to bootstrap ideas into realities, to highlight the never ending nature of learning, and to emphasize the possibility of continuous and reciprocal initiative through the community. Brian Bae shows us his focus on the power of individual effort, the value of determination, and the self-discipline creatives ought to aim for. Our story on Hannah Osofsky helps underline the potential give-and-take that artists can build within their community. Taking initiative alone can spark change, but building a collective society with a team that shares your goals and willpower can lead into a movement. Our final piece on Alejandro Avila captures perhaps one of the most crucial factors photographers and creatives should be wary of â&#x20AC;&#x201C; inspiration appears unexpectedly, and how we manage our resources, time included, is often the key difference that makes successful initiatives stand out. I want to express my unending gratitude for the incredible team of writers, contributors, and photographers whose dedication, hard work, and passion throughout the semester, to meet the ambitious demands and deadlines, brought all of this together. All of your individual efforts and ideas made a difference in shaping the foundations of PiXEL and will continue to further the growth of this magazine and team. Finally, I would also like to thank Katherine (Katie) Hinds, for her incredible commitment and unparalleled efforts in making this vision a reality. This truly would not be possible without you. I hope you all enjoy reading this issue as much as we had putting it together.

Kindest regards,

Sukrit Srisakulchawla Editor-in-Chief

SAM PENNEY 9

CATHERINE ROMANOVA CATHERINE ROMANOVA

SARTHAK SACHDEVA

LAUREN SCORNAVACCA 12

VICTORIA ROMULO written by Cindy Zhao

@victoriaromulo www.victoriaromulo.com

Bold. That’s a word 21-year old Boston based photographer Victoria Romulo uses frequently, perfectly encapsulating both herself and her photography. A moderator of IG Boston, a Marketing Strategist for Scout Design, a budding Instagram star, a chemical engineer– these eclectic elements all contribute to the dynamic perspectives showcased in Victoria’s work. Winding brick alleyways in familiar cities and sun kissed, candid portraits are splashed across her feed, giving a glimpse into the warm lens through which she sees the world and strives to emulate through her photos.

career, as it allows her to capture memories not necessarily as they were in the moment, but how she remembers them later. Most of the magic happens in post processing, Victoria explained passionately, as there are so many ways she can see a scene playing out; by manipulating colors and tones, she is able to evoke specific emotions. She admits that often, even while she is shooting, she is unsure of her shots. Always having possessed a solid grasp of composition and perspective, for Victoria, a shot is more about the emotion behind the photo and the memories contained in that space.

A love born from growing up in the placid suburbs of Chesapeake, Virginia, photography quickly transitioned from photo booth selfies to portraits shot in between ballet sessions at her local studio, driven by the idea that people deserve nice photos of themselves. This idea has held constant through Victoria’s photography

For Victoria, photography has developed into a way for her to maintain wanderlust– first, when she moved to Melbourne, with its endless, screaming cityscapes, and now in Boston, all bustling winters and worn cobblestones. Street photography quickly became a staple in Victoria’s versatile portfolio yet she manages to tackle 14

it from a fresh angle. She doesn’t go for the standard, what she deems as ‘touristy’ shots, but instead is constantly on the prowl for unseen places and more importantly, a shift in perspective. With this philosophy and mindset, Victoria explore the notion that there are an infinite number of ways to see the same place, even in one’s home. Victoria feels this concept is what fuels her as a moderator for IG Boston, an innovative Instagram community featuring curated shots from the Greater Boston area. Victoria routinely hand picks shots from community members to feature on the Instagram page, keeping a keen eye out for members who are able to showcase Boston in a new light. She tries to be impartial while choosing photos and strives to feature a variety of people and shots, but enjoys recognizing the styles of members who post often. Moderating for the IG Boston

page has helped her immensely in her own photography, Victoria mused, as the opportunity to curate alongside three other moderators had led her to expand her personal style. This is especially true in the terms of the ability to gauge community feedback photo by photo, and allows the moderators to learn what appeals to them personally versus what appeals to the Instagram community at large. For Victoria, photography serves as a medium to preserve the old in all its nostalgic splendor, as well as to usher in the new, all unfamiliar faces in vibrant cities. In many ways, photography is uniquely situated as a bridge of past, present, and future, allowing one to capture moments exactly as they are.

image

BRIAN BAE written by Sarthak Sachdeva @brianbobbae brianbae.myportfolio.com “To take photographs means to recognize - simultaneously and within a fraction of a second - both the fact itself and the rigorous organization of visually perceived forms that give it meaning. It is putting one’s head, one’s eye and one’s heart on the same axis.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson

It all started when Brian Bae’s apathy at his high school seminars was so evident to his professor, that she decided to give him a camera to play with. Little did he know that it would kickstart his journey into the photography career he has today, with experiences shooting for concerts, sports and corporate events. Brian bought his own camera soon thereafter and made money off of local concerts and events, which eventually took his career in an upward trajectory. He currently uses a Nikon D500 and is taking classes at Northeastern for Manufacturing Systems and Techniques, Differential Equations and Linear Algebra. Brian’s experience with concert photography began with Boston Calling in 2016, a three-day music festival that has thousands of music enthusiasts flocking from all across Massachusetts to see their favorite artists perform. He rememberstaking a thousand photographs in the span of three to four songs for each artist; and with low light conditions, as expected with typical concert settings, he managed to produce images he recalls being proud of. Just like shooting a concert, Brian also enjoys sports, expressing how it takes a lot of intricacy capturing players doing what they do best and how that is something that’s always appealed to him. He draws inspiration from famous photographers like Andy Kenutis, who officially shoots for the Minnesota Vikings team and Brian Babineau, a photographer for the Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, Boston Red Sox and TD Garden.

Brian claims he is neither mathematically calculative nor does he undergo vigorous complex analysis of his subjects, when he composes his image. Instead, he focuses on making sure he captures the moment completely, doing so through paying detailed attention to his zoom and framing. The essence, for him, is to capture the moment in the fast paced scenarios he likes to be in. He puts his subjects on the opposite side of where they’re looking, in order to give them more room. To accomplish a successful composition each time, he admits to have practiced a lot in many different situations, thus developing a better understanding of his camera settings and how to effectively manipulate them without spending too much time on it. In addition to his experience with fast-paced sports photography and concert photography, Brian has taken photos for some big firms in various corporate settings. When asked if he had any advice to those new to photography, hoping to achieve similar goals, he suggested they seek out critiques and feedback. Both of which, he believes, has helped him tremendously evolve into the artist he is today, and continues to guide him along his path.

HANNAH OSOFSKY

written by Anusha Rameshbabu @hannahroseosofsky www.hannahrophotography.com

Initiate. Indulge. Inspire. Hannah Rose Osofsky is a fourth year student currently on her co-op with Elevin Studios. She specializes in portrait and event photography and is actively involved with social photography as well as professional photography through her co-op and her freelance work as well. She also enjoys fashion photography that she does for bloggers and boutiques. Hannah’s journey as a photographer began almost six years ago when she received her first DSLR as a Chanukah present. From the start, Hannah considered photography to be a social concept. She was always drawn to the visuals, even when it came to books she read. As a part of involvement in various social photography events, Hannah discovered portrait meets and how different people with a wide range of experiences came together to learn, share, create and inspire others involved in photography. In July 2017, Hannah and her friends decided to start a collective for women by women, an idea that each of them had individually. The goal was to create a space for female photographers, models and stylists to share their ideas and create art turned into this wonderful collaborative called Let’s Shoot Boston. The Hannah describes that as a result of her involvement with the collective she was able to get her name out in the local community and branch out as a photographer. Along with her involvement as a moderator for Let’s Shoot Boston she is also currently on co-op with Elevin studios where she manages several platforms of professional social media, assists with digital photo editing and assists with day to day tasks at the studio. In addition to this, she assists with a photo booth company, POSE. Upon graduation, Hannah hopes to pursue a career is professional photography and focus more on traveling internationally to create and promote her image as a photographer aboard as well. The drive and intuition that Hannah shows through her initiative with Let’s Shoot Boston has formed a forum for several women to express their creativity and come together to create art. Being a part of the Let’s Shoot Boston community myself, I can say that this has certainly opened up many doors and created opportunities for me as a photographer. The creativity that the women of this community bring to the table is refreshing. By providing a space for women to grow and help others grow, the Let’s Shoot Boston community has provided a new family for the social photographers of Boston. And after all, to me that is what initiative is all about; inspiring and creating as a team. 26

PROJECT #NHP

#nhpblackandwhite @n_seidl

#nhpscopeoutthatscape @bridgetfish

#nhpcaughtinthemoment @parthpandya_19

#nhpscopeoutthatscape @a.k.a._tats

#nhpsignsoftheseason @zkfang

#nhpfeastyoureyes @squeekybeef

#nhpnightatthemusuem @hannahroseosofsky

#nhpsignsoftheseason @cselsers21

#nhpbytheriver @floatingapple

Inspire and Collaborate. That was the main purpose of the NUPiC Hashtag Project, #NHP. For the first time, we invited our club members and Northeastern photographers to step out and take pictures based on a specific hashtag hand picked by our eboard members that week. Talent flourished from this project as our members and other Northeastern creatives decided to contribute by posting their version of the weekly prompt. Here are some of our favorites from the semester.

#nhpblackandwhite @morr_is__better

#nhpfeastyoureyes @swilliams821

#nhpblackandwhite @ndoubleosh

#nhpbytheriver @tjl_p

#nhpsignsoftheseason @bridgetfish

#nhpscopeoutthatscape @noobwithanikon

#nhpbytheriver @alexmelagrano

#nhpcaughtinthemoment @shotsbyleila

#nhpbytheriver @sukrits_25

AUTUMN OUTINGS This semester has gone above and beyond our expectations! It has truly been an honour to see our members grow creatively and as a community. We love collaborating with all of you and canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to explore more of Boston and continue growing. Keeping with the tradition, our very first outing of the academic year was to the Charles River Esplanade. It is not, however, in our tradition to get stuck under the Mass Ave. Bridge as we wait out a downpour but, in true NUPiC fashion, we used this as an opportunity to get photographing, rather than a reason to sulk. People posed and propped themselves up below the bridge taking pictures of reflections and faces framed by wet hair. Luckily, it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take too long for the sky to clear, just in time to catch the sunset gleaming against the river water.

SAM PENNEY 34

ALEX MELAGRANO

Another of our club’s traditon includes visiting the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), to recognize and celebrate artistic work and further develop our members awareness of various genres and histories of photography. Through understanding what has been we hope to inspire our members to strive for what can be. The MFA is enormous and can sometimes be overwhelming, but the artistic treasures and inspiration put on display through permanent and temporary exhibits make it a fan favorite. This semester we were intrigued by the ‘Summer of Love’ exhibit. It featured some great graphic design and photography that gave us all the 1960’s inspiration we needed with all its psychedelic colours, bubble writing and bell bottoms.

Naturally, as the leaves started turning, the pumpkin flavoured drinks came out of hiding, and fleeces were wiped out of storage, we decided to turn our attention and focus on Landscape and Nature photography. Taking advantage of the weather and season, we took a trip to the Arnold Arboretum so our members could get a taste of the classic New England fall foliage. Red, orange, yellow and green served as the perfect backdrops to landscape pictures and portraits.

LAUREN SCORNAVACCA

SUKRIT SRISAKULCHAWLA

As October came to a close, we wrapped up our discussion on Landscapes with another fall-themed outing to Jamaica Pond. Here, members were challenged to shoot against the setting sun. Another semester highlight that shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be overlooked is the Instagram panel with Kathryn Riley(@k__h__r), Joe Thomas(@joethommas) and Amy Friel(@amy_friel). These instagram experts gave us an insight on their personal journeys, photography styles and industry tricks that helped them succeed in the platform. Their enthusiasm and passion about their work was contagious and were received with many questions from our members looking to expand or start their own following. 37

ALEJANDRO AVILA written by William Bryan @avila.photo www.1avilaphoto.com

Alejandro Avila, born in Vercruz, Mexico, is a portrait and commercial photographer currently based in Boston, MA. Alongside his venture in photography, he is also pursuing a degree in Marketing Analytics at Suffolk University. When discussing his origin, Alejandro mentioned that he moved around a fair amount before his family settled down in Cancun. What may surprise the audience of his work is that it wasn’t until one summer day before he was leaving to start his college career did Alejandro first picked up his camera. His propensity for capturing his subjects’ essence, shown in his work today, shows the remarkable growth he has been able to accomplish over such a short period. He recalled being struck by the beauty of a sunset, and as he began to experiment with an old DSLR he borrowed from his parents, he quickly realized the rest of his summer would be dedicated to unlocking all of the hidden secrets that a camera has to offer. It became clear to him that photography would not be a skill mastered over night, but earned through trial and error.

“With each piece of knowledge I learned on the subject, it emphasized how much I still had to learn.” Alejandro discovered early on that he was more interested in portraiture than other forms of photography. Much of his early work was done on the street, but he soon realized that the people he captured were the most important part of those stolen moments in public. Unafraid of interacting with people, in part because of his age, he decided that pulling

personalities out of portraits was what he was most interested in.

“I’m constantly looking to learn something about them, to connect beyond the surface of their appearance, to form something that didn’t exist, that’s exciting! I can see the effect of this process on the person throughout the shoot, and the final result becomes more intimate and more honest.” Over the past three years shooting portraits he has discovered a few tricks to help his subjects let down their guard. “I often tell my subjects to relax and close their eyes for a few seconds or pretend they’re thinking about where they lost their keys,” Alejandro said. “This usually provides a hint of the eye expression we’re going for, eventually arriving at a look that projects natural interest and brings out personality.” Since realizing his interest in portraiture Alejandro has photographed models, actors, local clothing brands in Boston, and the Physics Department at Harvard University; all while juggling the demands of school as well. Juggling both school and a growing photography business isn’t easy, but according to Alejandro shot selection and post-processing work are the most demanding parts of his growing business. After he graduates, Alejandro plans to travel the world while continuing to develop a self-sustaining photography business. He also hopes to research imaging technologies at the intersection of virtual reality and education.

KATHERINE HINDS 44

ABOUT NUPiC NUPiC, Northeastern Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s official student run photography club offers students the opportunities to explore the art of photography. From tutorial sessions, demonstrations and guest speakers on the technicalities of photography, to group outings across Bostonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s various neigborhoods, our aim is to promote a culture of collaboration and to cultivate a space for students to harness and develop their creativity.

MEET THE TEAM

SUKRIT SRISAKULCHAWLA President of NUPiC Editor-in-Chief of PiXEL

KATHERINE HINDS Director of Publications Creative Director of PiXEL

HANNAH OSOFSKY

SAMUEL PENNEY

Director of Communications and Marketing

Director of Activities and Events

WILLIAM BRYAN Writer

ANUSHA RAMESHBABU Writer

SARTHAK SACHDEVA

CYNTHIA ZHAO

Writer

GAGAN RAJPUT 51

SOUGATA DAFADER

ANUSHA RAMESHBABU

LEILA HABIB

NICK SEIDL 56

TATHAGATA CHAKRABORTY 57

THE INITIATIVE ISSUE “A lot of people never use their initiative because no-one told them to.”

- Banksy