MARIA A. MICHEL
65
I have loved photography since I was very young. I always dreamed about being able to go to school for photography and own a really good camera but that wasn’t possible when I was growing up. I still attended every exhibition I could.
Living in the South Bronx, I would often walk by the Bronx Documentary Center and stop to look at everything they were doing—I wanted to go in and ask them all about their work, but I never had the courage to. Then I found out about the classes at Borinquen Court Mitchel Senior Center and I signed up. I was able to see that childhood dream become a reality.
I love taking pictures that speak for me and my personal vision. My photos talk about time, happiness, sadness, and everything that I can feel, touch, and dream.
I’ve learned more about myself with photo techniques that are so important for taking good pictures: how to compose with angles, shadows, reflections, symmetry, and emotion. All of these aspects made me love photography even more, and even though I haven’t done it for too long, I already feel capable of doing what I always dreamed about… TO TAKE GOOD PICTURES. Lastly, I learned things I never imagined, like street photography, portraiture, and capturing programs straight from the TV. Oh my goodness, that was amazing for me!
“My Soul in Harmony” I learned to observe and release my soul from a photographic perspective. South Bronx, NY. April 17, 2021.
“My Religion and Flag” One of our Dominican religious symbols and flag, photographed in the hallway inside my apartment. Bronx, NY. April 21, 2021.
A curtain in my kitchen. Bronx, NY. 2021.
“The Sun’s Rays and Me” Sitting on my bed, the sun’s rays came up. South Bronx, NY. April 13, 2021.
“Mom in my Window” The last photographs I took of my mother before she died. Sweet memories. South Bronx, NY. April 15, 2021.
A mirror panel in my bedroom with images of my mother. Bronx, NY. April 2021.
A portrait of myself in my bedroom during the afternoon. Bronx, NY. 2021.
“Sad and Shoes” When my brothers and I were children, my father used to say to us, “When you feel sad, hug your shoes.” Photo taken at my job. South Bronx, NY. March 14, 2021.
A green still life in my apartment. Bronx, NY. May 23, 2021.
A triptych of wigs in a storefront window on 3rd Avenue and 149th Street. Bronx, NY. 2021.
A woman walks to the subway station on Intervale Avenue. Bronx, NY. April 2021.