The Normalization of Pollution (In and Around New York City)

My March Madness project was creating a website containing photographs taken to capture the normalization of pollution in and around New York City. At the beginning of the school year, I wondered what project I could work on that could highlight my interest in photography and also bring attention to environmental problems that are often overlooked. Even though human beings are the main cause of the destruction of the environment, environmental issues seem distant and are considered normal in everyday life. It is a rapidly growing issue that has a dangerous worldwide impact. This brought me to the driving question of: How is the normalization of pollution seen in New York City and how can its effect be captured through a form of art? I wanted to bring attention to pollution through photography because people are more likely to listen through pictures or art, rather than words. Photographs are physical proof that the issue exists, while also displaying an artistic element. Along this journey, I enhanced my prior knowledge and love for photography and gained more experiences in exploring the city by myself, as well as viewing the world in a more artistic way. My plans also changed as the year went on. I captured many more photographs than I had originally planned. In addition, the project was supposed to be mainly focused in NYC, however, because of traveling and pandemic restrictions, it became harder to venture into the city every day. Still, I did capture a substantial amount of photos in New York and overcame this challenge by finding great material to capture in New Jersey. Additionally, I was met with a pleasant surprise in the discovery of my interest in website creation, as I wanted to share my discoveries in a digital form. If I continued my project, I would take more photographs and venture into capturing other forms of pollution and create a film portion for my website.