The recent storm that hit the New York metropolitan area really demonstrated the power of new technology and new media. Many folks hunkered down with iPads fully charged, ready to watch movies once the lights went out. Many more folks ventured outside, sometimes putting themselves in the path of the storm, in order to get pictures with the iPhone. In some ways, the recent Hurricane Sandy became the latest tourist trap-with people stopping to take pictures of themselves, their family and friends in front of the giant swells of waves and paths of destruction. While it’s great that people do that, and, yes, it’s true we need to document our surroundings, it also puts an added strain on rescue workers and can also put some of the bystanders right into harm’s way.
Even given this, I have little doubt that images will emerge in the coming days and weeks showcasing the storms power and destruction in new and novel ways. It’s almost like the entire world now has an army of iPhone/iPad carrying reporters, all running around photographing everything that happens each and every day. I have no doubt that this is going to be one of the most documented storms in history, even if not found to be one of the strongest. And, that’s a good thing, really it is. We, as humans, have an innate desire to document our surroundings. It’s part of who we are and what we do-we like to communicate. I’m sure that, years from now, when future generations stop and think back to the days of “Hurricane Sandy” they will look at our primitive images of the day with wonder and share in our experiences in the days leading up to, and immediately following, the “big Frankenstorm” (as they are now calling it in the media.)
It’s really interesting to sit back, from afar, ironically enough from the Gulf coast (an area highly prone to record-breaking hurricanes and tropical storms, though also oddly spared this time) and watch the events of the northeast unfold. Like many others, I hope and pray family, friends, and even the cities themselves recover from the storm as quickly as possible. All the better if they can shy away from the Hurricane’s path before the havoc hits home. But, even given the circumstances, I also await seeing the artistic results. This hurricane, Hurricane Sandy, was truly a “Frankenstorm” of wild magnitude and duration. It was a large storm and potentially one for the record books so too, as I look forward to hearing about tales of survival and grace, I also look forward to seeing what the photographers, both amateur and professional, have done to document it. It was a bad storm, yes, but people will live through it and some of those people will have stories and pictures to share afterwards. I sit, along with many people across the rest of the country, eagerly awaiting to hear your stories and share in the wonder of your images. A great storm such as this one, at the end of the day, makes for one interesting subject.
So, while I hope for the best, I also can’t wait to see some of the pictures. It’s only natural to want to communicate and this storm, if nothing else, has given us all a dynamic shared experience. Yes, I still hope you all remain safe but I also know some of you out there will have the pictures to prove it.
Until next time…
