Pi X E L magazine
THE HUNTINGTON NEWS THE AVENUE NUPiC
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THE COLLABORATION ISSUE
WILLIAM BRYANT 2
PiXEL
m a g a z i n e by
NUPiC
RYAN PUTRANTO 4
Table of Contents 6 Letter from the Editor 18 The Huntington News 26 The Avenue Magazine 34 NUPiC 47 About NUPiC 48 Meet the Team
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR I use to see the arts as a personal expression, a singular vision. I’ve worked to develop my personal photography through the years but for a long time failed to acknowledge the importance of the contributors to my personal development. There were teachers, friends, family, critics, subjects, models and the internet. My progress would not be where it is today had it not been for all those elements and experiences that came together. On that note, I want to dedicate this issue to all the people that inspire and are inspired; that have collaborated with others - not exclusively within the arts - and created. In order for us to portray that, we wanted to recognize the student-run organizations that have collaborated with PiXEL, as for without them, this project would not be possible. An insight into The Huntington News represented by Alex Melagrano, shows us the benefits of fostering a community in order to develop individually and collectively. Ellie MacLean illustrates the balance that is needed in order to achieve a successful spread in The Avenue Magazine. She provides an insight into the improvisation, compromises, and communication between the creators. Sam Penney provides us with his take on NUPiC and its role in his growth as a photographer. This magazine wouldn’t be possible without the hard work and enthusiasm of all those who have contributed in making this possible; all the photography, writing and editing wouldn’t be possible with just one person. To the writers, in particular, I am honored to have had the opportunity to work with you. Thank you for believing in this project from the very beginning and for bearing with me through time difference and long-distance. Lastly, thank you to Sukrit Srisakulchawala, who’s insurmountable passion and drive helped create this magazine. As the semester comes to a close and summer begins, I hope this issue provides a short escape. Kind regards, Katherine Hinds
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KATHERINE HINDS 7
HANNAH GALLANGHER 8
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EMMA KANCHANAWAT 10
EMMA KANCHANAWAT 11
NITESH MACHIREDDY
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KENNETH NWOKOLO
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JUSTINE NEWMAN 15
BRIAN BAE
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RENE ADAIMI
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THE H U N T I N GTO N NEWS
written by Sarthak Sachdeva
Perspectives differ and an artist’s idiosyncrasies aren’t always in sync with those of others. Needless to say, collaboration in today’s world is inevitable. Ranging across almost all lines of work, teaming up with fellow individuals has always helped careers progress and is great for personal development as well as networking. For over 80 years, Huntington News was known as The Northeastern News and was a major source of all reports for Northeastern,until it went independent from the university in the summer of 2008. The modus operandi in the organization was initially leaned towards merely getting event coverage rather than building a community that collectively got things done, which was later overhauled by Alex Melagrano. Alex started his journey unchaperoned. Showing up to NuPiC with a camera wasn’t enough to feed his creative soul. No amount of outings or meetings provided justice to the outlet he needed, which was to take as many photos as he possibly could. That’s where Huntington News entered the frame. He started going for a lot of basic events eventually working his way up to Photo Editor. He began by rebuilding the ‘Photo Army’ by gathering photographers, including people from 18
NuPiC. The idea behind his strategy was to establish a community of photographers working together rather than just individuals going to events on their own. He actively pursued this reconstruction by inviting photographers to Monday night meetings, which were conventionally meant to be for just writers. The meetings became a space for everyone to talk about camera gear, things they found interesting in the past week and other photography-related ideas. Not only did this lead to the germination of a team united by the same passion, it also led to great friendships. The last two semesters, specifically, have witnessed a growth in a lot of Photo Army events such as the Chinese New Year celebration in Chinatown and other small activities like a dog costume contest. These events focused more on allowing all photographers to get together in order to take photos using similar techniques and to share their viewpoint of the same subject. In February, the organization sent a group to the 2018 Women’s March where each of the three photographers joined a group of writers to encompass the topics that particular writer was covering. Two of them focused on getting candid photos of the crowd, covering different angles - one taking photos of the slogans while the other capturing people’s facial expressions, working collaboratively on the same subjects.
ALEX MELAGRANO The Beanpot, was the biggest highlight for Huntington News this year. Northeastern’s victory after 3 decades was a milestone that Alex was proud to cover as a photographer alongside his friend and associate photo editor, Albert. Since the event was so significant, a lot of planning went into its coverage. The team spoke with the house photographer at the venue, and scattered themselves depending on the kind of photos they intended to take. The event, he says, was exhilarating because he got a chance to participate in the process with eminent photographers present at the venue. As far as hurdles are concerned, the main issue the organization has had to face is the decline in people’s participation as the semester progresses. Most team members get bogged down by assignments or other school-work and find it hard to keep up with events, which leads to a dip in their contribution. The team, therefore, keeps coming up with interesting ways to make sure the photog-
raphers continue to consistently participate in as many events possible. And the efforts have certainly paid off. The organization is proud of what they’ve undergone. When asked about how Alex feels about collaborating with other artists, he emphasizes that “he wouldn’t be a fraction of the photographer he is today if it weren’t for Huntington News and the people that he ended up teaming with.” He also gets motivated by other people’s editing styles and the flare they add to their pictures, which inspires him to grow as a photographer and always learn more. The advice he’d like to give to people is to continue to challenge themselves and shoot as much as they can - individually and with other people, because nothing stimulates one’s inner artist more than actually satiating all their urges to make art.
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MAYASAKI (ALBERT) TAMURA
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ALEX MELAGRANO
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RILEY ROBINSON 22
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RILEY ROBINSON
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MAYASAKI (ALBERT) TAMURA
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THE AV E N U E
out. The team work involved in creating the image showed how individual visions align and help bring together the art that they want to create.
A notable factor of this collaboration was that everyone was treated equally and worked well together. There was no hierarchy, of any kind, to be followed. This made the entire experience that much better. As evident from some of my collabwritten by Anusha Rameshbabu orative experiences in photography, often times creators are determined about their vision coming to life and are not willing to make compromises on certain aspects about their creative project. As colEvery industry has a forum for it’s occupants to learn laborators I think it’s important to provide a space more from the way of others.It’s how creative think- for things to work in harmony so that everyone can ers join to produce a spectacle. Through various achieve their vision. This is why alignment is key to a creative collaborative opportunities, people learn smooth collaboration. not only from the art that they teach themselves but also from working with others who have similar On a more personal level, Ellie has seen how goals and an aligned vision to create what they do different creatives, artists and many people with an best. aligned vision have come together to create and Avenue Magazine is Northeastern’s “premier fashion magazine” where all the contributors are Northeastern’s very own students. Their publications are aimed at allowing students to create and share their content and inspire others to create through the process. Design, production, content writing and photography are all the different avenues they provide for students to collaborate with one another and learn about the different opportunities available. Ellie Maclean, a first year journalism student shares her experiences in the industry as a photographer and content creator. Her insight on collaboration, brought a fresh perspective to the plethora of benefits that it brings to our world of art. During her time with Avenue Magazine, a student run publication at Northeastern, Ellie had the opportunity to work on a full photoshoot for one of the spreads. This opportunity created a space to meet multiple forms of talent where different make-up artists, stylists, models and photographers came together to create the spread for the issue. The experience brought a new level of freedom, where she expressed how having less control of the situation leading up to the photo, helped give more personal importance to how pictures turned 26
share an art form that speaks to them. Something that inspires her most as a photographer is being surrounded by other motivated photographers who want to create and share art as something that impacts the community. Ellie also mentioned how the creative community in Boston has shown a wide range of talents and provides a platform to various photographers, models, artists and many more to collaborate and create art that can inspire others.
From her own experiences, Ellie believes that collaboration heightens the creative energy for any field, and the art that you create gains more support and is strengthened by the others in your field. She skillfully pointed out that as artists, it’s often easy to be stuck somewhere creatively and this is where collaborating with other artist in the field is helpful. She believes that it helps to alleviate “mental fogs” and learn more about your art. She thinks that seeking out to communities even outside of the field of arts is important because creativity builds when you work and learn with your peers in the field. Collaboration helps you challenge yourself and learn through the process by working with others and allowing your creative energies to lead the way.
ELLIE MACLEAN 27
J BRIMEYER
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ELLIE MACLEAN
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JASMINE RAYONIA 30
ELLIE MACLEAN 31
GREG HACKEL JOHNSON 32
GREG HACKEL JOHNSON 33
NUPIC written by William Everett Bryan
NUPiC has established itself as the photography club at Northeastern University. It offers students the opportunity to be part of a community and workshop space that enables their photographic pursuits. NUPiC strives to offer a welcoming space for all Northeastern students, whether you’re a budding photographer in need of some instruction or tutorials, or an experienced image-maker that’s just looking for people with whom to practice your craft. Additionally, the club prides itself for the ability to collaborate not only with its own members but with other clubs. Through the years, the club has worked side-by-side with the Fashion and retail society (including its magazine, The Avenue) and The Huntigton News. Sam Penney is a 3rd year Mechanical Engineering student from Pasadena, Calif. and the President of Northeastern University’s photography club: NUPiC. He doesn’t claim to be the most technically proficient member of the club or have hopes of pursuing a career in photography. Instead, he describes his relationship with photography as “casual and social.” Sam see’s photography as a way to spend time with friends and stay forever curious. It’s obvious early in our conversation that Sam is humble about his photographic pursuits—the kind of artist who’s a student of the craft, not a showoff about their work. “I have always found a community to be a much better setting for photography,” Sam said. “Photography to me is a very social activity and I am constantly seeking to learn more from what other photographers do and how they do it.”
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Many photographers cherish taking pictures alone and view it as a form of meditation: walking through busy city streets, just their camera, and the subject on the other side of the lens. While Sam understands the appeal of this style of photography it’s not what drew him towards the medium. Instead, he was pulled in by how “Community helps share information, encourages people to explore new avenues, and welcome newcomers who might not be as confident in their skills,” Sam said. “Any individual photographer will benefit from being a part of a photo community.” This mentality is what helped a self-described “hobbyist” become the president of his University’s photography club. His willingness to learn from others made him a great fit for leading a club that’s all about working together. NUPiC focuses on all forms of collaboration and instruction from tutorial sessions to photo walks. And despite being in charge Sam is constantly learning along the way. NUPiC “provides a space where people can learn from each other in shared interest,” said Sam. “Without it, many prospective photographers may never follow through in pursuing their interest in the art.” He continued by adding “many members are simply hobbyists when it comes to taking photos, but more people are joining looking to grow their skills for their personal businesses.” This amalgamation of students all coming together is exactly what makes collaboration so important to Sam. Everyone has a different eye when shooting, and a different editing style that when brought together, the club learns from it. “Applying a foreign philosophy to one’s own thinking can produce a unique and tremendous result,” said Sam.
SAMUEL PENNEY
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KARTIK BONDEKAR
NICK SEIDL 36
HANNAH OSOFSKY 37
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NICK SEIDL 39
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KATHERINE HINDS 41
SAMUEL PENNEY
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BRIAN BAE
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ALEX MELAGRANO
YUXUAN SUN 46
ABOUT NUPiC
NUPiC, Northeastern University’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 Boston’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.
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KATHERINE HINDS
WILLIAM BRYAN
Editor-in-Chief
Writer
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ANUSHA RAMESHBABU
SARTHAK SACHDEVA Writer
Writer
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CATHERINE ARGYROPLE 50
SAMUEL PENNEY 51
SARTHAK SACHDEVA
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GAGAN RAJPUT
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YUXUAN SUN
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THE COLLABORATION ISSUE “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” - Helen Keller