justiNYC

New Photographic Adventures in NYC with M. Sayyid and Ras Dave

New Pursuits and Imagery

Life's been interesting lately and although I haven't updated this blog in a while, I have been very busy.  Home Free Organization is moving right along and in fact, will be the cover story of the newest College of Charleston Magazine "Alumni Issue" in the following weeks.  In addition to this, I've been working hard with the Loftninja on some commercial space and taking a LOT of photos, now that I'm back in NYC.  My good buddy Ras Dave, reggae/roots/dancehall vocalist extraordinaire has been visiting Brooklyn and we've been taking quite a bit of photos for is new album.  Ras Dave has a new social network that I encourage all reggae and dancehall lovers to join.  If this isn't enough, I've been working close with M. Sayyid of Anti-Pop Consortium with imagery and video for some upcoming projects.  You can check out SayyidAirborn blog for the latest updates.

 

[above: Ras Dave of Dub Island Soundsystem/below: M.Sayyid]

Social Networking

Justin Farrow has a new fan page on Facebook if anyone out there is interested in following artistic pursuits.
 
 

Introducing Home Free Organization- My New Nonprofit Project for the Homeless

Home Free Organization is my latest endeavor and although I haven't posted to this blog in some time, you can see that I've been working hard elsewhere in the blogosphere on Home Free Org Blog and helping the Loftninja with Ninjalist a little bit here and there. With that said, I thought that it is about time to share some information about the new initiative with my readers on this blog, as you guys are a bit more familiar with my background in anthropology and real estate and might like to know where all of this came from.  A new nonprofit initiative such as Home Free is a difficult thing to not only orchestrate, but to create as well.  That is why it took me this long (since the original idea back in 2006) to put into action.  Nevertheless, ending homelessness on some real level is one of the most important issues plagueing the country and the world today, thus my motivation for not only doing my part but hopefully something far greater.

What is Home Free Organization?

Home Free Organization is a non-profit initiative to eradicate homelessness in urban environments through the provision of free wireless internet, social networking and resource allotment. We take donated bread trucks which have come off route and add donated computers and hardware to create mobile wireless access hubs for homeless individuals to utilize for finding family, jobs, resources and ways off the street. The goal is simple: Provide a resource for the homeless which will allow them to find ways off the street. Of course there are many who prefer the streets to a 9-5 and home life, but for those who are stuck and cannot find there way, Home Free will provide the tools to try.
We give every visitor an email address to be used for networking and contact. We provide a focused set of search engines geared toward geneology, people searching, available jobs and other resources available to homeless individuals. Finding the Home Free Truck will be easy, as we will be providing the streets with an 800 number that can be called from any public phone to give the exact location of the truck. It could be at Union Square in Manhattan or Downtown Brooklyn. (via our Facebook Page)

First of all, Home Free is unlike any  other nonprofit dedicated to the cause of helping the homeless.  Let me preface this explanation with the fact that using the word 'homeless' when referring to those who live in the streets makes me cringe. That is why I officially changed it to "home-free" in the dictionary a few weeks ago.  Just yesterday, the Loftninja had another word, "home-o-phobic" published.

One of the biggest reasons why I feel most ideas and projects who address this issue miss the mark is due to the fact that rarely can you find one that meets those who it seeks to help on their own terms or even somewhere in the middle.  First, you must not intimidate those who you are trying to help or you will never see them up at the plate.  Second, you must be sensitive to their real needs and concerns (such as privacy and security). And third, you must be willing to go a step further than what your organization specializes in so to offer actual assistance and support.  What do I mean by this?  Well lets see...

Home Free Organization uses 100% donated materials that are largely preowned and previously used.  For example, we only utilize used bread trucks as our support vehicle as opposed to big shiny new trucks that might otherwise intimidate a person living on the streets. No one in that position would be keen on the idea of seeking help from a resource that appears to be created and supported by a government entity- and surely would not like the idea of having officials of any sort sifting through thier personal information and search data.  As for the computers that we use, they are and will be donated, formatted and reappropriated as well in order to preserve the privacy of both the donar and the user.  Home Free visitors will be given their own personal USB thumbdrive which can be used each time they visit one of the Home Free Trucks and once they leave, all of their data will be erased from their visit, insuring that the next visitor will not have access to the personal information of the person before them.

 

Home Free Organization is an entirely extensible nonprofit initiative.  A friend told me the other day that HFO "is like Firefox and every other nonprofit in the world is like its add-ons."  We are in the process of recruiting professionals from many different fields such as psychology, drug and alcohol treatment and social sciences such as sociology and of course anthropology.  In addition, many volunteers that have stepped up have backgrounds in hair styling, fashion and culinary.  When an individual comes to us in need of help finding a job, we not only teach them how and where to search, we find them clothes to wear to an interview, cut their hair for them, take headshots and help them actually get that job.  We provide them with a mailing address and an email address and in many cases, connect them with one of the services that are offered for providing phones and voicemail.

Home Free Organization Donation Flyer (please print and pass along):

Home Free Organization Donation Flyer

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Education art promotion

Home Free Truck Schematic (Aerial View):

Home Free Truck™ (Aerial View)

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Illustrations & Maps truck aerial view

Other links where Home Free Organization can be found:

http://tinyurl.com/homefreeorg
http://homefree.ning.com
http://twitter.com/homefreeorg
http://homefreeorg.blogspot.com
http://myspace.com/homefreeorg

You can find Home Free Organization on your favorite social networks such as Facebook, Myspace, Behance Network and yes, Twitter.  Please be sure to visit us there and drop your thoughts for the world to see.

Email Us here: [email protected]

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Haunted-ish Brooklyn Places

While going through archives, I stumbled across quite a few really interesting shots that I've taken around Brooklyn in reverse negative.   They make for some pretty haunted looking photos. A few of these are just flat out creepy looking.  Here are a few examples:

"closed"

Police Precinct near BQE in Williamsburg

Haunted Loft Building

Off Morgan Avenue...i actually took this photo in 2004

Haunted Guernsey Street

Haunted Guernsey Street #2

Haunted Guernsey Street #3

Haunted Guernsey Street #4

a quickr pickr post

Bushwick Inside-Out

The oldest wooden buildings in Brooklyn

Morgan Oil

The house that is connected to the cement factory at the Morgan Ave station on L train.  Whoever lives in there must be scary.

This one was once for sale during the housing bubble.  I'm sure it is being turned into condos at this very moment....

NYC Panoramic Photos of Yesteryear Brooklyn "Space"

Brooklyn is a wild place to photograph and over time I have shot quite a few panos (previously mentioned here) and stitched landscapes.  In an album that I call "Space" you can see many places that no longer exist, lofts that have been destroyed to make way for condos and entire buildings that have been sacrificed to gentrification.

I've seen a lot of interiors and too many exteriors to count and lucky for you, prints are available.  Take a look at the album and if you see something that you would like to have as a high res print, follow the instructions at the bottom of the first page. If you would like more information about the location of any image in particular, drop a comment below. Let's remember Brooklyn of yesterday together...

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Save The Date: Create Change NYC Will Rock The Vote

Obamarama will be the next "not to miss" event in NYC!  On October 17th, there will be a party and silent auction  at the The Bell House in Brooklyn and it will feature such acts as Dragons of Zynth, TAKKA TAKKA, Cassettes Won't Listen (DJ) and my buddies, the newly reunited Anti-Pop Consortium (their myspace page).
The event is being held to benefit the efforts of Barack Obama and his upcoming election.  This is what Create Change NYC had to say about the nature of the auction:

A silent auction of fine art, photographs, fashion, design goods and services will be held throughout the evening. Bid on items from Albert Watson, Art Streiber, George Pitts, Lewis Cho, Patrick Ervell, Inhabit, Mike Perry, Rachel Mason, Mariah Robertson, Other Music and many others.

NOTE: A donation of $25 or more to the Obama campaign is required to attend this event. Donations will be accepted at the door, or can be made in advance through our group's fund-raising page.(more information on site ). Personally, i think its worth $25 just to see Anti-Pop....but that's just me.
The Bell House is located in Gowanus, Brooklyn at 149 7th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. Take F, R, M to 4th Ave/9th Street stop.

Other Links to check out:
The Scout: Create Change NYC
Create Change NYC (official website)

Bedford Avenue Gets a Hula Hoop Girl

I knew it wouldn't be long before Bedford Avenue would have its very own hula hooper. Ok, actually i didn't. Nevertheless, with all the boom and bust that is Williamsburg these days, why shouldn't our neighborhood have one of everything?  Usually, the only entertainment to be had on Bedford is the Circus of Fools, but now we are moving into the big time!  Without further ado, I give you the Bedford Hula Hoop Girl (found via Curbed).
Bedford Ave. Hula Hoop Girl from rsguskind on Vimeo. Someone should tell her that giving her show on Hooper Street might be worth a try. Just for fun, here's a short video showcasing our friend the Bedford Dancer (of the Bedford Circus of Fools).

New York City Cityscapes Issue of The L Magazine features Justin Farrow

The newest L Magazine is on the streets now and it happens to be the long awaited NYC Cityscapes Issue.  In this issue, the reader is presented with iconic snapshots that might be taken (or remembered) by a New Yorker from all corners of the city and outer boroughs.  So pretend you have absolutely nothing to do except for walk around the city and shutterbug the hell out of stuff tourists would like and your schedule will look a little something like this: If you look close, you will see that Justin Farrow (me...duh) has a nice little purdy Williamsburg shot in there.  Although the shots are not of the Old Dutch Mustard this time, this view is from the roof of a building that is no longer small...its growing like a weed, over near McCarren Park (...excuse me, Karl Fisher Row). As seen in the New York City Cityscapes Issue of the L Magazine, this picture from Justin Farrow is reflective of a time that is quickly fleeting in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. As mentioned a few times before, there's just nothing quite like having a photograph that you've taken find its way into the hands of at least a million people while ending up on every street corner of this fine city of ours.  I've had the opportunity to shoot a lot of landscape that no longer exists out here in Brooklyn and I'm very happy to have been given the chance(s) to share it all with you. Here are a few of the other covers and stories I've worked on with the L Mag:

the brooklyn issue [cover/NYC Profile]

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		The Fall Art Preview Is the UN Doomed? Sept 28- Oct 11, 05 volume iii issue 18 [Cover/NYC Profile "Fulton Fish Market"]

  -

The Love Issue February 01-14 [Profile/Various restaurants]

The Gym Issue Cover

Other Links that Reference Related Material:
Brownstoner-After Hipsters Before Condos
Curbed -Williamsburg's Old Dutch Mustard Building, Inside and Out

Pleasing the Beverly Hillbillies on Roebling and a Field guide to Williamsburg

So, Williamsburg made it into Gawker yesterday- they published a "field guide!"  For the most part, its pretty accurate.I suppose this means the Burg has finally arrived.  Brownstoner linked it up, along side a few listings from my buddy LoftNinja.

Meanwhile, over at Gowanus Lounge, there's a bit of talk today about the "Roebling Oil Field" at 223 N. 11th Street.  Forget black gold and texas tea, its a bonified slick fest over there!  The Beverly Hillbillies could certainly be a gang of potential buyers, if someone tracked them down....


Technorati Tags: Gawker, Williamsburg, links, field guide,

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Big Ass Crane Still Gone, Finger Building Goes Black

 

Why does it always have to be a black thing?  At least its better than a crane thing, i suppose.  The in-famous Finger Building on North 7th continues to stay in flux, as the exterior gets covered in black-ness.  Now that's HOT!

Finger Building Getting Hip Black Exterior [Curbed]


Technorati Tags: Finger Building, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, black, crane

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Sorely Missed Street Art in the City that Always Creeps

I just have to say (and I've said it before) that one of the things that I miss the most about Brooklyn (while down here in the Dirty South on break) would have to be graffiti and street art.  When you are as ingrained into a neighborhood as I am, watching buildings and streetscapes change like blinks of an eye, it is the art that keeps even the shortest of walks interesting.  From across the street, I will without fail notice the arrival of any new sticker or scribble, the fresh presence of a new poster and ahhh...the smell of wheatpaste in the morning.  Today, Curbed made me a little nostalgic for my neighborhood route, actually showing me a couple of things that have been added to the streets, undoubtedly within the last 2 weeks.


[apparently freshly posted on the outside of the barrier attached to the "See Through Building" on Bedford and N4th Streets (future of "Williamsburgh Square."-maybe)]

You just can't avoid the truth of the streets!

I would like to also share with all of you an album i have posted on PicasaWeb, jam packed with Street Art from Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Bushwick, DUMBO, etc.  Enjoy!

Street Art

Before the Bedford Ave. Highrise, the See-Through Building [Curbed]
· Peevish Williamsburg Graffiti #1 [Curbed]
· Pevish Williamsburg Graffiti #2 [Curbed]

Technorati Tags: graffiti, street art, Williamsburg, Curbed

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