About Me — SYR ART PHOTOGRAPHY

Stella’s 82nd Birthday; Dinosaur BBQ. April 18, 2019

My name is LaTrenda Carswell. I was born in Miami, Florida but I grew up in Syracuse, New York.

In the late sixties and early seventies you could compare a photograph of Syracuse and NYC taken on the same day and it would be difficult to tell which photograph was taken in which city.

The downtown department stores. Movie theaters. Restaurants... If you never enjoyed a hot dog on a toasted bun at G.W. Grants, or shopped between Dey Brothers and Sibleys, or were terrified by the Victorian bust on the store front of Three Sisters department store, or enjoyed 70’s films at Loew’s or Eckel theaters, or had warm fluffy pancakes from The Buttery on Warren Street where you may also catch a glance of the ladies of the evening, you really missed Syracuse in its heyday. The hustle and bustle of city sidewalks and streets on the weekend, especially during the holiday season; I have wonderful memories of those days with my mom.

With the Urban Renewal project of the sixties and seventies, the ill effects began to show in the eighties. The landscape of the city changed. Syracuse slowly began its decline into nothing short of a ghost town.

It would be false to say Syracuse and NYC are back on par with electric excitement. Regardless, I have come to love this city in profound ways. It is wonderful to see life returning to the city after decades of decline. So for me, a person who didn’t even text until I turned 50, I am now a self-taught, still learning photographer for whom Syracuse has become my muse. There is beauty in the city I love. I hope you enjoy the images and see what I see.

LaTrenda

All photos on this site were taken by LaTrenda H. Carswell. All photos are copyrighted and may not be reproduced without permission.