This series acts as a comparison of the two ends of the United States, questioning how they are different, and how they are the same. Almost 3,000 miles away, both the East and West coasts have a variety of stereotypes that define them. East Coasters are described as “uptight, unfriendly, and stressed out,” while West Coasters are “flakey, peaceful, and healthier” (Greenbook, 2022). Besides the culture, the two coasts have very different climates that change the visual aesthetics of their states. As a case study, I photographed people in Saratoga Springs, NY, a more conservative suburban city at the height of Autumn, and various locations in urban and rural Los Angeles, within two weeks. What I found was a beautiful sameness that exists between vastly different people and places. California and New York aren’t as far away as one might think. Although they have different cultures and climates, they host human experiences made up of moments. Regardless of their place in the world, people feel solitude and reflection, they share awe for the earth, they love each other, they play, and rest, and somehow, they make up one country.
References:
Copernicus Marketing Consulting and Research (no date) Psychographic profile: East Coast vs.
West Coast stereotypes, GreenBook iCal. www.copernicusmarketing.com. Available at:
https://www.greenbook.org/marketing-research/east-coast-versus-west-coast-stereotypes
(Accessed: November 8, 2022).
