Humans Of New York

2523 Words6 Pages

“We were both members of the Civil Rights Movement, We met 47 years ago on a picket line” [Stanton, 2013]. This is a typical representation of what this photo book offers in terms of interactions with the subjects of the photographs. The title of this photo book is aptly named Humans Of New York, it is the first thing that sprung out to the editor after compiling his images together for the first time [Stanton, 2013: p2] which is often referred too as the acronym HONY. This body of work was all photographed by just one man named Brandon Stanton who has walked hundreds of miles around New York every single day to stumble across all these people to photograph and to ask them questions such as what is the saddest thing that has ever happened in these subjects personal lives [Bosman, 2013: Online]. This photo book composes of 400 colour images of New Yorkers at their best and worst [New York Times, 2013: Online]. The genre of this photo book is more of a fusion between of a documentary style and candid photography in which the photographer displays an in-depth emotional connection with his subjects. Stanton also dabbles in a little street fashion that is evident in parts his work. While a lot of photographers tend to center on one specific idea like a depraved area, the homeless or perhaps minorities in an area. Stanton does reflect on these areas but he goes into a much broader spectrum, through interacting with his subjects and portraying a more buoyant and optimistic insight into the people of New York. This photo book has sold over 145,000 copies worldwide within one month of it being published. HONY has gone viral across America, the United Kingdom and across China and the fan base continues to grow daily [Bosman, 2013: online]. ...

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... Brandon. Visiting a loved one. Photograph. Brainpickings. Online image. (Accessed on 8th May 2014)

http://www.brainpickings.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/humansofnewyork13.jpg

Evans, Walker. 1938-1941. Photograph. Blogspot. Online image. – Not part of Humans of New York photo book.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AMGwQmnb2Vk/Tx4JpADZyXI/AAAAAAAACjs/83DyKZPOg0c/s1600/11.jpg

Stanton, Brandon. Father and Son. Photograph, Pinterest Online image. (Accessed on 12th May 2014)

http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/80/3f/37/803f37351e980c722dedd9766d40d8e5.jpg

Evans, Walker. 1938-1941. Photograph. Blogspot. Online image. – Not part of Humans of New York photo book.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vx0pVpZPQiY/UP6mRll1SEI/AAAAAAAALHM/IhAeru7s1Xc/s1600/evans-subway-conversation.jpg

Stanton, Brandon. Done. New York: St Martin’s Press. Book image. 2013

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