“What do you do?”
That was my introduction to 86 people in the first week of February this year. In each session, each day, and each moment passing, the question framed the time with each person I met. So simple, but so much.
“What do you do?”
The same response never came twice. There was repetition. There was commonality. There was the distinct inflection of a New York story that plays itself out every day, but never ends.
“What do you do?”
There were so many different answers. Banking, acting, singing, dancing, writing, producing, studying, finance, working…working…always people working towards something. I often wondered who each person would be and what they would become as time passed. There were New York natives, transplants from a coast away, and everything in between, but through each person, I saw a world of life played out 15 minutes at a time. Inspiring, honest, bold, reserved, forthright, pure, and simple.
See the slideshow by clicking the image below. This entry continues afterwards.
The first day was a rough start. It was tiring and long, and I wasn’t quite ready. I hadn’t decided on lighting, objective, or direction, and I wasn’t focused. I decided that I would have to let the experience take me wherever it went. I have too often taken the safe path in my life, avoiding failure more than going for success, but here there was no choice. With no restrictions and no blueprint, I could only let each person be my guide. It meant I was free to make mistakes. It meant I was free to grow.
And I did grow. I can only guess that to each person coming in the door this was just a project to have some fun and occupy some time. After all, that’s how I usually described it. But as it went on, I found that this was about knowing myself and learning about how I relate to others. Every person has so much to give to one another.
Things started to come together by the third day. It was tiring, not quite inspiring, and still a little uncertain, but as my technique became more tangible, I stopped worrying about what to do every second of the shoot. My approach changed. I spent some time talking with Natalia on my last shoot that Wednesday. She was soft spoken and intriguing, and in those quiet moments, I could see that in her face, as it was and free of overt expression, there was all I needed. No need for dramatic lighting or a compositional statement. Just her, looking at me. Less was more.
By the fourth day, I was calmer, and I started to better feel my reactions to people. Where on prior days I worked with multiple set-ups to ensure that I captured something visually engaging, now I was focusing on body language and expression. The defining moment of the project came on the last day. It was then that I realized that this week was something special for me. It happened when Kell walked in the door. “What do you do?” I said. He looked at me quizzically, so I asked again. And, unexpectedly, he just let it all out. His life story in 10 minutes. It was in that moment that I understood that we all carry in our gestures and form a power from the stories that we live each and every day.
One week and 86 portraits later, I am no longer tired. In fact, as I write this on a day off, I miss the studio, the people, and getting to know them. I want to keep going. Now that the week is said and done, I know that each person who sat there in front of me gave me something special. They gave me a piece of themselves, and in doing so, they gave me a piece of myself. It was in this week that I could feel something I had already believed. Community is essential.
To each participant, you are all fabulous. I feel a debt of gratitude for your coming in and being there. You have inspired and touched me. To talk, to listen, and to be present – these things are the essence love and life. Thank you so, so much.
Finally, a special thanks to Irina, who has helped with this project in more ways than I’m likely even aware of myself. Not only could I never have done this without her help, but I don’t think I would have without her encouragement. She went above and beyond the call of duty, and being there to help, listen, and talk has meant everything.






































