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Photography

Photo essays and notes on looking: subway portraits, storefronts and small details.

Photo essays and notes on looking. The "4 Photos" series sums up a place in four frames, from Economy Candy on Rivington Street to the seafront of Salerno. Our subway portraits take their cue from Walker Evans' hidden-camera pictures of New York riders in 1938 to 1941.

Along the way we share practical notes on street photography: light, lenses, patience and the ethics of photographing strangers in public.

Aerial view of Salerno and its coastline on the Gulf of Salerno

Photography3 min read

4 Photos from Salerno

The "4 Photos" series takes four frames and nothing else. This time it's the Italian port city most travelers rush past on the way to Positano.

Economy Candy storefront with its red script sign and striped awning

Photography4 min read

4 Photos from Economy Candy

Floor-to-ceiling bins, retro wrappers and halvah by the slab: a Lower East Side institution in four frames.

Black and white photo of riders inside a New York subway car

Photography5 min read

Subway Photos, Trial No. 1

The subway car is the most democratic portrait studio in the world. Walker Evans knew it eighty years ago.

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