New York Street Reader Black and White Portrait Photography
An Open Book on a Manhattan Sidewalk
I noticed his bare feet first, then the open book resting in his hands. He was seated on a milk crate beside a Manhattan building entrance, with sandals placed on either side of him. When he looked towards me, his gaze became the centre of the portrait. I photographed the encounter in black and white, keeping the book, his seated figure and the pavement together in the frame.
I was walking without a particular destination, letting the streets guide me through a city I have returned to many times. Here, the hood creates a dark border around his face, while a patterned jacket falls over the lighter clothing beneath it. His hands support the open pages low in his lap. Behind him, smooth panels and a darker base give the photograph a simple setting, with few details to compete with his face. The crate’s open pattern remains visible between his legs, and the sandals mark the lower edges of the composition.
What stayed with me was the meeting of that direct look and the small, familiar act of reading. The photograph holds both without needing to explain his circumstances or supply a story beyond the encounter. I wanted the view to remain attentive to the person, rather than turn the setting into a label. For someone drawn to documentary portraiture and everyday New York life, it offers a closely observed street moment. For me, it remains a specific memory from a walk through Manhattan, when an open book and a lifted gaze brought me to a stop.
© Dan Kosmayer, 2019
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About My Fine Art Photography
Every photograph in my collection comes from my own travels, explorations, and years behind the camera.
I create my work as photographic art rather than mass-produced decoration. From street portraits and abandoned places to landscapes, architecture, and the unusual subjects I discover along the way, each image begins with something that made me stop and look.
My photographs are available in multiple sizes so the same image can work in anything from an intimate wall space to a large statement installation.
