Reading On The Street In New York City | Limited Edition of 10
Barefoot Man Reading Quietly On A Milk Crate
I noticed his feet before anything else.
Not the book in his hands. Not the hood pulled low over his brow. Not even the stare that would follow a second later. It was his feet — bare, cracked, grey with the city itself — placed gently on the pavement as if he had already accepted that this was where he’d be for a while. His sandals sat on either side of him, deliberately set down like punctuation marks at the end of a long sentence.
He was seated on an upturned milk crate just off a busy sidewalk in New York City, tucked into the metallic edge of a building entrance where the sound of passing traffic seemed to fade into a low mechanical hum. The light was diffused by the surrounding glass and concrete, flattening everything into quiet midtones except for his hands and the open pages of the book resting in his lap. His jacket hung heavy. His hoodie framed his face in shadow. But his eyes — when they met mine — were fully present.
There was no performance in it.
This wasn’t a moment of spectacle or theatre. It was a moment of stillness—a man reading in the middle of a place that rarely pauses for anyone. And what struck me most was not simply the hardship of the situation, but the dignity of the act itself—reading and reflecting and holding on to something interior when everything external had already fallen away.
I photographed this on location during one of my walks through Manhattan, the kind where you let the rhythm of the streets guide your direction rather than any particular destination. It’s a city I’ve returned to again and again, but moments like this always feel singular — unrepeatable, suspended in their own quiet time.
I personally sign each print and include a certificate of authenticity. It is produced using archival pigment inks on museum-quality photographic paper to ensure long-term stability and tonal depth.
Explore more from my street portrait photography collection.
© Dan Kosmayer, 2019
Limited Edition of 10
This photograph is released as a signed and numbered limited edition of only 10 prints in total across all available sizes combined—not 10 prints in each size.
Every size is drawn from the same edition. Whether the photograph is purchased as a small print or at the largest available size, it uses one of the 10 edition numbers.
I personally sign and number each print on the reverse, and every print is accompanied by a signed Certificate of Authenticity recording its title, dimensions, medium, edition number, and date of issue.
Once all 10 prints have been sold, the edition will be permanently closed. No additional numbered editions of the photograph will be produced in another size or format.
Premium Archival Fine Art Prints
I personally produce every photograph using archival pigment inks on premium archival paper with a subtle luster finish.
The paper provides rich tonal depth, excellent fine-detail reproduction, and a refined surface that reduces distracting glare under normal indoor lighting. It is especially well suited to both color and black-and-white photography.
Each photograph is sold as an unframed fine art print, allowing it to be framed according to the collector’s space and personal style.
Before a print leaves my studio, I carefully inspect it for color, tonal accuracy, surface quality, and overall presentation. Nothing is outsourced, and every finished print passes through my hands.
Worldwide Delivery Included
Every print is personally produced, inspected, signed, numbered, and carefully packaged by me at my studio in Haliburton, Ontario, Canada.
Worldwide delivery is included in the listed price, so there is no additional shipping charge added during checkout. I select an appropriate tracked delivery service based on the destination, print size, and current shipping requirements.
Delivery times vary by destination and may be affected by customs processing or circumstances beyond my control.
Because I also travel extensively to create new photographic work, studio dispatch may occasionally be delayed while I am away. When that happens, the print will be produced and shipped as soon as I return to the studio.
