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
Edition Information
This photograph is released as a signed and numbered edition of 10 prints across all available sizes. Each print is individually signed and numbered by the artist on the reverse and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.
Once all 10 prints have been sold, this work will be permanently retired, and no further numbered editions will be produced in any size or format. A small number of Artist Proofs may be retained by the artist for archival or exhibition purposes.
Museum Quality Fine Art Prints
All prints are produced by the artist using archival pigment inks on professional photographic paper with a subtle luster finish.
This paper offers a balanced surface that enhances tonal depth, preserves fine detail, and reduces glare under typical indoor lighting conditions.
Each print is carefully inspected prior to dispatch to ensure consistency of finish and presentation.
Free Worldwide Delivery
Each print is personally produced, signed, and packaged by me at my studio in Haliburton, Ontario, Canada.
Orders are shipped worldwide via Canada Post at no additional cost. Delivery times may vary based on destination and local customs processing.
During periods of travel for on-location photographic work, dispatch may be delayed until I return to the studio.
