Intimacy

A series of visual exploration for intimacy among the chaos of New York City.

My final project is called Intimacy. The series includes 33 images, all taken any time from August to December. The focus of the project was to capture intimate moments that contradict the chaotic nature of New York City. I love the contrast of a private, intentional moment photographed in the midst of bustle and chaos so common in this city. I decided to define intimacy for the purpose of this project as ‘moments that capture personality or meaning in the action they are doing’.

This definition helped narrow down subject matter I wanted to include in the series. Other parameters I set for the series were taking unstaged photos solely on the streets, and only shooting in black and white.

These boundaries helped me to not get overwhelmed with too many ideas, allowing me to focus on making a coherent series. The black and white aspect of the photos adds to the cohesion of the series as a whole by eliminating color.

When others look at this series, I want to suggest introspection about how intimacy looks in their own lives. What does intimacy mean to you? How does urban life affect intimacy? How does it make you feel to see a raw, intimate moment captured forever through photo? Is it special, or invasive?

These are a few questions I hope to conjure from viewers of this series. Whatever the answers might be, this series was especially important to me and my growth as a photographer. As an aspiring travel photographer, I knew that focusing on both people and personal moments would challenge me to grow in valuable ways. Going into this project, I honestly wasn’t sure if I would even like the end result. Instead, I began with the sole focus of pushing myself personally, and adopting a new perspective while moving through the city. It was a welcome surprise to realize that this body of work became one of my favorites to make.

Until this project, I have never focused on taking photos of people. I don’t find portraiture to come naturally to me- which is precisely why I chose to focus on people. I’ve found I really enjoy candidly photographing others. This project has helped me refine a personal style when it comes to candid work. To me, the photos feel like they’re representing an honest, raw version of New York.