Humans of New York Assignment

Intro

A number of years ago a photographer by the name of Brandon Stanton set out to capture portraits in a creative and new direction - he documented not the celebrities, not those of prominent social status, or those with power, but rather the average everyday person he encountered in New York. He had a goal of capturing 10,000 people’s portraits, and he did it with an eye for the artistic and creative ways he could portray them, often featuring elements of their lives which reflected their unique personalities and tastes. His project Humans of New York represents not only an inspiring and growing catalogue of stories profiling the lives of everyday people, but it represents a community of like-minded individuals who wish to set out and be inspired in equal parts by the beautiful imagery and the people behind the pictures. Since its inception it has grown from a social media page on Facebook, to a printed book which sat atop the New York Times bestseller list for 31 weeks.

Your Challenge

In this assignment I am tasking you with creating something similar, but with people you know and care about. Be conscious of how you capture the photos of them, consider things like composition, colour theory, subject relationships, etc., and in your student profile I want you to create a Google Slideshow of five people in your life with a write up similar to that of Mr. Stanton’s approach, where you don’t as superficial questions, but try to effectively and respectfully explore more about who they are, what their life’s focuses are, and what makes them tick (what drives/motivates them).

Also, consider consent. Consent should always be at the forefront of your mind when you’re capturing imagery. I don’t want to see a profile of a person, get to know personal details about them and their lives, if they don’t give me permission to know those things. Ask before you profile them. Get out, start shooting, and have fun!