In Street and City
“A picture can express a universal humanism, or simply reveal a delicate and poignant truth by exposing a slice of life that might otherwise pass unnoticed.”
- Steve McCurry
The historic downtown of Ogden Utah, as seen through relections on its sidewalk (above), and B&W imagery of its government buildings (right).
Many photographers strategically separate the worlds of natural and urban photography, which has led in my eyes to a growing disconnect between the two. This could easily be compounded in my desire to find inspiration in all scenes separately, from big walls to dusty streets, but I’ve found instead that exploring urban environments has forced me to engage a connection between these strangely rigid settings and the natural humanity which they hold inside.
Taking photographs from the tops of the most inhuman heights has actually beautifully informed my photography down on the ground. While the two settings may seem unapologetically incompatible, the power I’ve witnessed in the rigged wilderness is echoed in that of a crowded street. It’s some unplaceable awe high in the mountains and in each one of us humans. And it really comes out when we gather together, in understanding and combined purpose. Travelling between the natural and the urban has provided me the opportunity to find more similarities between the two than once could imagine, whose meanings seem to weigh more than those of their differences.
From a small town in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula (Above and the following three images).
From the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn
(Above and the following three images).