A GOOD WALK: A QUICK INTRODUCTION TO DAVID Z. PHOTOS
Golf is often described as a good walk spoiled. I think the same could be said about street photography. I've lived and/or worked in Manhattan for over 20 years, and yet never gave street photography much thought in those two decades. I originally moved to New York City in 1996, with dreams of becoming a writer. I even owned a typewriter, damn it, so I was destined for success! As for photography, let's just say I enjoyed many an unspoiled walk in this fair city. In those days, as a writer, I tended to look inward a lot, crafting worlds at the expense of missing what Manhattan's streets had to offer. No, that wouldn't happen for me until 2015 or so, after I received a Fitbit as a Father's Day gift. Step counts eventually gave way to shutter clicks.
But even then, photography and spoiled walks were mutually exclusive endeavors. Back then, I could easily walk several miles a day, with the sole intent of burning calories. But as I wandered around the West Village, or SoHo, or Alphabet City, I began to notice little details I used to take for granted. Like a mailbox on Thompson Street (as seen on the left). The light was hitting it in just the right way to make me stop and take a picture of it with my phone. After that, I began to document what I saw along my walks. The more I continued to walk, the more I saw along the way. And the more I saw, the need to document odd, ephemeral moments and tableaux became more urgent. Before long, my walks were good and spoiled--and thus I began street photography in earnest.
I'm fortunate to have stumbled upon so many random, inspired moments. A great deal of street photography boils down to luck, persistence, and timing. And footwear. As Magnum photographer Abbas has famously said, "Get a good pair of walking shoes." Indeed, never underestimate the importance of comfortable shoes. Without them, you'll never get very far.
Below is a small sampling of my work. All of these photos (and more!) are available for purchase. Please email all inquiries to [email protected].
Golf is often described as a good walk spoiled. I think the same could be said about street photography. I've lived and/or worked in Manhattan for over 20 years, and yet never gave street photography much thought in those two decades. I originally moved to New York City in 1996, with dreams of becoming a writer. I even owned a typewriter, damn it, so I was destined for success! As for photography, let's just say I enjoyed many an unspoiled walk in this fair city. In those days, as a writer, I tended to look inward a lot, crafting worlds at the expense of missing what Manhattan's streets had to offer. No, that wouldn't happen for me until 2015 or so, after I received a Fitbit as a Father's Day gift. Step counts eventually gave way to shutter clicks.
But even then, photography and spoiled walks were mutually exclusive endeavors. Back then, I could easily walk several miles a day, with the sole intent of burning calories. But as I wandered around the West Village, or SoHo, or Alphabet City, I began to notice little details I used to take for granted. Like a mailbox on Thompson Street (as seen on the left). The light was hitting it in just the right way to make me stop and take a picture of it with my phone. After that, I began to document what I saw along my walks. The more I continued to walk, the more I saw along the way. And the more I saw, the need to document odd, ephemeral moments and tableaux became more urgent. Before long, my walks were good and spoiled--and thus I began street photography in earnest.
I'm fortunate to have stumbled upon so many random, inspired moments. A great deal of street photography boils down to luck, persistence, and timing. And footwear. As Magnum photographer Abbas has famously said, "Get a good pair of walking shoes." Indeed, never underestimate the importance of comfortable shoes. Without them, you'll never get very far.
Below is a small sampling of my work. All of these photos (and more!) are available for purchase. Please email all inquiries to [email protected].
