I took a few personal days to NYC to get a much needed city fix to see my cousins and friends. I almost forgot how the rush of a big city makes me feel.  My heart begins to race the moment I'm standing on a street corner and hear sirens, cabs honking, cars breaking and see thousands of people rush to their next destination. A friend told me that NYC people are not trying to be famous, they're just trying to be awesome at what they do.  I can totally see that. Things I dream of doing all of a sudden really seem possible, as predictable and naive as that may sound, haha. The people of New York. Each one of them has a story, and that part intrigues me.  At a glance, they all seem like a shallow part of a massive population, but really they are just like you - humans - with families, dreams, crushes, insecurities, and likely come from a small(er) town. They all love someone and are loved by someone, doesn't that make them seem a little less distant?  Even though they all seem really hard, they all just want acceptance.  That's usually what I'm thinking when I people watch.  Some element of intimidation is removed.

I felt a compulsion to break some NYC barriers while I was there.  Seems like there are none in a place like that, but what about smiling at random people or even starting a conversation?  I was shocked at the kind of response I got.  I tried to pick the meanest looking people to smile at, and almost always, they immediately disarmed and smiled sheepishly back. It made me laugh when I finally passed them. The best though, something I'll never forget, was starting a conversation with a young college kid in Grand Central Station. We talked for at least an hour -- in one of the most notoriously busy places in New York City.  He first looked at me like I was a ghost that slapped him in the face, and after he realized I wasn't trying to sell him something, we were quickly laughing and talking about life.  As a New Yorker, he admitted that he wished strangers would talk more and be friendlier. It's like everyone has the same assumption about everyone else, which keeps everyone apart.  I think we inspired each other with the risk we both took of just being nice and somewhat transparent.  It was so cool. Probably not typical, but still, there was something to that. I was happy to connect all this to back to photography.  It affirmed why I like photography, and particularly what kind I like. It all roots in an appreciation for human souls, and a desire to know them, make them feel known, and connected. Here are some random shots around the city.