I've been thinking a lot about inspiration and what drives me to take a picture. I always have a camera with me and it's in my nature as a photographer to need to capture where I am at any given time. The light is my biggest muse and I collect moments with my camera because if I make the picture then the time will stay with me forever. My camera is like an open diary - a sketchbook of my life where I keep all of my stories. I always talk about wanting to freeze time - it's the thing I want more of and I can't ever seem to have enough. I want my kids to stay little a little longer, I want the days and weeks to pass at a regular pace instead of zipping by as though in a time warp, and I want all of these moments to stay fresh. Because I can't stop time I rely on my camera and my eye to do it for me.
New York is one of my biggest inspirations. This city is constantly changing and it's a study in contrasts. There is a quiet mystery in this town with secrets hidden at every turn waiting to be discovered and yet it is often so loud and in-your-face that you can't hear yourself think. It's a city where you can feel totally alone one minute and over-crowed the next. It's easy to feel overwhelmed here and like you can't compete. Then, just when you think you've had enough, something extraordinary happens and the city inspires and motivates you. I like to find little details and moments that make the city come to life.
New York can move you with its beauty, grit and relentless drive. The city's intense pulse, the endless energy all around, the constant noise that can sometimes feel oddly calming, the way the light always seems to be just right, the stories that are waiting to be told, and the people that call this place home are just a few of my favorite things. All of it is there to be captured with your heart and your camera. When I've felt like I was in a creative rut I would make excuses and think to myself "maybe I need to travel to open my mind" or "maybe I need some new gear" or "maybe I'm just not a creative person anymore" - I would talk myself out of whatever it was that I wanted to do but New York always pulled me out of it and stirred my senses.
The things that I love about this city cannot be bought or sold. For me, going for a walk with my camera is my quiet meditation and a way for me to unclog my mind. I'm constantly going through my growing collection of photos and I can remember the intensity of the traffic, the sirens racing down the avenue, the rush of the subway passing underneath the sidewalks in the tunnels below, the intensity of the colors, the way the light dances in the trees and the concrete, the crunch of the leaves beneath my feet, the warmth of the sun on my face, the fruit guy who gave me a free clementine because they were in season, and most importantly, the easiness with which I can move around the city and open my eyes to everything here. I can look back at this visual diary and remember how wild and beautiful it is in New York and that inspiration is everywhere.
