Weekly Mantra - Humans of New York

Have you heard of Humans of New York?

The popular photography blog with over 10 million followers, and a best-selling book showcases intimate portrait sessions with people on the streets of New York City. The founder, Brandon Stanton is a photographer who originally lost his job in finance and wanted to make a living off his love of photography.

I listened to Brandon speak at Unilever's "People are Beautiful" event last week in Toronto. The event focused on the new products that Unilever will be launching in 2015, but also on their vision for their brand. They want to reveal a brand that showcases all kinds of people, not just imaginary ideals.


When starting out, Brandon set a goal to take 10,000 photos in one year. Note: he's not your typical street style photographer; he captures people of all shapes, sizes and ages, not just stylish models. He asks people questions, and finds out intimate details of their lives.

"There is power in revealing insecurities and weaknesses in people. It's how we connect," Brandon said. Below are some examples of his work:

He talked about how today's photos are all so filtered and only show a constructed view of happiness. His photos are more raw, more real. I really enjoyed his talk, and one of the most important quotes he said that day was this:

"Don't wait for perfect."

He wanted to work in photography, so he committed to it despite not having a real "job." This is important in my life right now, when it comes to my writing and when it comes to moving forward with any big decision in life. If you wait for things to be perfect, you won't take the risk.

If you haven't already, check out Brandon's Facebook page for Humans of New York here. x

/ photo credits: top (mine) bottom two (brandon stanton)