New Yorker Unions BTS

New Yorker Director of Photography Joanna Milter said that they considered a long list who might have the right balance to do this well, and my name was the one that they landed on. They needed, “Interesting, characterful group photos that were witty, without seeming slick or commercial.”

I would say “yes” to pretty much any assignment from the New Yorker, so I didn’t tell her that I wasn’t particularly seasoned in group portraits. My photography is known for a lot of things, portraits with multiple figures is pretty far down that list.

But I soon saw this as an advantage. As I’ve accumulated more experience I’ve found myself capable in many genres that were once confounding. I wouldn’t say that most sessions were now “easy” but having an overt challenge - making a dozen on-location group shots for a high end (high expectations) client - forced me to lean in hard and bring all of my resources and expertise to the fore.

And, this excitement and tension shows in the images.

The story is about the resurgence of the employee union, and how it’s cropped up in unexpected sectors. These are my favorite from the series, with captions below. Thank you to Joanna Milter and Coralie Kraft for this fantastic opportunity!

Top Image: The staff of Refinery29, shot at City Hall Park in Manhattan. They joined the Writer’s Union of America, East.

Second Image: Members of the union from Kickstarter, shot in Williamsburg, along the East River of New York.

Third Image: Behind the scenes image of the Kickstarter session.