BIt of a whirlwind, really. Five days in NY to celebrate Flickr's 20under20 initiative, meeting up with friends old and new, eating and drinking and walking and shooting and...it wasn't a jam-packed trip, but it was heavy with conversation and moments I wanted to stretch out and savor.

One of those moments? Meeting Lauren Withrow, whose work I've been in awe of for quite awhile. Putting a face to the work, getting the opportunity to tell her how much I enjoy what she does, knowing I had a hand in her getting chosen and flown to the Big Apple...it's a damn good feeling.

Tags:   10.1.14 digital Lauren Withrow New York Bryant Park Flickr 20under20 lou o' bedlam lou noble

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NEW AND DIFFERENT IMAGES ON INSTAGRAM

Tags:   10.1.14 digital Lauren Withrow New York Flickr 20under20 lou o' bedlam lou noble

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Felt like writing, so I picked a spot in my photo archive at random, pulled a picture out, and set to work.

What comes back to me is the joy radiating off...well, not Lauren, here (though she was having a good time), but many of the photographers we'd chosen for the 20under20. And how good it felt to be a part of that, helping young photographers get a leg up, some rock-solid validation from the place the site they used to show their photos on.

Can't imagine Instagram ever doing that, really.

Running around NY with a bunch of teenagers, taking pictures of everything/everyone we see, that was a helluva thing.

And as I start to focus my memory back to that weekend, oh man...lobster rolls by the pool, an after-party at the VP of Flickr's apartment, drinks at the top of my hotel, drinks at the bottom of my hotel, meeting some of my favorite photographers, meeting people who would Become some of my favorite photographers.

And above all, making friends. Always above all else, connection.

Tags:   10.1.14 digital Lauren Withrow New York

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Would've never occurred to me to photograph a stranger, before Flickr. I lacked the level of comfort required to impose myself on someone else in such a way...lacked the courage to take this kind of chance.

As it is, I do it very rarely, these days. I've grown too used to the control of a photo shoot, being able to take my time, get things just the way I want. I also am more in touch with Why I shoot, not just to take a good photo, but to get to know someone better, which was always the source of my passion for photography, but not always something I was in touch with.

But this lady! This lady, whose name I regret i did not ask, who sat in front of a closed section of the library with a smile etched onto her face, whose hair was a monument to physics and hairspray, this lady's sense of style begged...no, DEMANDED to be photographed. Saw this shot in my head, perfectly composed. All that remained was to actually take it.

The ability to photograph strangers, with their permission, with their collaboration, it's a bit of a performance, and if I'm in the mood, it's a performance I quite enjoy. I knew the rest of the 20under20 with us on the photo walk through the library would stand in amazement of my powers!

So of course I never showed anyone. Kept it on my camera for the rest of the trip, for you, my people! I have brought my victory to the place that taught me How to succeed in shooting strangers, and do it in such a way that we all come away satisfied.

Tags:   10.1.14 digital New York Central Library Flickr 20under20 lou o' bedlam lou noble

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It was the first day all the judges were in the same place, so what do we do? We have ourselves a photo walk then make a bee-line for the McGinley exhibit in SoHo. And goddamn if it isn't far more engrossing than I'd expected.

Here I was thinking we'd see a bunch of photographs framed on a wall, stroll around the gallery for a minute or two and make our escape. Museums and galleries, frankly, really aren't my scene, I look, I take it in, I'm done, I'm not one of those people stands in front of a piece of art like I'm getting paid by the hour.

But this, oh mama. Floor to ceiling, and then IT KEEPS ON GOING ON. THE. CEILING. The three of us gaped, the show hits you in waves as you see models repeated, notice details you missed initially. We talked about our favorites, why I liked this one woman's portrait (oh, how I longed to know her name, ask to take her picture myself), the playful strength she presented to the camera.

Even saw a few people I knew up on those walls. Wild show, man. Wild show. Damned glad I got to see it.

And oh! We asked how much each piece was, got as an answer, "it's one single piece. You buy it, you buy the whole thing as one piece." Bravo. That's crazy. Bravo.

See more of my NY instagram shots HERE

Tags:   9.30.14 square format from instagram Ryan McGinley's Yearbook new york lou o' bedlam lou noble

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