Humans of New York: How Has It Become the Empire That It Is Today?

An intelligent man with an innovative mind loses his job. Except it was never the job he truly wanted or saw himself excelling in; so, upon this seeming misfortune, he pursues his true passion and love for photography. This adventure takes him from his home in Chicago to the streets of New York City, where he is determined to photograph 10,000 different people. But despite his heart’s awakening and commitment to the new project, he faces many adversities: he lives off of unemployment checks, barely makes rent, and ashamedly borrows money from his friends and family. However, upon putting some of his favorite photographs on Facebook, his life takes an unexpected turn.

This man is Brandon Stanton, who is now a best-selling author, photographer, and blogger. He set out one day with the simple mission of taking pictures, but somewhere along the way created one of the most renowned photojournalistic works in history: Humans of New York. This photoblog, which has also been converted into a book, features powerful pictures alongside quotes from interviews he conducts with his subjects. As of today, Brandon’s work has over 18.2 million likes on Facebook and 7.2 million followers on Instagram.

Photographer, Therapist, or Both?

An old woman with cancer; a little boy who loves to dance; an awkward couple that just started dating; a homeless, but happy man; a bitter war veteran; an exuberant elder: all featured in Humans of New York. Regardless of their age, ethnicity, or style, Brandon accepts these people and gives them the opportunity to share their stories with the world, whether they be uplifting, tear-provoking, funny, or even enraging. Whatever the case, he somehow manages to elicit profound statements and very real emotion.

But how? In a society that loves to oppose one another, how does he get welcomed in every time and never a door slammed in the face? Firstly, he probably is denied photographs and interviews all the time, we just don’t bear witness to it. But thankfully, this doesn’t deter him from his mission, as he continues on and eventually finds those who become willing to share their lives with much of the world. I say become because I don’t think most of them or most of us in general innately wish to share the deepest parts of ourselves with strangers. But once given the opportunity and having explored this opportunity, his subjects naturally open up. And something deep inside of them not only wanted to get their story out there but needed to. In this sense, Brandon’s encounters serve as a sort of therapy—simply lending a listening ear proves to go a long way.

Not Just a Following, a Community

The honest stories Brandon uncovers don’t only elicit powerful emotional responses from their owners but from the community that has emerged in the comment sections on Facebook and Instagram. These people share their love and their criticism; they express how much a story might have resonated with them; they give the subjects advice and sometimes tell stories of their own; and they’ve even gone as far as donating to GoFundMe’s, raising millions of dollars for certain people and causes. They prove to be dedicated to this project and lend their efforts when possible. Which raises another question: There are a ton of people in need, a ton of causes and charities to raise money for; so why do these people care particularly about those featured on Humans of New York?
There’s a sense of detachment with a lot of the charities and causes today. Typically, we only donate to the ones we understand best or have a personal connection to. For example, a cancer survivor is more likely to donate her money to the American Cancer Society than to, say, The Salvation Army. And going along with this same ideation, you’re more likely to loan money to a friend than you are to give money to a homeless man on the street, whom you just don’t feel compelled to help. But these powerful Humans of New York posts do compel the blog’s followers to help. They get roped into these people’s lives and don’t only feel obligated to help, but want to. Which lends to the great empire the work is today.

Humans of New York is an all powerful entity: it strikes conversation, it raises awareness and money, it’s improving our world one photograph at a time. And while each follower doesn’t donate to any given GoFundMe or offer words of wisdom on every post, many of them do at least take a second to glance into someone else’s life and reflect on their own. And that’s a great triumph in itself.

“If there’s one thing I use as a gauge for how good a post is, it’s honesty.” –Brandon Stanton

*If you haven’t already, check out Humans of New York on Facebook, Instagram, or at your local bookstore. Additionally, Brandon has released the first two episodes of his new Humans of New York video series, which you can also watch on Facebook. *

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