It is about time I posted a video, though I have been so busy lately that I have not had time to find any. But, lo and behold this one popped into my field of vision. Helen Levitt is one of the great unsung New York street photographers of the 20th century. Not as aggressive or self publicizing as her contemporaries, nevertheless she managed to capture the heart of the city and the poorer areas.
There is a playful nature to her images, with a strong focus on the children of the slums. Levitt was seemingly able to blend into the surroundings and capture the children in their most open and unbiased. There is no manipulation of the situations, it is as if she is not really there.
To see these images is to see a side of America that was not often seen, especially in this modern age of facades and glitzy imagery. It is refreshing to see these images, and sometimes makes me wish that I could have been taking photographs in the 50’s and 60’s.
I hope you enjoy the video as much as I did.
Japancamerahunter
