Triggered: Amani Willett
Untitled, Wall Street © Amani Willett
Untitled, Wall Street
I had been down near Wall Street in Manhattan all day working on an unrelated project. At about 5 p.m., I was tired and decided to start walking toward the subway. On the way, I stopped to rest and put down all my camera gear. For some reason, I hadn’t yet packed my tripod, and my camera was still attached. All around me, people rushed by, hurrying home or to the nearest bar. When I looked up, across the street I noticed one other person also stationary despite the constant flow of people, and I felt an instant connection between us.
Because my camera was still on the tripod, I decided to create a long-exposure image of the man to isolate him from the movement of the crowd. Just as I released the shutter, he looked up, then to his left and his right, creating this peculiar image. The encounter was one of the moments that reminded me why I love photography. No matter how much control I feel I have over the medium or a situation, chance, luck and surprise are what keep the artform fresh and inspiring.
To view more of Amani Willett’s works, visit his website and Instagram.
