73 stunning photos of New York City street life captured by Paul Kessel

Paul Kessel is a New York City native who became interested in street photography after taking a beginner’s class at the International Center of Photography in NYC. Prior to that, Paul was a clinical psychologist, although he says the ways in which his psychology background influences his photography are “vague.” Nonetheless, this new-found interest has drawn interest and acclaim in the photography community. Paul has been a finalist in many street photography competitions, with first prize in the Miami Street Photography Festival in 2020 and 3rd place in Lens Culture Street in the same year. Today, we can’t wait to share his work.

More info: paulkessel.com | Instagram

Enjay Photos By Paul kassel

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Paul’s photographs very often capture people in the process of interaction and in movement. When asked about how he manages to shoot such dynamic shots, Paul explained:

“I’m not a Zen Buddhist, but I believe that if I keep myself open to what happens and am vigilant, the right moments will come along. Sometimes, I just happen on an interesting scene or situation. Other times, I find what I perceive to be a stage and I wait for the ‘actors.’ This, too, is very common among street photographers. I always shoot with a prime wide-angle lens. I started out using a 35mm lens and then went to a 28mm. I shoot in an attempt to capture gestures, facial expressions, or anything that seems to be unique to everyday situations

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This was quite interesting, knowing how he was influenced by his winning of the Miami Street Photography Festival in 2020 and other awards. He shared:

“To be honest, winning the Miami Street Photography Festival came out of the blue for me. I was stoked enough to have been included as a finalist and never thought I’d win. I find myself often thinking I got really lucky, that it was the right place at the right time, and possibly skill and technique being secondary. Having won a few other awards has probably helped me come to realize that I must actually have some talent.

After the win in Miami, I got a lot of offers for jobs, but I turned most of them down because it was right in the middle of the pandemic. The other thing which surprised me was that the picture which won also received a lot of negative feedback. I believe this made a double effect on my career: on one hand, it gave me a lot of confidence; on the other hand, it made me very critical and looking down at your work all the time, thinking that your photos are only good enough.

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We also asked Paul what he hopes people take away from his photographs. He said:

“I hope people take a moment to linger on some of my stronger images and find enough room for interpretation so they can craft their own story about the photo. I rarely set out to convey a specific message.”

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Honestly, I feel that street photography is a full-time commitment in and of itself. Carrying your camera every day, all day, to get just a few exceptional photos, well—the odds are mostly not in your favor. Unless this type of photography is a real passion, even addiction, it can be unrewarding. This has been my experience. My background in psychology has taught me that people have very different ways of functioning optimally. Thank you for your inclusion in the publication.

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