These kids go to the Mickey Mantle school which is for kids that get left behind. They use to call these type of learning institutions, 600 Schools. Who knows, they might be fourth or fifth graders, and they got me real good. They began circling me and as I kept dodging snowball after snowball, one of them snuck up behind me and when I turned, he got me in the face with a cinder block sized chunk of icy snow…My Leica was completely covered as well and I had to retreat in defeat with just a few frames to console myself with…

 

© Matt Weber

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Published by Matt Weber

Photographing NYC for 25 years, six of them while driving a New York City taxi. Trying very hard to capture the city as life unfolds, meaning I never stage any of my photos! Also I am a close confidant of the immortal Dave Beckerman, (quintessential NYC photographer) and owner of the first photography blog in the known universe.

11 thoughts on ““Hey Photograph This!” 2011”

  1. You should send the photo to the police and the principal of the school. Little fuckers deserve yet another good beating, but this time not from their parents.

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  2. As I was wiping the snow off of my Leica, two large undercover cops jumped out of their “taxi” and proceeded to get them under control.
    I didn’t stick around as I had sort of brought things to a crescendo with my camera…

    Reply

  3. Maybe they didn’t’ want a camera stuck in their face? Way to go, cause I’m sure those kids have it easy being young, black, and in schools for “kids left behind”. If there is one thing people don’t need is beatings from anyone, especially the police

    Having some rapport with your subjects is important, ie, them having some level of trust in you? Otherwise people just feel like animals in a zoo.

    I recommend reading some interviews with Marco Vernaschi on the subject.

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  4. They had their fun pelting me and I knew what I was doing messing with them. They do have it rough and I guess I should have spent several weeks listening to them calling each other NIGGER before I had the right to photograph them. Somehow that wasn’t feasible, so I suppose I should never take anyone’s picture without knowing them very well first…Now that I think about it, I don’t know anyone that I photograph and should retire immediately to meet your moral code. I understand what you are saying and you are just a much better human being than me…I have also photographed homeless people, which I know you would never approve of (Unless of course I knew them from the soup kitchen where I made their daily food)

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  5. Matt , I admire your balls and your commitment to documenting New York City. Photography these days is far too politically motivated and frame after frame you show us you don’t have to travel to Sub-Saharan African to get compelling stories and images.

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  9. aren’t we all just rats in a cage? come on now —

    i’m certain you knew what you were potentially getting yourself into — and you did a good job of it!

    there were no bombs or bullets or rockets – no lives were lost — no beatings were incurred — just a little fun — a little means to an end (as my friend Kant would say) on both sides…

    good job — keep up the great work…

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