Matt Weber (Street photography), Coney Island, homeless, Men of New York

Coney Island 2011

John Wayne Handy Jr. 46 years old. He was very upset and we were discussing why god has let him live, while just a day earlier god took the life of an eight year old boy. The boy was from Brooklyn and he was dismembered. He kept moaning “Why didn’t god take me instead”  “I’m just a fucking Wino!” Yes, god was very busy rooting for the Yankees since he is also their pitching coach…

 

© Matt Weber

Matt Weber (Street photography), Coney Island, Women of New York

Coney Island 2011

I’ve had debates with my pal Dave Beckerman about whether or not, a person’s toes really matter when assessing a photograph. Being a perfectionist, I think they can make a difference. Most people would disagree. The famous picture which Cartier-Bresson took of the smiling French boy carrying the two bottles of red wine, is one such picture. It’s one of HCB’s top ten images and the cropped feet don’t really matter. I just hate small details which I had control over, but failed to control…

Street Photography © Matt Weber

Matt Weber (Street photography), Color, Coney Island, signs, Women of New York

“Jesus Freak” 2010

I don’t know where to start. It’s 5/21/11 and supposedly the world is about to end. I’ve heard first hand from one of these lunatics that there’s only room for 200,000,000 souls in heaven. That’s like 3% of the people on earth. Talking to this lost soul for a few minutes, I heard the standard rhetoric: We are all sinners and must repent or burn forever. I asked her if the cigarette lighter I stole from Woolworth’s was a big enough sin to be burned, and she said, yes! I asked if “God doesn’t recognize the difference between stealing a 19¢ lighter when I was ten, and maybe stealing billions of dollars like Bernie Madoff?” She said no…All sins are sins and must be repented for. God doesn’t play favorites between those who are starving and steal an apple, and those who are filthy rich and steal someone’s life savings! OK, I walk away as usual, unable to make a single point as she kept shouting how I was going to burn…She is probably praying up real good right now and when the world doesn’t end, I wonder if she’ll feel any relief, or disappointment that she didn’t get to meet Jesus. I think that this Mr. Camping schmuck is really evil and shouldn’t have been given the time of day by the press. Of course he spent over 100 million dollars spreading his doomsday message. Money talks and you know what walks. I feel bad for the millions of people who have actually been preparing for the end and feeling extremely scared for the past week or so. I’ve been at gunpoint several times and know how frightening it can be. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone…

All Photos © Matt Weber