Matt Weber (Street photography), Cars & Buses, Old New York, Women of New York

“My Fare Lady” 1988

When it comes to titling photos badly, I must claim to be number one! I have always been able to come up the worst titles humanly possible. Anyway, despite my poor choice of words, I think this picture has “Fared” well over the past 22 years. Even back in the 1980s when Checker taxis were everywhere, I knew their days were numbered. I have dozens of pictures of them and will one day have to do a book called “34 Checkered Taxi Cabs”

All Photos © Matt Weber

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

NYC 2005

I don’t remember if I liked this movie very much. The habit or practice of photographers placing people next to posters, goes back a very long time. Brassai & HCB both did it in the 1930s and others have been doing it ever since. Bourke White’s view of poor black people lined up under the giant billboard proclaiming how great America was for happy white people, is probably the best example of it working in a way that isn’t just funny. Street photography offers these juxtapositions on occasion and it is very hard to pass on them…I suppose I should work on suppressing the urge when it overcomes me…then again, maybe not.

All Photos © Matt Weber

Matt Weber (Street photography), Portraits, Women of New York

Linda 1996

Linda had had a hard life…She would be the first to admit that she made some bad choices along the way. Once upon a time, she was a nice little Jewish girl like any other kid. Then the street took a toll on her in a big way. Her family gave up on her and she was homeless for many years. Recently a social worker got her on her feet again and she has a little cottage in rural New Jersey. She misses all the people she knew in New york, but also knows that the old “monkey on her back” might become a problem if she spends to much time haunting these streets again…

All Photos © Matt Weber

Matt Weber (Street photography), Portraits, The Urban Prisoner, Women of New York

Starbucks 1996

This was the first Starbucks on the upper west side and they actually closed a couple of years ago, because a bank outbid them for their lease! I remember that I was mired in one of the worst creative slumps of my life and probably hadn’t taken a picture that I really liked in well over a year. When this one came out of the tray, I recall being extremely relieved…

All Photos © Matt Weber