Matt Weber (Street photography), Old New York, Urban Landscape

Lower East Side 1989

I was thrilled to find this image. It think it was taken on East Houston Street. This view of late Nineteenth century housing is probably very different today. If the buildings are still standing, there would be a few air conditioners in the windows. Over half of the tenants who were living here would have been replaced with upscale and much younger ones. They were known as “Yuppies” back in the day….

 

Ah the good old days!

 

Street Photography © Matt Weber

Matt Weber (Street photography), Old New York, signs, Urban Landscape

“We Love You” 1989

Yesterday I watched the Gay Pride parade and felt proud to be a New Yorker. Andrew Cuomo, like his dad Mario, has turned out to be a decent man. This bill allowing same sex marriage, has made a lot of people angry. The “keyboard warriors” have come out and many are furious. I enjoy how little anti gay bias I’ve seen on Facebook. I’m sure many of the keyboard warriors who post under aliases at other sites, are aware of how bad they would look on Facebook, posting their hateful comments under their own names…

Such spineless bastards!

Street Photography © Matt Weber

Matt Weber (Street photography), Men of New York, Old New York, Times Square

“Unknown Photographer” Times Square 1988

You can see the Nathan’s on West 43d St. which had the venerable Times Square Bowling Alley upstairs. I bowled there a few times for 75¢ a game back in the late 1970s. Nathan’s french fries as we all know are just dripping in their grease which may be days if not weeks old. The Big Apple Porn theater would let you stay all day for $2.99 or as long as four flicks lasted…Who is this photographer? I don’t think it’s Eli Reed. Could it be Chester Higgins? I think he has one of those Quantum battery packs on his belt, which leads me to believe he was a press photographer…Oh well, he’s old school and was working the area at its seediest…

All Photos © Matt Weber

Matt Weber (Street photography), Coney Island

Coney Island 2010

I saw the negative and it reminded me of someone else’s picture. Maybe at this point in time, 99% of what I shoot is bound to look familiar. Even then, each image is a new document or “piece of art” despite being almost an exact replica of another artist’s efforts. Even worse, many of the pictures I take are doppelgangers of my own…

That said, I like this image regardless of all the nonsense I just sputtered.

All Photos © Matt Weber

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

Coney Island 2010

I went to the Mermaid parade last week, and of course as long as I don’t shoot the parade, I have a chance to get what I’m looking for. Of course, I have no idea what that may be. This picture made me happy because it falls into that category of things I’ve never seen before, and know I’ll never see again…A bunch of kids playing under a beach umbrella, flanked by twin sentinels in profile, ready to pop…Now that’s what I’m talking about!

All Photos © Matt Weber