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Incredible photos show the lonely soul of New York City
One of the most recognizable cities in the world, the Big Apple is full of widely photographed clichés - the Statue of Liberty, The Empire State Building, the Brooklyn Bridge.
As a result, snaps of these tourist attractions have grown somewhat stale - something one New Yorker has sought to rectify with a new photo-centric tome, New York Unseen.
The book contains 200 pages of stirring photographs by Luc Kordas, who captures the city's soul rather than the usual guidebook scenes.
Taken over the course of several years, the mostly black-and-white images manage to tell stories more vividly than any number of photos of the Grand Central clock could - and mostly feature candid snaps of people on the city's streets, parks and subways.
The result is a aesthetic amalgam of looks, gestures, and situations unique to the city, offering glimpses into its Black Lives Matter movement, the NYPD, and the reality of the early days of the pandemic when its streets were largely empty.
Here's a preview of Kordas's unprecedented view into what is perhaps the most photographed city in the world.
The newly released book contains 200 color pages of stirring scenes captured by lensman Luc Kordas
Kordas moved to New York in 2014 and found himself inspired by its residents. As a result, his new collection of street photography aims to ‘capture the city’s soul' instead of the usual attractions
Taken over the course several years, the mostly black and white images focus chiefly on people and situations - offering a unique glimpse into what's perhaps the most photographed city in the world
The monochrome images manage to tell stories better than any photo of the Brooklyn Bridge ever could - with many snaps taken on the city's streets and trains. Here, an unnamed couple are seen embracing on the New York City Subway
The result is an aesthetic amalgam of looks, gestures, and situations - all without focusing on done-to-death tourist highlights like the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building
A couple kiss on the New York City Subway in an undated snap from Kordas. The photographer previously released books covering cities like London and Berlin, but creates mostly between New York and Europe
The new work shows New Yorkers in their 'natural habitat', providing for lively shots rife with personality that show 'all walks of life,' the author says
The snaps also feature solitude as a prevailing theme. ‘So many people here are focused on money or their careers,' Kordas says of the feelings of isolation thousands of New Yorkers face despite living in a metropolis. 'It’s easy to be lonely and anonymous... It’s easy to get lost’
One of the most lively locales in all the boroughs, Brooklyn's Coney Island also boasts its quiet moments, Kordas says - something he ‘gravitated towards' when taking images for the book. He says: ‘There’s more magic to the boardwalk in the middle of a snowstorm or the beach on a sunny but freezing cold day in January’
Originally from Poland, Kordas has been photographing the solitude of New Yorkers for nearly a decade. He says: 'Loneliness is New York’s leitmotif. This feeling is palpable everywhere in the city - a place filled with 8 million people, many of whom are immigrants and transplants'
A downcast young girl is seen gazing outside of a subway window in one of the images taken by Kordas, who says 'the subway itself is almost like a city within a city,' as well as 'a mini New York condensed underground, a true meeting point of people from all walks of life'
New Yorkers are seen taking to the streets in protest after the murder of George Floyd in 2020. Other timely photos show glimpses into the NYPD, and the reality of the early days of the pandemic when the streets were largely empty
‘There are so many crowds in New York, and there are also so many lonely people,' Kordas adds: 'This is not only because there are many of us here who are newcomers without family or friends nearby - the technology that has slowly taken over our lives, separating us from one another, also plays a part'
The images, despite being taken relatively recently, manage to emanate feelings of nostalgia while providing a flavor that is quintessential New York
This image shows another intimate encounter with yet another nondescript protagonist
Kordas, 39, lives and creates mostly in New York and Europe. New York Unseen, released last week, is the third installment in his Unseen series, preceded by books about Berlin and London