PREVIEW

AssetID: 33617699

Headline: NYC Taxi Driver Spends 30 Years Photographing His Passengers

Caption: IN PHOTO: Ryan Weideman takes a self-portrait with a passenger A New York taxi driver spent 30 years taking photographs of his passengers. Ryan Weideman snapped the black-and-white images as he worked as an overnight driver on weekends trying to make ends meet whilst he studied his master's degree in fine arts. Weideman moved from California to New York in 1980 looking to make a name for himself but soon found himself focused on more practical matters, like paying the rent. Thanks to his neighbour, who was a cab driver, he found himself riding along in the taxi one night, and by the next day, he'd found both a way to pay the bills and the perfect outlet for his creativity. Over the next thirty years Weideman would continue working as a cab driver part-time, photographing his clients to view the changing city in a new way. “After the first week of driving a taxi I could see the photographic potential,” shared Weideman. “So many interesting and unusual combinations of people getting into my cab. Photographing seemed like the only thing to do. The backseat image was constantly in a state of flux, thronged with interesting looking people that were exciting and inspired, creating their own unique atmosphere.” Not wanting to waste time turning around to capture the action, Weideman found himself both as subject and photographer. Acting as a visual narrator in the scenes, his appearance speaks for the viewer who is also looking in, observing the lives of strangers. From 5 pm to 5 am on weekends, the interior of his cab became is his studio. Weideman studied the backseat scene intently, just waiting for the right time to pop the flash. "Picking up my camera helps displace rage that builds up in me from the social inequities inherent in taxi driving. I encounter people from all over the world, the ones battered by life in New York, others who exude the City's aura." More of Weideman's work can be viewed online with the Bruce Silverstein Gallery at www.brucesilverstein.com.

Keywords: feature,photo feature,photo story,quirky,unique,art,black and white,taxi,cab,passengers,photo series,experiment,driver,1980s,1990s

PersonInImage: Ryan Weideman