Blog Post #23 Observation Chart HONY

HONY Observations & Interest: What are the Underlying Themes and Purposes of HONY?

http://www.humansofnewyork.com/

Observation		Inference
Diversity		Everyone is important
Average People		More than meets the eye
Detail		Characteristics that define each subject; allusion to strength, fear, etc...
Range of People		Reflects the huge amount of culture and problems/stories in the world
New York		New York is a very busy city, so the photographer’s depiction of individuals in this city shows that despite what people are going through, they continue to push on in their daily lives.
Portraiture		“Face to the name”- Exterior image for readers to connect to an interior story. Readers learn not to judge a book by its cover; the expression depicted within the photograph (facial or not) encapsulates the story told by Stanton (mind-body connection).
Social Media Comments on HONY		Individuals take stances, formulate opinions, or simply commend the photographer’s work. Leads to interactions and gains publicity to Stanton’s site and the issues presented through his visual stories.
Anonymity	Reflects reality of situations (genuity).
Success of Stanton’s Blog	The photographs are not a “popularity contest” but intended to show the impact and power of an individual. Stanton continues to post not for the fame, but do create cultural and global justice and awareness.
Stories	Meant to stick with audience and spark impact. Reflection on cultural themes and a call to action for the audience to elicit empathy or relatability.

HONY draws me in with its sporadic but touching collections of stories. Each individual photographed has a quality that is depicted as beautiful, or strong, or experienced- I truly feel like I know the person in the picture on HONY. Not only is Stanton's imagery powerful, but the stories reflect so many cultural quirks or societal difficulties from a first-hand perspective. Even though I am not in the same position as most of the individuals, I am able to relate to what they are going through, and feel empathy towards them. HONY increases my global awareness, stimulates my emotions (some stories make me beam...others bring me to tears), and most importantly gets me thinking. The themes laced in the stories are generally broad, and make me want to know more about the subjects represented. For example, HONY has a whole section on Syrian Refugees. I have a basic conception of the situation in Syria, however, the touching and heart-wrenching stories of each Refugee interviewed for HONY make me want to actively combat the corruption over-seas, and find a way to aid the suffering individuals. Another interesting dimension of HONY is Stanton's ability to express individual struggle, but simultaneously reflect the conflict in a bigger picture. For example, we assume if one Syrian refugee has experienced immense hardships on his/her journey to the US, it is clear that thousands of other refugees are currently enduring the same strife. Thus, HONY really places conflicts into perspective, and allows readers to comprehend the magnitude of both domestic and international endeavors.