On the Street.....Urban Camouflage, NYC
So I am just standing on the street talking on my cellphone and right across from me this guy is just standing in a doorway. I guess he is waiting for a friend but he seems totally unaware at how perfect he melts into his surroundings.
The trick here is that the size of the graphics behind him are basically the same scale as the graphics on his hoodie.
I don't know if this is a typical "Sartorialist" shot but when I see something like this I just have to take the shot.
Comments on "On the Street.....Urban Camouflage, NYC"
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post a commentMen...that's too mucho. it looks like that he is part of it...I'm fliped out with this last picture, but I like this black piece...
I'm getting addict to your blog. I love it.
Big kisses!
very cool potrait, particularly striking because of the background. without the setting, however, i'm not sure i would be particularly blown away by his outfit.
*Wow*
love it! especially with the background!
please continue to give us your notes and thoughts with your images, sart. the unnecessarily aggressive responses must be off putting, but for a truly vast majority of us your annotations are a instructive and inspiring.
as for this picture, its fabulous. i have become an avid reader of your blog in last month, and am excited to witness your return to street level shots after the beautiful, but rarefied fashion week series.
central to every fashion choice is the tension between camouflage and display. you teach without lecturing.
meh.. not impressed. looks like every other graffiti hoodies from urban outfitters
Veryyy cool photo!!
at first i was going to leave a comment about how without the backround, the outfit would be totally unimpressive. then i started to think that much of the sartorialist is about how people fit into their settings. how clothing changes and reacts with its environment. and who am i to say, he didn't stand there all day?
Brilliant, a great picture.
(And a really great hoodie, did he say where he got it?)
'tis art, sart.
great title to a great photo.
Talk about being shaped by your environment! Nice city flavor.
Stunning picture! Even without the background, I love the chalk-drawn hoodie.
Hey..have you ever thought about coming down here to the Dominican Republic...I'm a stylist here and I can assure you, you can find some interesting material for your blog...
Very nice...his stance and stare really draws you into the photo!
sart, are you going to keep on commenting on your pictures?cause i sincerely hope so. it's fun reading what inspired you and what you think of it.
Great photo. Completely eyecatching.
I like other peoples comments about his look being formed by his environment. If not formed, it's certainly complemented. Imagine him in a green outdoors setting, he'd be completely out of place looking in that outfit. Here, he looks like he owns the place.
truly amazing. and, isn't that what makes you a great journalist, seeing the moment and grabbing it?
forget typical...you have vision! and its great for you to follow it regardless.
ps i might be younger than some of these other people, but i will keep my open for you while you're in the city if you still are, bc i dream of being photographed on your site.
This is an awesome pic
it's as if he's part of the art
beeeutiful
Well, I really like the hoodie.
And the shot, the background, your sense at piecing them together -- love it.
When I opened this today I thought he was poking his face through a hole in the fence. He's so camoflagued - he fooled me for a sec.
Stunning shot. Who cares about "typical"? (Or where he bought his clothes, for pete's sake?!?) This is great.
I can't say much for the outfit but the photo is just brilliant.
Fabulous
clever.
congratulations on the Time.com props!
i linked you today as the inspiration for a shot i took on sunday.
thank you
This time it is not just about the blatant fashion - it is fashion in ::theory::.
Way to break up the "typical" with an honest and genuine image.
Thanks for sharing!
Bravo! Great Shot!
(I'd like to hear you talk more about peoples reaction to being asked to stand for a photo. Especially those who do not know your work/blog? How often are you turned down?)
Anyone in their right mind holding a camera would have been a fool not to take the shot. It's a great photo.
This is truly a Sartorialist shot for all of the above reasons.
My eyes immediately widened with surprise and delight when I saw this photo. Fantastic! Way to keep an eye out for interesting shots like this!
love your photos. who's to say this isn't "typical"? what i like best is that you take pictures of people being themselves.
love it.
good eye!
Love how all the elements came together naturally to form one perfect shot. Amazing.
It's not all fashion, people.
Wow, this is ART! Fantastic.
What a strange coincidence! (some believe there is no coincidence)
I am wondering what you said to end your phone call.
amazing! maybe not typical sartorialist, but i would love to see more like this!
i like this picture alot better than the one right before it
Its a nice photo. Its not fashion forward or inspiring in a stylish way. Its just a plain ol nice picture. I am sure alot of pretentious readers are gearing up their insults but I have come to appreciate these things. I am glad your blog is not 1 Dimensional and you don't put up a snobbish attitude.
I appreciate these type of pictures just as much as the outfits. You are a Legend.
You don't take many photos of black men, but when you do, they are very memorable. The last guy was the man with a fist, and what a fantastic shot. This one, though not exceptionally fashionable, is equally engaging. I can almost feel his vibe coming off my computer screen... He seems so much more real than all those mannequins you like to photograph "on the street".
i appreciate your little stories/thoughts on the pics, i find it appealing to read after ive seen the photo
you've been going to all the places i go to, too bad i've never seen you around!
anyway keep it up
Love this shot. He's an urban commando. This picture commands OH! So the hoodie isn't brilliant away from this wall. I dig it and I dig this young brotha's earnest face.
Surely a chance that couldn´t be missed.
Electric!!
brilliant shot.
i love it.
(i have a similar one by obey, for those inquiring about what label it might be.)
your blog becomes more and more about character everyday.
favorite shot in a while. sometimes there's nothing wrong with macho.
Not the hoodie or the bkgrd tt's anything to oohaah abt, but the juxtaposition. Funky shot, but for me it's just sth warm n comfortable to wear for a guys' night out.
This is, what makes you, what you are now, Scott! The special "chip" built in your brain, connected to your eyes. Normal people close the whole world out during a phone talk, but you are able to look around and discover people, discover style and such scene like this photo.
Congratulation!
this is HOT!
Congratulations on this! It isn't about the clothes - it is about the capturing of a moment. The guy was just hanging around - a magazine would have paid huge amounts to have a photographer/stylist etc to capture such an image. But what I like best is the normality - no posturing or preening or attention seeking pigeon toed stance.
Such a perfect one- and so it is "a typical "Sartorialist" shot"!
Love your blog!!!
Love this picture, great portrait indeed. Jen at 6:46, lovely comment, kinda moved me.
I'm sure Kanye West will envy this guy.
Superbe !
that's the coolest shot I've seen. His stop blended very well with the background.
Tres Sart. I think it is lovely. Your blog shows people with their own sense of style and how it reflects, projects or in some ways comments on their environment. This is wonderful.
master shot.
hope you did not have to drive this guy all through town to find that perfect background... - of course you didn't...
superb
well, this of course is what it all is about. to open ones senses to things that may go unnoticed otherwise.
two things that may not be so special on its own become of greater importance if seen in context or placed together.
to be aware of this and to notice these things is the first step to become arware of what lies behind what our senses are able to conceive.
so for me this is much more interesting than just seeing someone fashionably dressed.
i love the flavor of his style: so unapologetically urban. but the most compelling thing here for me is his stare.
Like the zips on the hoodie most of all. I must say I like his face and how its not a "fashion or entertainment somebody" type of face. Just a regular guy you'd see at a your take-out place, local spot or on a subway with a good shape-up.
Fashion's not just about what you wear, it's also about where you are, isn't it? The picture is the perfect illustration of it. Thank you for all the inspiring shots.
Gorgeous. Contemporary writing. How many present a day are you able to catch? Go on making us feel as excited as children. Visiting your blog each day as we were opening an Advent calendar.
Thank you
and the way he gazes straight into the camera, very zen...i love it
Wow! great photo, very basquiat
Urban camouflage it is indeed.
The white design pattern on the black jacket(i think i see some animals on there,birds and a cobra?) is superb.
Also love the orange zippers and the jeans and wristwatch blends in very well against the background.
Timeless!
Scott, I love your blog. As the Guardian said - it's mesmeric and oddly beautiful. This picture is an example of that. You have such a wonderful eye - I enjoy seeing through your lens.
This is a such a great shot!
as, for some reason, my comment dissapeared... I´ll speak again :)
first thing to say is that this is true urban culture to me, it is quoting itself!
- the colours; just black and white, yellow, red and orange. the orange piece under his chin gives the picture the kicking accent!
as a whole the photo is beautiful and inspiring!
the writings are like a frame around him. I am not into graffity,
but this effect is really impressive to me!
Oh my! Delightful! Like most of the other commenters I love that you capture these special visual surprizes. Brightened my morning!
~ Miss Mary
A Cheshire Cat moment. This is a photograph I won't be able to get out of my head all week - thank you for that! Truly stunnning.
awesome Sart!!!! this is so NY
His outfit is pretty cas, but there's that peep of orange collar sticking out underneath that hoodie. If only he could straighten that collar up a bit, he'd elevate this outfit!
One of the best shots I've ever seen here, Sart! And it's not staged! It has overwhelmed me in a best possible way.
a good eye as always.
A shot like this makes me think you could enjoy a walk in Mexico City.
What are you talking about: He's totally a "Sartorialist" shot!
You photographed worst dressed people than him, you know.
gorge.
thoroughly enjoyed it. I like that it's not "typical Sart" stuff.
Veronique, really? I thought his style was very interesting.
I know a lot of people have said his outfit isn't particularly inspiring, but I think his outfit is perfect.
He's dressed to suit his lifestyle and surroundings, he's got a style that works with his life.
He isn't trying to copy a look that would be completely impractical for him because it looked great on the catwalk.
This is a beautiful image.
I wish I had glasses that had lenses that presented everything in your perspective. I'm so fascinated with the images you present and the way you see the world around you.
This is great, an urban chameleon! That's the best graffiti hoodie I think I have ever seen, and I've seen a lot of em. I like the wash on his jeans too.
agreeing with above. If you don't shake up the way you look at potential photo-opps your work would get stale quickly. Like the post below where you commend the young woman for her Marc Jacobs mishmash, the people you photograph approach their wares in creative and unique ways ... and that's why we love them ;-)
Amazing picture! I love it when opportunities like this come about, and being a photographers daughter, I know these can sometimes be far and few between!
I love the coloured graffiti in the background, it really lifts the shot :)
Ruby
www.urbankittys.com
sart, i just had to come back to thank you for this pic. this is the first one i have loved in a really long time. it captures the energy of nyc and makes me miss it.
very amusing.
very cool.
I LOVE this photo!!!
it's actually overwhelming and thought-provoking; like he's purposefully making a statement through his clothing and that background. i love it!!
this is THE PERFECT sartorialist shot--it is gorgeous, and interesting... his face is highlighted so perfectly and the back ground is perfect and the sweatshirt looks like a piece of art... wow--I am blathering! one of my all-time favorites--THANK YOU!
This is an amazing portrait. It could easily hang in an art gallery or show up in a magazine spread. As others have already commented, I really appreciate the anecdotes you've included in the last few shots.
Beautiful portrait, just wonderful.
WOW WOW WOW! I love this shot! Incredible!
Sart,
I LOVE this photo, stuff like this keeps me coming back. This is basic streetwear and I love it with the background. I also think his hoodie and the expression on his face is worth the shot without the background.
Thanks!!
i love this.
i love the orange.
agreed with jen (from near the top), i love your commentary on your own photos. they help me see things i might not otherwise catch. :)
"Typical" is boring. Once in a while, don't be typical.
And the orange around the collar picks up the bursts of graffiti in the background.
Like so many others have said, I really appreciate your comments.
I love it. He blends and yet pops at the same time.
Your commentaries make the pictures all the more memorable. Love this...
lame....the sartorialist trying to appeal to an urban audience?
Beautiful--you have an artist's eye, Sart.
As someone noted upthread, your blog is like an advent calendar, with something new and unexpected everyday.
Yes Cerisa, we agree: He has style and he belongs here, that what I meant to say. (I might have mixed my words wrong the first time).
Thank you sir; I would love to own a print of this beautiful portrait ;-) Well done.
I had to draw in a quick breath when I saw this pic. Wow! Love it Sart. Very urban. Would make a good album cover I was thinking.
This photo is so gorgeous, so striking! You must not truly worry about something not being a typical "Sartorialist" shot. Never close yourself in like that. (hope I'm not being too bossy). (-:
anonymous 8:07 PM
lame? why the insult? sart posts photos of: the young, the old, the chic, the hipster, etc. today, the spotlight is on urban youth, and you find this lame? i honestly cannot make you understand how much seeing that picture today moved me. i really hope that sart continues to take photos of all facets and fabric of the NYC sartorial landscape.
this urban style gives real energy and spontaneity to NYC'S sartorial scene. we can't all spend hundreds of dollars on designer clothes and not everyone wants to look as if they they walked straight out of a catalogue/magazine.
his outfit looks creative and energetic without it looking as if he spent a ton of money on it or a lot of time trying to piece it together. simple yet cool.
love this one
soo cool!!!!!
Love the peak of orange at his collar.
Of course you had to take this shot. "Typical" or not of YOUR style, I'd like to see more of THIS part of your "style" because this is the magic of our urban environment, and of your instinct that, if I may, I'd like to see more of. Bravo.
Dr. Wild
love the title Urban Camouflage - so poetic!
How awesome that you captured this...
It looks great with the background!!!
just when we thought we had you figured out...
immediately it made me think of Maharishi's book "Disruptive Pattern Material". it is a fantastic encyclopedia about the evolution of camouflage that is quite interesting.
the best thing about the photos you take is that it is so much less about identifying with fashion than it is about just simply life.
thanks
Sart, I love how you say that this isn't a typical "Sartorialist" shot...because I think that that's what this blog is all about...being different but still very fashion-wise...great job!
Awesome shot. That little touch of tangerine gives this guy more flair. I want to frame this...
I love you more after seeing this, Sart! It's not a "typical Sart shot" as you said, but then again, it completely is. Sart shots are all about photographing unique people in unique surroundings! Thanks for continually reinventing yourself. It's awesome you took a picture of this guy--he's different!
what an awesome shot!
wow..a true camouflage
looks amazing
xo
One of my favourite shots on your blog.
But then I love graffiti as much as fashion, so it isn't surprising!
I keep coming back to this photo. Was even telling my friend about it at lunch today.
The man, his outfit, the photo...all intensely beautiful.
This really is one of your best shots.
Absolutely wonderful. Maybe this is only because I am currently studying in Buenos Aires, where graffiti is a huge part of the urban landscape, but I do think that this is truly inspired fashion.
There's nothing unique or original about his outfit (I've seen about a billion people wear similar ones). But with this background, it really works! Great job on the picture!!
This shot is fabulous. While it may not be your typical shot it seems to embody your message of defining fashion for one's self.
to anonymous 8:07 PM
puh-leeze.
love this shot!
Great Scott!
This great photogragraphy and displays your wonderful eye for juxpiposition.
Mazel Tov!
The Men's Vintage Connoisseur