blog 
2009/05/11

Drive-By Shootings

A chance discovery at Amazon turns out to become one of the most breathtaking and inspiring photographic books on my shelf.

A while ago when I was poking around Amazon, I stumbled upon Drive-By Shootings: Photographs by a New York Taxi Driver by David Bradford. I recalled hearing about it faintly, a long time ago, so I checked it out. It sold for just 5 €, which made me assume that there would be some kind of catch. Many times, bookstores throw out their antique books at bargain prices. On the other hand, I figured that for this price, I'd simply go ahead and buy it, which as it turned out was the right decision: the book has now obtained a prime position on my bookshelf and is a contender for the "best 5 € that I ever spent" award.

David Bradford used to be an art director, but at a certain point in time, he decided to quit his job to become a taxi driver. Yeah, you read that right, taxi driver. Not the usual type of career, eh? Anyway, one day he started shooting photos while driving around New York City, using a cheap 35mm camera and black and white film. Ten years of driving and shooting later he assembled this book.

In short, the book is like New York itself: once you've opened the cover, you're instantly swept away. The photos, shot from behind the the steering wheel (which even appears in many shots), are hectic, often blurry, crooked, dynamic, and full of movement. Just like the city itself. (I've never seen the city from behind the wheel, but I bet it's pretty crazy) The book pulls you into a torrent, sweeps you through the streets, around corners and along highways, until you are all dizzy and begging for a stop. And then it shows you snowy scenes in Central Park and New York's majestic bridges wrapped in fog. A short moment of solitude before the next fare hops in and the crazy ride starts all over again. Sometimes you actually see the passengers, there are a few portraits of them, then you see people on the streets, people on billboards, people in front of people on billboards, people in other cars, and finally at times – Bradford himself, as a shadow on a wall or a reflection in the metal skin of a shiny bus next to the taxi.

Since I like my own photos to be clean and aligned, it took me a while to get used to Bradford's style of shooting. But only in defying traditional approaches to photography, he was able to portrait the city as it is: a chaotic place, full of action and energy. And furthermore, you have to remember that he shot these photos while being in the midst of New York traffic. I wouldn't dare trying this, not even in Hamburg.

In the aftermath of “reading” this book, I grabbed my trusty analog Canon A-1, inserted some 1600 ISO black & white film, and went outside – and underground. Since my preferred mode of transportation is the subway, I currently try to turn the inspiration that the book gave me into photos from my daily commute. Though I am sure that my photos will not end up looking nearly as crazy as Bradford's, I hope for some unique views on an everyday subject. The above-mentioned prime position that “Drive-By Shootings” holds on my bookshelf is justified by this inspiration which the book gave me. And what more could one wish for?


Comments

No comments have been posted yet. Be the first to write one!


Back to the blog.