Brandon Stanton

I think it's important to try to get on a kid's level when taking their photo. ”

I think everyone feels alone in their sadness, and there's a certain value to hearing other people's sad stories. ”

Everybody asks, 'What does 'Humans of New York' mean?' and I always say that I try to avoid putting any kind of message in the work even if it is a positive or optimistic message. The moment you do that, you're looking for certain people and words that fit into the world view you are trying to show, and it becomes preachy. ”

I always say that my favorite people to interview are the people who are at the beginning and the ends of their lives because they have two alternate perspectives of the world, and neither of them are less profound. ”

Wherever I go, I just try to show normal life. If the work helps to dispel stereotypes, it's because I seek not to portray the extremities of a place, but the vast majority of people who are quite normal and are having normal life experiences. ”

I was making projections about 'Humans of New York,' back when I had zero followers, that made all my friends and family roll their eyes. I'd throw out these huge numbers: 'One day, a million people are gonna be looking at this. Trust me.' And even those wild, wild numbers I was throwing out have just been smashed. So, it's a good feeling. ”

A lot of the children I photograph are extremely colorfully dressed in some way. But I also find a lot of kids with outsized personalities or who happen to be doing something charming. ”

You know you are an artist if you appreciate beauty. ”

I don't think there's any better education than learning the intimate details of the lives of people who you most admire. ”

It seems that everywhere I go, people want the same things - security, education, family. It's just that so many people have no avenues through which to obtain these things. ”