If you are going to set about creating a photography project, why not make it fun, a bit quirky, and a little bit of a challenge. That's certainly what the folks over at
Downtown From Behind did.
This cropped up on the
It's Nice That blog and I was instantly captivated playing the game of 'guess the street' (without looking at the name of course!) As the blurb on the website will tell you, Downtown From Behind is a photography project wherein the aim of the game is to capture subjects riding their bikes, from behind, on every single street, avenue and lane below 14th Street in Manhattan, New York.
That is over 200 locations, 200 people, 200 bikes. We have put some of our favorite images further down, and as you'll see from the selection, the challenge isn't just in the volume of scenes that there are to capture, but there's also the issue of capturing just the right moment, the one before the yellow cab mows down the subject of the photograph.
The subjects chosen for the projects are unique and noteworthy in themselves. Photographs to date include artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, academics and restauranteurs. The projects draws attention to some of the most interesting and understated characters of the downtown area.
Alongside their focus on figures worth celebrating through photography, there is also a green angle to the project; a big hats off to sustainability and a support of the environment. In a city crammed to the max with people and traffic, it certainly gives the project a sense of gravity and purpose. Revenue produced by the project goes towards Little Ambitious, a philanthropic initiative that supports young designers and inventors in their pursuit of green endeavours. Definitely a worthy cause.
Here are some of our favourite photographs, and just a taste of what the project has to offer. To find out where they were taken, and who the subject is, please visit the
Downtown From Behind website: