Homework #2 Walker Evans (Philip Lin)

Walker Evans chose to photograph the average subway rider in secret. Many see this as an invasion of privacy as nobody really expects to be photographed with a hidden camera. Although there is a breach of privacy and trust, I feel as if Evans’ approach produced great results. He managed to hide the camera within his jacket and made a contraption so he could take a picture with a device in his hand. We are shown the people of New York in one of their most natural settings, aside from walking the streets and yelling at terrible drivers (or anyone to cross your path for that matter).  They show people without a filter, making their commute and thinking nothing else of it. I feel as if many modern commuters act in a similar way when on the subway. You will have people who are just there for the ride, trying to make it to their destination on time. They don’t show much emotion, save for the special individuals some of us encounter on our own commutes. There has been some changes however. Due to the increased popularity of smartphones and smaller, more powerful cameras, we have the ability to photograph and record anyone or anything without much effort to conceal it. There are plenty of pictures and videos online that will show people doing the most odd things on the subway nowadays.