Because we’re all more than just snapshots in a 24 hour period…
Here’s how a 24 Hour photo project in “Documenting Humanity to Make a Difference” sent us scavenging throughout New York City for the photos and stories of people, places, and things that, in turn, would change our own lives in one day.
I’ve never done anything for 24 hours straight…so when I first heard about the 24 Hour Project it sounded like a superhuman feat.
It is a day when photographers, photojournalists, and visual storytellers from every country around the world gather to document humanity and share photos on social media to help bring awareness to global issues and empower non-profit organizations in position to help those in need — all of it in real time during a 24 hour period.
The global theme this year was “Documenting Humanity” with a focus on women’s stories. This year’s charitable contributions would aid in expanding the following women’s programs:
Atena: Tehran, Iran — Provides a safe house for women who are victims of domestic violence and empowers them through educational programs.
GES Mujer: Oaxaca, Mexico — Provides free psychological support to women who have suffered violent acts.
Sacred Valley Health: Peru — Provides quality health care services to indigenous women in the underserved rural communities of Peru.
She Has Hope: Kampala, Uganda — Provides empowerment programs for survivors of human trafficking at their rehabilitation home, while also operating several trafficking prevention programs for at-risk girls in rural areas.
Renzo Grande (@renzogrande) is the Creative Director of the 24 Hour Project. He is a documentary photographer who focuses on social & human rights issues. It all began in 2012, when New York-based Renzo Grande and co-founder Los Angeles-based Sam Smotherman set out with their cameras to capture and compare their two cities in a daylong series of street photos.
I first learned about the project through friend and fellow photographer AK Cespedes (@akcespedes), who regularly promoted it though her Instagram account. I would obsessively follow her virtual travels each year through the streets of Miami during the 24 hours of the project. As the hours went on and sleep came calling, she was more alert in some moments than others. Some were adrenaline-filled moments where she would walk right up to her subjects and capture them in the most intimate ways, and other times the moments were quieter and distant. Always the focus was on humanity. On the people themselves, their stories, the places where they found themselves in that moment in time. I was studying documentary filmmaking and was very drawn to this way of documenting people, places, and things.
As the date of the project approached, I began to ask her about it and, I have to admit, I was a bit scared. I knew I would probably try to tackle the project in New York City but the thought of roaming around at all hours of the night and early morning by myself, with a big camera around my neck, gave me some anxiety. I would need a partner for the project. At least one other person to help watch my back and keep me awake through it all.
I had just returned from a trip to Havana, Cuba with a friend who did just that. While I took my photos, she made sure I did not get hit by cars, she helped me chat up a few locals for their photos, and made sure I remembered to hydrate in times when I lost myself in my lens.
My friend Leticia’s Instagram Bio reads as follows:
actor. mother. artist. witch. creative. fire dragon. free hugger. puffy shirt fan. bingo rebel. nasty woman. loc rocker. nuyorican.
Many can attest to her abilities in all of those things. That was just the kind of person I needed to embark on this kind of adventure. I mentioned the project to her because I knew she was passionate about women’s issues, she loves adventure, new experiences that connect her to the world around her, and because like me, the actor in her is always up for a good story. A story with a beginning, middle, and end. This project promised to be just that. And so for for this day, she agreed to be my partner in the 24 Hour Project.
We formulated a plan to get around as many boroughs in New York City as we could. We thought up a “safe plan” to navigate the late night and early morning hours. We wanted to stay true to the project and not sleep at all for the entirety of it. Little did we know that, if we were doing it right, there would be no time at all to sleep.
12:42am “Laurie’s Capoeira Nights” She was on her way home after a night out with friends. She was a dancer of many styles. On this night, she danced capoeira as other train passengers passed her by. There was a song in her head, a feeling in her body that she needed to let out, and no one would stop her.
1:51am “Brunilda’s Celebratory Night” This trauma / operating room nurse helped save countless lives. Yet living paycheck to paycheck caused her to second guess herself. But tonight is different. She asked us to join her in celebrating a promotion. Surrounded by her cats, Wu-Tang Clan pouring out of the speakers, champagne glass in hand, a new pair of leopard heels, and an infectious smile, this was a party not to be missed.
2:59am “Ladies at the Launderette” I almost didn’t want to interrupt them. They were laughing and their hands alternated between folding clothes and wildly gesturing in conversation. I didn’t know when their shift started or when it would end. Like us…the laundromat is going for 24 hours. Like something fresh out of a dryer, a little bit of their energy clings to us and fuels us for the hours to come. I hope we left them with a little bit of the same.
3:43am “On a Break” I noticed her only after a group of men walked by staring her direction. The unsolicited attention never fazed her. She didn’t notice. She was on a break. Stepping out into the early morning air, she was in no mood for distractions and no rush to go back in. She was perfectly at peace in the present. As she tucked the rag into her jeans and adjusted the flower on her head, I approached her for this photo.
The day of the project started like any other. We woke up, went to work, and did all of the things we normally do in a day. That afternoon, I drove up to Leticia’s house to meet her. As she made us a light dinner, I charged our camera batteries and packed our bags. We stood at her kitchen counter and looked at our map. The plan seemed daunting, but we were ready and thrilled to take it on. In addition to finding strangers to photograph, we had a “safe plan” that included meeting up with a few women we had heard of (through social media, brief past encounters, and friends of friends) and were really interested in documenting. It was a loose plan that might work at best, if all the other variables (like subways, traffic, weather, and our own well-being) lined up in our favor.
4:24am “Exit This Way” As an early morning train arrived and a cluster of burly men exited the station, among them, I spotted her petite frame shuffling through the crowd. Our cameras gave her a reason to pause. While the fluorescent lights weren’t in her favor — or mine — I snapped her photo just before she exited the station. Just a moment in the life of a girl on her way to some place. (She reached out to me afterwards on social media, and it turns out that she’s a chef!)
5:48am “Her Sister’s Keeper” We were all tired. I could barely put one foot in front of the other when I spotted her climbing out of the car and hopping onto the sidewalk to guide the other woman safely into a parking spot. I ask to take a photo of the woman in the jacket. She says yes, but not without her sister. Recognizing their bond, I agreed. The have just come home from a fun night out. Their features are similar, but I get the sense that somehow they couldn’t be more different. Afterwards, we each stumbled off in opposite directions.
6:38am “Rachelle’s Traditional Home” She proudly escorted us into her home. Her parent’s bought it in the 60s. She grew up there. Her children grew up there. She said, “I’m going to die in this house…” Then quickly added, “But first I’m going to live in it.” She shows us several “Bomba” skirts that she has on the bed. Bomba is a traditional folkloric Puerto Rican dance. She’s been dancing Bomba for years and has encouraged her daughters to do the same. She tells us she believes strongly in tradition and makes it a point to say, “I’m not in Puerto Rico, but Puerto Rico is in me.”
7:40am “Nurse Kate On Top of the World” She worked as a nurse for many years. One day, the hospital where she worked laid off over 800 employees. She would be one of them, but she would benefit from an extended pension. She took the offer and went home. Having given so much of herself to others for many years, it was now time for Kate to receive. We meet her at her new apartment. She often travels, collects arts, loves going to concerts, and often comes home just in time to catch this beautiful sunrise through her panoramic windows. As I photograph her, I can’t tell where the light is coming from. Is it the sun? Or is it Kate radiating from the inside as she relishes in her new place, seemingly on top of the world.
We were not sure what we would find out there or who we would meet. Only time and the next 24 hours would tell. The project was to begin at 12:01 A.M. on May 25, 2019. With over 4,000 photographers participating in over 100 countries, the day and the hours would be different for each of us. But as the Earth revolved around the sun, our task would remain the same — to document humanity in our little part of the world with one photo, every hour, for 24 hours.
8:35am “The Feminine Perspective” The hour was going fast and I had not yet found any subjects. I hopped on the subway in a hustle to get to another part of town. I was starting to worry and suddenly realized I’ve was staring at the women in front of me for a while, but they didn’t seem to notice. Like me, each of them was entangled in their own contemplation. Our gazes covering different areas of the train, yet together we were seeing the world the same way.
9:48am “Rachel Jumps for Joy” This travel and entertainment journalist has a signature jump that she does wherever she goes. Fresh off the plane from a trip to Europe, we find her stretching in preparation for the race. She said she read somewhere that running is the best way to combat jet lag. She bubbled with an energy I didn’t seem to have after 18 hours without sleep. Today’s jump is special she tells us. She is celebrating. She has quit her job and is now freelancing. She is free to travel and write as she wishes. As the starting line forms, she runs off toward it. Racing…for a cause and finally for herself.
10:59am “Danielle Finds Her Place in the Big City” This Baton Rouge girl is a newcomer to New York City. She is exploring the town with her family and seeking inspiration for her art. She says she’s just a country girl trying to figure out the big city. I ask her to sit with her art for a moment. It is a painting of Eartha Kitt. She created it in just one hour using the colors she felt when she thought about Eartha Kitt. As I take her photo, she tells me about Eartha Kitt and what she represents for her. As she speaks, her shoulders strengthen, her eyes focus, and she holds her chin high. Suddenly, I’m unable to distinguish which is the artist and which is the muse.
Thankfully, Leticia’s beau offered to serve as our chauffeur during those crucial “safe plan” hours. From there, the day was a blur of car and subway rides, elevated trains, and crowded sidewalks. We traveled through Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Harlem, and most of Manhattan. We met women in elevators, at the park, in the subway, while walking their dogs, while going to and from work, and some were gracious enough to invite us into their homes.
11:57am “Kelsie’s Big Solo” I ran off the train and down the stairs. It is there that I find Kelsie. I watch as she taps the play button on her phone. Music pours out of the speaker and she begins to sing. There is an innocence about her and it isn’t hard to imagine her as a little girl standing in the middle of her room singing her favorite song into a hairbrush. She has captivated me and for a moment, neither one of us is in a subway station. It’s as if she is on a big stage. The pillars have become green velvet curtains. The elevators, a shimmering backdrop. The speaker, an orchestra. The song she sings is an original and the spotlight is on her. This is her moment. One she has rehearsed her whole life. The song ends and the standing ovation is for her.
12:45pm “Ari the X-Wing Pilot Takes Flight” Her character’s name is Ari, but her real name is Adria. Her mother is a fashion designer so I have to imagine that somewhere along the way that has inspired her to explore the art of dressing. She has been costuming since she was 3 years old. It’s not cosplay, she says. She doesn’t do skits. Today, she is at Citi Field for a charity event. She travels around the world with her husband, costuming for charitable causes. She loves costuming because it’s an opportunity to pretend to be someone else. She says, “What is real? What is normal? What is costuming? When you think about it…how do we express who we are? All of us are in costume every day of our lives.” She is also a trained singer and an aspiring actress. For her, this is only the beginning. Her life has caught wind and is just starting to take flight.
1:59am “Daffny Does Vintage” This is a typical scene for her. Dressed in vintage clothes and hanging out at the park with her kids. Teaching them simple things like blowing bubbles or reading under a tree. Sometimes they’re just typical kids though and run circles around her. But this mom doesn’t have to chase them down. They know their limits — and hers. She has Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT), a degenerative nerve disease. She has good days and bad days but declares herself “handicapable” and focuses instead on her passions…like her children and her blog called “A Vintage Nerd,” where she she talks all things vintage, Old Hollywood, books, and fashion. Identifiable by her endless array of colorful vintage berets, headbands, and sunglasses, she tells me her best accessory (that she never leaves home without) are her leg braces which she affectionately calls her “girls.” They help her pursue all the things she loves.
We planned on dedicating one hour to each of the 24 photo subjects, but one hour just wasn’t enough. During that time, we had to find and meet up with each woman. We made small talk that went on too long because we were genuinely interested in their lives and wanted to know more. We photographed them from more than just one angle, because each one was more interesting than the next. Throw in a lack of sleep, trying to summon up the wherewithal to write a neat caption that summarized who these women were — or who I imagined them to be — editing the photos, and dealing with the fickle apps on our phones when trying to post the images to social media, all the while traveling in search of the next subject and really…an hour just wasn’t enough.
2:58pm “Katia La Boricua” This is her neighborhood and she is proud of it. Most days, she travels all over New York, attending traditional folkloric dance clases, going to parades that celebrate her heritage, and supporting those things that represent where her family is from. Her mother is “Afro Boricua” (a Puerto Rican of African descent that lives in the U.S.) and has always stressed the importance of upholding their culture & traditions. I take the photo and zoom in on her beautiful curls. That’s when I notice the necklace with the Puerto Rican Flag. There is no denying it…this girl is Boricua and proud.
3:59pm “Goddess of the Underworld” She noticed my ID badge and asked me about my name. She’s a student of Greek literature and is familiar with my name’s Greek origins (although my mom really named me after her favorite hunky Mexican telenovela star of the 80s). As we talk, the rocky movement on the train does not faze her. She doesn’t hold on to the pole or lean against the wall. As we come to a stop, she continues to chat and walks out with me, never skipping a beat — or a thought. It is then that she reminded me of the Greek goddess Persephone who is as comfortable in the underworld as she is above it.
4:59pm “Regina Writes Her Own Story” We catch her in front of the Brooklyn Public Library eating a hot dog and pointing out the many four-legged friends walking around the Grand Army Plaza. She says NYC is a parade of dogs at this time of year. She’s a busy gal and we have to chat while she chews. She’s a NYC tour guide, freelances in penning reviews for various publications, and is a playwright. If I were writing a play, she’d be a lively character right out of the 60s with those funky & fashionable frames. We take her photo and she tells us she has to run — she’s working backstage at the NYC Ballet!
5:58pm “Kate’s Windy Welcome” I was looking through the viewfinder when I spotted her out of the corner of my eye. In some ways, she looked out of place. The stone below her reminded me of the tombstones at the St. Louis Cemetery in New Orleans and she perhaps…was merely an apparition. We get to talking and she tells me she just moved to NYC from New Orleans. What a coincidence! She works in the busy hotel industry, but today, she’s not thinking about work. Wrapped in her shawl, she’s lost in the story of her book and memories of warmer Louisiana days.
When I started my blog, I promised we would muse about people, as well as places and things. I said we would talk to plenty of strangers along the way…daring ourselves to walk in their shoes. If only for the few minutes we spent with them, I am happy we kept our promise.
There were so many more women that we met or simply admired from a distance. Plenty of photos we did not get to post and stories we did not get to tell. But I think the day truly changed us in many ways.
6:59pm “Abby the Amazin’ Raizin'” The story goes that she would usually talk in her sleep and one night, as a newlywed, her husband was awakened by sudden chatter coming from her side of the bed. He started to ask her questions to test if she was really talking in her sleep. “Do you know where you are? Do you know who I am?” To which she answered correctly. Finally he asked, “Do you know who you are?” With her eyes closed, a Grinch-like grin across her face, and her voice belting out in a theatrical tone, she answered, “I am the Amazin’ Raizin’!” She runs a paper crafts business called Amazin’ Raizin’ Creations and that’s the funny story of how the name came about.
7:45pm “Charisse the Mambo Queen” She works as a pharmacy technician in a cancer hospital. It is serious business. So after work, she likes to find ways to unwind. She likes to dance. Growing up, she was the shy one in the family. But one day, she felt she needed to make a change. She wanted to feel liberated. To be able to be herself and confidently take on things she always wanted to do. So she signed up for salsa and mambo classes. It was her therapy and her peace. Here in front of this fountain, I’d say she’s not that shy little girl anymore.
8:58pm “Elisabet, Paint Me a Picture” She has been painting since the 7th grade when she took art studies in Puerto Rico. She is also an alumni of Parsons (a private art & design college in NYC). She describes her art as figurative and sometimes abstract. At the moment, she is focused on this acrylic painting based on a poem written by her husband, titled “Ella y Tu'” (literal translation: Her & you — or You and Her). As she adds a bit more paint, she insists the work is far from finished. We stop talking for a while and I watch as she becomes lost in the poetry of her canvas. The artist and the girl in the painting are one. I suddenly feel as though I should be painting her.
I was grateful to have Leticia by my side. We talked, laughed, encouraged and challenged each other. We opened ourselves up to these women, in hopes that they would return the favor. Leticia and I are both actors and became friends many years ago because of it. The day of the 24 Hour Project, was no act. Although the project went on for 24 hours, we had been awake for much longer. As the hand on the clock approached midnight, we were reaching the 40 hour mark without sleep. Trust me, you wouldn’t want to cross a nostalgic who hasn’t slept! It gets crazy.
9:58pm “Next Stop” She was seated next to me on the train and heard me talking about the project. She was excited that the focus was on women and you could see that she wanted to be a part of it somehow. The only thing was…hers was the next stop. I asked if she would allow me to take her photo. “Would you? I’m getting off at the next stop.” This photo was taken just as the doors were opening. She then walked off into the night knowing that tonight she was a part of something greater.
10:55pm “Final Boarding Call” I was waiting for the train and spotted the wispy red fabric of her dress behind the pillar. By this hour, after 38 hours or so without sleep, I was starting to lose all inhibitions and so I squared my feet on the prohibited yellow line and snapped the photo just as the train pulled into the station. She doesn’t board with me but I watch her through the dirty glass windows and we make eye contact.
The bus ride home from New York City, was a quiet one. We sat side by side, looking through our photos. Sometimes our gaze lingered on some images longer than others. I could tell these were the moments that affected us the most. Maybe it was the time of day, maybe it was something that was said, a moment shared between strangers, a glance, or the simple act of encountering someone we would not have under any other circumstance. It would take a few days, even weeks, to process exactly how we were touched by this project. Neither one of us ever really talked about it, but it is one of those things you just know.
11:56pm (The final photo of the project) “I’m Not Sleepy…You’re Sleepy” This is Leticia, my partner in this project. She was tired, as was I. She hung in there as long as she could, but after 40 plus hours without sleep, she was ready to tap out. Here we are at the Port Authority Bus Terminal waiting for our ride home. By this time, we were so tired we weren’t even speaking. As we sat side by side on the bus, we took took comfort in the silence and in knowing that we did it. We completed the 24 Hour Project – for ourselves and for all the women around the world who will benefit from this project.
To document humanity, one must be able to properly capture the universal emotions of love, sadness, joy, pain, and my personal favorite — nostalgia. We may never get to meet the women in Iran, Mexico, Peru, and Uganda who will benefit from these little snapshots of others like them around the world. But as we walked through the streets of New York we imagined a line being drawn between them and each of these New York City women that we photographed. And then another line between them and those captured by the other 4,000 photographers snapping away in one of those other 100 countries. It is a beautiful way to think about humanity. All of us connected. All of us existing, at the same time, in this big world and all the photos that will remain as memories of moments in our lives when someone took the time to stop for us.
I am grateful for this project because although it takes place in the span of only 24 hours, much like nostalgia, I feel this project transcends time and place and its purpose is really just to help us find that line that connects us to the rest of humanity.
I am also proud to report that, following the project, one of my photos was accepted into the 24 Hour Project Exhibition in New York City and will be on display at El Barrio’s Artspace PS 109 from July 23, 2019 through August 4, 2019. I am looking forward next year’s event!
Click here to learn more about the 24 Hour Project and find out how you can donate to the cause and participate in next year’s project. In the meantime, I suggest you get plenty of rest!
You might also like
Leave A Reply