There's a reason Brandon Stanton's "Humans of New York" photo project is so popular. It provides a look into the lives of ordinary citizens from New York. Although the people Stanton photographs are mere strangers to us, his conversations with them speak volumes.
For those who don't know, Stanton moved to the Big Apple with the goal of taking 10,000 photos in 2010. Since then, "Humans of New York" has turned into an Internet sensation. He even released a best-selling book of photographs late last year.
The idea behind his project is pretty straightforward: stop strangers on the streets of New York, snap their photos, and strike up a conversation. If you've ever been to the city, however, you'll know that this task is a whole lot easier said than done. Summoning the courage to speak to strangers can be a huge hurdle for many people, let alone getting them to open up about their life struggles, hopes, and fears. So how on earth does Stanton get people to share a compelling, real story that tugs at our heart strings?
After a whole lot of rejection, it seems Stanton has truly mastered the art of conversation. Dude recently gave a presentation at University College Dublin, where he explained how he approaches people and gets them to open up. Watch him break it down in the video above.
[via HuffPo]
