Nick Cunningham

After moving to New York City in 2013, I spent much of my free time wandering its streets with no particular destination in mind. Before I ever began photographing, I was fascinated by its many distinct neighborhoods, each with its own unique mix of people, architecture, and character. As I explored, I found myself slowing down and paying closer attention to scenes that are easy to overlook amid the pace of everyday life.



A few years later, I began experimenting with a camera as a way to deepen the experience. Photography pushed me to look even more closely, but also presented a new challenge. New York looks and feels familiar to most people, whether they are among the millions who live here or have come to know it from afar through films, television, and countless photographs. Over time, I became increasingly motivated to search beyond what sits directly in front of us at eye level for what else might be hidden within what people pass every day.

That pursuit drives my approach to photography, which to me is much like putting together the pieces of a visual puzzle. I often begin by experimenting with elements such as reflections and unconventional angles, finding ways to overlap parts of a scene to create layers, or using objects found on the street to form new frames within it. Once I have shaped the composition, I look for light, weather, people, and timing to bring the remaining pieces into place.

Together, these pieces make the city itself the central subject of my work while revealing it in new and unexpected ways. The satisfaction of seeing the puzzle pieces fit together to reveal something that might otherwise go unnoticed keeps me searching for the next puzzle.