The Tim Ferriss Show #321: Brandon Stanton — The Story of Humans of New York and 25M+ Fans
Evolution of Humans of New York
- Brandon initially planned to photograph 10,000 people and plot photos on a map.
- Posting portraits with stories on Facebook shifted the project to focus on personal stories, growing its audience.
How to Approach Strangers
- Approach strangers by asking directly to take their photograph to reduce defensiveness.
- Briefly explain the project to build trust quickly and make people comfortable.
Battling Rejection and Loneliness
- Brandon faced frequent rejection and insults when starting Humans of New York.
- His love for photography kept him going during lonely and discouraging times.
Brandon Stanton (@humansofny) is the photographer behind Humans of New York. He attended the University of Georgia and worked as a bond trader in Chicago before moving to New York to pursue photography. Followed by over 25 million people on social media, Humans of New York features daily glimpses into the lives of strangers on the streets of New York City. It has been turned into two #1 New York Times bestselling books: Humans of New York and Humans of New York: Stories. In recent years, Brandon has expanded the blog to include stories from over thirty different countries, and was invited in 2015 to interview Barack Obama in the oval office. In 2017, Humans of New York was turned into a television series that is now available on Facebook Watch.
Enjoy!
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