Street Photography
This is really an honor! For its first global brand campaign in 10 years, Leica Camera selected two of my images to be included in "The World Deserves Witnesses" video narrated by the one and only Joel Meyerowitz. One of the photos is from Trump's 2017 inauguration and the other photo in the video is from the Montgomery County Agricultural Fairgrounds, balloon parents.
All of the photos are great and Joel's narration is top notch! Go ahead and click play!
Dancer on the north side of the Capitol Building during Joe Biden’s Inauguration.
Police line on north side of the Capitol Building during Joe Biden’s Inauguration.
People dancing to drums on the north side of the Capitol Building during Joe Biden’s Inauguration.
Reporter films video on the north side of the Capitol Building during Joe Biden’s Inauguration.
Media interview on the north side of the Capitol Building during Joe Biden’s Inauguration.
Police on the north side of the Capitol Building during Joe Biden’s Inauguration.
Dump trucks block passage on K Street in Washington, DC, during Joe Biden’s Inauguration.
Biden march and National Reserve troops on K Street in Washington, DC, during Joe Biden’s Inauguration.
Woman with dog on the north side of the Capitol Building during Joe Biden’s Inauguration.
Police block road on the north side of the Capitol Building during Joe Biden’s Inauguration.
Woman sitting on lion at Union Station during Joe Biden’s Inauguration.
Howard University marching band members on K Street in Washington, DC, during Joe Biden’s Inauguration.
Person holds Trump bobble head on the north side of the Capitol Building during Joe Biden’s Inauguration.
Man wearing chainmail gets searched at Green Zone check point on K Street in Washington, DC, Building during Joe Biden’s Inauguration.
National Guard troops in humvee on Massachusetts Ave, NW, DC, during Joe Biden’s Inauguration.
Man with inauguration programs on the north side of the Capitol Building during Joe Biden’s Inauguration.
Trump supporters on the north side of the Capitol Building during Joe Biden’s Inauguration.
Despite being told to stay at home and away from the secured perimeter around the Capitol Building during the inauguration of President Joe Biden, a few people braved the cold and security check points to celebrate (and protest) the ceremonies.
People take photos in front of the Trump Balloon in McPherson Square in Washington, DC.
People waving Trump flags at the Dec 12 Stop the Steal rally in Washington, DC.
Election night at Black Lives Matter Plaza in DC.
Photo from Desiree Dik's Odd Ball at Slash Run on March 14th, the day before lockdown.
Man on top of electrical box in Black Lives Matter Plaza, DC.
4th of July limbo party at Slash Run in DC.
The only hardcore show I photographed in 2020 before the lockdown. This is H.I.R.S. performing at Song Byrd in Adams Morgan, DC.
Baby's Not Alright lighting sparklers at Desiree Dik's Odd Ball at Slash Run in DC.
BLM Protestor talks with a Trump Supporter at Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, DC.
People Celebrate the victory of Joe Biden at Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, DC.
Short bus with Donald Trump cut-outs.
Halloween decorations in Mt. Ranier, MD.
Election Night at Black Lives Matter Plaza, DC.
Outside the National Gallery of Art in DC during one of several awesome Burner Bike Rides organized throughout the year by @Justin Bell.
Woman carries dog in Black Lives Matter Plaza, DC.
Person on top of stop light in Black Lives Matter Plaza, DC.
4th of July fireworks and projection outside Slash Run in DC.
Person in a Purge Mask at the Washington Monument, DC.
Person with American flag at the Dec 12 Stop the Steal rally at freedom Plaza in DC.
4th of July in Washington, DC.
Goodriddence 2020! It was a god awful year for many reasons and the physical act of doing photography was severely limited for most of us. Despite the lack of photo taking, I did manage to be quite productive, fulfilling my 2020 New Year’s resolution of publishing 4 books in 2020 and so much more!
Here’s a list of all that I have done photography-wise in 2020.
I was honored to have been selected for the “Round Hole, Square Peg” LGBTQ photo exhibit that premiered at Photo LA in Los Angeles, CA, in January.
In February, Optic Nerve Collective featured a selection of my early career street photos for a feature on their website.
Also in February, Foster Magazine, the first teen mobile network for misfits, featured an instagram interview with me.
A couple weeks before lockdown, my friend Megan Kwasniak, conducted an interview with me for her blog This Photography Life.
In March I released my first book of the year, Gratuity Included, which promptly sold out, and is now in its second edition.
In April, Jesse Freeman, conducted one of his awesome visual interview’s with me for Japan Camera Hunter.
Towards the end of April, Ian Weldon of the Outer Focus podcast did a quick YouTube interview with me about some of the surprising things people carry in their photo bags!
In May, Iris Marie Tusa of Street Hunters, did a book review of Gratuity Included.
At the end of May I was delighted to be interviewed on the legendary Candid Frame podcast by Ibarionex Perello ahead of the release of my 2nd book of the year called Leather Boyz.
On June 10th, my old bandmate Jeff Berman interviewed me about photography and the DC hardcore scene on his Instagram show The Berman Hour.
June 15th saw the release of my second book Leather Boyz, a challenging dive into the Gay BDSM scene in Washington, DC.
At the end of June, Japan Camera Hunter published a great review of Gratuity Included.
Bob Patterson of Street Photography Magazine did an hour long interview with me for the cover feature of their August issue.
In August, my good friend Cristian Crisbasan featured my work on Bulb Photos (the Balkan Urban League without Borders).
In mid August, Vice Magazine featured a preview of my 3rd photobook of year Old Customs.
At the end of August, I was honored to virtually present my 4 books in a year project, for the London Street Photography Festival.
September saw the release of Old Customs, my first full color photobook about post-Communist Romania.
In October, The Pictorial-List out of Australia featured a book review of Old Customs.
And The Pictorial-List also interviewed me about my other photography work.
In mid October I was excited to have Old Customs featured on The Leica Camera Blog.
Steve Harp of Photobook Journal published a very thoughtful analysis of old Customs.
In November I finally decided I needed to go out and take some photos and started with election night at Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, D.C. After posting the images on Instagram, The Metropolitian Arts and Culture website out of Detroit featured my work for a story about Election Day in America.
On November 7th I was interviewed by Neal Augenstein on WTOP about what it was like shooting on November 7th in DC when Joe Biden was named winner of the 2020 presidential election.
In early December I physically flew to Miami with Lauren Welles to co-host the virtual Miami Street Photography Festival. As it turned out, the broadcast studio couldn't do what we needed to do, so I wound up producing the stream from my hotel room in South Beach and Lauren Welles co-hosted the event with founder Juan Jose Reyes. It came off great even though it was the most stressful thing I have ever done.
December 15th saw the release of my fourth book of the year called Bad Day. This was a compendium of work by the DC Street Photography Collective featuring Sofia Sebastian, Kanayo Abide, Ashley Tillery, Ryan Madison, Tom Mullins and myself. 200 copies sold out in about 10 days!
Finally, PhotoWorks at Glen Echo Park, enlisted me to be a juror for their first photography contest in 2021, “Hindsight is 2020 - Street Photography in a Tumultuous Year”. Deadline is Jan 15, 2021.
Thank you to everyone who helped make my 2020 an amazing year despite all of the hardships we faced. I am looking forward to 2021 and hoping it will be a much better year for all of us.
Election Night, November 3, 2020 © 2020 Chris Suspect
I am honored to be a judge for PhotoWorks first call for entries in 2021. The theme for this exhibition is Hindsight is 2020: Street Photography in a Tumultous Year.
Show us your work from 2020. COVID-19, racial inequality, police brutality and the politics of division have changed life in public significantly. From the ubiquity of masks, social distancing, protests and empty streets, how has this new paradigm affected your practice?
Good photographs become artifacts of their time. Select up to 5 images from 2020 that you think will inform the future of our reality as we saw it 20 years from now.
Submit here.
Last Saturday was an amazing day. I have never seen DC party that hard. People were climbing bus stops, guzzling champagne, dancing, and no one could hide their smiles underneath their masks! I ran into a lot of fellow photographers, artists and family friends, most of which I haven't seen since March. It was a beautiful day.
It's been a minute since I have felt safe enough to go out and photograph protests and events like these. I avoided these situations out of fear of COVID-19. At the start of the Black Lives Matter protests this summer there was still a lot of uncertainty about how the virus spreads. Now we know how masks are effective and social distancing at 6 ft is key.
Well, I couldn't pass up shooting at Black Lives Matter Plaza in DC on Election Day and on Saturday when Biden was projected by the news networks to win, and it has paid off. I posted a few pics on IG and then was contacted quickly by The Metropolitan, an arts and culture site out of Detroit, who wanted to run them as a story. And then on Saturday, WTOP, a local news and radio outlet, published and aired an interview with me while I was out shooting in Black Lives Matter Plaza.
You can check out both of those published photo galleries here:
WTOP, “History in a single frame: DC-area street photographer freezes moment in time,” by Neal Augenstein (2020)
The Metropolitan, “Election Day in America, Washington, D.C.” (2020)