Photographer of the Month: Vivienne Gucwa

New York City is a fertile ground for artistry so it’s no surprise that longtime resident Vivienne Gucwa discovered and nurtured her burgeoning ability around its streets. From walking random directions with a simple point and shoot camera to flying across the ocean to another nation as a Sony Artisan of Imagery, to releasing a published book of her work, her passion and eye, her focus and vision, continue to amaze. Her work stands out amongst all others and it is my great joy to get to introduce you all to her and her imagery. Be amazed and humbled by the beautiful craft of this month’s photographer of the month: Vivienne Gucwa.

Nice - South of France - Afternoon

Rain - New York City - Greenwich Village - Washington Square

Paris - Architecture Along the Seine

How did you get interested in photography?

I started taking photos in a rather stream-of-consciousness manner in the mid-2000s. Since I live in New York City, I don’t drive. Without much in the way of material things or financial prosperity, walking became my way to deal with stress. It also became a way for me to experience the city like I hadn’t before. I would choose a direction and walk as far as my feet would take me; I still do this.

As the scenery unfolded before me, I began noticing lines, forms and structures that I‘d previously ignored. To embrace my new-found sense of wonder, I took the only camera I could afford at the time, a simple point-and-shoot costing less than $100, on my walking adventures. I just wanted to capture the moments and experiences that made my heart swell.

Starting out in photography with limited tools enticed me to learn more about light, which in turn, has set me on a lifelong journey attempting to capture something as fleeting and vast as the transient quality of New York City and other places around the world.

New York Winter Night - Midtown in the Snow

New York City - Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge - View from 4 World Trade Center

New York City - Times Square from Above

How long have you been a photographer?

I started to pursue photography seriously in the winter of 2009. During that winter, I decided to finally post the photos I had accumulated along the way online. I knew nothing about posting photography online and had heard that blogs were a great place to post photography. I literally googled the word “blog” and Tumblr came up as the first search result. I decided to create my blog, NY Through The Lens on Tumblr purely for myself.

Since I had no formal training in photography or in-depth knowledge of the rules and concepts defining the field, it didn’t occur to me that I’d have an audience for my work. I honestly didn’t think that anyone would be interested in what I was posting online to my Tumblr blog. However, within a few months of posting my photos to Tumblr, I amassed thousands of followers and I was both humbled and touched by the messages I would receive on a weekly basis.

That initial leap of posting my photography online to my Tumblr and eventually across social media started an epic adventure and led to photography and writing becoming my career. I am thankful every day that I get to share my passion with an online audience of over 2.5 million. The ability to connect with people on a regular basis is something I never take for granted.

Martinique -  Sunset - Mount Pelee and the Caribbean Sea

New York City - Winter - Snowy Night in Times Square

What is your favorite place to photograph? Or subject?

There is nothing quite like New York City at night during a snowstorm. It’s one of my favorite places and feelings to photograph. As the snow falls, the city’s noise dampens and the streets resemble a snow-globe. The cocoon-like feeling of walking empty city streets full of snow late at night is one of my favorite feelings in the world. Photographing it in an attempt to capture that feeling is one of my favorite activities.

Eiffel Tower - Paris - View from the Shangri La Hotel

Martinique - Oscar Ilet

Montmartre - Paris - Street View of Sacré-Cœur Basilica

How can photographers help change/impact the world, while they are traveling?

Photographers have the power to draw attention to places, people, cultures, and issues that may not be in the public eye to a large extent. This is such an important ability. An image can resonate for quite a long time and seep its way into the public consciousness which ultimately leads to change and broad impact.

Nice - South of France

Notre Dame - Paris

Martinique -  Base of Mount Pelee

Are there rules in other countries people need to be aware of about who or what you can or cannot shoot?

Absolutely. It’s so important to be aware of cultural customs and beliefs when traveling. I think it’s one of the primary duties of anyone who engages in travel photography to educate themselves in what is deemed appropriate or not appropriate. Respecting people and local customs is the highest honor you can bestow as a visitor to a place you are not familiar with.

New York City - Under the Brooklyn Bridge

Marseille - South of France

Any photography tips you want to share?

Think about the whys, whats, and hows of a photo. Why this street, landscape, cityscape, storefront, sidewalk, house façade, person, activity, etc...? What does this scene mean to me and why? What will it potentially mean to others? How do I feel when I view this photo? Is this the feeling I was trying to capture?

New York City - Sunset - Manhattan Looking Towards World Trade Center

Montpellier - South of France

Anything else?

My coffee table book of New York City photography is being released this autumn. Working with my publishers and editing team was such a valuable process in terms of learning about how to think about a larger body of photography work.

Sometimes, as a photographer, your focus can be narrow especially if you are involved in completing many smaller scale projects and assignments. It’s useful to take a step back every once in a while and think carefully about how your photography could potentially be viewed as part of a larger collection of images. I am grateful for having had this experience and excited about the book launch.

New York City - Blizzard - Times Square

Night Visions - Street Art - Houston Street - New York City

Find Vivienne online:

New York City photography blog: http://nythroughthelens.com/

Travel photography blog: http://travelinglens.me/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/travelinglens

Information about her New York City photography coffee table book: NY Through The Lens, which releases in the United States and Canada on November 24, 2014 and in the UK and worldwide on October 13, 2014:
http://nythroughthelens.com/post/92873566010/ny-through-the-lens-the-book-i-am-super

All photos courtesy and copyright Vivienne Gucwa