Amy Horowitz
A series of short, quickfire interviews with photographers we admire, who push boundaries with their work and continue to develop and grow as artists.
This week’s interview is New York Street Photographer Amy Horowitz
An artist who shoots and shares from the heart.
You can follow Amy’s work on IG @dont_smile_nyc
A movie every photographer must watch?: My first inclination is to say Don’t Blink, the documentary about Robert Frank, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. A photographer and filmmaker, he created an intuitive body of work over his lifetime which exposed the messy parts of America, the raw truths, and didn’t conform to the photographic norms at the time. He created new norms. Who doesn’t love that? I also think every photographer should pour over as many published books by photographers as they can, visit gallery shows, go to museums, read books about photography, and even watch good tv. For example, I found Joel Meyerowitz’s book, “How I Make Photographs” to be quite inspirational. And recently, I watched a short tv series called Ripley on Netflix. Every frame of Robert Elswit’s cinematography is compositionally exquisite. Inspiration can come from anywhere, but looking at the work of brilliant professionals can be a priceless educational tool.
An album to edit to?: I don’t listen to music when I edit. My brain feels like there are several windows open at any given time so when I sit down to edit, I focus on the edits and nothing else. I enjoy the quiet and I enjoy focusing on the work. Editing is a very calming experience for me.
Shout out an Instagram photographer?: Early on in my photography career, Danny Jackson @_barksey_ and Todd Visser @zoomento reached out to interview me on Street Badass Live Stream. Both are incredible portrait photographers whose work I find to be inspiring, fresh and different. Their interest in my work helped give me confidence as I was relatively new to Instagram and to sharing my work. I’d also like to mention Pierluigi Meduri @pierlumed who is an exceptional photographer and winner of many photography awards. He is the founder of @rroma.street @romephotolab and @riprendiamoci.roma all influential and international collective hubs, promoting photographers from all over the world. Pierluigi has also been very supportive of my work, for which I’m grateful.
Your favourite photographer of all time?: I don’t have one favorite photographer of all time. I do love the work of Diane Arbus and Mary Ellen Mark. Arbus’ work reflects a reverence and sympathy for her subjects. She photographed people who some in society might otherwise have overlooked or might never even have known about, like nudists, and drag queens, for example. Mary Ellen Mark photographed some of her subjects over the course of decades, building trust and taking a genuine interest in their lives. I love this about her. I too like to keep in touch with some of the people I’ve photographed, and I love to hear about their lives. Many I have photographed several times. I love the connection!
A photo accessory you can't do without?: A photo accessory I can’t do without is my “Don’t Smile” camera strap. My eldest daughter gave it to me as a gift. It’s embossed in black on a black leather strap, and not very visible, but I know it’s there and who it’s from and that’s what matters.
Something we probably don't know about you?: Something you probably don’t know about me is that I love the morning, most days waking at 4am. I love the quiet, uninterrupted time. But once I’m out the door, 8 or 9am, I am super productive and on the move all day until my head hits the pillow. There is always something I want to see or do. I’m never bored.
What's the most surprising thing that's happened to you because of photography?: The most surprising thing that’s happened to me because of photography is that I really enjoy the connections I make while I’m out shooting. I’m one of those people who is quite content to be by myself, and often prefer it. I find myself running into people I’ve already photographed, and I also run into other photographers I’ve met. Photography makes a big city like New York feel smaller, warmer, and almost neighborly. Another benefit, but not necessarily a surprise, is that through photography I’ve made good friends with people who have similar interests to mine.
If you could photograph anybody past or present, dead or alive, who would it be?: If I could photograph anybody, past or present, dead or alive, it would be my dad. He passed away over 10 years ago and I miss him.
Round Table Dinner: To me, a dinner party should be filled with deep, provocative conversation and lots of laughs, and some element of surprise. Given my definition and in this moment, I would say my dead or alive dinner guests might be Howard Stern, Gilda Radner, Brad Pitt, and Cher. You might think that I’m shallow because I didn’t include Gandhi or Mother Theresa, but I think Howard Stern is one of the best interviewers of all time, Gilda, one of the funniest people, Brad an interesting guy...easy on the eyes (every dinner party needs one of those) and Cher who just seems down to earth and with many stories to tell. If I could make it six, I would invite my mom and my deceased dad. I love sharing cool experiences with them.
Your desert island item: Photos of my family.
Anything else :): I plan to publish my Don't Smile portraits in a book one day.
(Editors Note: Big thanks to Amy for this interview.)
Remember to check out Amy’s work on IG @dont_smile_nyc
More Q-Shot Interviews
An interview with Canvey Island Essex Street photographer Danny Jackson (aka Barksey) on Instagram