The spirit of place

Whether on a photo tour or a workshop, I always focus on the spirit of place. Whether it’s the architecture, the independent businesses or the people in the neighborhood, I like to start by stopping to take it all in. To look, listen and even smell it all. To be able to capture the feel of the neighborhood. There is something unique about every neighborhood in New York City and experiencing that is part of capturing the spirit of place. This photo was taken in Noho (north of Houston Street) June 2016. By the way, the building there is the studio of the artist Chuck Close and two doors over is where the photographer Robert Mapplethorpe lived!