Bridget Fleming isn’t sure where her bike is. She knows it’s locked up somewhere in downtown New York City – “It’s such a good way of getting around” – but it takes the Australian-born photographer a moment to remember where she left it.
It’s understandable, given that she’s trying to photograph the approximately 200 streets below 14th Street for her project, Downtown From Behind. The photos – showcased on her website and in a forthcoming book – are one part ode to the city’s streetscapes, one part fashionable portrait series, and come complete with what Fleming calls a subliminal green message: Ride a bike.
The idea, she said, is to snap portraits – yes, from behind – of some of the city’s most creative people riding bikes on downtown streets.
The result? “Subtle, humble portraits” that are equally about the street and the person.
“It feels like you’re there,” Fleming says of the photos. “New York has a specific feeling.”
She found most of her subjects – designers, musicians, artists and more – through word of mouth. There is a wish list, though. Musician, Moby, for instance, has agreed to take part.
The pictures are minimally set up, with Fleming’s photojournalism-influenced style giving the pieces an almost candid feel.
And even though her subjects ride in the middle of the street, Fleming says it’s not hard to get the shot she wants.
“Traffic really doesn’t move that fast.”
See more of the Downtown From Behind project at
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