Helen Levitt was an American photographer known for her street photography around New York City. She learned the ways of the camera when she worked for a commercial photographer. The journey to her success started in 1937 when she became intrigued by the chalk drawings that her students made at the time. Levitt purchased a camera to photograph the art, which resulted in the photos being published as In the Street: chalk drawings and messages, New York City 1938-1948. With this accomplishment, she became a popular photographer, particularly known for her street photography.
I think that Levitt’s photography is really captivating because her pictures show all aspects of life: hardship, happiness, compassion, and truth. In the beginning a lot of her pictures were in black and white, but the essence of what she tries to depict has color in itself. A lot of her photos were crisp and extremely detailed. Her angles and shots are so perfect that it almost feels like you were there in the moment. She was able to capture a lot of emotion without the photos being staged. It’s as if she always had her camera on her shooting every second. I really enjoy the photos because it shows what life was really like and how people were all part of a huge melting pot in NYC.