Booth Event – Artist Talk: Robert John Watson with Carrie Scott

Street photography is the defining lens through which we experience the energy, rhythm, and character of New York. From Garry Winogrand’s frenetic captures of mid-century New York to Harold Feinstein’s intimate portraits of life at Coney Island, the tradition is built on immersion—on the photographer becoming an extension of the street itself. For Robert Watson, his 48 hours in New York was both a challenge and a homage to these masters, a test of endurance and instinct as he navigated the city with 27 rolls of film and a singular focus: to photograph the city in its rawest form. Street photography, as Watson sees it, is an intense, solitary pursuit. The photographer must push past initial hesitations to get truly close. Over the course of two days, Watson battled the challenges of new terrain, the shifting moods of the city, and the internal pressure to perform. What emerged is a body of work that speaks to the heart of street photography—spontaneous, unpredictable, and deeply human.