Brandon Stanton talks about his success, obstacles and approaching strangers

The ‘HONY’ star visited SU on March 6th as part of University Union’s lecture series

Brandon Stanton, the star behind the viral “Humans of New York” Facebook page, spoke at Syracuse University as part of the University Union Lecture Series on March 6th at 7:30 p.m. in the Goldstein Auditorium.

Stanton opened up his lecture by interacting with the audience and quickly opened up about some of the darkest times of his life. Before he became the mega-star behind HONY, Stanton flunked out of college and “spent most of his days hitting the bong” as he lived in his grandparents’ basement while working at Applebee’s. It was then, at his rock bottom, that he decided to go back to school and become a bond trader.

After losing his job at 26, he felt a (surprising) sense of relief.  ” [That day was] Surprisingly a good day, because all of this thought and mental energy I put forth on keeping that job, I could direct it anywhere I wanted to. I was clinging so hard to that feeling of prestige. Prestige is dangerous.”

It was then that he decided to pursue his passion of photography; Stanton began photographing objects around his home of Chicago. Here, Stanton highlights the most pivotal moment of his career: walking up to a stranger the first time and taking their photo. The photo was a picture of two young boys and their mothers, one black and one Asian.

“I was never going to be able to become one of the best photographers in the world. But maybe if I got really good I’d become one of the best at stopping strangers for photos,” Stanton said.

However, his initial goal wasn’t to be famous: “My goal was to have just enough people to see my work so I could sell my photos and pay my rent.” A few months later, Stanton moved to NYC with two suitcases, all alone.

“Following my dream was nothing but hard work. If I had waited for the idea of HONY, I never would’ve created HONY. It didn’t start with a flash of genius. It started with me doing what I love everyday as my job, so the idea became what it needed to be, and I became what it needed me to be.”

One of Stanton’s early photos– his first captioned one. Stanton calls this photo the second pivotal moment of his career.

However, not all people in NYC were like Stanton. “NY is filled with people who are using following their dreams as an excuse not to work hard. I run into these people all the time. Normally, they’re coming out of the bars on Wednesday night,” Stanton said.

Stanton credits his work with being real and raw, and making the stranger feel real to other people. He then realized HONY wasn’t just about NY– it was a versatile idea of intimacy, warmth, and human interest. Stanton has across the globe to photograph individuals from all walks of life.

One of Stanton’s subjects, Pakistan

“I knew wherever I went, my audience would come with me. HONY wasn’t about people in a certain city, but a type of storytelling.” Stanton then went on to do special series, ranging from a pediatric cancer hospital, in which he raised $4 million for, to multiple prisons.

A photo from Stanton’s series with Memorial Sloan Ketering Pediatric Cancer Center

Stanton continued flipping through his Powerpoint presentation with carefully selected photos of his different subjects: ranging from pediatric cancer patients, to Syrian refugees, to President Obama and all other types of people in between.

Lastly, Stanton acknowledged the luck he’s had throughout his short career. Stanton advised the audience that if they’re willing to convince themselves to start their dream before they’re ready, that they can achieve their goal.

“I can’t tell everyone that they’ll have two best-selling books and interview the President. But that’s not why I started HONY. I started HONY because I wanted to do what I loved for a living every single day.”

And finally, ‘Cuse students were treated to a special surprise: Before walking off stage, Stanton selected two never before seen video clips of subjects from his upcoming television series.

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