In New York's Harlem Valley

Deep Valley, Dark Days, a self-published book by Brooklyn-based commercial and editorial photographer Danny Ghitis, is the result of a stay in upstate New York (thanks to an artist's residency). On his website, he provides valuable background information as to how his work came about. He felt „unmoored after the end of a long relationship“ when he started to photograph „people, animals and odd details he was drawn to in communities in New York’s Harlem Valley.“

I very much appreciate such information. To tell me in what mood the photographer was when he was taking his pictures, I do find helpful. Not least because I'm not only interested in the result but also in the process of picture taking. The more I know about how a photograph came about the more a picture is able to tell the story the photographer intended to tell.

It seems as if Danny Ghitis was in a pensive and rather melancholic mood when embarking on his project – nobody smiles and even the occasional blue sky doesn't radiate joyfulness. Instead we get to see, well, nothing special. Ordinary people posing for the photographer, workers clearing a car accident site, a sign that says thank you, another forgiveness. 

For the full review, see here