HONY Creator Talks Challenges, Growth of Project

Reflecting on his “twenty-first century” rise from unemployed bond trader to viral blogger, Brandon Stanton—founder of the popular online photo series “Humans of New York”—spoke to a packed audience at the Institute of Politics on Wednesday.

The John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum event came a day after HONY ended its Indiegogo fundraising campaign, which received national attention and raised more than $1.4 million. The campaign aimed to enable sixth graders from Mott Hall Bridges Academy, a middle school located in Brownsville, Brooklyn, to visit Harvard every year. About half of the funds raised will establish a scholarship fund.

Producing a blog that features photos and brief interviews of strangers that he meets on the streets of New York City, Stanton has amassed more than 12 million likes on Facebook. Stanton’s last high-profile visit to campus was in 2013, taking HONY-style photographs in the wake of the Boston marathon bombings.

“Humans of New York is a quintessence of America’s great city, but it is also of course about our world at large, a celebration of [our] diversity, our common humanity, and a joyful declaration that whatever this life is, we’re all in it together,” IOP Director Margaret A. “Maggie” Williams, who moderated the event, said.

Stanton said his recent interview with President Barack H. Obama and his 2014 world tour with the United Nations underscored the power and “intrinsic value of [the] stories and individuals” he has shared over the past four years.

Although HONY’s mass popularity has affected his work in that interviewees familiar with the project can self-censor or embellish their stories, Stanton said his experience helps him to guide the conversation in a more meaningful and authentic direction.

“A lot of times people who know the blog are worried about saying the correct thing instead of the honest thing,” he said. “All I can say is that my goal in all of this is a moment of authenticity.”

In an interview before the event, Stanton emphasized that students debating whether to follow their creative ambitions or pursue a more lucrative and stable job should not wait for a “silver bullet” idea but should instead take a risk and commit themselves to something they love.

“The Humans of New York that was self-sustaining financially and that’s successful today looks nothing like the Humans of New York that I decided to commit my life to,” he reflected. “And if I had sat around and waited until I had an idea to be a successful photographer, I would still be in finance.”

Stanton noted that the modern level playing field and access to tools was what made his story possible.

“The Harvard degree you guys are going to get is going to be less valuable than it has ever been before,” he said. “However, the work ethic and the smarts that got you into this school will be more valuable than ever.”

—Staff writer Luca F. Schroeder can be reached at schroeder@college.harvard.edu. Follow him on Twitter @lucaschroeder.

Brandon Stanton, the photographer behind the blog Humans of New York, which boasts a Facebook following of over 12 million fans, speaks at the JFK Jr. Forum on the blog's origins, growth, and future on Wednesday evening. By Shunella Grace Lumas