On the Roof: New York in Quarantine
When NYC emerged as a pandemic hotbed, rooftops became our only respite from cramped apartments; our only escape into the outside world. Since the beginning of quarantine, I have spent hundreds of hours photographing the rise of roof culture from my rooftop in Bushwick, Brooklyn.
With the help of a viral Kickstarter campaign, this series is now becoming my first book! New York in Quarantine will be published by Thames & Hudson in October 2021 as a 144 page, 8x10” hardcover photo book with over 100 images and several essays chronicling the unique rooftop microcosm through quarantine. I am donating 100% of my profits to Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières). You can preorder your copy here!
The writing in this book includes detailed, anthropological reflections on rooftop culture, observing and speculating on how my neighbors adapted to an intensive quarantine. I recount the heartwarming stories of socially distanced playdates, cross-rooftop flirtation, makeshift drag show runways, rooftop concerts, and so much more.
This project is a memento to my local community for entrusting me with documenting their lives through the pandemic. It also became the excuse I've always wanted to befriend my neighbors. While this photo series is 95% candid moments, I've gotten to know almost everyone photographed and have received permission to include their images in this book.
Prints available here.
