“the wider world that perceives fashion as a frivolity that should be done away with. the point is that fashion is the armor to survive the reality of everyday life. I don’t think you could do away with it-- it would be like doing away with civilization.”-- BILL CUNNINGHAM

My most well spent $13 in NYC went to the documentary on Bill Cunningham, the New York Times photographer who instilled the idea of street style and candid photography. It was one of those films where I was equal parts bursting with laughter the entire time and on the verge of tears because I was in complete awe.

A few months ago I was asked who my most influential photographer was and I blindly replied, him, mainly because I had recently seen the trailer for this documentary and to be quite honest it was the only name that could come to my mind in that moment.

However, today I fell in love with the man behind the camera and can honestly say that to date I’ve never felt so inspired.

Cunningham lives his life with such passion and purpose that you cannot help but covet the joy he has. He spends hours on the street snapping pictures, jumping in front of cars, evening running into one with his bike in one scene. He is insanely dedicated to his job but merely for the pleasure alone. For the past fifty years he has been studying the adaptation and evolution of fashion around the world, particularly in New York and has this immense understanding and knowledge of it all. It is honestly unbelievable how much he knows.

He has an engrained humility that is evident through his dress (a $20 blue shirt that most street workers wear,) the bike he rides as his means of transportation (his 29th since the previous 28 have been stolen,) and in the way he takes photographs even when he is the one being recognized with an award. Even more so it is shown through the friendly approach to life that he encompasses and the relationships he has formed over the years to people he consistently photographs or even when it is only one interaction.

He discovers beauty through a raw means of reality and he even says a quote in the movie that describes the clothes and women he photographs as a way of dealing with our lives; a way of consistently seeking that beauty. He embraces the boldness that separates fashionable people from what is normal and expected and constantly encourages more of that.

He is a complete perfectionist and in a world where everything is digital, he still stacks his camera bag full of film. I love that.

I have been having A LOT of doubts about photography for a while now and if I want to pursue it and how I can, and though I know I don’t want to dedicate my life to doing what he does, I can’t help but feel honored to say that he and I share a few of the same interests.

My heart truly feels a lot fuller just knowing about this man’s incredible life.