About the Collection
My series is basically about using music as an inspiration for candid street photography and putting music into pictures. In addition to being a street photography aficionado, I fell in love with music at a very early age. I was recently listening to a wonderful pop song sang by NYC-born singer-songwriter Melanie called ‘Beautiful People’ – listen to it if you like! Anyway, I thought this would also be a good title to a street photography series, and interesting to try to translate lines like “You live in the same world as I do”, “You ride the same subway” or “We’ve got so much in common. I go the same direction that you do” into fitting pictures. After all, we all share this world as fellow humans with basically the same fears and needs no matter in which part of the world we live. It gave me the impetus to try to interpret the song with my candid, unposed shots of ordinary people on the street. In compiling my series, I also added some emphasis on style and fashion, something I like a lot when walking the streets and looking for interesting – beautiful – people. I hope you enjoy! The song goes like this, and I have tried to translate it into pictures with my series: Beautiful people You live in the same world as I do But somehow I never noticed You before today I’m ashamed to say Beautiful people We share the same back door And it isn’t right We never met before But then We may never meet again If I weren’t afraid you’d laugh at me I would run and take all your hands And I’d gather everyone together for a day And when we gathered I’ll pass buttons out that say Beautiful people Then you’d never have to be alone ‘Cause there’ll always be someone With the same button on as you Include him in everything you do. Beautiful people You ride the same subway As I do every morning That’s got to tell you something We’ve got so much in common I go the same direction that you do So if you take care of me Maybe I’ll take care of you Beautiful people You look like friends of mine And it’s about time That someone said it here and now I make a vow that some time, somehow I’ll have a meeting Invite everyone you know I’ll pass out buttons to The ones who come to show Beautiful people Never have to be alone, Cause there’ll always be someone With the same button on as you Include him in everything you do He may be sitting right next to you He may be beautiful people too And if you take care of him Maybe I’ll take care of you And if you take care of him Maybe I’ll take care of you…
©Thomas Hackenberg
