Markus Hartel - Photographer of Public Life

Markus Hartel

Meet Me In The Street:
Markus Hartel, Street Photographer

On any given day, you'll find Markus Hartel cruising the subways of New York City with his Leica M6's strap wrapped securely around his wrist, ready for action. If you walk by him, you probably won't notice as he frames his camera from the hip, then clicks, and casually turns to pan one more.

Growing up in Duisburg, Germany, an old coal-mining town, Markus Hartel developed his love for photography when his grandma often gave him her old rangefinder to snap family photos. He became mesmerized with the little box; he decided to save up the money he earned by doing odd jobs and bought his very own camera at the age of ten. He enjoyed the camera for a few months, but quickly grew tired of its minimalist capabilities, as a simple point and shoot version of the device. He was ready to have control over his images from concept to finish. Later armed with an SLR, and a few years of experience to boot, he developed the necessary skills for serious photography.

When he landed in New York City, he saw little slices of life happening all around him. He wanted to capture some of these reflections of everyday life - real, unaltered impressions of public places, places everybody visits every day, the streets where you live, the parking lot of your favorite grocery store, the subway. He's the eyes and ears of the mundane nuances of life, capturing the mood in a fraction of a second. He freezes a moment that you will forget in the same amount of time.

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