Candid shots of America’s concrete playgrounds

City slickers — Wandering the streets of New York, LA, Miami, Chicago and beyond as part of an “anti-road trip”, UK photographer Oli Kellett immortalises fleeting, everyday moments in America’s urban spaces.

Oli Kellett likes being a pedestrian.

Inspired by the great, street-level storytellers (like Joel Meyerowitz, Diane Arbus, and Harry Callahan), the UK photographer treats urban environments as vast, concrete playgrounds, unbounded in their potential for everyday magic.

In 2016, during the run-up to the US presidential election, Kellett began embarking on a series of “anti-road trips”, spending up to 10 days at a time wandering the streets of different American cities on foot, looking for spaces in cities where people came together.

Oli_Kellett__0002_Woman_Looking_up_Trayler Oli_Kellett__0001_Yellow_bus_Trayler

“The long history of amazing photography made on the street is so daunting, it’s truly terrifying,” he explains. “I’m inspired by the photographers before me who go through the process of going out and walking the streets and coming back with something profound.”

“When I look at those Joel Meyerowitz colour prints, during the ’60s and ’70s – the compositions and colours, the couple walking through the steam – no one could predict that, the different parts of that image all coming together at once. He got up that morning not knowing what the day had in store and came back with one of the finest photos ever made.”

So far, the ongoing project has taken him to LA, Miami, San Francisco, Chicago, New Orleans, Houston, New York and Atlanta. His images, taken using a tripod and a slow camera with large format movements (“everything is manual: the focus, the controls”), freeze urban spaces, depicting fleeting moments at their most mystical.

Oli_Kellett__0006_Jesus_saves_TraylerOli_Kellett__0005_New_Orleans_Bus_stop_Trayler For Kellett, it’s the uncertainty – the “might” – that remains the most exciting in his work. Operating in unfamiliar environments, he treats the city as a stage (“real life is far more unpredictable than anything I could hope to imagine”), allowing the characters he stumbles across to create the story for themselves.

“As with all photography made on the street – or anywhere – you’re hoping to capture a moment which is universal, which transcends photography and people can identify with as a shared human experience,” he explains.

“This all feels very grand, but it’s reason I carry on. 99.9 per cent of the time it’s futile – but it gives you something to aim for.”

Oli_Kellett__0010_Cowboy_Trayler Oli_Kellett__0008_Houston_crossing_Trayler Oli_Kellett__0007_Invasion_TraylerOli_Kellett_Template_0002_New_York_Crossings_1622_TraylerOli_Kellett__0013_Batman_Trayler

Oli Kellett is represented by Trayler & Trayler. See more of his work on his official website

Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.


You might like

Vibrant book covers against bleak, rocky hills and buildings; 'Babylon' and 'Albion' text in bold lettering.
Culture

Dalia Al-Dujaili: “When you’re placeless, nature can fill the void”

Babylon, Albion — As her new book publishes, the British-Iraqi author speaks about connecting with the land as a second-generation migrant, plants as symbols of resistance, and being proud of her parents.

Written by: Zahra Onsori

Three orange book covers with the title "Foreign Fruit" against a dark background.
Culture

Katie Goh: “I want people to engage with the politics of oranges”

Foreign Fruit — In her new book, the Edinburgh-based writer traces her personal history through the citrus fruit’s global spread, from a village in China to Californian groves. Angela Hui caught up with her to find out more.

Written by: Angela Hui

A punk rock band performing on stage, with a female lead singer belting into a microphone. Behind them, a colourful mural with graffiti-style text.
Music

Meet the hair-raised radicals of Berlin’s noise punk scene

Powertool — In his new zine, George Nebieridze captures moments of loud rage and quiet intimacy of the German capital’s bands, while exploring the intersections between music, community and anti-establishment politics.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Surfers against sewage protest box floating in water with people swimming around it.
© Alex Brown / Surfers Against Sewage
Sport

The rebellious roots of Cornwall’s surfing scene

100 years of waveriding — Despite past attempts to ban the sport from beaches, surfers have remained as integral, conservationist presences in England’s southwestern tip. A new exhibition in Falmouth traces its long history in the area.

Written by: Ella Glossop

Energetic music performance on stage with colourful lighting, smoke and audience.
Culture

Southbank Centre reveals new series dedicated to East and Southeast Asian arts

ESEA Encounters — Taking place between 17-20 July, there will be a live concert from YMO’s Haruomi Hosono, as well as discussions around Asian literature, stage productions, and a pop-up Japanese Yokimono summer market.

Written by: Zahra Onsori

Huck 79

We are all Mia Khalifa

How humour, therapy and community help Huck's latest cover star control her narrative.

Written by: Alya Mooro

Huck is supported by our readers, subscribers and Club Huck members. It is also made possible by sponsorship from:

Signup to our newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter to informed with the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture, featuring personal takes on the state of media and pop culture from Emma Garland, former Digital Editor of Huck, exclusive interviews, recommendations and more.

Please wait...

Accessibility Settings

Text

Applies the Open Dyslexic font, designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Applies a more readable font throughout the website, improving readability.

Underlines links throughout the website, making them easier to distinguish.

Adjusts the font size for improved readability.

Visuals

Reduces animations and disables autoplaying videos across the website, reducing distractions and improving focus.

Reduces the colour saturation throughout the website to create a more soothing visual experience.

Increases the contrast of elements on the website, making text and interface elements easier to distinguish.