A tour through the bustling street markets of New York
- Text by Chris Lagares
- Photography by Chris Lagares
Rochester, New York – a small city on the shore of Lake Ontario – was my hometown of 25 years before I relocated to San Diego. In October last year, after recently quitting my job to pursue a full-time career in photography, I returned there for a short trip.
To challenge myself as a street photographer, I started a new project when I arrived called “100X100.” The idea behind it was to capture 100 portraits that document the diversity of the city.
After I told her about it, my mom thought it would be a good idea to visit the public market located in the heart of Rochester. She wanted me to shoot my uncle and aunt; who had been vendors at the market for over 20 years. Seeing as I hadn’t visited or seen them in almost a decade, I agreed.
I quickly found myself submerged in a highly multicultural environment. People from the suburbs, farms, and the city were all bustling around together, proving that our country isn’t as divided as we’re led to believe.
I eventually saw my uncle, who was selling Puerto Rico merchandise underneath his tent. Prior to that week, my family lost much of their property on the island because of Hurricane Maria. Fortunately, they were able to survive and rebuild. I witnessed many people embrace my uncle, and the proud look on his face made me realise that everything was going to be okay.
After visiting him, I learned the value of family. The trip made me realise that – regardless of your race, creed or colour – we’re all in this together. In many ways, my trip to Rochester was meant to heal my wounds: both creatively and spiritually.
Street photography is a gift, allowing others to see the world as your eyes do. Each perspective is different, but unique. Rochester is the backdrop of my success. The lessons learned during my visit helped me build the confidence to display my work around the world. Rochester isn’t the city that raised me, it’s the anchor to my journey.
See more of Chris Lagare’s work on his official website or follow him on Instagram.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like
A stark, confronting window into the global cocaine trade
Sangre Blanca — Mads Nissen’s new book is a close-up look at various stages of the drug’s journey, from production to consumption, and the violence that follows wherever it goes.
Written by: Isaac Muk
“Like skating an amphitheatre”: 50 years of the South Bank skatepark, in photos
Skate 50 — A new exhibition celebrates half a century of British skateboarding’s spiritual centre. Noah Petersons traces the Undercroft’s history and enduring presence as one of the world’s most iconic spots.
Written by: Noah Petersons
“I didn’t care if I got sacked”: Sleazenation’s Scott King in conversation with Radge’s Meg McWilliams
Radgenation — For our 20th Anniversary Issue, Huck’s editor Josh Jones sits down with the legendary art director and the founder of a new magazine from England’s northeast to talk about taking risks, crafting singular covers and disrupting the middle class dominance of the creative industries.
Written by: Josh Jones
Free-spirited, otherworldly portraits of Mexico City’s queer youth
Birds — Pieter Henket’s new collaborative photobook creates a stage for CDMX’s LGBTQ+ community to express themselves without limitations, styling themselves with wild outfits that subvert gender and tradition.
Written by: Isaac Muk
The suave style and subtle codes of gay San Francisco in the ’70s
Seminal Works — Hal Fischer’s new photobook explores the photographer’s archive, in which he documented the street fashion and culture of the city post-Gay Liberation, and pre-AIDS pandemic.
Written by: Miss Rosen
The stripped, DIY experimentalism of SHOOT zine
Zine Scene — Conceived by photographer Paul Mpagi Sepuya in the ’00s, the publication’s photos injected vulnerability into gay portraiture, and provided a window into the characters of the Brooklyn arts scene. A new photobook collates work made across its seven issues.
Written by: Miss Rosen
