PHOTO OF THE MONTH BY JUSTIN VOGEL

Photo of the month for January 2020 by Justin Vogel, as voted by BME members.

Some words from Justin about the photo:

East Village, NYC summer of 2019. I have a bit of a weakness for pukers, to be honest. When I see somebody throwing up I always feel compelled to photograph it. There is something so vulnerable about them, and the line between documentation and exploitation is a fine one. I realize this but I just can’t resist the draw. The thing I seek out in all my photos is the same really. A private moment in a public place. For me there are few things more private than puking, and few places more public than First Avenue and 12 street in broad daylight.  

PHOTO OF THE MONTH BY JUSTIN VOGEL

View fullsize

This is the first of the two photo of the month for January (we had a tie again between Justin Vogel and Diada) as voted by “Burn My Eye” members. As always we ask the photographer, in this case Justin, to treat us with the backstory of his photograph or a personal insight.

I took this photo at the one year anniversary of the Women's March in NYC. The previous year I had gone down to DC to protest Trump's inauguration but after a year of his hatred and narcissism I just didn't have it in me to make the trek again. I think I made the right choice because this rally was uplifting, energizing, and inspiring. I believe this photo captures the general consensus of the crowd: Fed up, and disgusted, but with a sense of humor.