The New Year's Eve Project

New Year's Eve is the holiday of anticipation. For the past 36 years, I have photographed the unfolding of this annual celebration in different cities, spanning five continents—North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. During this time, I have explored many countries, diverse cultures, and innumerable events: From the endless wait for midnight as a captive in Times Square to welcoming the new Millennium with the release of doves in Bethlehem’s Manger Square, to name just two. My subjects are ordinary people filled with the spirit of an extraordinary night. I seek them from the crowd, or they come to me, excited by the prospect of a moment in the spotlight. When clicking the shutter, I look for the unraveling of a moment, the gestures found on the periphery of a standard pose. For uniformity of approach, my primary gear has remained consistent over time—a 35mm Nikon, black & white film, off-camera flash and an external battery pack. Since my project is largely analog-based, I still maintain a darkroom, where I make 11”x14” and 16”x20” selenium-toned gelatin silver prints for exhibition. Early in my project, I was asked to describe the differences between the many people and places I’ve encountered. After much pondering, I’ve come to realize it is the similarities, rather than the differences, that are most significant about this holiday, and about the photographs I make. The New Year’s Eve Project chronicles a milestone that marks an annual passage of time common to all people. Despite great geographic distances, and a wide diversity of culture, class, and age, people all over the world set aside the burdens of daily living for this brief period, in hopeful anticipation of what the future will bring. My documentation forms a unique time capsule that bears witness to spontaneous moments of humanity and celebration, as a poignant counterpoint to the divisiveness and hardships so pervasive in our world today.