Two decades in, and I’m still doing what I’ve always done – catching today before it becomes yesterday. As documentarian, journalist, and producer, I’m after moments in motion – the ones that won’t be here tomorrow.
New York Said was born from failure – or what I thought was failure at the time. While flipping through hundreds of ‘just ok’ photos from my city-wide hikes, buried in a photobook that wasn’t selling, I found a thin vein of gold: roughly 40 images capturing unwarranted advice, street wisdom, and political expressions left by the city’s part-time and full-time vandals. Right there, drowning in self-doubt, I stumbled upon something that made me literally laugh out loud. ‘Oh shit, this is what New York Said,’ I giggled, and just like that, I knew. That was over ten years ago. Now I chase two things: the words people leave behind and the stories of those who speak them.
Take the message I found in Chelsea – ‘Don’t Become A Dog For A Few Bones’ written in white marker on black duct tape. I shot it one morning, and days later, just like that, it was gone. Or the subway graffiti that read ‘Stop Being a Sterotype’ (yes, spelled wrong) – maybe a clever wordplay, or maybe just someone proving their point while trying to make one. These temporary statements sparked something permanent.
What began as a collection of disappearing messages has grown into an archive of over 3,000 images and over 300 recorded one-on-one conversations. I’ve sat across from Jay Maisel, who redefined photography through light; Jerry Saltz, the unfiltered art critic; Jamel Shabazz, who captured street life like no other; and Erica Ford, reshaping futures through activism. The depth of these conversations opened doors beyond New York – like being chosen to interview Lonnie Ali in Louisville, Kentucky, about Muhammad’s legacy. Interview by interview, I learned to listen better and make stronger connections.
My partnerships with Miles Media and Odyssey Studio go back to 2007 – over 15 years of collaboration. Together, we’ve hit the ground in destinations across America, working directly with Brand USA, I Love New York, Travel Oregon, San Francisco Travel, Kentucky Tourism, Louisiana Travel, and more destination marketing organizations than I can count.
I’ve shown up in over 35 states as director of photography, creative producer, and on-camera host. After hosting dozens of videos solo across these states, just being myself, I landed a co-hosting gig on a bigger project that wanted exactly that – me being me. That project evolved into The Main Event, a travel show where I get to kick it with the people who make these places what they are, again through genuine conversations.
Whether I’m behind the camera or in front of it, my focus is simple: crafting stories authentic enough to slice through the mediocrity served to us daily on social media. You know, an alternative to the empty-calorie content—dressed up as a beautiful charcuterie of fuckery, laid out on a golden garbage can lid, and seductively shoved down our throats. As an avid doom scroller myself, trust me, I get it.
Do I always hit the mark? Nah – some things are just out of my control. And that’s not an excuse. But when I do hit, ya know, when I get those one or two emails that not only reflect they “get it,” and they want to partner and make something happen… that just lets me know to continue to stay low and keep firing. Word to who? Biggie.
Here’s what it comes down to: my purpose (and I’m still learning this as I get older) is to make sure you don’t forget about the todays of yesterdays past. Yeah, that sounds confusing, but repetition is power – keep reading it until it clicks. Sure, anyone can show future generations that we were here and lived, but I want to give them more – the insights, the principles, or as my niece would say, the ‘cheat codes’ they can actually use. Not just for themselves but for how they deal with their neighbors, the people on their commute, and even folks they meet overseas.
Everything I do centers on pulling value from human experiences to make us more compassionate, more empathic. Sometimes, it’s just one good conversation that breaks through our everyday assumptions. Most people let what’s around them fill in what they don’t know – it’s easier than digging deeper. And yeah, while the media’s busy selling us stuff by keeping us divided, I’m trying to break down those walls so we can see each other fully and realize we have more in common than what separates us. Because mostly that, we’re all just trying to figure this life thing out.
And that’s the real value of New York Said. Immerse yourself in it, and hopefully you’ll see the people around you clearer, with more empathy and compassion. Become a better listener. A better neighbor to everyone you encounter. New York just happened to be my classroom – imagine what you could learn in yours.
I’m Amon Focus. This is happening. Are you paying attention?
