Four seasons in Berlin: Summer
A series of seasonal highlights from a year of photographing a new city
I’m not one to ceremonialise too many things.
The truth is, I have a solid track record of failing to celebrate or even mention things like my own birthday. There is probably an interesting underlying reason for this. And I could think a lot about why, but I just know I feel weird doing those things. Maybe I don’t feel like I did anything to earn that year: that ceremony; that celebration.
I’m not judging anyone else. Please invite me to your party.
So while my habits on my birthday dates are not likely to change soon, I have come to a kind of realisation. It is that I have also failed to mention or celebrate for myself the other things — the things I did earn.
Things that I did.
Things I deserved to let myself enjoy for a moment.
And that’s where our story begins.
I moved to Berlin on the first of July last year, 2023. Through four seasons, I have stumbled and wandered on the pavement in search of scenes that interest me. I have slipped and slid on wet leaves, ice and snow. I have struggled with language and failed in countless unspectacular ways. I have hesitated on the shutter and missed the moments I predicted to see.
And yet, without any of that, I’d have nothing here today.
So, now for myself — and yes, for you — I want to look back through the last year of my street photography. Four seasons on, I get to celebrate a year here. A unit of time that seems as if it has passed in an instant. A unit of time that is large enough for ceremony, but small enough to one day add up to something huge.
Summer
Berlin in summer is characterised by clouds and rain almost as much as it is by sunny days. The days are consistently warm, and they are often humid. I arrived to more cloudy days than I was used to in New York City, but I knew what I was getting into.
Something else hung over my head, though — I was unsure.
The moment I walked out of the airport after clearing passport control, I was taking photos. I had something to prove.
The thing that I needed to understand was, “What will it be like for me to shoot here?” Day after day, week after week, month upon month — I needed to know if I was to be able to keep going.
Would I find my place here photographically?
Would I find my place here at all?
The summer in photos
Selected street photographs, 2023
Naturally, the next season is Autumn. Continue reading here.
The entire series of Seasons of Berlin can be found here.
If you’ve enjoyed my writing and photography, I’d ask that you consider subscribing to show your support for my work. And you’ll be notified when the next newsletter arrives.