Stories from Abandoned New York and Beyond

A forward-looking celebration of New York street photography in 2026, exploring how today's creators are documenting the city differently while honoring its cultural memory. The conversation covers the influence of 90s film aesthetics, street photography as a cultural archive, building a recognizable voice, and translating personal work into sustainable opportunities.

Born and raised in the Bronx, Black Soap brings a deeply personal, 90s New York sensibility to his street photography. He shoots with feeling as much as with his camera. This session digs into how to find your own perspective, build trust in your community, and capture the stories that exist right outside your door, including the ones the algorithm never shows.

Black Soap takes audiences inside the world of abandoned photography, sharing the stories, the danger, the beauty, and the unexpected joy of exploring places most people will never see. From forgotten train stations and grain terminals in Red Hook to entire abandoned towns in upstate New York and beyond, this is a visually driven, personal account of what it takes to find and capture these places and why it matters.