downtown train

Posted on July 19 2016

umano x suanak shah nyc

new york city is magical, inspiring, enchanting, and alluring. it’ll take you in, captivate you, and never leave you the same. there is inspiration everywhere from the streets to the metropolitan museum of art, from the subway to the statue of liberty and back around to central park. nyc and it’s five incredible boroughs come together to make the perfect mix of americana + creative innovation. it’s definitely a stop we couldn’t miss.
 
we also knew couldn’t miss the opportunity to get tips and tricks from none other than suanak shah, a well known photographer and graphic designer. he’s been in the city for seven years and knows what’s up! he is also the founder of pursuit of portraits, a place for artists from all over the world to connect and express creativity through portraits. talk about inspiration. keep reading to see nyc through the eyes of this creative mind and get a taste of the big apple and some olympics trivia!
 
umano x suanak shah nyc

how do you unleash your creativity?
ss: in a place like new york, you can find number of ways to unleash your creativity. I do that by staying close to the things that inspire me: people, places, film, architecture, nature, food. an indie-film at the angelika theatre, meeting new people at the next instameet, or even a walk in central park. new york is a place where the options are endless and everything you see or do can be an outlet to find and express creativity.

how long have you been in nyc? 
ss: I've been working in new york city for the last 7 years.
 
best place to grab a cup a joe? 
ss: freehold in williamsburg or gasoline alley in soho.

what’s your favorite hidden gem in nyc? 
ss:  bohemian restaurant (this one’s a secret, you’ll have to find it yourself), saigon shack, and death & co

umano x suanak shah nyc central park

where/how to spend your saturday? 
ss: I try to do 1 or 2 photo shoots every weekend. these are non-paid gigs and what I call my "preferred weekends". a way for me to connect with new creatives to collaborate on something completely new. besides that, my saturdays are pretty low key and relaxing. maybe visit a new exhibit, catch a movie, meet friends for dinner. 

any local inspiration? 
ss: the new museum since it's right by my work.
 
best place to grab a bite to eat? 
ss: cafe gitane in the meatpacking, westville in the west village, ruby's cafe in soho. 

where to hit up for a night out?
ss: industry, la biblioteca de tequila, gallow green, and the jane rooftop

finish this sentence: "If you come to nyc, you cannot miss _______”
ss: the view from the top of the rock, an early morning walk in central park, a free ferry ride to staten island, but then if you're in a time crunch, I'd settle for a slice at kesté pizza.

coney island umano x suanak shah nyc

what does the city of nyc mean to you?
ss: a place where you can find and lose yourself...repeatedly.
 
any plans for this summer?
ss: I'm trying to save up to go to a friends wedding in australia in november. this summer is going to be a holiday in new york.

with the olympics coming up, we want to know your favorite olympic sport and/or athlete?
ss: david boudia - diving, jake dalton & gabby douglas - gymnastics, ryan lochte & missy franklin - swimming
 
did you know, new york city has only bid to host the olympics once, for the summer olympics in back in 2012? (it's cool, we just found out too.) 

umano x suanak shah nyc
*images via suanak shah