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Hobbes Ginsberg: I used to do a lot of street photography. Taking pictures started for me on a trip to New York in the summer of 2010 and I had this "professional" point-and-shoot camera that I borrowed from a friend. I started taking photos of all the people I saw on the street who interested me visually. I had a vague idea of what street photography was at that point from deviantART, and on that trip I saw an exhibition by Henri Cartier-Bresson and some other old guy I dont remember. It took off from there. I did a lot of street work in Nicaragua.

About two years ago I stopped shooting outside for a long time, and felt a need to turn inward so I just took a ton of selfies. It was easier for me to try new things that way. I borrowed some lights from the yearbook team at my school, and thats how I first got into studio work.

In terms of my oeuvre, most people care the most about my selfies, and its what cemented my current aesthetic. It also the work I make that is the most cathartic for me. I get into these moods where I feel really shitty, and the way to fix it is to take photos.

I like this question. It made me think about something I hadn't before. Theres a definite connection between the performance of the photos and how I present myself IRL. I play things up in photos because its a safe space to experiment, to do crazier makeup or outfits and to take the styles and vibes I'm interested in to the next level. But I also like to think of them as a documentation. Whenever I get a new hairstyle or a new piece of clothing I'm really into, that will prompt a selfie. I think the need to be constantly changing up my look is related to the photographic process but not an effect of it. My girlfriend says its the other way around, though, so who really knows. They are undoubtedly intertwined.
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Having my photos seen and shared is just as important to me as the process of making them. I post everything to my Tumblr, for better or worse. I love the attention though—I want my work to be seen by as many people as possible. I feel like this method has also made my work more polititcal. In a lot of ways its a part of this new collection of work by young women and minorities who are using this space to define and empower themselves. I like being a part of that movement.

I identify as queer and use she/they pronouns. I wrote a whole thing about that on my blog.


I hope I do it for a long time. I really love portraits of older women, and I really admire long-term dedication, but to be honest I can't even fathom what lifelong would mean to me at this point.

