Arne Svenson , a photographer from Tribeca, saw a sight “so stunning that it was impossible to not record.”
It was a quiet moment, in a private apartment next to his, with the faces of his subjects hidden. The image that was created from this pure impulse to immortalize something ephemeral became a viral part of the series The Neighbors .
In an BlowUp hosted by Feature Shoot event, the photographer opened up publicly about the ordeal he faced after his series of photos went viral on the internet. The blogosphere labelled him a “creepy photographer”. Dr. Phil invited the photographer to his show to talk about his “problem”.
Svenson, who has endured months of hate, cruelty and threats of violence from the internet’s throngs, now understands the importance of standing behind his work. He says that in the end, his fight was for the First Amendment rights not only of himself, but also the next generation.