20130829

Hit the beach!

 Summer break in the 70s captured by renowned street photographer

PUBLISHED: 06:03 GMT, 12 April 2013 | UPDATED: 08:51 GMT, 12 April 2013

A nostalgic collection of black and white photographs has captured the essence of summer in the 1970s and early '80s across the United States.
Photographer Paul McDonough left behind his usual stomping ground, the gritty streets of New York City, to document scenes of people at leisure, whether walking, playing, relaxing or flirting in small towns across America.
But, like his urban pictures, the series, called Sight Seeing, retains the aesthetic of street photography as he secretly snapped the images, in most cases, when his subjects were unaware.
Although the now-54-year-old barely stops moving when he presses down on the shutter. The beautiful pictures, which are showing until May 5, 2013 at the Sasha Wolf Gallery in New York City.
Despite their fleeting interaction, McDonough says he always developed a strong sense of affection for his subjects. 
He said that the intimacy he could feel, if only for a second, was extremely seductive to him. And the sense that the subjects, simply enjoying their summer, are unsuspecting muses adds a certain intrigue, even today.
A stunningly nostalgic collection of black and white photographs has captured the essence of summer in '70s and early '80s across the United States
A stunningly nostalgic collection of black and white photographs has captured the essence of summer in '70s and early '80s across the United States
Photographer Paul McDonough left behind his usual stomping ground, the gritty streets of New York City, to travel the towns of America
Photographer Paul McDonough left behind his usual stomping ground, the gritty streets of New York City, to travel the towns of America
The pictures document scenes of people at leisure, whether walking, playing, relaxing or flirting
The pictures document scenes of people at leisure, whether walking, playing, relaxing or flirting
Like his urban pictures, the series, called Sight Seeing, retain the aesthetic of street photography as he secretly snapped them when his subjects were unawares
Like his urban pictures, the series, called Sight Seeing, retain the aesthetic of street photography as he secretly snapped them when his subjects were unawares
The now-54-year-old barely stops moving when he presses down on the shutter
The now-54-year-old barely stops moving when he presses down on the shutter
But McDonough sacrifices nothing in the way of composition in these beautiful pictures,
But McDonough sacrifices nothing in the way of composition in these beautiful pictures
The images are showing until May 5, 2013 at the Sasha Wolf Gallery in New York City
The images are showing until May 5, 2013 at the Sasha Wolf Gallery in New York City
The pictures were taken in the height of summer in the 1970s and early '80s
The pictures were taken in the height of summer in the 1970s and early '80s
Despite their fleeting interaction, McDonough says he always developed a strong sense of affection for his subjects
Despite their fleeting interaction, McDonough says he always developed a strong sense of affection for his subjects
He said that the intimacy he could feel, if only for a second, was extremely seductive to him
He said that the intimacy he could feel, if only for a second, was extremely seductive to him
And the sense that the subjects, simply enjoying their summer, are unsuspecting muses adds a certain intrigue, even today
And the sense that the subjects, simply enjoying their summer, are unsuspecting muses adds a certain intrigue, even today
The exhibition is Paul McDonough's third solo show at the Sasha Wolf Gallery
The exhibition is Paul McDonough's third solo show at the Sasha Wolf Gallery
His work is in a number of public and private collections including, the Museum of Modern Art, the New York Public Library and the DeCordova Museum
McDonough's work is in a number of public and private collections including, the Museum of Modern Art, the New York Public Library and the DeCordova Museum
The photographer escaped his usual stomping ground of New York City and heading for the beach
The photographer escaped his usual stomping ground of New York City and heading for the beach
He sets out on the road, traveling throughout the United States during the summer months
He sets out on the road, traveling throughout the United States during the summer months
Although the landscape he encounters is very different, McDonough's photographs are remarkably similar to his urban pictures
Although the landscape he encounters is very different, McDonough's photographs are remarkably similar to his urban pictures
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