Susan Kaufman is part of the amazing creative community that contribute to The Shopkeepers. Photographers that generously share their images here, on The Shopkeepers website, and on our Instagram account. We realize that there is no way we can share all the lovely shops that exist in the world without this talented community of photographers that contribute to our platform. So we are honoring some of those creatives by shining a spotlight on their work in this series.
NY-based author and photographer, Susan Kaufman, has a wonderful talent for capturing magical New York facades. Her recently published book Walk With Me: New York is a celebration of the beauty and charm of New York City. With an editor’s eye, Susan is a former magazine editor, the only equipment that she uses is her iPhone SE. And yes, that is also the camera she used for the photographs in her book.
As well as sharing her images, Susan shares her inspirations, process and tips. Follow Susan on Instagram skaufman4050 and buy her book here.
Our July 2022 calendar features one of the illustrations from a map in Walk With Me: New York by illustrator and cartographer Michael A. Hill. The shopfront illustration is of John Derian Company’s Greenwich Village shop on Christopher Street.
“I’m just so grateful to all of my Instagram followers for encouraging me to do a book—without them it never would have happened!”
What do you love about Instagram? I love having a platform to share my photos, but equally, I love finding other accounts around the world that share my aesthetic and that inspire me.
Why did you chose to share facades? I’ve always been obsessed with doors, and facades were just a natural extension. The minute I started taking pics to post on Instagram I started noticing all of the beautiful brownstones, cafes, and shopfronts I’d never paid attention to before.
How do you edit your photos? The only app I use is Snapseed. It’s right on my phone so it’s easy to access. I mainly use the “perspective” to straighten out buildings, and sometime contrast to give pics a little more pop. I try and tweak as little as possible. When I post on my feed I normally use the Ludwig filter. Again, it gives my pics a little more contrast and pop.
Was it difficult to get your grid so perfect? I did struggle early in my posting years before I discovered Snapseed. It really has made editing my pics so much easier. I sometimes struggle now with which photos to post.
Do captions come easily to you? Again, early on I wasn’t sure what to say in my captions. Over the years I found my voice and what works for me. I try and keep my captions personal and informative and not too long.
Do you plan your posts or post on the fly? Usually I plan on the fly. I wake up early and decide what I’m going to post over my morning coffee. I post everyday at about 8:00 a.m.
What’s your favorite time of the day to photograph? I prefer shooting in the morning when things are quieter in the city, but since I always have my phone on hand, I’ll shoot whenever I notice something photo worthy; it just has to be a cloudy out overcast day. No bright sun!
Do you prefer stills or video? I’m very much a traditionalist. I prefer stills — video is a whole other type of post. Never say never, but for now I’m sticking with traditional photos.
Did you always imagine your grid being turned into a book? No! A few years ago when I felt that I might have enough worthwhile photos, I started thinking that doing a book might be a possibility. Coming from the print magazine world, I really loved the idea of having something on paper to preserve and to share my images in the real world.
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