By Lawrence Krayn

There is rarely a specific subject for me. Never a gig. Themes are found in those serendipitous moments when my mood is tugged into the surrounding environment. Often, it’s a rush of nostalgia, brought on by the way an old song hits at the right time of day. It might be a break in the seasonal monotony, the way the breeze or sunlight strikes an obscure back alley. Sometimes, it’s simply the anticipatory rush of exploring someplace new. 

Whatever the inspiration, once I squeeze off the lens cap and commence my stroll, shutter snaps come occasionally in strenuously positioned multiple-angled captures to be treasured, or frequently in erratically random samplings to be forgotten. 

My favorite part of the endeavor is winding down afterward. I like to adorn earbuds and replay whatever music I’d listened to while perusing the viewfinder. Many series a shot is indiscriminate to the point that rapidly winding the scroll allows the reliving of my steps, akin to an early 20th century animation or a choppy silent film. Like an agonizing director or a judicial football coach, I eventually settle on a few representative stills to share with the world. 

Over time, I’ve detected some subtle patterns in my work: The most carefully framed architecture is often bland. The most fleeting of ignored snaps often becomes the most enduring of pieces. It takes reviewing a series several times to recognize patterns. 

I hadn’t noticed it before, but over time, it’s become apparent that my lens has an affinity for bicycles. These enduring mechanisms of human utility are ubiquitous to American cities and, unlike motor vehicles or people or buildings, whatever variation in which they manifest is generally true to the same basic design. Reliably, they provide a practical tool for framing, a sentimental allusion to the bustle of a human life, or a literal depiction of urbanity in motion. 

Envision, if you will, an anonymous Newarker on Park Avenue at Mr. Prospect, with only a backpack and two-wheeled mode of transportation, setting out to take on the metropolis:

With the same monolithic shadow looming over another lone traveler in Jersey City:

Bicycles left on sidewalks, a trace of someone’s daily agenda, a point of reference for humans navigating the changing seasons of the Upper East Side:

Leaning against trees on Riverside Drive in Jacksonville, a brief stop home for lunch before heading back out into the warm sun and weekday bustle:

Shining in the sun abutting Peter Francisco Park:

The center of shadows and streetways in downtown Cincinnati:

Stopped for a brunch in Gramercy:

Navigating Trenton in the late afternoon:

Soaking up August rays in Point Pleasant:

Framing Florescence and blending with it’s anchor in Miami:

Symmetries which intersect cities, depicting shared purposes. Symbols of sentience in otherwise non-sentient urban stills. It was an unexpected theme I thought I’d make of note. 

Larry Krayn is a Newark-based creative. His photos are currently on exhibit at Newark Local Beer (538 Broad Street). For more shots of Newark and beyond, check out his Instagram: @Xquisite_Grit.