How many studios does it take to be a photographer in NYC?

I moved to NYC right out of college because in my super ADD stupor, my good friend Mark Kozlowski said to me "you are  going to New York with me". So I did. The first thing I did was find a tiny studio apartment that I shared with the mice & the cockroaches. 211 West 22nd Street was in the Chelsea area. Back then the area was heroin addict-land and sketchy. Now it's pretty, gay and beautiful! I know I could never get the same apartment for the $200.00/month I paid back then.

The second thing I did was to begin working freelance for Joe Toto here at 23 East 21st Street. Mark got me the job and I made money and learned a lot.

#1

Next, Mark and I got a 1200 sq. ft. studio across the street from Joe's at 24 East 21st Street. I think I maybe shot two jobs during the year. Mark shot lots. The Fania all stars were one of his clients so we had a steady stream of famous Latin musicians coming through.

Some day I'll write about the time Mark & I got stopped by cops in 6 cars (2 were taxis, one cop was wearing a pink shirt) right outside our studios. They eventually let us go.

#2 &3

Next came this building. Russell Kirk and I originally shared the 4th floor but in 1979 I took the 6th floor by myself. I photographed the Trumps and lots of Brooklyn Union Gas shots up on that 6th floor. This building finally went co-op for $80,000. I was only 25 and still ADD so I just left. I never even considered buying it although I probably could have. This is still one of my slight regrets. Back then Union Square Park had a methadone clinic nearby and like my apartment in Chelsea was sketchy. Click on the link above and you'll see how beautiful the park is today....

#4 (the "big"one)

Well, Russell & I both decided to leave 13 East 16th Street so we did a crazy thing. We took a 6000 sq. ft. floor at 31 West 21st Street. That was 1981. We split the $70,000 to finish off the inside and I never really recovered after that. Life was okay for the first 4 years or so but as a resession swept over the industry and studio expenses kept rising, I ended up bailing by 1987.

#5 (the last in NYC)

 My last gasp in New York was a 600 sq. ft. studio down in Soho at 54 Greene Street. The commercial life continued to be difficult but I began to shoot catalog images for companies  like JC Penny. That was, until they moved to Plano Texas....

By the end of 1988 I was ready to leave New York City. By 1989 I was working for Nabisco in New Jersey. That began the next 14 year stint as an in-house digital photographer. Now I have been back on my own since 2004. I shoot small images in my basement studio and rent studios by the day for big shoots. So I guess the answer for me is it takes 5 studios to survive in NY.