BRANDON STANTON

Social media is a superimposing place where people are usually bragging.

The most pivotal moments in people's lives revolve around emotions. Emotions make stories powerful.

Fortunately, I've done so many interviews that I've become very good at detecting when someone is giving a less-than-candid reply.

'Humans of New York' did not result from a flash on inspiration. It grew from five years of experimenting, tinkering, and messing up.

I am a huge fan of biographies. What I'm always looking for is a story. I want a story I have never heard from anyone else.

I didn't actually begin photographing, or even visit New York, for the first time until I was 26.

I don't like to interview people in front of their friends; they clam up.

I don't think there's any better education than learning the intimate details of the lives of people who you most admire.

I don't want to interview people for the purpose of developing a world view and pushing that on people.

I never know what kind of people I'll meet just by stopping to take a photo.

I think everyone feels alone in their sadness, and there's a certain value to hearing other people's sad stories.

I think it's important to try to get on a kid's level when taking their photo.

I've taken pictures in at least 14 countries, and nowhere have people told me 'no' more than New York City.

If I had sat around and waited until I had an idea to be a successful photographer, I would still be in finance.

It's such a different spectrum of tragedies when you talk to people in developing countries.

My two biggest lessons learned as a trader are take risks and get comfortable with taking losses and setbacks to help move you forward.

New York has the biggest, most eclectic collection of people in the world.

Of all the places I've been, India is the one that's on the top of my list to return to.

The media chooses to portray the most extreme and violent aspects of a place. I do the opposite and portray the normality.

The only things I make money on are speeches and books.

You know you are an artist if you appreciate beauty.

A lot of the children I photograph are extremely colorfully dressed in some way. But I also find a lot of kids with outsized personalities or who happen to be doing something charming.

As an artist in the 21st century, my two goals are to make the best work that I can, improve as much as I can, and to distribute that work as far as I can.

At some point during my travels, I had a slight change of focus which would end up defining the rest of my career. I began taking pictures of people. In addition to all the buildings, street signs and fire hydrants, I started photographing some of the interesting humans that passed by me on the street.

Being a doctor, lawyer in war-torn countries isn't easy when the infrastructure isn't there. The money, the food and education is not always accessible to achieve those dreams.