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Photographing winter in New York City with Larry Racioppo.
Inside Street Photography |
The official newsletter of Street Photography Magazine |
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| Saturday, 27 Dec 2025 | Reading time: 4 mins | Read online
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It is snowing now as I write this, the first time it has snowed in NYC since December, 2024. Once upon a time, this would have meant my hoping for more snow and getting my Flexible Flyer sled ready to bring to the Park. And if it was a weekday, I would be listening to the radio, hoping to hear that the NYC Board of Education had declared a “Snow Day,” closing its schools.
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| Prospect Park, Brooklyn, 1979. |
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Or years later, heading out with my 35mm camera to see what people in my neighborhood were up to. Snowball fights, or just hanging out and listening to music?
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| Boys, Brooklyn, 1978, 1977. |
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Years ago it snowed in the spring, sometimes as late as Ash Wednesday in March.
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| Young Woman with ashes, Brooklyn, 1975. |
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In 1983, the “Metropolitan Snowstorm” hit NYC on February 10 and lasted for two days, dumping 20+ inches of snow and creating huge drifts.
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| At night, Park Slope, Brooklyn, 1983. |
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In 1993, the “Storm of the Century” arrived in March and deposited another 20+ inches of snow across NYC, and even more snow upstate (35+ inches in Syracuse).
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NYC has long prepared for these big storms, with large Department of Sanitation sites across the five boroughs dedicated to salt storage.
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| Salt delivery and storage, Staten Island, 1994. |
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I’m 77 years old now, past the days of sledding and snowball fights that I enjoyed so much. But I can still photograph, even if I have to wait for the snow to stop before going out.
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| My garden, after the snow stopped today. December 14, 2025. |
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| Larry’s portrait by Anna Delaney |
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When I returned to South Brooklyn in 1970 after two years in California as a VISTA Volunteer, I was 22 years old with no plans and a $30 camera I barely knew how to use. I took a course at the School of Visual Arts, a job with the telephone company and began to photograph my family and friends. Things worked out better than I could have expected. I’ve been making photographs for over 50 years, and have some things I’d like to share.
Check out my book, Here Down on Dark Earth, here.
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Readers can respond directly to me – larryracioppo@gmail.com.
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As we head into the new year, we’d love to hear from you. What do you enjoy most about SPM? What would you like to see more of—or less of? Your feedback helps shape where we go next. We’re also always open to submissions, whether it’s a single image, a body of work, or an idea you’ve been sitting with. Hit reply and let us know what’s on your mind—we read every message, and the conversation matters.
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The Art of Seeing What Others Miss
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In a world that's forgetting how to truly see, our new book "Where The Streets Lead" invites you to rediscover the overlooked beauty of ordinary streets. Curated by Ashley Riffo and Bob Patterson, featuring work from 53 renowned photographers from around the globe. |
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