Perhaps you’re asking, “What is a photo wander?” Essentially, it’s a walk during which photographers follow a route with the intention of making photographs. Just before the opening of MoMA’s New Photography 2023 exhibition, the photographer Akinbode Akinbiyi led a photo wander in Harlem. Akinbiyi, whose work is featured in the exhibition, is an accomplished artist based in Berlin. His work focuses mainly on street and documentary photography. The wander was an unofficial kick-off celebrating the exhibition. MoMA partnered with Souls in Focus, a local artist collective and agency of which I’m the general manager, to help plan and organize the wander. Souls in Focus is used to putting together these events: we’ve done it since founders Henry Danner, Sade Fasanya, and Natiah Jones started the collective nearly five years ago. These walks always begin with a location, and we chose Harlem.
A Photo Wander in Harlem, 2023. Photo: Sade Fasanya
Akinbode Akinbiyi. Photo: Anthony Artis
The neighborhood has a storied history. It was home to the Harlem Renaissance and the headquarters of Malcolm X’s civil rights organization; James Baldwin walked these streets collecting stories that would find their way into his novels and essays. Neighborhood context is critical when organizing a photowalk: that includes respecting the locals and the history. Context also helps us choose where we stop on the way and how to approach people if we’d like to make their photographs.
Akinbiyi decided to call this photo walk a “photo wander” because he wanted it to feel less rigid and allow for discovery. It’s also a play on “wonder.”
At 71, Akinbiyi, or Bode, as he likes to be called, may walk a little slower than in years past, but he makes up for it with his enthusiasm and genuine interest in the wander’s participants, whose age and photography experience ranged from newbie to seasoned. About 25 photographers joined Bode and the Souls in Focus team in Harlem. It was Bode’s first time in New York City, and I got the sense he was on a mission to see and experience every single thing the city had to give. On Saturday, it was his turn to experience Harlem. In a conversation after the photo wander, Akinbiyi told me that he had a good feeling about coming to New York, with his expectations high, but said that “the way the wander evolved was even more beautiful.”
A Photo Wander in Harlem, 2023. Photo: Henry Danner
“I love watching other people photograph, because I always learn something, like what attracts them.”
Akinbode Akinbiyi
The group met at the Schomburg Center for African American Studies and made stops at the Abyssinian Baptist Church, the Apollo Theater, the Harriet Tubman Memorial, also known as Swing Low, and the Malcolm Shabazz Market. We chose each stop for its significance to Harlem’s history and current communities of color.
A Photo Wander in Harlem, 2023. Photo: LaLea Raymond
Unfortunately, we got to our first stop, the Abyssinian Baptist Church, just after the last service. But that didn’t stop the group from engaging with the building by making images of its architecture and snapping a few shots of the congregants who were still around. We had our own version of Sunday service: it happened outside the church—with cameras. Bode conversed with wanderers, took some photos, and also posed for portraits. He is an elder statesman within the photography community, but says that he is still learning: “I love watching other people photograph, because I always learn something, like what attracts them.” He appeared surprisingly comfortable in front of the camera. In my experience that’s not something you often see with seasoned photographers. They’d much rather be behind the lens.
This scene repeated itself at each stop, but along the way we ran into Harlem residents who were curious about the large group walking through their neighborhood. Initially, some were skeptical, but when they found out what we were doing and understood our mission, they stopped to pose and shared stories. It was important to Bode that participants respected and engaged with the community. This approach made for a much more pleasant experience for the photo wanderers, but most importantly, for the Harlemites. And it offered an opportunity to photograph the neighborhood and its residents as they are, in a less guarded and more authentic guise.
The marks of a successful photo wander are sore feet, great photos, and even better memories. Shortly after the wander, we looked at the participants’ work and heard how much they enjoyed the thoughtfulness of the event and conversations with each other. Organizing events like these makes the day seem like a blur, but as I look back on the resulting photographs and videos, I’m grateful for the art and fellowship.
A Photo Wander in Harlem, 2023. Photo: LaLea Raymond
