Engineering the Perfect Shot

Eric Hsu’s interest in photos started when he was a child in New Jersey, watching his mom develop film in a bathroom she’d converted into a darkroom. In 2008, he moved to NYC to work as a healthcare consultant—and the City was also the perfect place to explore his passion for photography. He started documenting street scenes a couple of years ago when he bought a pocket-size Fuji X70 camera. “It’s really easy to carry in my bag or my jacket when I go around the City doing everyday things,” he says. “If I see something interesting, I’m able to take a photo.” In Flushing, Brighton Beach and Coney Island, he found plenty of inspiration in the bustle of Main Street and the calm of the seaside. The challenge was getting all the elements to align for that perfect shot: “You’re trying to factor in light, shadows, reflections, what people are doing, what they look like.” —Brian Sloan