Doug Menuez on Art and the Wisdom of New York

What is art? Who defines it? What drives the artist? Can photography be considered “art”? These are the questions that drive the narrative of this third and final installment of the documentary profile series “Menuez on Manhattan.” In it renown commercial and stock photographer Doug Menuez has shared his life and career experiences. Act 1 was about New York the city (and I also talk about the pros and cons of shooting with an 85mm lens). Act 2 was about the biz wherein Doug poses the question, “Do you have the fortitude to be the best.” Finally, in Act 3, we hear Doug’s feelings about art and photography. We also get a peek inside his personal film project “The Wisdom of New York.” This is a collection of interviews with New York immigrants sharing funny and sometimes poignant stories about sayings from their home country. I like the way Doug describes New York. It’s not so much a “melting pot” as it’s a “cacophony of miscommunication.”

Interesting Back Story

So, this is actually the third DSLR film I ever shot. I rented the 5D Mark II two years this month actually and drove up to the Big Apple to shoot this project. While there, I also DP’ed a portion of Doug’s follow up installment to his series (which is why you see me in some of the shots with the little slate.)

But without further ado…

“Menuez on Manhattan – Act 3: The Wisdom of NY”

Here’s the first installment of Doug’s “Wisdom of New York” series.

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