Same Old City by Nate "Igor" Smith
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About this series
Nate "Igor" Smith's photography series "Same Old City" captures the raw essence of everyday life in New York City, portraying its gritty streets with a poetic touch. His work is a homage to a city that constantly evolves yet remains timeless in its core spirit. Smith's images echo candid realism, both unflinching and evocative, while also telling poignant urban narratives, finding beauty in the mundane. Through "Same Old City," Smith presents an intimate, unvarnished view of New York, reflecting its perpetual cycle of change and continuity.
Nate “Igor” Smith states: Every New Yorker will tell you that city has changed since their day. “You missed the real New York!” In the 15 years that I've lived here, I’ve seen things change dramatically, but if you walk down the street and as you pass Starbucks and Whole Foods, keep an eye out for the crazy shit that’s happening. Somewhere there are kids making music and art and creating a culture that’s gonna change the world. The only constant in New York is that it’s always changing. But it's still the Same Old City.
But how did Nate "Igor" Smith actually become a photographer? It's often the small steps that create a journey. Here's a interesting side story, a tale before the main story.
Smith shares, "I moved to NYC in 2006 and spent a year working as a busboy while also doing nightlife photography. My photoblog quickly gained popularity, making me a micro-celebrity in the club scene. I could get into any club, party with models, and enjoy an incredible time. But after the clubs closed at 4am, I would head home, shower, and go straight to my busboy job at 5:30am, where I was treated poorly and made $12 an hour. So at some point I couldn't take it anymore and I quit the bus boy job and tried to make it as a professional photographer. Within six months, I ran out of money and found a job with the Internet Archive, scanning public domain books to be accessed online for free. It didn’t pay much more and felt like a factory job, but at least I could say I worked for a non-profit.
Then the 2008 economic collapse hit, and on December 22, just before Christmas break, they announced that half the staff was being laid off because Microsoft had pulled their donation for 2009, which funded our salaries. We had to reinterview or take severance, and I chose the severance. I had six weeks of paid time to find a job. Surprisingly, the economic collapse worked in my favor; a niche absinthe brand became the main liquor sponsor for Sundance after their original sponsor pulled out. Instead of hiring a professional photographer, they paid me $600 a day to take photos. Although $600 a day was huge for me, it was a laughably low amount for the job, and they got what they paid for. I didn’t even have a decent camera for the job, but I did it anyway. After Sundance, I was hired to photograph a poster for a Swiss high school photography contest and earned about $3,000. Between my severance, unemployment, and these two big jobs, I had enough money to survive for a while. Since then, I’ve never worked another 'real job' again."
Nate "Igor" Smith's experiences as a photographer for the Sundance Festival might seem unrelated to his “Same Old City” series, as they were more commercial in nature. However, these encounters honed his ability to capture candid, intimate moments.
The story of the long-term documentary series "Same Old City" began as a solo street photography art show called "These New York Streets" in 2012. Smith later expanded this project into a zine, incorporating images that date back to 2008. "Same Old City" features uncanny and gritty images that reveal the raw, poetic essence of everyday life in New York.
Smith shares the story behind the cover image of his zine, "Same Old City" with us, which became his first sold-out NFT collection.
“So in 2015 a building exploded in the East Village because of a gas leak and it was huge news. I had just photographed my friend Courtney at her place and she was just a few blocks away, and I knew she had a roof.”
“I texted her to see if I could take photos of the fire from her roof and she told me to come by but by the time I got there the fire was out and it was mostly just smoke and haze and even though it was only a couple blocks away it was still too far away for a good photo.
I asked her if she wanted to shoot some nudes out there since I had come all that way, but she told me she looked like shit (she didn't) and she didn't want to put on makeup. I suggested we shoot some photos from behind because the haze from the smoke looked so good.”
This documentary project reveals the city's perpetual cycle of change and continuity, offering an intimate, unvarnished view of its streets. Smith provides a perspective that allows us to appreciate the beauty in the mundane and the enduring spirit of a city that constantly evolves yet remains fundamentally the same.
Artist Bio
Let’s make this short: Nate "Igor" Smith is a professional photographer from Brooklyn, NY, USA.
Photographer: Nate "Igor" Smith
Foundation: @sameoldcity
X: @drivenbyboredom
Instagram: @drivenbyboredom
Photos copyright Nate “Igor” Smith
DRAWLIGHTS | 1/1 – one post/one photographer.