Eugene Manning, Lensman of East Harlem
I e-met Eugene Manning two years ago in Lara Jade’s Facebook group. Some of the best photography I’ve ever seen came from the membership there and I published a photo-story with one of the photographers. I don’t recall what the photograph looked like, the one that brought Eugene to my attention. In fact, we started working together rather quickly after speaking for the first time. It was the end of the summer of 2019 and I had just started getting invitations to New York Fashion Week. I thought I should have a photographer accompany me and so I dragged Eugene to as many events as was humanly possible, unaware that most journalists don’t try to hit all of the fashion week events. It was our first time and I was just beside myself through it all. For a number of reasons, we didn’t get all of the shots we wanted, but we did get enough (and you can see some of Eugene’s NYFW shots here, here, and here).
East Harlem in New York City is popularly known as “Spanish Harlem”, due to the large influx of Puerto Rican immigrants who arrived during the 1930s and 1950s. Prior to their arrival, it was predominately occupied by Italians. Today, East Harlem is comprised of a racially diverse community, full of life, laughter, and love, despite what one may read in the papers about it. This is where Eugene Manning began dreaming of a future of showcasing his art to the world. It has been an honor to work alongside Eugene and to watch as his fame (slowly but surely) grows. It’s not every day one gets to work with a future legend.
Why did you want to become a photographer and how early in your life did the inclination to become one begin?
I actually didn't think much about being a photographer until 2013 or so. I was in school, and some friends who modeled wanted me to manage them. Long story short, in the course of managing them, I had to get some photos for their portfolios. But for the prices that photographers were charging then, I could just get a camera and do it myself.
Did you start off shooting with something small, like say, a disposable camera?
No, my first camera was actually the Nikon D5000, which was a pretty capable shooter. Gearheads might laugh at working with that today, but I could absolutely shoot some usable work with it today, and even older gear than that.
What kind of equipment are you working with now?
I currently use a wide range of gear that I picked up during my career. I use a Nikon D800 and twin D600s. My lens arsenal consists of the Nikkor 24-70mm 2.8, Nikkor 80-200mm 2.8, Nikkor 85mm 1.4, Nikkor 105mm 2.8 macro, and Nikkor 28-70mm 2.8 lenses. I've also worked with some great lenses from Tamron. I shoot with a mixture of Profoto and Norman lights. The Norman lights are older than I am, so hopefully, I can upgrade them soon.
Is there a piece of hardware that you’d like to get your hands on someday?
I'd love to move up to medium format and really work on some professional, cutting-edge camera equipment. Most of my gear is secondhand, so it can be rough around the edges. I need to find out what working with brand new equipment feels like.
Did you have any particular type of photography in mind to make a career of when you began?
Not really; I've dabbled in a lot of different genres. I shot cosplay for a long while, now I'm shooting fashion, beauty, and fine art. I have shot weddings, events, and other situations like that, but I prefer the creative genres more than the documentary.
You once mentioned to me that you were previously an apprentice. What was that experience like and what were some of the things you learned during that time?
I learned to shoot assisting a talented photographer who had a long career shooting fashion, and working with modeling agencies in NYC and all over. It was tough at times, but I took the opportunity to learn from someone who knew what he was doing and improved extremely quickly due to the experience. There's nothing like seeing what to do first hand, rather than reading it, or even watching it on YouTube or something like that. Assisting was probably one of the most beneficial parts of my photographic journey. If I had the opportunity, I'd assist again with the right photographer.
Your work can currently be seen in Vogue Italia, Elle, and Glamour, and you’ve shot a number of New York Fashion Week events. How does it feel to be where you are now, as opposed to when you began years ago?
It feels good! I can see my progress, though it can seem slow sometimes. I can see how far I've come, but also how far I've left to go. I'm working at it to get there.
The past year has been a nightmare for most of us, how did the pandemic affect your work, if at all?
I worked pretty steadily during the pandemic, ironically enough. NYC was pretty tightly locked down, so I did a lot of touring and traveling. I worked with a lot of the juniors and their moms all over the East Coast. Those juniors and their moms really saved my business. I'm looking forward to traveling even more and adding to my contacts as the country opens back up. I'll be traveling to the Midwest, South, and West Coast soon.
Photography © 2021 Eugene Manning Photography. Follow Eugene at Instagram, get the latest updates on his projects at Facebook. Model: Irene Bueso for Hyphenate Management, MUA: Rania Zohny, Hair: 𝐄𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝟑𝐫𝐝 𝐄𝐲𝐞༆, Styling: NTOMBI
