A Second Look At The Pigeons Of New York City

There are many things to love about New York City – iconic monuments like the Statue of Liberty and Rockefeller Center, a rich and diverse history and population spread out across five boroughs and dozens of distinct neighborhoods, and world class cultural institutions like the Museum of Modern Art and New York City Ballet. But one thing about their city many New Yorkers love to hate on? The humble pigeon, which can be found in abundance in the city’s parks.

But while most people would prefer the pigeon stop scavenging quite so close to them, the photographer Andrew Garn saw something more than a nuisance in the often maligned feathered creature, and did what he does best: turned his formidable camera lens on the animals to showcase them in a wholly unique and beautiful light.

The result of his pigeon photography can be seen in his new book, The New York Pigeon: Behind the Feathers. The shots are astonishing, rendered with the striking elegance of a shoot in a high fashion magazine. It’s as if Irving Penn had decided that instead of an ethereal model, he would prefer to photograph a pigeon. (Penn, in fact, did capture chickens for Vogue food features later in his life.)

Garn is no stranger to photographing unconventional subjects, and seeks them out over more traditional options. He has also focused his photography at various points on penal architecture in the United States, the homeless population of Las Vegas, and Stalin-era industrial plants.

With the seed of the idea on pigeons germinating, Garn visited a coop to study pigeons up close. He was transfixed by their dexterity in flight, by the color of their eyes, ans the colors in their feathers.

The project took around ten years to complete, during which time Garn said he became part of the larger “pigeon community.” He has said that he realized over the course of the project that pigeons have their own personalities, with some happy to preen and be photographed and others more skittish or aggressive – just as a human.

For more of Garn’s incredible work, pick up a copy of The New York Pigeon, and prepare to see your constant New York City feathered companion a little bit differently.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.