Jeremiah Dine scatters cinematic moments among the everyday

The photographer’s new book Daydreams Walking offsets the mundane with dramatic scenes of a starkly lit New York

Shot around New York City between 2010-17, Jeremiah Dine’s new photo book Daydreams Walking brings together unremarkable, everyday scenes and dramatic images of the city, which are thrown into relief through a strong blend of framing, lighting and timing.

He was previously a studio assistant to legendary photographer Richard Avedon, but where Avedon was known for his stark portraits, Dine’s work places the city in the lead role. Found objects, graffiti and rubbish all earn their way into the book, and even when people do star in his photographs, on many occasions the shadows cast on walls and pavements manage to steal back your attention. Dine’s characters are always at one with their surroundings, if not dictated by them.

The project takes its name from a line in Music, a poem written in 1954 by prominent New Yorker Frank O’Hara, which is included in the book. It also features a listed soundtrack of the music that Dine listened to while shooting – featuring the likes of Lou Reed, Thelonious Monk and Charlie Parker – and an essay penned by author Robert Sullivan, which looks at the city experience by way of the street.

While Dine’s photographic style doesn’t diverge radically from what we’ve seen in the medium, Daydreams Walking captures those fleeting strokes of luck that account for our enduring fascination with street photography. Building on the ground laid by some of the 20th century greats, Dine’s lens brings the city and its characters to life – this time in blistering colour.

A photograph from Daydreams Walking by Jeremiah Dine A photo of a man wearing a suit from Daydreams Walking, a photo book by Jeremiah Dine An image from Daydreams Walking by Jeremiah DineThe cover of Daydreams Walking by Jeremiah Dine

Daydreams Walking by Jeremiah Dine is published by Damiani, and will be available for £50 from March 5; damianieditore.com; jeremiahdine.com