Evening Commute by Richard Rothstein

Christmas is of course supposed to be a joyful time. Bright lights, decorations, fine food and family. The days leading up to it however are not always full of mistletoe and candy canes. October and November have shorter days and the darkness of night creeping in earlier and earlier each day. By the time Christmas has arrived, the darkness of night sets in for many as early as 4 and 5pm.


Work generally gets busier as well, whether it is the hectic lead up to the holidays, or the face people are not as focuses, distracted by all they have to do. Year end is coming, and many company's have extra things needing to be completed as January 1st looms closer. Many of course have the stress of upcoming family festivities. Although there are a couple of days off, you know they are going to be filled with tense family moments and people you might avoid if you could. The flip side is those who must pretend, faking happy holiday cheer with the pretence,of creating a holiday, knowing there won't really be anyone around on those days off to share it with.


All of this takes it's toll, especially on our daily commutes to and from work. The way home can be especially draining. You're trying to shake off the shit from your day and have some semblance of relaxing evening. The streets, buses and subways are full. Some are laughing and loud, others thinking and quiet.


December's weather does nothing to help, it's insistence to be unpredictable creates another challenge. Chilled to the bone one day, sweating in a winter coat the next. Rain and snow, sun and dark and up and down temperatures making choosing what to wear impossible, and also really an ultimately useless exercise as just as you smartly choose that heavy coat to fight off the bone chilling morning temperatures, the weather fucks you over, but rising 12 degrees through the day, using that coat to mock you as you drag it back home.


Would there be a better ending a hard day then to join photographer Richard Rothstein along with Zoolander (Daniel) for a Christmas pyjama party on the long ride home. Although his 'nice balls' Pj bottoms and reindeer slippers might be enough to garner attention, Daniel, a personal trainer and martial arts instructor, has without question, one of the hottest chests, and most incredible backs riding down Broadway 125st Station!


With Manhattan as his studio, one of the things I love so much about Richard's work is not only seeing the city, in each of it's glorious seasons, but the people who dwell there, and their reaction to Richard shooting among them. I am not sure why every eye on that train is not planted on Daniel's incredible physique, but unless Richard directed them to for a specific image, but I am positive they were all visually re-energized enough to get up and do that same commute all over again tomorrow.