New York City photographer showcases the rare stillness of Times Square in new book

Bob Krasner shooting in Times Square, 2023.

Photo by Daniel Root

A New York City photographer is showcasing the beauty that you find between the flashing lights of Times Square in a new limited edition photography book.

Bob Krasner has been shooting and creating minimalist graphics of the city for the past seven years. In the summer of 2022, he was in Times Square when he noticed that occasionally the major entertainment hub had moments of stillness and quiet.

“Sometimes full billboards, every once in a while, the billboards will just go blank like for a second or two and while they switch to the next ad, they have a blank screen and then all of a sudden it fills in with imagery,” said Krasner. “I started shooting them and I really liked it.  It’s such a different takeaway from Times Square than you’re used to seeing.”

Ever since, Krasner has returned to Times Square to shoot more of these images. Unlike many New Yorkers who may avoid the area because of the crowds and tourists, Krasner dives in head-first, relishing the opportunity to be there.

“You’re used to seeing thousands of people and billboards screaming at you from everywhere. People when they shoot Times Square, they tend to shoot the abundance of everything rather than just finding these kind of quiet abstract moments,” said Krasner. “I know most people who live in New York will go out of their way to walk around Times Square. I’ll go out of my way to walk right through it if I’m not taking pictures because the constant faces coming at you and they’re from everywhere, it’s like middle America and Europe — it’s just constant.”

After posting several of his photos of Times Square, Krasner got in touch with Akeem Duncan, who runs Quiet Lunch, a New York City-based publication that highlights and promotes the arts. Quiet Lunch had produced a book for a friend of Krasner’s in the past, and felt like the perfect medium.

The result was “The Archive № 7,” which…