“Of all the neighborhoods I’ve lived in since I moved to New York City in 1997, none have affected me like Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. I felt it immediately. Before the moving truck even left the curb I’d made a portrait. That year, in 2015, I started making street portraits of people in Bed-Stuy with my Rolleiflex film camera. At that time, I had no idea how extensive the series would become, or that I would have the opportunity to share it with people in the form of this beautiful book. Although all of my photography projects derive from a personal endearment, these photographs, set in the streets I call home, feel even more so,” – Amy Touchette.

“Amy Touchette’s loving portraits remind us that Brooklyn is still a multi-generational neo-African village in places, and optically Thriving While Black with transparent soul power.” —Greg Tate, Writer and musician.

“Amy Touchette has the rarest of gifts, she adores people and photography as much as life itself. People trust her because she is a bright, charming, gentle soul who is as timid as she is brave. Her eye doesn’t judge, but while understanding our similarities, she celebrates our differences. Her images may seem as straightforward as she is, but they explore relationships that are fraught with imperfections. Looking at her pictures you will find all the joys and pain of the cards we are dealt.” —Amy Arbus, Photographer.

“Amy Touchette represents the new generation of documentary photographers who are contributing to preserving a very important history and culture in this 21st century. Arming herself with a camera and a compassionate heart, she photographed ordinary people in her Bedford-Stuyvesant community, creating intimate portraits of personal ties, kinship, and individuality that are now frozen moments in time.” —Jamel Shabazz, Photographer.

For more info about the book, please go to the direct link.