The creator of social media phenomenon Humans of New York reveals the secrets of his work in a Sydney exclusive at Sydney Opera House.

Meet the artist behind the stories

In 2010, after losing his job as a bond trader in Chicago, Brandon Stanton moved to New York with no friends, no money, and no training in photography or journalism.

As a hobby, he started taking photos – and the endlessly fascinating stream of faces and stories that make up his photo blog Humans of New York was created. Since then, Humans of New York has become an online phenomenon, amassing 7.6m Instagram followers and 18,283,246 likes on Facebook, and spawning countless imitators around the world.

Brandon will mark his first ever trip to Australia with two intimate and honest shows at Sydney Opera House. In this talk, Brandon will take you behind the scenes of his work. How did it all get started, really? Does the myth match the reality? What have been his best and worst moments? And how do you – with just a camera and an internet connection – build a wildly successful international career?