Down by the Hudson

Caleb Stein

August 20, 2019

Caleb Stein speaks about Poughkeepsie's delightful swimming hole, which became the main setting for his Down by the Hudson project.
„The initial idea for my project Down by the Hudson was to photograph my walks through Poughkeepsie, in particular along a three-mile stretch of its Main Street. I grew up in big cities and my conception of small American towns came from things like Norman Rockwell illustrations; so I wanted to see how what I saw matched up with those inherited, almost mythologized ideas of American-ness.

I realized that one of the main things I’m doing is exploring community and the interactions within it. This became particularly clear towards the end of the project, when I started working at the watering hole. While I was at University, my girlfriend - now wife - brought me to this small clearing on the outskirts of town by a drive-in movie theater. It took me almost four years to actually start photographing there. It was Edenic because many different people shared the space, let their guard down, and tried to cool off. In this tense political moment, there’s something about this watering hole that draws me in. I think I was waiting for the right mindset and the right camera for what I had in mind.

The town of Poughkeepsie is a dynamic, energetic place with its own struggles and beauties. IBM used to have its headquarters there, and so it’s a symbol of sorts for the post-industrial economic decline of many small American cities. I love Poughkeepsie. It’s where I met my wife and fell in love.“ 

See more from the series Down by the Hudson in LFI 6/2019.
Text and all images on this page: © Caleb Stein
EQUIPMENT: Leica M10 with Elmarit-M 28 f/2.8 Asph

Caleb Stein+-

Caleb Stein Headshot
© Andrea Orejarena

Born in London and grown up in New York City, the photographer studied History of Art at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie. During that time and afterwards he was an assistant to Magnum photographer Bruce Gilden in close-by Beacon. His photographic eye focusses on social interactions within communities. In 2018, Stein’s Down by the Hudson earned him the coveted Gomma Grant in the Best Black and White Documentary category. More

1/7
1/7

Down by the Hudson

Caleb Stein