When I went down to Zuccotti Park for the first time, to cover the “Occupy Wall Street” movement, I noticed something: I missed the point in time where we all turned into reporters. Bizarre scenes played out in front of me – tourists with their camera phones standing in the middle of the street like Zombies, and middle aged women climbing on top of mailboxes in order to get the perfect shot.

I decided to work on the other side this time and face questions from fellow photographers like: “What are you – taking pictures of people taking pictures?” Yes indeed. And I think the result shows a new side of the whole idea behind the movement and explains slogans like #OWS or @occupy.

I wanted to document that unrecognized yet omnipresent aspect of this political movement and hopefully spark some controversy among supporters and opponents. Here is a short artist statement to accompany the essay:

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“The Occupy Wall Street movement will be the most documented public event in the history of mankind. It has been covered from every side, angle, Canon and camera phone. From hipster to hillbilly, there are as many photographers as there are protesters. Society’s need to make their personal lives public has come to the edge of a parody. Most don’t need to know or care what the ’cause’ is as long as they can ‘tweet’ they were there. ‘Let’s go see the circus!’. If you can’t figure it out, at least you can take a picture home with you.”

About Reto:

“I’m a young Swiss photographer based in New York City. I switched from filmmaking to photography a few years ago. My father tried to connect me with his photography-passion for the time of my entire youth. When I was very young, after he explained me those f-stops and shutter speeds I replied: “That’s fucking stupid. Why can I not just shoot it as I see it?” I try to stay true to this saying by keeping my work pure, authentic and simple yet sophisticated.

I consider myself new to photography and the freshness that it seems to keep (after years), amazes me and fills me with passion and magic each time I press the shutter. There is so so much to it that sometimes the saying about the thousand words gets true. This said, please enjoy my photographs.”