From MA Parks to NYC Streets – New Photo Book Emerges from New Career

New York City’s glittering landmarks—Times Square, Broadway, Fifth Avenue—have been photographed endlessly. Yet for artist Xiomaro, the true essence of the city lives in its unguarded moments. After surviving cancer, he left behind a successful law career. His turn toward photography of National Parks—including four in Massachusetts—led to his upcoming book, Street Photography of New York City: Street Haunting in the Big Apple (America Through Time, an imprint of Sutton Publishing), which transforms the familiar streets of Manhattan into a vivid study of humanity’s resilience, humor, and mystery.

A Fresh Look

Featuring 160 color and black-and-white images, the collection captures a side of New York that tourists and even residents seldom see. Candid and unstaged, Xiomaro’s photographs reveal fleeting gestures, unexpected juxtapositions, and the poetry within everyday encounters. “New York City’s Broadway, Rockefeller Center, and Times Square are among the icons drawing visitors from around the world,” says the artist. “But for me, the real attraction is the evocative mash-up of people who live, work, and play within its gritty streets.”

From National Parks to City Streets

Known for his fine art photography commissioned by the National Park Service, Xiomaro has documented Boston Harbor Islands, Frederick Law Olmsted's Brookline home, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's home in Cambridge, and the New England Trail. His work has been exhibited at Harvard University, Fruitlands Museum (a Smithsonian Affiliate) and galleries across the U.S., Europe, and China. The Boston Globe described his work as providing audiences with a "sense of walking through the parks to explore their cultural, historical and natural wonders" while a PBS episode referred to him as “a historian through the lens.”

From Cancer to Creativity

After overcoming prostate cancer in 2005, Xiomaro transitioned out of a career as an entertainment lawyer representing recording artists. During his recovery, he found peace in the solitude of wandering with a camera. Experimenting with photography eventually led to commissions from the National Park Service. In between commissions, he honed his skills by photographing his encounters in Manhattan, images that now comprise his new book. The reinvention from attorney to artist was commemorated by adopting his pseudonym—“Xiomaro” (pronounced “SEE-oh-MAH-ro”)—which literally means “ready for battle.”

Future History, Future Life

Street Photography of New York City marks Xiomaro’s latest book following Weir Farm National Historic Site (Arcadia Publishing, 2019). His new volume is part of the publisher’s Photographer’s America series and is available on Amazon and in dozens of other sites and bookstores throughout the world.

“Think of it as a photographic time capsule,” Xiomaro explains. “These images document our times as future history—capturing the humanity, energy, and hidden beauty that define urban life today. And, like me, cancer survivors can tap into those same attributes within themselves to create their own future history.” Information about the artist is available at www.xiomaro.com.