It seems apt that in a year of so much turmoil, angst and chaotic worry that we would end 2020 on a street corner in Bronx, NYC. Much of Radio Juxtapoz' year took an interesting turn in NYC in March, as suddenly a pandemic had taken hold of the city while co-hosts Doug Gillen and Evan Pricco were producing podcasts for Armory Week. For what the world has gone through, and for what NYC endured in those early months, to be here talking to Steven Sweatpants as he was finishing up a photoshoot with the NY Knicks felt like we came to an incredible full circle odyssey.

Steven "Sweatpants" Irby had one of those years that you talk about decades later. Already one of the editors of the wildly popular Street Dreams mag, he, like most of us, thought his 2020 would be on permanent pause. A few shoots, maybe, but nothing like what we saw this summer across America. With the George Floyd murder sparking protests in almost every city, Steven was assigned by the New Yorker to capture images of protests on the streets of his hometown of NYC, delving in as both a photojournalist, an activist and a man himself. His incredible photos were of someone embedded but with an eagle eye, participating himself but also capturing the mood of Black America and also of a unity that became the calling of many for the rest of this year. His work continued with the Washington Post, New York Magazine, and we at Juxtapoz featured him as both an artist and documentarian in our Winter 2021 issue.

In this candid talk, Steven talks about his start in photography, his family and deep roots in NYC, how to be present and active during a protest, his particular camera toolkit, exuding confidence and the moment he knew he captured one of the great photos of 2020.

The Radio Juxtapoz podcast is hosted by FIFTH WALL TV's Doug Gillen and Juxtapoz editor, Evan Pricco. Episode 061 was recorded via Skype from NYC, San Francisco, London, December 11, 2020.