BIOGRAPHY

Melissa O’Shaughnessy was born in 1960 in Minneapolis, Minnesota and studied at Georgetown University and the University of St. Thomas, graduating with a degree in journalism. She is now a photographer based in New York City. Her work has been featured in numerous international exhibitions and publications, and is also included in the book Bystander: A History of Street Photography and the recently published Women Street Photographers. 

She is a member of UP Photographers, a collective of 24 international street photographers.

Her first monograph, Perfect Strangers: New York City Street Photographs, was published by Aperture in October, 2020.

MONOGRAPH

2020: Perfect Strangers: New York City Street Photographs, by Melissa O’Shaughnessy, with an introduction by Joel Meyerowitz, Aperture

ANTHOLOGIES

2021: Women Street Photographers, edited by Gulnara Samoilova, Prestel
2017: Bystander, A History of Street Photography, by Colin Westerbeck and Joel Meyerowitz, Laurence King Publishing

MAGAZINES & ZINES

2021: PhotoLife Magazine, January Issue
2020: The Mirror, (Guest Curator), Eyeshot Magazine
2020: Post No Bills, Bump Books
2020: Flora and Fauna, Eyeshot Magazine
2019: Street Fashion, Eyeshot Magazine
2019: Street Jungle, Eyeshot Magazine

PODCASTS & PRESENTATIONS

2021: Perfect Strangers – A Conversation with Melissa O’Shaughnessy, Create. Photography Podcast, Episode #42
2021: Street Week, Los Angeles Center of Photography Presentation, YouTube
2021: Aperture Conversations: Celebrating Women of Street Photography, YouTube
2021: What Photography Means to Me, A Photographic Life Podcast
2021: Conversation with the Unexposed Collective and Women of UP, YouTube
2020: NYC-SPC Camera Work: Michelle Rick in Conversation with Melissa O’Shaughnessy, YouTube
2020: Miami Street Photography Festival, Featured Speaker
2020: The Candid Frame Podcast with Ibarionex Perello, Episode #537
2020: Aperture Conversations: Melissa O’Shaughnessy and Gus Powell, YouTube
2019: Outerfocus Podcast with Ian Weldon, Episode #51
2017: Women in Street Stories, You Tube

ARTICLES & INTERVIEWS

2021: Preservation–Review of “Perfect Strangers” by Melissa O’Shaughnessy, Frames Magazine
2021: Perfect Strangers: NYC Streets Through the Eyes of a Female Photographer, Andy Sillett Blog
2021: Melissa O’Shaughnessy Brings Together the Wonderful Diversity of NYC, The Phoblographer
2021: Finding Beauty in the Ordinary, New York Times
2021: Meet Melissa O’Shaughnessy, the photographer who captures the essence of New Yorkers, Travel Tomorrow
2021: 8 Photobooks by Contemporary Women Photographers, Aperture
2021: Revisiting the Bustling Streets of New York, Blind Magazine
2021: Perfect Strangers Book Review, Collector Daily
2021: 30 Most Influential Street Photographers to Follow in 2021, Expert Photography
2020: Melissa O’Shaughnessy’s Book “Perfect Strangers” Is a Love Letter to New York City, W Magazine
2020: Melissa O’Shaughnessy on Capturing New York City Through Street Photography, Travel+Leisure Magazine
2020: Perfect Strangers, Eyeshot Magazine
2020: The Parade of Life on the Streets of New York: Aperture
2020: Melissa O’Shaughnessy Documents the Streets of New York in Her First Book: Creative Review
2020: Perfect Strangers: NYC Street Photographs, Juxtapoz
2020: New Photography Book Perfect Strangers Reveals Life Before the Pandemic, The Daily Mail
2020: Perfect Strangers, Seen Magazine
2020: Perfect Strangers: A New Photography Book Documents the Life Before the Pandemic, Nuvo Magazine
2020: The Best New Art Books for Autumn, the Financial Times
2019: Street Photography’s New Stars, The Guardian
2019: Conversation with Blake Andrews, UP Photographers
2019: Being Present in the Here and Now, YWYW Magazine
2019: Moving on UP, streetrepeat.org
2018: 20 Female Street Photographers to Follow in 2018
2017: The Bible of Street Photography Was Just Updated for the First Time in 20 Years, Artsy
2016: Her Side of the Street, Medium