Eight Explain One in 8 Million

The New York Times' profile series One in 8 Million is based on a simple and effective concept: Talk to residents of one of the five boroughs. Get their story in their own voices. Take some pictures. Post multimedia slide show on website.

The series started in January, and profiles are posted weekly. Already there are plenty of stories to get lost in for a while.

It's hard to imagine anyone not being interested in good stories about regular people. It seems so fundamentally human to be curious about how others handle the surprises, joys, and burdens of everyday life. We compare, sympathize, and criticize. "I wouldn't have said that!" or "Good for her!" or "How does he do it day after day?"

What One in 8 Million does particularly well is the presentation of these profiles. The reactions evoked by the content are amplified by the warm and quiet quality of the interview recordings and by Todd Heisler's luscious black-and-white photography. While the stories tend to be less spectacular than the plots of Naked City, Jules Dassin's 1948 neo-realist movie and the 50's TV series of the same name that inspired One in 8 Million, the visual aesthetic is very similar: moody lighting, close-ups, amazing depth of field, and the suggestion of a strong link between the person and the place.

This week, the eight staff members who work on the series answer questions from readers. It's an informative read. I think I was most impressed with Heisler's description of the photo sessions. He tries to meet the interviewees twice and spends hours with them, taking between 400 and 1000 pictures. As is so often the case with things that look simple, much thought and work have made them so.

Steven Marmo, the Bar Fighter: Todd Heisler/NYT