Before Stanley Kubrick directed arguably some of the best movies ever made like "2001: Space Odyssey" or "The Shining," he was a simple teenager in New York looking for a job. But even then, when the 17-year-old got his hands on a photo camera, he couldn't hide the talent within.

Bored Panda has gathered a collection of his photos of New York from 1945 to 1950, when he was working in the Look magazine. During that time Stanley got many insights into what makes a photograph work: "I think aesthetically recording spontaneous action, rather than carefully posing a picture, is the most valid and expressive use of photography."

He quickly made a name for himself by telling stories through photos, which eventually led him to moving pictures and his place in the filmmakers' hall of fame.

Oh, and if you're into street photography as well, let Stanley himself give you a tip: "Think up ideas for stories, go out and shoot them, and then send them into the magazines. I was lucky; I figured that out when I was young."

(h/t: vintage everyday)

#1

Walking The Streets Of New York, 1946

Woman in a polka-dot dress walking down a 1940s New York street, captured by Stanley Kubrick.

Stanley Kubrick Report

Add photo comments
POST
RELATED:
    #2

    Student At Columbia University, 1948

    Young woman carrying books down stairs in 1940s New York, photographed by Stanley Kubrick.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #3

    Girl With A Lipstick, 1940

    1940s New York photo by Stanley Kubrick, shows person leaning against wall with "I HATE LOVE!" written on it.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #4

    Couple Sleeping In A Subway Car, 1940s

    Couple embracing on a 1940s New York subway, photographed by 17-year-old Stanley Kubrick.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #5

    Couple, 1940

    Young couple on a 1940s New York fire escape, captured in iconic photography style.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #6

    High Wire Act, 1948

    1940s New York photo by young Stanley Kubrick, capturing a tightrope cyclist and a man in a suit gesturing to the crowd.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #7

    Shoe Shine Boy, 1940

    Young boy shines shoes on a New York street in the 1940s, captured by Stanley Kubrick.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #8

    Dogs In A Convertible, 1949

    1940s New York street scene with dogs on a car, showcasing young Stanley Kubrick's photographic genius.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #9

    People On Escalators In A Subway Station, 1940

    1940s New York subway scene, blurred man in foreground, people on escalator, photographed by young Stanley Kubrick.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #10

    Young Girl At Palisades Amusement Park, 1946

    Child looking at a roller coaster in 1940s New York, photographed by young Stanley Kubrick.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #11

    Laboratory At Columbia University, 1948

    Man wearing round sunglasses, working with a neon light in a 1940s lab; early work showcasing Stanley Kubrick's genius.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #12

    Couple Playing Footsies On A Subway, 1946

    1940s New York subway scene, focusing on passengers' feet and legs, captured by a young Stanley Kubrick.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #13

    Shoe Shine Boy, 1940

    Young boy standing on sidewalk step in 1940s New York, showcasing Stanley Kubrick's early photographic genius.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #14

    Girl With Dolls, 1947

    Young girl holding a doll in front of a display of dolls, photographed in 1940s New York by Stanley Kubrick.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #15

    Shoe Shine Boys (On Fence), 1947

    Boy climbing a wire fence in 1940s New York, captured by 17-year-old Stanley Kubrick.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #16

    Changing The Tire, 1946

    Man in 1940s New York crouching to fix a car tire, photographed by teenage Stanley Kubrick.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #17

    Shoe Shine Boy, Portrait Of Mickey, 1947

    Young boy in deep thought, photographed in 1940s New York by 17-year-old Stanley Kubrick, showcasing early genius.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #18

    Men Sleeping In A Subway Car, 1946

    1940s New York subway scene by Stanley Kubrick, showing two men asleep on opposite benches.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #19

    Police Athletic League Boxing, 1946

    1940s New York boxing scene captured by teenage Stanley Kubrick, showcasing his early genius in photography.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #20

    Passengers In A Subway Car, 1940s

    1940s New York subway scene captured by young Stanley Kubrick, featuring diverse commuters in a bustling train car.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #21

    Johnny On The Spot, 1946

    Man climbing building, 1940s New York street below, showcasing young Stanley Kubrick's genius in photography.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #22

    Rosemary Williams At A Restaurant With Two Men

    1940s New York cafe scene, three people in conversation, showcasing young Stanley Kubrick's photography skills.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #23

    Doorman Walking Dog, 1949

    1940s New York street scene with a man walking a dog, vintage cars parked along the road.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #24

    Shoe Shine Boy, 1940

    Teen boy in 1940s New York, captured by Stanley Kubrick, leaning on a gate with a shoe-shine box.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #25

    Women In A Subway Car, 1946

    People on a 1940s New York subway captured in a candid photo by young Stanley Kubrick.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #26

    Shoe Shine Boys (Vendor), 1947

    1940s New York street scene with boys eating at a hot dog stand, showcasing Kubrick's early photographic talent.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #27

    Girls, 1940

    1940s New York street scene by young Stanley Kubrick, showcasing people walking past Horn & Hardart Automat.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #28

    Passengers In A Subway Car, 1940s

    People in 1940s New York subway, captured by young Stanley Kubrick, showcasing a candid moment of daily life.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #29

    Man Carrying Flowers On A Crowded Subway, 1946

    New York 1940s subway scene, a young girl surrounded by commuters, captured in a photo by Stanley Kubrick.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #30

    Passengers Reading In A Subway Car, 1946

    People in 1940s New York subway, reading newspapers, showcasing Stanley Kubrick's early photography genius.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #31

    Waiting At The Dentist’s Office

    Young man in 1940s New York, seated in a room. Iconic photo showcasing early talent.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #32

    Painter Tying Rope Around The Model's Waist, 1947

    Group of three 1940s individuals on a New York rooftop, showcasing Stanley Kubrick's early photography genius.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #33

    Shoe Shine Boy, 1940

    17-year-old's photo of 1940s New York, capturing a boy on a street through a laundromat door.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #34

    Film Crew, 1947

    Black and white photo of a 1940s New York city scene with film crew working on a truck, capturing urban life.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #35

    Guy Lombardo On A Dock, 1947-1948

    1940s New York waterfront scene by 17-year-old Stanley Kubrick, featuring a man leaning on a post by the water.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #36

    Woman Watching Model Being Painted For The Billboard, 1947

    Women chatting on a busy New York street in the 1940s, photographed by young Stanley Kubrick.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #37

    Woman Waiting On A Subway Platform, 1940s

    1940s New York subway scene captured by teenage Stanley Kubrick, showing people in motion and a woman smiling.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #38

    Shoe Shine Boys, 1947

    Two boys walk in 1940s New York, captured in a black and white photo by young Stanley Kubrick.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #39

    Man Studying In A Library, 1948, Columbia University

    Young man in a suit and glasses, writing in a book at a library in 1940s New York.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #40

    Woman On The Train Platform, 1948

    1940s New York train scene with a woman in a wheelchair talking to a conductor. Photo by young Stanley Kubrick.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #41

    Men With German Shepherd On A Dock, 1949

    Black and white photo of two men and a dog on a New York dock, taken by 17-year-old Stanley Kubrick in the 1940s.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #42

    Woman Waiting On A Subway Platform, 1946

    1940s New York subway station, lone figure holding a newspaper, captured by Stanley Kubrick.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #43

    At An Outdoor Cafe With A Woman, 1948

    A 1940s New York cafe scene captured by Stanley Kubrick, with a woman sipping a drink and a man reading a menu.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #44

    General Dwight D. Eisenhower At Columbia University, 1948

    A man in a suit and hat smiling, holding a newspaper, captured by Stanley Kubrick in 1940s New York.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #45

    Passengers In A Subway Car, 1946

    1940s New York subway scene captured by Stanley Kubrick, showcasing passengers in elegant attire.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #46

    Passengers In A Subway Car, 1946

    People on a 1940s New York subway, one reading a newspaper, depicting early Stanley Kubrick’s photography.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #47

    Girl With A Mirror, 1940

    Young woman applying makeup outdoors, captured in 1940s New York by 17-year-old photographer Stanley Kubrick.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #48

    Audience Waiting In Line To Get Into A Recording Of "grand Slam"

    Crowd in 1940s New York captured by 17-year-old Stanley Kubrick, showcasing urban life and vintage cars.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #49

    Mens Fashion Show, 1948

    1940s New York photo by Stanley Kubrick showing a man in a coat descending plane stairs, with United Air Lines branding.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #50

    Woman Knitting On A Subway, 1946

    1940s New York subway scene, photographed by Stanley Kubrick, captures a woman in a coat knitting next to two men.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #51

    Couple In A Subway Car, 1940s

    Couple embracing on a 1940s New York train, captured by 17-year-old Stanley Kubrick.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #52

    Man By A Garbage Can

    Young man in 1940s New York stands by a rubbish bin, part of Stanley Kubrick's early photography collection.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #53

    Boxer Walter Cartier, 1948

    Boxer in a corner with trainer, captured by Stanley Kubrick in 1940s New York, showcasing his early genius in photography.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #54

    Man Exiting Train, 1948

    Woman greeting man on a train platform in 1940s New York, showcasing Stanley Kubrick's photography.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #55

    Rocky Graziano Talking To A Policeman On A Street

    1940s New York scene captured by Stanley Kubrick, showing a policeman and two men by a parking meter.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #56

    Passengers In A Subway Car, 1946

    1940s New York subway scene captured by young Stanley Kubrick, passengers reading newspapers.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #57

    People Browsing Through Magazine Racks At A Busy Sidewalk Newsstand, 1947

    Newsstand in 1940s New York City, showcasing Stanley Kubrick's early photography genius.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #58

    Walter Cartier Drinking A Beverage, 1948

    1940s New York scene, young man drinking, captured by Stanley Kubrick, showcasing early photographic genius.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #59

    Passengers In A Subway Car, 1946

    1940s New York subway scene captured by Stanley Kubrick, featuring a woman standing and two men seated.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #60

    Rocky Graziano With Two Men By A Sign For The Middleweight Championship Fight Between Tony Zale And Marcel Cerdan

    Three men in suits conversing in a 1940s New York boxing gym, with posters on the wall, photographed by Stanley Kubrick.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #61

    Women Walking Near The Train, 1948

    1940s New York photo by Stanley Kubrick, showing a woman in a fur coat, holding a package and newspaper at a train station.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #62

    Passengers In A Subway Car, 1946

    Vintage 1940s New York subway scene captured in Stanley Kubrick's black-and-white photography.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #63

    Man Carrying Flowers On A Crowded Subway, 1946

    Crowded 1940s New York subway scene captured by young Stanley Kubrick, featuring a man with flowers.

    Stanley Kubrick Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    See Also on Bored Panda