The goal was to take 10,000 photographs of New Yorkers and put them on a photo map. However, the project turned out to be much more than just a collection of pictures.

Brandon Stanton, the photographer for Humans of New York, started as a bond trader for the Chicago Board of Trade. But, when he lost his job, he decided to move to New York City to take photographs of New Yorkers.

Since the summer of 2010, Stanton has collected 5,000 pictures of random people on the streets of New York City.

Stanton partnered with the United Nations in August, 2014 to launch his “World Tour.” On this tour he traveled to twelve different countries and collected portraits and stories of people all over the world.

Humans of New York has evolved from just an Instagram account to being a source of positive change in New York City. With the help of the many people who follow HONY, Stanton has been able to launch numerous campaigns that have aided people affected by Hurricane Sandy, created a scholarship for students at the Motts Hall Bridge Academy, and much more.

With 13 million likes on Facebook and 3 million followers on Instagram, Humans of New York has become one of the most popular social media accounts of today. Inspired by the blog, the book version of Humans of New York is an instant #1 New York Times bestseller.

If you are unfamiliar with it, check it out at Humansofnewyork.com