Steve Sweatpants
Brooklyn-born and Queens-raised, Steven John Irby, also known as Steve Sweatpants, is a photographer, creative director, and co-founder of Street Dreams Magazine. For over a decade, he has built Street Dreams into a global creative community, recently expanding with Street Dreams Tokyo. Steve’s work is deeply rooted in the raw authenticity of city life, with a profound love for black-and-white photography that honors family connections and amplifies underrepresented perspectives. Influenced by legendary photographers such as Gordon Parks, Ricky Powell, Jamel Shabazz, and Joseph Rodriguez, his imagery captures timeless moments that resonate both personally and culturally. A Sony artist for eight years, Steve contributed his talents to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Part 2 and has work in the permanent collection at the Museum of the City of New York. In his TED Talk on street photography, he explores its power to foster empathy, connection, and storytelling—reminding others to pursue their passions and cherish the bonds that shape them.
A forward-looking celebration of New York street photography in 2026, exploring how today's creators are documenting the city differently while honoring its cultural memory. The conversation covers the influence of 90s film aesthetics, street photography as a cultural archive, building a recognizable voice, and translating personal work into sustainable opportunities.
Sony photographer and Street Dreams Magazine co-founder Steve Sweatpants makes a passionate case for monochrome in a color-saturated world. Drawing on his film roots and signature editing style, Steven walks participants through his approach to light, contrast, and visual storytelling in black and white.
Steve leads participants through Minneapolis using his documentary and street photography approach in real time, covering how to find moments, build confidence in public spaces, and develop a personal eye.
Based on his TED Talk, Steven explores why committing to your creative individuality is the most powerful tool a photographer has right now. A timely conversation about defiance, specificity, and refusing to let platforms dictate your artistic identity.
Steven traces his journey from shooting the streets of New York to co-founding Street Dreams Magazine and running a gallery in Tokyo, exploring how a communal and validating approach to photography opened doors he never expected. A candid look at what it takes to turn a passion into a body of work that travels.
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