A photography project titled “Time is Money” by New York-based Yuri Yurenev, recently featured in Harper’s Magazine.

The photographer asked different people how long it takes them to earn one dollar, then photographed them at work using a shutter speed set to that exact duration. The result is that the camera setting becomes part of the concept itself.

A house cleaner takes 120 seconds to earn one dollar, so the exposure is set to 120 seconds, and the person almost disappears from the image because the shutter stays open so long. A shoe cleaner needs 60 seconds, so the exposure is 60 seconds.

A very nice way to connect the idea directly to the mechanics of photography.

[1] House Cleaner, 120 Seconds
[2] Sex Worker, 3.6 Seconds
[3] Resident Doctor, 95 Seconds
[4] City Council Woman, 100 Seconds
[5] Dry Cleaner, 60 Seconds
[6] Notary Public, 244 Seconds
[7] Shoe Shiner, 60 Seconds
[8] Butcher, 144 Seconds