17-Year-Old Stanley Kubrick's Photos From 1940s New York Reveal That He Was Always A Genius

Before Stanley Kubrick sat in the director's chair of 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 inside of him. Here we have a collection of his photos captured on the streets of New York from 1945 to 1950, when he was working in the Look magazine. It was a time when Stanley learned what makes photography work: "I think aesthetically recording spontaneous action, rather than carefully posing a picture, is the most valid and expressive use of photography." He quickly gained recognition for the ability to tell stories through photos, which eventually led him to movies and his place in the filmmakers' hall of fame. And if you're wondering how to turn your photos into a career, let Stanley himself give you an advice: "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, boredpanda)

#1 Walking The Streets Of New York, 1946

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#2 Student At Columbia University, 1948

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#3 Couple Sleeping In A Subway Car, 1940s

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#4 Girl With A Lipstick, 1940

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#5 Couple, 1940

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#6 Shoe Shine Boy, 1940

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#7 High Wire Act, 1948

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#8 Dogs In A Convertible, 1949

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#9 Self Portrait With Showgirl Rosemary Williams, 1948

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#10 People On Escalators In A Subway Station, 1940

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#11 Young Girl At Palisades Amusement Park, 1946

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#12 Couple Playing Footsies On A Subway, 1946

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#13 Laboratory At Columbia University, 1948

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#14 Girl With Dolls, 1947

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#15 Shoe Shine Boy, 1940

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#16 Circus Side Show Performer, 1948

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#17 Betsy Von Furstenberg, 1949

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#18 Shoe Shine Boys (On Fence), 1947

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#19 Students Drawing A Nude Model In An Art Class, 1948, Columbia University

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#20 Changing The Tire, 1946

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#21 Shoe Shine Boy, Portrait Of Mickey, 1947

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#22 Men Sleeping In A Subway Car, 1946

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#23 Showgirls At The Copacabana Club, 1948

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#24 Passengers In A Subway Car, 1940s

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#25 Doorman Walking Dog, 1949

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#26 Rosemary Williams At A Restaurant With Two Men

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#27 Police Athletic League Boxing, 1946

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#28 Johnny On The Spot, 1946

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#29 Women In A Subway Car, 1946

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#30 Shoe Shine Boy, 1940

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#31 Shoe Shine Boys (Vendor), 1947

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#32 Woman Waiting On A Subway Platform, 1940s

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#33 Passengers In A Subway Car, 1940s

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#34 Man Carrying Flowers On A Crowded Subway, 1946

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#35 Painter Tying Rope Around The Model's Waist, 1947

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#36 Girls, 1940

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#37 Film Crew, 1947

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#38 Passengers Reading In A Subway Car, 1946

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#39 Woman Watching Model Being Painted For The Billboard, 1947

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#40 Shoe Shine Boy, 1940

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#41 Guy Lombardo On A Dock, 1947-1948

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#42 Waiting At The Dentist’s Office

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#43 Shoe Shine Boys, 1947

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#44 Woman On The Train Platform, 1948

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#45 Men With German Shepherd On A Dock, 1949

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#46 Woman Waiting On A Subway Platform, 1946

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#47 Passengers In A Subway Car, 1946

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#48 At An Outdoor Cafe With A Woman, 1948

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#49 Man Studying In A Library, 1948, Columbia University

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#50 Johnny Grant, 1946

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#51 General Dwight D. Eisenhower At Columbia University, 1948

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#52 Passengers In A Subway Car, 1946

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

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

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#54 Couple In A Subway Car, 1940s

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#55 Girl With A Mirror, 1940

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#56 Mens Fashion Show, 1948

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#57 Woman Knitting On A Subway, 1946

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#58 Man By A Garbage Can

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#59 Circus Woman With Rollerskating Monkey, 1948

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#60 Boxer Walter Cartier, 1948

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

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

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#62 Walter Cartier Drinking A Beverage, 1948

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#63 Rocky Graziano Talking To A Policeman On A Street

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#64 Passengers In A Subway Car, 1946

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#65 Passengers In A Subway Car, 1946

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#66 Passengers In A Subway Car, 1946

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#67 Man Exiting Train, 1948

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#68 Women Walking Near The Train, 1948

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

#69 Man Carrying Flowers On A Crowded Subway, 1946

Image source: Stanley Kubrick

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

Image source: Stanley Kubrick