From Time: Dina Litovsky says she knew 'right away' what her next project would be when she stepped out into the night scene of New York’s Meatpacking District in 2012. 'I saw all the themes laid out in front of me on the cobblestone, beautifully lit by colorful spotlights,' the Ukrainian-born, New York-based photographer tells TIME.

She photographed the scene for three summers in 2012, 2014 and 2015, observing the rituals of female self-presentation—and male observers— in the area popular for its nightlife. Careful not to alter the scenes unfolding before her, Litovsky said she chose to shoot the project with ambient light, turning away from the flash that is present in many of her other projects. She found that the club-goers largely did not mind her camera, with the larger problem being those so interested in the attention they would try to pose for her photographs. Litovsky, who studied psychology, says she was interested in the relationship between 'exhibitionism and voyeurism.'

'Recording the scene up close with my camera gave it another layer of voyeurism, looking at both the observers and the observed.'

The Manhattan neighborhood is ubiquitous with exclusive clubs, bustling nightlife and swaths of couture-clad partiers..." (For the full story and more photos, click here)

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