a brand new minneapolis no. 44, warehouse district on Flickr.
January 22, 2013
January 7, 2013
a brand new minneapolis no. 41, downtown on Flickr.
November 23, 2012
a brand new minneapolis no. 35, University of Minnesota on Flickr.
The first thing I noticed about this guy was his hair—-it’s awesome. The second thing was his unnatural calm; when I asked to take his picture, he gave me a gentle yes, posed for a few seconds, smiled, and went on his way. I found this admirable, especially since many students on campus seem so harried.
A side note: this is the first time I ventured over to the East Bank of the University of Minnesota, which primarily houses the undergraduate schools and is a lot busier than the West Bank, where I spend most of my time. This guy was an exception, but I find that many East Bankers don’t really connect with what I’m trying to accomplish with this project. For the sheer number of people milling about, there just aren’t many of what I would consider interesting subjects to be found (that is, unless you find 19 year olds wearing sweatpants and Uggs interesting). Most people are in their own bubble, chatting with their cliques, talking on the phone, or wearing the ubiquitous white ear buds. Its as if you’re asking them to do something weird—-donning a Santa suit and dancing the Macarena-weird—-when you ask to take their picture. For shooting stranger portraits, I’ve developed the following mentality: on the outside, you ask very nicely and are understanding if the potential subject says no. I mean, it’s definitely their right to do so. But depending on the attitude they give you (thinking of the, “Helllll noooo” I got a few days ago from someone), you have to imagine yourself as Richard Avedon; you’re doing them a favor by taking their portrait, not the other way around. It’s not really true for me, I’m not some great artist, but for the times when you face a rather rude rejection, it’s the kind of mindset you really need to have in order to keep asking strangers. Chances are, the next 10 people you ask will be really nice and give you a great image. A thick skin, a friendly smile, some fake attitude, and persistence are essential ingredients of a street portraitist.
November 22, 2012
a brand new minneapolis no. 34, uptown on Flickr.
After a 6 month break, I decided that it was time once again to go out and shoot some strangers! This gentleman was sitting on a bench in the Uptown part of Minneapolis late in the afternoon. The sunlight was peeking over the building in front of him and scattering about the many nearby windows. His grizzled face did the rest. I’m really happy with this re-entry into stranger street portraiture!
November 14, 2012
a brand new minneapolis no. 6 (nicollet mall) on Flickr.
Stay tuned for the return of A Brand New Minneapolis street portrait project, coming soon! (I’m out shooting for it now!)
May 7, 2012
a brand new minneapolis no. 29 (franklin & hiawatha) on Flickr.
Mamiya 645 1000s | Mamiya Sekor-C 80mm f/1.9 (shot at f/5.6) | Fuji Acros 100 | Rodinal (1:50)
The intersection of Franklin and Hiawatha is not one of the nicer parts of Minneapolis. There are quite a few homeless people who congregate under the bridge there, crime is pretty bad, and there are a lot of pawn shops. In short, it’s not a place my mother would likely approve of me venturing. But, like anywhere in the city, there a plenty of nice people to be found, probably 99% of the people milling about are just going about their daily business. The other 1%? Well, it’s probably the guy who told me in no uncertain terms never to take his picture as he semi-cornered me under an overpass. Ah well, such is life. The 1% is always out there to get you ;o) Not much to say about this particular portrait. This woman had just gotten off of the bus and was on her way somewhere, but was nice enough to agree to have her picture taken. She had fancy shades!
This picture is the twenty-ninth in my 100 strangers project, to learn more and see the rest of A Brand New Minneapolis, click here.
Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
April 28, 2012
a brand new minneapolis no. 28 (cedar-riverside) on Flickr.
Mamiya 645 1000s | Mamiya Sekor-C 80mm f/1.9 (shot at f/5.6) | Fuji Acros 100 | Rodinal (1:50)
This is Molly. I met her walking around Cedar-Riverside, pretty close to where I met Ali, also know as no. 27. It’s a really vibrant neighborhood, with a large Somali population, but also a lot of blue collar bars and music establishments (400 Bar, Palmers, Triple Rock), art centers (Cedar Cultural Center), and the University of Minnesota. The food is also really good in that area (Acadia, Chai’s Thai, the Wienery). Anyway, Molly caught my eye as an interesting person (I think I liked her scarf) and after a little convincing, she agreed to this nice portrait. Thanks Molly!
This picture is the twenty-eighth in my 100 strangers project, to learn more and see the rest of A Brand New Minneapolis, click here.
Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
April 23, 2012
a brand new minneapolis no. 27 (cedar-riverside) on Flickr.
Mamiya 645 1000s | Mamiya Sekor-C 80mm f/1.9 (shot at f/5.6) | Fuji Acros 100 | Rodinal (1:50)
This is Ali. He lives in New Orleans and was enjoying the sunshine outside of a cafe in Minneapolis during a recent trip to visit his family. A really nice guy.
Technical notes: I’ll try to keep this short. I am stopping down a bit (from 2.8 to 4.0 or 5.6) in order to increase the sharpness/in-focus depth of my close-up portraits. I do have a very fast medium format lens (f/1.9), which is great for giving me a bright viewfinder and options during low-light, but it’s just so dang hard to focus close in its range (3-6 feet). Stopping down a bit gives me a better chance of getting the shot (I am using film and thus can’t chimp my lcd screen) without wasting a lot of film (again, using film, I only have 15 shots per roll, which I try to ration out to a max. of 3 per stranger; I’ve been having a bit of a sticky shutter, so it helps to have 1 or 2 extras in case the shutter sticks and there’s a line running across that shot). Some may give me guff about not using my lens to the “best” of its capabilities, but I don’t really care what they think ;o)
This picture is the twenty-seventh in my 100 strangers project, to learn more and see the rest of A Brand New Minneapolis, click here.
Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
April 22, 2012
a brand new minneapolis no. 26 (west bank) on Flickr.
Mamiya 645 1000s | Mamiya Sekor-C 80mm f/1.9 (shot at f/5.6) | Fuji Acros 100 | Rodinal (1:50)
This is Sophie. I met her as she was walking to class on the West Bank of the University of Minnesota campus. I stopped her to explain my project and she was totally game to stop for a portrait. Well, she was a bit concerned about what she was wearing (“Of all days!” she exclaimed, motioning towards her casual attire). I tend to get that a lot, especially from the women I photograph. I understand why, but often, what draws me to my subjects isn’t what they’re wearing, but rather something interesting about their face or just their general vibe. I’m not the Sartorialist after all! (Minneapolis, for all of its charms, is not the most fashionable city; that is, unless you count hipster as high fashion…). So 90% of my job is to persuade people that I talk to that their appearance is fine just the way it is and that all I’m looking for is a nice, relaxed expression. I’m glad I got through to Sophie.
This picture is the twenty-sixth in my 100 strangers project, to learn more and see the rest of A Brand New Minneapolis, click here.
Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
April 20, 2012
a brand new minneapolis no. 25 (franklin & hiawatha) on Flickr.
Mamiya 645 1000s | Mamiya Sekor-C 80mm f/1.9 (shot at f/2.8) | Fuji Acros 100 | Rodinal (1:50)
This is the first of a “fresh” batch of portraits of strangers I’ve taken, the first roll I’ve shot (for this project) in a few months. February in Minnesota is much different than April, although we can (and do) get snow in each month. This is Tim. I met him under an overpass. He asked me for ten cents, but I didn’t have any on me. I apologized and, in some sort of conciliatory gesture perhaps, he mentioned that he had been to Japan. I assume he thought I was Japanese. Turns out he was in the armed services in the early 90s and had a chance to cross the Pacific and visit Japan during that time. My policy on shooting the homeless (with a camera, of course) isn’t a firm “no,” but I definitely don’t want to take advantage of them. I asked Tim if he would mind if I took his picture and he didn’t seem to mind. We chatted for a bit and parted ways. Maybe the most important thing that stays the same in Minneapolis in Winter and Minneapolis in Spring is that people still have to live outside…
This picture is the twenty-fifth in my 100 strangers project, to learn more and see the rest of A Brand New Minneapolis, click here.
Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
April 19, 2012
a brand new minneapolis no. 24 (nicollet mall) on Flickr.
Mamiya 645 1000s | Mamiya Sekor-C 80mm f/1.9 (shot at f/2.8) | Fuji Pro 160c
This photograph was actually taken a few months ago and is the last in my built-up, long-neglected queue of A Brand New Minneapolis stranger portraits. I went out today and shot a few strangers and it felt good! It’s especially nicer now that it’s in the 60s and not in the 20s, as it was when this particular photo was taken. I don’t remember exactly where this was, but the doorman was more than willing to take part in my project and I was rewarded with a big smile!
This picture is the twenty-fourth in my 100 strangers project, to learn more and see the rest of A Brand New Minneapolis, click here.
Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
April 18, 2012
a brand new minneapolis no. 23 (nicollet mall) on Flickr.
I’m slowly running down the 100 strangers queue I’ve had building up in Lightroom for some time now. This photograph was actually taken a few weeks ago, so I’ve forgotten much of the backstory involved. I’m not sure there was much anyway. I do like the fine detail in his skin and leather jacket though, gotta love medium format film! The other good news is that because I’m running out of characters, I need to go back out into the streets and shoot some more. I’ll try to get away from Nicollet Mall for the next batch. It’s just so easy to find interesting people there. Also, for the people who dislike my color shots (not that it really matters what you think about my choice of film), never fear, for I will be shooting black and white almost certainly for the next roll since I have quite the stockpile leftover from my trip to the Sand Dunes. That’s kind of the thing that bothers me about some commenters—-they comment on utterly subjective things like whether I shoot in color or black and white! I really do appreciate insightful comments about the technical aspects of my portraits, e.g., what is in- and out-of-focus, the composition, the lighting, but I can’t stand thoughtless, inane banter such as, “I don’t like your color portraits.” Well, sorry, they (my color portraits, that is) don’t like you!
This picture is the twenty-third in my 100 strangers project, to learn more and see the rest of A Brand New Minneapolis, click here.
Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
April 18, 2012
a brand new minneapolis no. 22 (9th & lasalle) on Flickr.
Mamiya 645 1000s | Mamiya Sekor-C 80mm f/1.9 (shot at f/2.8) | Fuji Pro 160c
I really like this woman’s hat and I think it shows up great in color. She didn’t speak much English, but pantomiming with a camera is pretty universal. She was very friendly once she realized what I was hoping to do!
This picture is the twenty-second in my 100 strangers project, to learn more and see the rest of A Brand New Minneapolis, click here.
Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
April 18, 2012
a brand new minneapolis no. 21 (nicollet mall) on Flickr.
Mamiya 645 1000s | Mamiya Sekor-C 80mm f/1.9 (shot at f/2.8) | Fuji Pro 160c
Another unintentional selfie here, sorry! I was waiting to cross the street when I saw this gentleman about to cross on the other side. I was immediately drawn to the reflective glasses and the large dark hood framing his imposing face. So, I walked in place or something similarly awkward until he reached my side after the light turned. I asked for his photo and he obliged. Sometimes the scary looking people are the nicest!
I do plan on getting out of downtown and exploring some more neighborhoods soon, but I have a few more downtown-themed portraits in the queue, so thank you for bearing with me. So much city to see, only 79 more strangers to go! I’ll be away for a few days, taking a trip to Great Sand Dunes National Park with the girlfriend. Can’t wait. There will be some sand-inspired shots to come in my photostream, I do predict….
This picture is the twenty-first in my 100 strangers project, to learn more and see the rest of A Brand New Minneapolis, click here.
Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
March 27, 2012
a brand new minneapolis no. 20 (nicollet mall) on Flickr.
Mamiya 645 1000s | Mamiya Sekor-C 80mm f/1.9 (shot at f/2.8) | Fuji Pro 160c
Meet Tomahawk. I saw her step off the bus and knew I had to ask for her photo, her style was just so unique! She was really fun and easygoing too. She told me that she just started a tumblr page, so I hope she finds me! Oh, and isn’t color film great? Seeing color in medium format was kind of like when the Wizard of Oz switched over for me! I plan to do mostly black and white, but for some people (like Tomahawk), only color would do them justice. More to come, thanks for looking!
You can find a full view of her outfit here, Sartorialist-style!
This picture is the twentieth in my 100 strangers project, to learn more and see the rest of A Brand New Minneapolis, click here.
Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
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