A Brand New Minneapolis

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 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!)

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. 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 19, 2012

a brand new minneapolis no. 16 (nicollet mall) on Flickr.

Mamiya 645 1000s | Mamiya Sekor-C 80mm f/1.9 (shot at f/2.8) | Ilford HP5+ | Rodinal (1:50)

I get asked where I’m from sometimes. I usually say something snarky like Bloomington (a suburb of Minneapolis) if I think the person is asking for the wrong reasons. Like a checkout person at Target a few years back who swore that he could tell what country an Asian person was from just by looking at them and then proceeded to guess wrong a half dozen times. But often times, other people are just curious, especially if they too came from another country. This gentleman fell into that category and asked where I was from as I approached him. Turns out, he was from Mongolia! I wonder how he ended up in Minneapolis. I’m sure there’s a interesting story there and I wish I had more time to ask him to tell it to me!

This picture is the sixteenth 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 6, 2012

a brand new minneapolis no. 13 (franklin & 27th) on Flickr.

Mamiya 645 1000s | Mamiya Sekor-C 80mm f/1.9 (shot at f/4) | Ilford HP5+ | Ilfotec DD-X

This portrait is a little different than the rest thus far in A Brand New Minneapolis, but I really wanted to get the Jim’s Barber Shop storefront in the shot. In keeping with the stranger tradition, I had never met Jim, but always walked by his modest barber shop and wondered about this charming little shop. I really enjoy the quiet professionalism of the Midwestern barber, he definitely knows his craft and his little station is equipped with the essentials and nothing more. A true craftsman. I popped in as Jim was sweeping the floor after a customer, explained my project, and asked him to pose in the window as I shot from the outside. He kindly obliged and I got the shot. If my hair weren’t so damn short, I’d definitely be a regular at Jim’s Barber Shop. Another hidden charm of Minneapolis.

This picture is the thirteenth 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 6, 2012

a brand new minneapolis no. 12 (franklin & 28th) on Flickr.

Mamiya 645 1000s | Mamiya Sekor-C 80mm f/1.9 (shot at f/2.8) | Ilford HP5+ | Ilfotec DD-X

I really needed to get out and shoot some strangers last week, so I loaded some Ilford HP5+ (becoming my go-to film) and walked around the Seward neighborhood looking for some characters. This gentleman was nice enough to stand on the street corner for a minute or so as I took a few different shots at various angles and distances. I liked this one the best. I went home and developed in Ilfotec DD-X, which gives beautiful grain and sharpness, but…it’s expensive. I mixed up a fresh batch of XTOL, which might become my poor-man’s DD-X. Stay tuned and thanks for looking!

This picture is the twelvth 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

February 29, 2012

a brand new minneapolis no. 9 (hennepin & 31st) on Flickr.

Mamiya 645 1000s | Mamiya Sekor-C 80mm f/1.9 (shot at f/4) | Kodak Tri-x 400 | 8x ND | D-76

This gentleman was out for a Sunday stroll with his dog when I asked him to be a part of my project. Amongst a sea of North Face fleece jackets, jeans, and New Balances, this gentleman definitely stood out—-in a good way. I’m glad people still dress up, even if it’s only to take the dog for a walk.

This picture is the 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

February 22, 2012

a brand new minneapolis no. 7 (lyn-lake) on Flickr.

Mamiya 645 1000s | Mamiya Sekor-C 80mm f/1.9 (shot at f/2.8) | Kodak Tri-x 400 | 8x ND | D-76

According to my father, this gentleman is somewhat of a Minneapolis legend. As my dad tells it, he was a regular local character when my dad worked downtown. I actually came across this colorful personality in Lyn-Lake (Uptown) this weekend. His appearance and manner stopped me in my tracks when I saw him. “He’s perfect!” I thought. When I asked if I could take his photograph, he gravely nodded and proceeded to strike this pose. I imagine that this wasn’t his first time in front of a stranger’s camera! Anyway, some technical notes: I am not impressed with D-76 and will be moving on to greener pastures (Rodinal, DD-X, and XTOL to be specific).

This picture is the 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

February 21, 2012

a brand new minneapolis no. 6 (nicollet mall) on Flickr.

Mamiya 645 1000s | Mamiya Sekor-C 80mm f/1.9 (shot at f/2.8) | Kodak Tri-x 400 (shot at 320) | Rodinal (1:100, 120 min.)

You’ve probably seen this gentleman or others like him busking along Nicollet Mall on any given day. Now, to me, this would be a difficult way to make a living and in any regard, not a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon (then again, I spent some of my Saturday afternoon asking to take picture of strangers—-now who’s the weird person?!). This gentleman was really getting into his jam, though, and you can see it shine through in his eyes. Since he has his recorder in his mouth, he needs to use his eyes to smile, yet there’s a hint of sadness there, as I’ve seen common in most of the individuals I’ve encountered thus far for this project.

This picture is the 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

February 21, 2012

a brand new minneapolis no. 5 (nicollet mall) on Flickr.

Mamiya 645 1000s | Mamiya Sekor-C 80mm f/1.9 (shot at f/2.8) | Kodak Tri-x 400 (shot at 320) | Rodinal (1:100, 120 min.)

This gentleman was waiting…for something at Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis. He was a bit reluctant to have his photograph taken, but I guess my charms wore him down in the end!

This picture is the 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

February 20, 2012

a brand new minneapolis no. 4 (lake & hiawatha) on Flickr.

Mamiya 645 1000s | Mamiya Sekor-C 80mm f/1.9 (shot at f/2.8) | Ilford HP5+ 400 (shot at 320) | Rodinal (1:100, 75 min.)

This gentleman was waiting for his bus when I asked for his picture. I could see him as I approached a block away. The bus stop was on a small hill and his profile immediately caught my eye. It’s fitting, then, that that’s how the portrait turned out. When I got close, I asked if he would mind if I took his picture. At first he didn’t hear me (notice the headphones), but I asked again and he nodded his assent. But then his bus arrived. Apparently he thought I had already taken the shot, but I had not (again fumbling with the focus!). I did manage to square away my focus and took this as he slowly made his way onto the bus. He was in his own little world.

This picture is the 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

February 19, 2012

a brand new minneapolis no. 3 (lake & hiawatha) on Flickr.

Mamiya 645 1000s | Mamiya Sekor-C 80mm f/1.9 (shot at f/2.8) | Ilford HP5+ 400 (shot at 320) | Rodinal (1:100, 75 min.)

This gentleman was a bit skeptical of having his picture taken, but after I explained the project a little, he gave a curt little nod and proceeded to shoot me this look, as if he wasn’t quite sure what to make of me. I do detect a faint hint of a smile though ;o)

This picture is the 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

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