Finally off work for a day and got to go out and take some pictures. I'm working on portraits. People around downtown Columbus. Getting their pictures is easy... getting their stories is the hard part.
Well, I have lots to say.. so much that I don't know where to start. I've been searching for what I like about street photography. I guess it's the connection, the people on the street most usually see and avoid- I walked up to several of them today and talked for a few and asked if I could take their picture and they all graciously said yes. They guy with the dog above, I didn't get his name but he held onto that dog for dear life. That dog fucking hated me. It kept barking and growling. They looked a lot alike though.
James below was out in front of the Salvation Army shelter in Columbus. There's lots of dudes hanging out in the park and as I walked up, James was all about getting his picture taken. He wouldn't elaborate on his life or where he came from. He was just up for a picture. He was super cool.
Below is Leon. He was walking his bike up a hill on the riverwalk and at the top he got on and trundled through and under the construction site near the Rapids. He then asked me
"you take a lot of pictures?" I replied "yes sir" and asked if I could take his. He said yeah and I think I captured his best Gandhi. He was loaded with fishing poles and buckets.
Below is Walter. He is a fixture on the benches downtown. He's always got a rolling carry on bag and a big pile of shit next to him on whatever bench he sits on. He's super nice and never seems in distress. I've taken a bunch of pics of him and he always has the same smile.
Below is Cornbread. He's from Albany, GA. He was out in front of the Salvation Army Shelter, cruising around in his bike checking on the everyone in the park. He's a maintenance man locally and looks out for the guys at the shelter and in the park. He got out of Jail after a long stint in 2009. This is what he does now, he's happy to be clean and sober, out of jail and looking out for others. We talked about the growing number of homeless in CSG for a while and came to the same conclusion.... drugs and alcohol reign supreme. Cornbread is a good man.
