As a photographer, Dennis Drenner has traveled the world. But as a focus for this series, we went right to his backyard, where he frequently sets up a photo studio in the alley behind his Hampden home. When pedestrians cross through the alley, he asks if they’d like a free portrait; many say yes.
Jason Anzulis will photograph just about anything, but if the colored specks on his camera tell a story, it’s that graffiti artists are his favorite subject. Anzulis will frequently accompany these artists, or “writers,” as they make their mark on train cars, bridges and wherever else they can set up shop for a couple of hours.
An admitted homebody, Hassan Alba began using photography as a way to get himself out of the house, explore and have real experiences. Then, he started Homeless Humans of Baltimore, with feeds on Instagram and Facebook, that feature photos and stories told by homeless people he’s encountered in his travels.
Liz Guseman frequently finds herself in neighborhoods like Baltimore’s Park Heights, part of her ongoing project to document the people in the city’s neighborhoods. So armed with her camera and a smile, Guseman engages and captures.
Geoff Lawrence came about his love for photography later in life, and “with earnest.” As a former 2D artist, photography — and his elaborate post-production process — helps him to create images the way he never could with paint. A recovering addict, Lawrence says photography keeps him positive and engaged.
When Wes White was out of work and struggling to get by, he was asked to help photograph a friend’s wedding. The iPhone-only street photographer’s hobby inspired him to get a job and get back on his feet. Now he frequently travels around Baltimore to document its people and architecture.
As a street photographer, Robert Jackson has captured people on the streets of Baltimore. When in the army, over two tours, he captured people all around the world — from Paris to Kosovo to Iraq. And even though Baltimore is much different than Kuwait, Jackson noticed similarities among those who are struggling to get by.
Theresa Keil and Larry Cohen are the first duo featured in the Baltimore Street Photographer series, and the first couple. The pair, who form TLC Baltimore, an event photography team, spend much of their free time pursuing street photography in its purest form.
(Note: The shoot with Larry and Theresa was unique to the series in that they preferred not to do a stand-up interview. Instead, they were separately mic’d and spoke about their work as they walked through the streets of the neighborhood known simply as Downtown. To pay homage to the natural style in which they shoot, this video, too, is completely raw — no color correction, stabilization or lighting adjustments were made to the footage.)
Kyle Pompey, known to some as ‘Nice Shot Kyle,’ takes a no-frills approach to his Baltimore street photography; he just shoots what he sees. And sometimes having trouble expressing himself verbally, Pompey has leaned on his images to speak for him.
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Baltimore street photographer and Bel Air native David Kraus has is fascinated by Baltimore architecture and history, particularly the tradition of the arabber street merchants. He says it’s important to document these people, among other things, that offer a connection to Baltimore’s past.
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