Meet the Photographer

My name is Scott and I am a semi-retired professional photographer with 50 years of photography experience. I have decided to spend my remaining years sharing photography as best I can. One way I go about that is with my street photography. 

I am a novice at street photography. I am an expert wildlife photographer but fortunately for me, much of what I learned in my professional career spills over into this genre. I am both a student and teacher - here to learn what I can but also offering to help those who have less experience than I do.

As for my philosophy on street portraiture, it's very simple. I do not see it as a one-way proposition. I always ask permission before I make someone's portrait when we're out on the street. About 98% of the time, I get a yes. When I get a no, I move on quietly and contentedly assuming there is an even better opportunity around the next corner. 

So why ask first? It's because I don't want to "steal" anyone's portrait. I also just don't want to show up and TAKE. I do see it as a collaborative approach. I am not just taking from the subject. I find something interesting that makes me want to create a portrait and I dialog about that with the subject - which in turns is validating them. There are all kinds of street portraiture - this kind of street portraiture is a collaborative effort between the photographer and the subject. The camera looks both ways.
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Since many people ask, I'll briefly discuss my tools and process. I take a very minimalist approach. I go out into the field with one camera and a lens. For this project, I use a Leica Q2 Monochrome camera with a fixed 28mm, f/1.7 lens. I bring the photos home and quickly edit them using a program called Nitro and then I post them on this website. 

It's a simple workflow - done out of love.

I neither ask for nor accept any compensation for this work. It's my way of giving back.