Submitted by Steve Weidman
Four years ago, at the age of 75, I became a street photographer. I had been a volunteer helping staff at the homeless overflow tent that winter and decided to start photographing people on Reno downtown streets.
Approaching people to ask if I could photograph them was at first a little daunting, but I soon learned that most people were glad to be seen. If they said no or motioned me to move on, I moved on.
The point of my photographs is to try to capture the humanity that we all possess.
Some of these people are homeless, some are just passing through Reno, and some just like hanging out on the street.
I like using black and white photography because it forces you to focus on the subject and not be distracted by other objects in the photo. It also seems to give the photos a sense of timelessness.
I ask the person to look straight into the lens, and that is the only instruction I give them. The photo is themselves; I just push a button.
