SAMUEL

I create photographs of people I meet in Detroit almost every day, so it's about time I start sharing them. 

First, I'd like to introduce you to Samuel.

I first gave him a holler as I saw him riding his sky blue cruiser bike with a basket on the front. He saw me eyeing him, and I used the camera hanging from his neck as an excuse to start a conversation. I asked him what kind of camera he had, and he said, "Nikon, it's the BEST." I proudly agreed, and pulled mine out of my backpack to show him.

After I got his name, I asked for his story. He briefly said "Palestine, then Germany for 30 years, and the U.S.A. ever since. I'm a scientist."

It wasn't long until he started talking about how the whole government is rigged and that Nazi robots are secretly taking over. He was telling me all about his team of scientists cracking down on this issue, and by the end of the conversation he asked if I would join the team! I kindly rejected the offer. 

During the conversation I noted how animated and passionate he was, so I tried something that might seem rude, but to me the moment was special. I asked him if I could photograph him while he spoke to me. He joyfully responded with a "yes", so I began photographing him as the sun setting.