I went to Photo Expo Plus today, at the Javits Center in Manhattan. It is a giant photo equipment show. I saw this dapper gentleman leaning against a wall chatting with someone, and was stopped in my tracks by his camera! It is a 4x5 Crown Graphic press camera, circa 1958. It is the camera I used in High School, and I used it to take the first picture I ever had published in a newspaper. It was a photo of a Milford High baseball player sliding home, and it was published in the Milford Citizen. Anyhow, I stopped to talk to this photographer and found that his name is Louis Mendes, and he has been a "street photographer" for over 40 years, going to events around New York to photograph people and sell them prints. He goes to graduations, and shortly he will be at the Rockefeller Christmas Tree. It was so much fun talking to him and seeing this classic old camera. He is famous, by the way and has been featured in a story in the New York Times.
I saw this guy too. I thought the camera was a Polaroid. Thanks for the clarification. Do you still have yours?
ReplyDeleteOH.. that's awesome!!! what an incredible story of HISTORY!! do you still have your original photo?
ReplyDeletethat must have been such a fun encounter for you!!
just curious what he currently uses to take pictures??
The Crown Graphic belonged to the high school. But when I went to work for my first newspaper in Rochester, NY they had some old Speed Graphics, and I was able to get one of them, which I still have. Time to go get it out! Such great cameras. I believe that Louis may be using roll film, but I didn't know enough to ask yesterday. The article I read in the NY Times spoke of him shooting Polaroid, but I believe that film is no longer available. I may go look for him around the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and ask him.
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