Louis Mendes walks the streets of New York with his vintage 1940’s Speed Graphic camera capturing portraits of the people he comes across with style. In a sea full of cellphones and digital cameras, Mendes sticks out with his vintage style and classic instant film media.
Born and raised in NYC, Mendes has been photographing the streets of New York for more than 40 years. Starting early in the mornings, usually up in Harlem or around Midtown, he uses his imagery to reflect how his subjects are feeling by connecting and talking with them.
In terms of the gear, we already mentioned the 1940’s Speed Graphic, which he pairs with FC-100 instant film to give these images to his subjects in real time. Mendes is dreading the day when he can no longer get his hands on the film, likening it to, “going to bed and not waking up.”
Mendes was recently featured in a video on the New York Post which you can find below.
Get rid of the ads!
Did you enjoy reading this article as much as we enjoyed writing it? There's a way to support us and our reporting, getting ad-free navigation and more as a bonus. Subscribe to us for less than a coffee per month —just $3.99— or take advantage of our yearly subscription with a hefty discount for only $25.- An ad-free experience
- A free mystery box for Lightroom or Capture One
- All the books in our store
- 20% discount on Capture One
- 30% discount on Imalume Photo Theft Protection
- 20% off Herbs and Kettle Tea Company.