Landmark

Not all New York City landmarks are made of marble and glass.

If you wander the streets for long enough you begin to recognize people who have made a name for themselves, or a reputation of some kind, by always being there. By becoming part of the scene.

On a recent trip I ran into one of them.

Louis Mendes is a well known street photographer in New York City. He is known as much for his equipment as he is for the photos he has been taking - and selling - for more than fifty years.

At 81 years old, he gets dressed in a proper suit almost every morning, slings his Speed Graphic camera over this shoulder, brings extra flash bulbs and other gear, and looks for people to photograph. If his subjects think his fee is too high, he takes donations.

He told The New Yorker a few years ago that he doesn’t need to be rich. Like another famous New York street photographer, the late Bill Cunningham, Mendes makes enough to get by. He lives and works in the city. Married to his work.