Louis Mendes is a New York street photographer and a bit of an urban legend. He travels the city with a large format press camera like newspapermen of old. I noticed him on the Staten Island ferry, taking pictures of tourists with New York landmarks in the background. His camera was loaded with instant Polaroid type film, so he could sell pictures immediately for twenty dollars each.
As the boat was pulling into Staten Island, I found him alone, relaxing in the lower cabin. His pose was perfect. The light was exquisite. I shot one frame and moved on. Years later, I encountered him on the subway and gave him a postcard with this image.
