May 27, 2010

Honorary Detroiter


Canon 7D | 35mm 1.4 | Natural Light

Maegan Gindi is NOT from Detroit. Which is the exact reason why I included her in this project.

See, Maegan is a graduate of the highly regarded Rochester Institute of Photography and a native of Brooklyn, New York. She traveled to Detroit this week on her own dime to begin the first phase of a portraiture project focused on the people of Detroit.

I met Maegan while I was in a antique store in Detroit's Eastern Market. I had my camera slung over my shoulder, and was oblivious to the young woman who approached me from behind...

"24-70?"

"Naw, 35mm 1.4"

"Oh yea? Nice!"

For the non-photo nerds "24-70" refers to the focal length in millimeters of one of Canon's L series zoom  lenses. 35mm refers to the focal length of the lens I use. It's called a prime lens because unlike a zoom lens there is no way to increase or decrease the field of view except by moving your feet.

What prime lenses sacrifice in convenience they repay in image quality. Because the lens only has to be built to one specific focal length....

Bored as shit yet? Yea ya are! But from that coded exchange forward Maegan and I passionately discussed photography tech, theory, technique and most importantly, the city of Detroit. We hung out the next day with a non-photo nerd friend of hers and a non photo-nerd friend of mine at the Detroit Beer Company  - where we actually met Lamar from the Visual Artist post.

Maegan expressed an enthusiasm for the city that I seldom see in many of the people who live here. I suppose its hard to appreciate something you always have access to. Sometimes it takes an outsider to see the value in things you pass by everyday.

And Maegan made significant sacrifices to see those things. She works as a photo assistant in NYC, and had to forgo some lucrative gigs in pursuit of her Detroit portraiture project. But she's enthusiastic about this city and it's people.

And it is in recognition of that enthusiasm that by the power vested in me by my got damn self, I hereby declare Maegan Gindi an honorary Detroiter.

[Stop by Borders and/or Barnes and Noble and check out Maegan's photography in the latest edition of Tokion magazine]

[View the weekdaily blog and meet more of: The People of Detroit ]

5 comments:

Ada Nicole Smith said...

LOL- Noah I absolutely LOVE this blog and look forward to see the new photos.

Oh yeah and I will be ready for my entry soon- simple titled "Ms. Cass Tech"- oh yeah that invitation was given by Got Damn Self too :)

Too funny

The People of Detroit said...

:) Thank you Ada. Sometimes you have to do as the church people say "claim it!"

Tafari said...

Hmmm, how do you confuse a zoom lens for a prime? Just saying, Haha!

Michael Tedesco said...

I made the decision to go with the 50mm f1.8. After putting it on my camera it took a year and a new 7D before I started using another lens. Love me some prime.

The People of Detroit said...

Michael:
That was the first lens I ever used. You can't beat it for the price, for sure.

Tafari:
Well, at a distance all the L lenses of a certain size look the same :)