Category Archives: Contact

CONTACT | Shapour

Posted on by gwunterberger
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I sold myself short. At the end of Blackwelder St. Shapour sits outside at 3pm waiting for his driver. Rain or shine, torrid or tepid, he’s always out there. Dressed like a boss. One day I time it right and ask to take his portrait. Weeks go by, I print a few in the darkroom, and hope to give them to him the next time I see him. When I finally do, he asks “How much do I owe you?” What a sweet heart. I tell him nothing, and that it was a pleasure to take his photograph. He smiles and thumbs through the prints, stopping at the last one. It’s my favorite. An artsy little number that doesn’t include his face. “This one’s no good,” he says. I think to myself, “that’ll be $50.”

More CONTACT after the break. Continue reading →

CONTACT | Ronny and Benny

Posted on by gwunterberger
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I’d seen these two around the park before and always surrounded by a crowd (deservedly so, that’s a freaking cockatoo riding a bicycle). But I’m more of a one-on-one guy, so when I saw Ronny in a rare moment of peace, I decided to change that.

More Ronny (and if you stick around, my new favorite portrait) after the break. Continue reading →

CONTACT | Dusty

Posted on by gwunterberger
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Dusty

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve passed Dusty. You can hear his music before you see him. A soulful riff floating along the outer edges of Washington Square Park. Sometimes it greets you in the morning, lifting you out of a sleepwalking stumble. Other times it meets you after a long day on the clock, a gentle reminder to enjoy what little day you have left. I can’t help but smile when I hear Dusty jamming, and I’ve been carrying around his portrait waiting for the perfect opportunity to pay him back.

More Contact after the break… Continue reading →

CONTACT | Kris

Posted on by gwunterberger
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If you’ve seen Rockaways Rewrite, you’ll know about Kris and his beard. What you don’t know is what took place after I took his portrait. The thing went viral. Ok not viral, but it was at least contagious.

More explanation and CONTACT after the break.
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Contact | Ian

Posted on by gwunterberger
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contact2Ian“Almost passed up.” “Happen by chance.” I’ve started a few CONTACTs with these caveats, and this is no exception. I met Ian on my lunch break while he was waiting outside my building for the Bolt Bus. His hat drew me in, but he was going the wrong way. Then he stopped at the corner and turned back. I made my move. When I raised the camera to my face, I knew he’d done this kind of thing before. Turns out Ian is the man behind Boy Gone Blog, and thus no stranger to posing.

More CONTACT after the break. Continue reading →

Contact | Julian

Posted on by gwunterberger
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contact2JulianJulian was a perfect scenario. I was out on my lunch break, Contax slung around my shoulder for company and trying to stay warm in the shadows. I turned a corner and there was Julian standing in this singular sliver of sun. He looked so regal with his cowboy hat and hand rolled cigarette (which he regrettably put away for the photo) that I had no choice but to ask for permission.

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Contact | Meris

Posted on by gwunterberger
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The instant I saw Meris with her blue blockers and furs, I knew I had to photograph her. I was on my morning commute, and it looked as if she was too, but I took the chance and asked her for a portrait. She couldn’t have been nicer, and didn’t mind my direction when I asked her to move infront of the brick backdrop. This was my first “field” portrait with the Contax 645, and in my excitement I forgot to recognize that the shutter was set to flash sync mode. I realized the mistake only after I had walked away, hoped that the frames weren’t overblow, and smiled so BIG when I saw the final result.

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Contact | Andre

Posted on by gwunterberger
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contact2AndreAndre was one of those portraits that happen by chance. I was at the end of a long day shooting and had decided to take the subway home and rest my dogs. Thinking about anything but photography, I arrived at my station and there was this guy, just posted up looking like a badass. I walked up and told him so, then politely asked for his portrait. He agreed, but mentioned he was waiting for his girl so please make it quick. Needless to say, dude knows how to make an impression.

More Contact after the break… Continue reading →

Contact | Judah

Posted on by gwunterberger
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contact2Judah ShinesJudah was one of those people that I almost passed up, even though the minute I saw him I had to have his portrait. But like anything in life, you never know until you try…

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Contact | William

Posted on by gwunterberger
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Meet William, the very first subject I sent a copy of my photo too. He was walking around Washington Square Park with a beautiful Pentax 67 (complete with wooden grip!) and it was the first time that I had ever seen the camera in person. At this point I wasn’t as comfortable taking portraits of strangers, but I had it in my head that I would take photos of people with cool cameras (the theory being that they were photographers, so they would be less inclined to say no). So I circled the park a couple times, gathering up the nerve to ask. He couldn’t have been nicer, and later I realized HE also walked around the city taking portraits. In fact his Flickr account, especially his older stuff, turned out to be a big reason why I started taking the Hasselblad out onto the streets. I hadn’t seen that “look” before, and I fell in love. Anyway, he was also the first person to respond to my image, and the resulting conversation is worth the read.

More CONTACT after the break… Continue reading →