Our city’s streetscape is a cocktail of the quotidian and the grotesque. Troy Holden is one of the expert documentarians in the field, and he’s the next up in our series of street photographers, sharing San Francisco’s stories through his lens.
You can check out the work of the first photographer in our spotlight, Jessica Christian, here. If you have a favorite or want to show us your stuff, you can reach us in various ways.
Troy Holden was named the Best Street Photographer in San Francisco for 2015 by Vantage, the Medium publication devoted to photos and visual storytelling. He carries a Olympic Stylus Epic 35mm point-and-shoot camera, sometimes two of them, loaded with black-and-white and color film. Holden told the blog 35mmc that he pockets a camera just as routinely as his wallet and keys.
“I’m very much a creature of routine and I don’t get sick of walking up and down the same strip” of Market Street, Holden told Vantage. “I’m dedicating the next 30 years of my life to photographing this city.”
His statements are illuminating, and that’s good because when we asked a few questions about his creative process, Holden had minimalist responses:
The Frisc: How did you get started shooting? Have you always been interested in photography?
Holden: I’ve been taking photos since 2011.
What do you look for in street scenes and candid shots?
People, gestures, or movement.
Curious whether there’s something you see in SF that makes you take the picture.
Nothing in particular.
We’re cool, though. Holden’s photographs can stand on their own.
All images by Troy Holden. Follow Holden on Tumblr, Twitter @troy, and Instagram.