Through the Eyes of a Vendor

This summer Dave Thatcher of Picture Me Here led a workshop for a handful of Denver VOICE vendors interested in photography. Thatcher, a photographer, videographer, and community activist based in Denver, taught us how to frame a shot and tell a story with an image.

After the workshop was over, participating vendors were given a free disposable Kodak camera. The following are some of the highlights from the project.  

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Randy Keller

Randy used his camera to capture his daily rituals, or, as he refers to them, his “highlights of monotony.”

Photo: Jesse Borrell

Outside the LoDo Tattered Cover

Randy took this upward-angled shot of local poet D. Michael Kingsford“to make him look like a giant.”

Inside the LoDo Tattered Cover

Randy likes to take breaks inside the Tattered Cover. “My original reason for going to the Tattered Cover is my affinity for books.”

16th and Wynkoop Streets

Randy was taking a break from selling his papers when he took this photo of a man in a similar moment of reflection.

A planter along the 16th Street Mall

“An individual gave me a fresh, cool bottle of water on a hot day.”

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Raelene Johnson

Raelene has been a VOICE vendor since January 14, 2008. “I went from living under a bridge to owning my home,” says Raelene, who now lives in an RV near Boulder.

Photo: Jesse Borrell

Person sleeping near the Boulder Library

“It’s sad that people have to sleep outdoors and there’s no place for them to go.”

Pearl Street Mall, Boulder

“I thought it was peaceful on the Mall, and those flowers are gorgeous. They always have beautiful flowers.”

Front windshield of Raelene’s car

“I took this picture because of the raccoon footprints on my windshield!” [Top left]

New construction at Boulder Library

“I was like, wow, they really tore up the library. It will be interesting to see what the final product will be.”

Raelene’s garden

“These flowers grow big and tall and are a natural barrier between my patio and the outside.”

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Brian Augustine

Brian’s photos are centered around two areas where he spends much of his time: the South Pearl Street Farmers Market and the 16th Street Mall.

Photo: Jesse Borrell

Brian’s morning vending spot

“Start of the workday. It just struck me as a really good picture, the lighting and everything. It felt like the start of a good day.”

South Pearl Street Farmers Market

“This is the end of the farmers market, and the end of my day. When it’s over I do traffic control.”

South Pearl Street Farmers Market

“All the people at the South Pearl Street Farmers Market are friendly.”

16th Street Mall

“It was a peaceful morning. It gets so busy down there that sometimes you don’t recognize the beauty.”

16th and Curtis Streets, looking up at Independence Plaza building

“The reflection of the clock tower in this building reminded me of mechanical monkeys you see in the movies.”