Familiar Faces

Photos by Pat Christman

Shawn Weigel, founder and owner of 38th Street Photography, works from his office at home. Weigel began photographing five years ago.

His photographs have grabbed the attention of most, some of which have gone viral.

Shawn Weigel, founder of 38th Street Photography, uses his keen eye to capture life’s most unique moments. Last year he took a common road and parking lot inconvenience — potholes — and spun it to his own vision. Some potholes doubled as a cooler, others as a small fishing pond.

Most recently, Weigel hit the streets during the unrest that followed George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis. With his camera in one hand and phone in the other, Weigel recorded history through his lens.

MANKATO MAGAZINE: Where did the name 38th Street Photography come from? SHAWN WEIGEL: My favorite number has always been 38. It honestly kept popping up in dreams in my younger years in many different varieties. Street photography is my favorite genre within this artform. So when the time came to create a “business,” it was the first thing I came up with and I haven’t moved away from the name since.

MM: You began photographing five years ago. What were you doing before then and what initially got you interested in photography? SW: I’ve always dabbled in the arts. Drawing, painting, tattooing and graffiti, and even tried music for a short period. Photography came along during a very depressed time in my life, and I’m so grateful for it.

It all started at the legal graffiti wall in New Ulm, taking snapshots of people’s artwork and sometimes my own. I moved on to taking snapshots of artwork on freight trains (benching), which naturally turned into finding the best light and locations in the local area.

A friend of mine (God rest his soul), who was a known photographer in the area, told me that he really likes my photos I’m taking with my phone. He begged me to invest into a “real” camera due to me being a natural. One Black Friday I decided to buy my first DSLR, and I have had a camera on me every day since that moment.

MM: Music and event photography had been your focus to begin with. What was your favorite part about photographing these events? SW: I am an introvert, so I am naturally drawn to the “fly on the wall” style of photography. I am a people watcher, watching for repeat moments, facial expressions, and

emotion. The way the lights hit the performers on stage, the way the pianist hits that perfect key that makes their smirk lift up on the left side, the way the drummer’s eyes open wide during their solo, it’s all natural art to me. Life is beautiful when you know what to pay attention to. I photograph a lot of events for nonprofit organizations because I just love that people are out there helping others in need. This is my way of helping when I can’t always afford to donate.

MM: Late 2019, you had released a 2020 calendar featuring the Mankato Potholes. The project over the summer had gained a lot of online traction. What spurred the idea to begin photographing the potholes? SW: There was a hilarious Facebook page poking fun at the Burger King parking lot. I watched and laughed at that page for a few days. One rainy night I decided to head out with my camera to take some reflection photographs, and I ended up at the BK lot. I took that first pothole and shared it with the masses. From there that picture was shared hundreds of times. I have had a few viral photos before this, but nothing compared to what this photo did. The local community started commenting and messaging me to go look at “this” pothole, go look at “that” pothole. I started to bring small props I had laying around the house and was posting them with a clever caption. I got great joy in bringing happiness into people’s lives with this series.

MM: Many of your photographs also feature beautiful landscapes and incredible shots of nature and animals. What has been your favorite place to photograph in nature? SW: My current go-to location is anywhere on the Gunflint Trail, especially during fall and winter. In reality I am always searching for my new “favorite” location, and it kind of falls along the lines with my “favorite” photograph; I haven’t taken my favorite photo, so therefore I haven’t been to my favorite location yet.

MM: Most recently, starting with the killing of George Floyd, you had been documenting the unrest that took place in Minneapolis and also the protest in Mankato. What was the feeling like to be in that atmosphere while also documenting history? SW: That first day I was there for the protest in front of the 3rd precinct in Minneapolis I was unprepared. I begged my boss and asked him if he would allow me to take the evening off so I could go document what I thought would be just a protest. I grabbed my camera gear and drove up, batteries were not charged and my phone was at 50%. Plugged all my electronics in and hoped it would last me for a few hours when I arrived.

I was never nervous; I just put the camera to work. I was running around capturing as much as I could. Then seemingly out of nowhere tear gas was being thrown, rubber bullets flying everywhere. It was something I have never experienced in my life. As the evening got later, the police officers started to push the crowd further away from the precinct. You could feel the tensions rise from that point on.

I was standing right next to the Auto Zone as the first fires of the night started. The police line pushed further down the street with the intentions to get the fire department in to maintain the fire. As the night progressed, fires, looting, rioting surrounding me, you could hear people firing off bullets into the air in the distance, but the only time I felt uneasy was when a man with a chainsaw was marching his way through the crowd. As I walked toward him, I saw that there was no blade so the feeling I had was relieved.

It was the feeling I had when I got home and uploaded the photos that I will never forget. I was shaking and I broke down and cried. I was so focused on getting the “perfect” photo I didn’t really think of what was happening around me. I was bloody, bruised and just overall run down.

MM: When you returned from the Twin Cities during the protests, you had stated you still had issues breathing when you came back due to the tear gas. What is something people should know about your line of work when it comes to documenting these events at the front line? SW: Be aware of your surroundings. A lot of people in this current climate do not like the media, and they make you well aware of it. You need to know when and when not to take the photograph or record the moment. You have to quickly read faces. If someone tells you to do something, whether it’s law enforcement or a protester, you need to take it into consideration. If you refuse, it will be tough to get the photos or video you need to complete the story you’re trying to show in the future. When you’re an independent journalist, you are the voice and platform for several different groups and communities. I have done my best to keep my personal bias away from my journalism; if my camera is in my hand, my opinions are voided.

MM: Throughout the summer, you continued to document events such as President Trump’s visit to Mankato. Why did you choose to continue to document these events and why is it important? SW: I greatly enjoy documenting history. I want to remain as unbiased as one can be and to show everything I possibly can to my followers. My business was never known to be a “news” page or a “political” page, so my following is a mix of all types of people from the left, right, and center. My overall goal is for people to start having real conversations. That is why I started to do livestreaming through Facebook. So voices can be heard and to find out why people feel the way they do and why they are out in the streets. We are all humans with all different views, and I’m out there trying to bridge the gap because we all have grown so far apart.

MM: As a photojournalist, what has been the most important lesson you have learned? SW: To listen. There is too much talking and not enough listening. When you give everyone a fair chance to express their opinions, it opens up a lot of possibilities. Be fair and honest with everyone and respect boundaries.

MM: If you had the opportunity to travel to any place in the world to take photographs, where would that be and why? SW: If you look at something like it’s your first time seeing it, everywhere is beautiful. It’s all art. Beauty is all around us if you squint hard enough. Anywhere there is contrast in color is where you’ll see me photographing. The current goal is to get out to Norway during the peak of northern lights season. Just to see color dancing in the sky like that would be something spiritual and magical for me!

MM: Is there anything else you’d like to add? SW: Listen, love, compassion, and equality.