I was recently led onto this guy by my friend Eric Trine. He’s a 22 year old self taught photographer and train hopper, and he’s been capturing the stories of his train-hopping community (or sub-culture) on Polaroid film since at least 2003. His name is Mike Brodie, a.k.a “The Polaroid Kidd”.

“Brodie’s pictures are authentic and show the beauty of some of America’s most overlooked people.” -Jonah Samson from “Cool Hunting”

Here’s a quote from Mike on his galleries website (mbfala.com) that caught me, “Maybe I’ve just become obsessed with dirty cloth & dull rags, objects that have been touched by a million different hands then set back down–right there–just for me. Things that are made by chance or found on the side of a road, rather than bought or sold. What’s a story anyways? Why do people tell them?”

He’s exhibited work around the world, and most recently in San Francisco. Hopefully our paths will cross some day. By the way, he just won the “2008 Baum Award For Emerging American Photographers”.

“Self Portrait”

Here’s his website.