Pixabay in Faces: Leroy Skalstad
Behind each photo is the person who did it. Who are all these photographers? How do they get in love with this great art, what does inspire them? Today we’ll begin to get acquainted with one of them — Leroy Skalstad. 57 images and 228,583 downloads!!! And 24 of these images are in Editor’s Choice.
You can look at a picture for a week and never think of it again. You can also look at a picture for a second and think of it all your life.
— Joan Miro —
Leroy’s works are of the second type — once seen you’ll never forget them. It seams like the people on his pictures can seek an insight into your heart. Leroy makes photos of homeless people. What makes his works so impressive? Maybe the fact that he can understand these people as once he lived in the street too? May because his images are not just technical shootings, each image is a story, a story of someone’s life.
For me simply developing a rapport with my subjects is most important. I will buy a cup of coffee at a local shop, listen to their story, and share some of my own.
— Leroy Skalstad —
My life is shaped by the urgent need to wander and observe, and my camera is my passport.
— Steve McCurry —
Camera is a part of Leroy’s life. It’s always with him in his bag. Taking photos he asks people to be themselves, just to look in his lens like they are sharing their stories.
And the story of Leroy himself began in 1956 on a small farm west of Holy Hill. A young 8-year boy asked his mother to buy him a camera as he was dreaming of “freezing time”. That was how this story began.
While serving in Vietnam Leroy began his experiments with 35mm photography. The life of a former soldier wasn’t easy after returning home and he found himself living on the streets. During this time he himself was a a subject of many non-homeless photographers and decided that if he ever got off the streets he will return to photography and focus on people's faces.
Today Leroy is a volunteer at St. Ben’s Community Meal Program in Milwaukee, where he has been making photos for their calendars during the last 22 years.
My favorite photo is one of Don and Kathy, both just 19 years old, huddled with a group of other street folk waiting for a meal van.
— Leroy Skalstad —
And thanks to Leroy’s works. Here what Pixabay community think about them.
Check all Leroy’s works at his Pixabay page and if you like it share you kindness like he does for others and buy him a cup coffee, he’ll really appreciate it.
