Scene In Detroit: 'The People Of Detroit'
By Amelia Kanan, CBS Detroit Blogger
Since I've made my decision to move back to Detroit I have been bombarded by fellow Detroiters and non-Michiganders alike with the same questions. "You want to leave Los Angeles for Detroit -- Why on earth would you want to move back to Detroit?" Well, here is one of my reasons.
This is a story about a photographer named Noah Stephens who has a Detroit blog called "The People of Detroit", with the tagline "because not everyone is an abandoned building". The tagline says it all. His goal, as he mentions in one of his posts, was to find people in Detroit with "interesting occupations, interesting stances or, at the very least, interesting faces".
In the blog, Stephens posts each face and beneath it he writes about the person, the moment they shared or his own meaning behind it. From April 2010 to Febuaray 2012, Stephens has captured over 75 faces within the city limits from all "stripes of life", to quote him -- from Larry a businessman/cyclist to Dwele an R&B musician; from a psychologist named Crystal to a little boy named Caiden.
The blog began as a reaction to a "Dateline NBC" story that painted a picture of desperation and perpetuated the theme of "Detroit in crisis." However, as we know, some of the best art in history was born through personal and emotional responses. In April 2010, Stevens took his recently purchased camera to the streets to respond in the best way he knew how.
Stephens has been touched by many strangers. David, the man in the photo above which was taken by Stephens, is a man Stephens met when he had stopped into his local coffee shop. He noticed a man being interviewed by cameras so when they took a break, Stephens stepped up. He introduced himself and David was very polite.
He said he worked at the Detroit Opera House to which Stephens' replied that he had never been to an opera. Stephens photographed him after they shared a lovely chat and upon returning home decided to google him. As it turns out, David is not only the director but also founder and savior of the DOH. A few months went by and Stephens received a ticket to a performance at the DOH.
Stephens, who has a young face but eyes as old as his soul, told me over coffee "We need to tell a different story about Detroit." I agreed and he continued, "To show people a vibrant life that exists here so they can consider the city as a place to reside and invest in." I couldn't have said it better myself.
Stephens is a true artist. His images are beautifully lit, composed naturally, balanced, and capture genuine glimpses into peoples' souls, but his motives are far more human than just gaining artistic accolades. That, to me, is the meaning behind a true artist. His blog's existence can serve many purposes: a real look into Detroit for non-Detroiters, a reassurance to Metro Detroiters that normality resides and thrives within the limits, an inspiration to be open to strangers and a reminder that we are all human so let's be kind.
Take a second today and check out all the local people Stephens has come across. Read their stories, look at their photos and be proud of being a Detroiter.
Amelia Kanan is freelance writer/photographer and a returning native of Detroit. A graduate of Columbia College in Chicago, she wrote for an Emmy nominated sketch comedy show and pursued her passion for documentary filmmaking in Los Angeles. An incomplete list of her loves: books, human rights, improv, the smell of new shoes, talking to strangers, libraries, France, yoga, furniture, music, sociology and pushing the limits.
