Asking someone on the street for a portrait is kind of hard by itself. There’s getting over the inhibition to ask, then there’s facing rejection when they say no. Well, it’s even harder when you’re looking for a cyclist subject – they tend to be moving. Like moving quickly, on their way someplace. I was pondering this dilemma as I walked in Ft Greene/Clinton Hill with my camera, hoping to find a BikeNYC subject when I spotted Jahmal. As luck would have it, he had stopped to adjust his music as I was walking by. I approached and made my quick pitch. Jahmal was friendly and gracious and said yes immediately.
We chatted briefly about cycling in Brooklyn. Like me, Jahmal gets around almost exclusively on his bike. He was lamenting having to hang it up for the winter soon.
As for the bike? Jamal says, “My bike is a Wal Mart frame! I bought it early this year as a project bike to start getting into bike building. It was a lot of fun and I learned how to get around putting a bike together.”
Oh, and here’s the bonus: Jahmal is one half of the Carps. Listen!
Interested in a bike portrait? Drop me a line.
Erin Tole - Found you on flickr. Wow, this guy rocks. And love the weird intimacy you get from seeing these bike portraits. They are somehow so personal.