Familiar Faces
Through the Lens
Shawn Weigel, local photographer, captures nature, humor, current events
H
is 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. Photos by Pat Christman
NAME:
Shawn Weigel HOMETOWN: Mankato
OCCUPATION: photographer
FAVORITE HOLIDAY DISH stuffing
WHAT’S YOUR SECRET TALENT? writing poems
Shawn Weigel, founder and owner of 38th Street Photography, works from his office at home. Weigel began photographing five years ago. 12 • NOVEMBER 2020 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
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
