Southwest Voices: We best know you for taking pictures around Lake Harriet. How did that project start?

Stephen Born: The Lake Harriet Haiku Project was borne (no pun intended, well okay, it’s really intended) out of the Covid pandemic. I was spending a lot of time walking around Lake Harriet in order to get out of the house and get some fresh air. With repetition, I began to notice details that I had not appreciated previously. I then started taking photos of these new visual discoveries with the thought of posting them online for my neighbors. However, there was something missing. To give the photos a more personal vibe, I started adding haiku poems to each of the photos and then inviting people on Nextdoor to respond to the photo or the haiku. I also invited people to write their own haiku in reaction to the photos. The response has been amazing! There are a lot of very talented people out there. The biggest sense of satisfaction I get is when a person responds, saying they look forward to my postings every Friday, because they enjoy the photo and the intellectual challenge of writing a haiku poem.

SWV: Do you ever feel uncomfortable taking photos of people? Do people always know you are taking photos of them?

SB: I am an introvert by nature, so it is difficult for me to approach strangers. Once I do, and explain what I’m doing, most people are very receptive. I try to photograph each person in a unique and interesting way that respects the dignity of that person.

For the quick snapshots, or when people are in the background of a photo, they may not be aware that I’m photographing them and I don’t worry about it too much. Again, I make sure that I’m respectful of how they may appear in the photograph.

Despite my reluctance to approach people, my people shots are some of my strongest images along with the great human interest stories that accompany them.

SWV: What would your 10-year-old self think of what you are up to today?

SB: My 10-year-old self was in the backyard with his grandpa’s Argus 35mm camera taking photos of his plastic toy soldiers in elaborately staged battle scenes. If he knew that he would go on to make a living as a professional photographer taking photos of professional and Olympic athletes for the Wheaties boxes, gorgeous food photos for cookbooks, and other photos that would be seen by millions of people, he would say something like, “Whoa, totally cool dude!”

What do you do in life beyond taking photographs? What else makes you happy?

SB: I’m happiest when I’m learning something new or challenging my creative limitations. Seven years ago, I decided to try being an art fair artist traveling the upper midwest selling my wall mounted sculptures of the human form. Both experiences were new to me and I learned so much! Namely, that it is very difficult to make a living as an art fair artist!

What do you love most about Southwest Minneapolis?

SB: We are so incredibly lucky to live in a place so rich in natural resources, cultural attractions, and intellectual curiosity. It is my goal with the Lake Harriet Haiku Project to showcase these qualities and to help people see the “extraordinary in the everyday ordinary”.

A selection of Stephen’s work can be viewed and purchased on his website.