I first met Travis Jensen in 1997 during a hip-hop show at the long since closed Maritime Hall. Back in those days we were both working low-paying jobs at a couple of high-powered law firms in Four Embarcadero Center. The nights were long and the hangovers even longer and together we pulled off quite a few All-City capers in our younger days. But over the past decade — much like The City itself — we have outgrown our delinquently juvenile ways and both decided to pick up photography as a way of life.

I asked Travis to talk about his photography, workflow and upcoming projects…

1. Talk about your chosen image?  When and where was it taken? Why did you take it?  What did you think of your image once processed?

I snapped this picture roughly two weeks ago while out shooting at lunch with Derek Poon.  We were heading back to the Financial District from Chinatown when we ran into this man on Pine and Battery streets.  He approached us and asked for some change.  His weathered appearance immediately captured my attention.

Anyway, I told the man I’d give him a $1 in exchange for a picture.  He happily agreed.  I asked him a series of questions while taking his pic, like what his name was and where he was from, but he wasn’t too receptive.  In fact, he responded to every question with “Do you have a smoke?  Neither Derek nor I smoke cigs.

After getting the shot, I handed the man $1, thanked him for letting me take his picture, and went about my way.

I didn’t really think much about this pic until I sat down to process it a few days later and found myself mesmerized by his weathered face and sad eyes.  I tried to imagine what he might look like without the weathered skin, scraggily hair and beard, and wondered how in the world he ended up in his current situation.  Maybe he preferred it, I don’t know.  Whatever the case, I feel this man’s face truly speaks volumes.  You can tell he has both seen and been through some shit in his day.

I later posted the picture on Flickr and a day or two later was contacted by an exceptionally talented artist out of Utah named Carl Purcell (Rock4art on Flickr) asking if I minded if he did a drawing of the picture.  I told him to go right ahead and a few days later, he sent me the link to his drawing, which is amazing!  I’m going to make a copy of the drawing and carry it around in my camera bag just in case I run into the man in the photo again, which is highly likely.  I’ve already seen him once from across the street since I snapped the photo.

2.  What’s your current camera gear and workflow?

I’m currently shooting with a Canon 5D Mark II with the 24-105mm/F4 kit lens.  I’m very happy with my current set-up.  I know a handful of people who have been toying with the idea about purchasing this camera.  I say if you have the funds and you’re serious about your photography, pull the freakin’ trigger!  You will not be disappointed.

I also shoot with a couple different old school film cameras: one is a Canon AE-1 Program with a 50mm/F1.8 lens, the other a Yashica-D medium format TLR that my older brother gave me.  I really enjoy shooting film.  It forces you to put more thought into each picture.  I find myself getting a little too trigger happy with the digital at times.  Shooting film helps slow me down a little.

As far as workflow process goes, man, it’s a little all over the place at the moment.  I have a five-month-old bouncing baby boy at home, so by the time I get home from work, play, feed and put him to bed, eat dinner and hang with the wife, it’s already damn near 9:30-10:00p.m., so the last thing I want to do is sit down and process photos, you know?  Sometimes I’ll get backed up 2,000+ images, which can be a real nightmare.  I’m probably backlogged a good 500-600 shots at the moment.  I definitely like the act of shooting more than processing, that’s for sure.  I get antsy.

3.  Are you working on any current projects?

I don’t have any real photography projects in the works per say, I more so just try and shoot enough photos each day to cure my daily shutter itch.  I’d say on average I shoot anywhere between 25-40 images a day, sometimes more, sometimes less.  It all depends on the situation.  Heck, some days I’ll go out with full intentions of storming the streets for photos like a savage, but end up taking less than ten pics.

As far as other projects go, I’m working on another book, a novel, which has been in the works for far too long now.  I’m about halfway through the second draft.  I’m hoping to finish it one day soon.  It’s been close to five years since my last book project was released, so I’m well overdo.

4.  Tell us about a memorable instance where having your camera made an impact of what you were experiencing.

Last May, while hanging on the corner of 19^th and Mission with fellow photogs Isaac McKay-Randozzi and Dave Schubert, randomly, we found ourselves smack-dab in the middle of a crack sting operation.  It was ironic considering all three of us were standing right there with cameras in tow.  Isaac and Dave both had their cameras around their neck, mine was in my little side bag.  I was shooting skateboarding earlier that day and still had my fisheye lens attached, so all my pics have that distorted fisheye look to them.  I guess it’s better than nothing.

The undercover cops didn’t seem to mind that we were flash mobbing the sting.  In fact, after they had the suspect in cuffs, one of them even said to us, “Here, get a picture of this,” and in his hand was a plump crack rock that the suspect had coughed up from his gut.

Schubert got some good pics that day — he was all up in the mix, lying belly down on grimy ass Mission Street.  It was pretty funny.

I know drug busts aren’t uncommon on that particular strip on Mission Street, but the fact that this incident occurred while three “street photographers” were standing less than five feet away with cameras in tow is pretty damn random if you ask me.

5.  What would be your dream destination for photographic purposes?

In my opinion, it doesn’t get much better than downtown San Francisco on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday afternoon.

6.  What photographers past and present lend inspiration to you?

This is by no means a complete list, but off the top: Boogie, Ted Pushinsky, Clayton Patterson, Troy Holden and the rest of the Caliber SF crew, Dave Schubert, Derek Poon, Josh Sullivan, Isaac-Mckay Randozzi, Darrell Stein, Mark Whiteley, and the Hamburger Eyes militia.

Overall, I really like photographers who are not afraid to put themselves into potentially dangerous or confrontational situations just to get a shot.

7.  Tell us something about yourself that few people know about…

I once got busy in a Burger King bathroom.

Thanks, Travis.

BONUS: You can read more about Travis Jensen’s San Francisco here and here and here.