I  recently spent the morning with iconic street photographer Louis Mendes and his biographer Ray We met for an early breakfast in Harlem at his favorite tiny soul food diner.We walked around the neighborhood chatting and taking photos Then we went to his home in a converted old hotel by Times Square His room is stacked with photo books, old cameras, boxes of flash bulbs, photos cover the walls.

He used to photograph at nightclubs and has probably shot every one, the famous and not so famous  He takes just one Polaroid which he sells to the subject He never thought to take one for himself

“”I just photograph people, I stand outside and wait for them to come to me. I give them a set price for a Polaroid photo if I need  to buy a coffee or an extraordinary price if I need to fly away”

The idea that he is a documentary photographer seems strange to him He was just taking photographs of people for ‘coffee money’

Now 80 years old Louis can be found outside  B&H Photo, Adorama or at an event at BAM, always impeccably dressed, still taking polaroid portraits – have him take your photo.