Interview: Night Ministry in San Francisco With Reverend Lyle Beckman by Peter Menkin

and the people on the street really exposed a lot of vulnerability to each other and to me. It was very courageous of them to let me listen, much less photograph. 

Can you imagine exposing your darkness and pain to someone completely, being in a place of tenderness that you will only share with a handful of people, and having a big camera in your face? 

I tried to be as considerate as possible, though I tend to get carried away in the world of photography and forget myself. I tried to stay as far out of the way as possible, and I think I was fairly successful. Nobody got mad at me.             

4.      Where else will this particular shoot be shown, and if someone wants to buy a print of one of the pictures, how may that be done? Do they contact the Gallery directly? Are you going to work on another project in the near future, and if so, will you tell us about it? Has your work played somewhere else, of a different set of photographs than those of Night Ministry, San Francisco? What was that show, and where?

The work will only be shown at the Diocesan House. If anyone is interested in purchasing a print or in asking any questions, I am free to be contacted at [email protected]. 

The Diocesan House ]Gallery 1055] is actually the only gallery [where] I have ever shown any of my work. I have taken pictures and sold them at horse shows, but other than that I haven’t really publically displayed any of my work. 

I am not currently working on anything and I doubt I will work on anything for a while. School as taken over my life and for now my priority is concentrating on my studies. 

5.      As a writer, I take some snapshots and sometimes I try to take something more spiritual or that reveals ministry or religion. These are for my interest, and I don’t consider myself a photographer. But I tell you this so to get to the next question: Have you a particular vision for your work? For example, what was your purpose in the shoot? Was it to capture people, say something of ministry, and show God’s work? Please let us know. And if you had a plan going in, what was it? If not, on reflection, what would you say of the work—either as artist or photographer? Did you find the darks and lights of the night more compelling than not, and did you feel the pictures were of a dramatic kind, as one person who saw your work remarked to me?

Photography has been given very violent words for what it does – capture and shoot. I don’t like the idea of capture. It makes me think of those tribes around the world that think photos capture their souls. 

I don’t want to capture souls or beauty or some meaning or anything with photography. Still less to I feel like a hunter trying to shoot down or conquer beauty. All I want to do is connect with beauty. Photography is one way of doing that. So there is no particular vision for my work. 

We researched about people with dual diagnosis as a vulnerable population. Please be aware of Mie’s soft voice. You may need to raise the volume. Thank you for watching!

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