Letting a Negative Influence turn you on to the positive glow of Detroit on a photowalk.

Justin is a Negative Influence

I met Justin years ago while covering a metal show where he was in the band called A Sleepless Malice. We became Facebook friends, and I kept in tune with him as he moved on to working with Aaron Lumsden at Akuro Productions. This resulted in some fantastic photo and video work, particularly for bands such as Finality and Among These Ashes.

Along the way, Justin had been sharing his adventures with photography, in particular film. I can’t remember the specifics, but a little over a year ago, we chatted about how much social media sucks and how hard it was to share your work through those channels. I mentioned to him that we’d found Substack to be a great supplement to our website by providing a nice way to stay in touch with other creative souls.

Shortly after our chat, Justin started his Negative Influence podcast via Substack. He was kind enough to spend some time chatting with me on an episode. When you listen to the Negative Influence podcast, you quickly realize that Justin has a deep passion for photography. You also learn that he is a no-bullshit guy with an authentic voice who believes that everyone can be creative and explore the art of photography.

Detroit Photowalk

When Justin announced his first Negative Influence photowalk in Detroit, I jumped at the chance. You see, I had never been on an organized photowalk. I’d done a couple of one-offs with friends, but not a group of other photographers. 

The plan was to meet on a Saturday afternoon at Campus Martius in Detroit and spend the afternoon roaming around and seeing what we could see. Brenda and I arrived a bit early. We roamed around, looking for people with cameras, while consulting the group chat Justin had set up for those interested in the walk. 

The weather forecast threatened rain and, of course, made good on that threat shortly after we introduced ourselves to two fellow Negative Influence photowalkers, both named Joe. Soon, a sizable group of nearly 30 photographers gathered in the light rain as our host, Justin, arrived. Along to document the fun was Aaron from Akuro with a video camera in hand.

Exploring The City

Before we headed out on our adventure, Justin shared a few ground rules, which were: don’t be a dick, no mansplaining, and no gatekeeping. I loved it! The tone was set for an open and inviting afternoon in the city with other artists. 

We made our way north toward Grand River to explore The Belt and Parker’s Alley. As the rain started to come down harder, we took shelter under an overhang until it gave way to bright blue skies. The water gave the streets a lustrous sheen and created water puddle mirrors.

The Photographer’s Eye

It was very interesting to watch how each photographer’s eye was caught by a particular scene. Someone would drop down for a street perspective, another would notice the light reflections on a building across the street, and others would snag a shot of Bruno Mars fans dressed in red and black on their way to the show.

One of the photographers on the walk, Jason, used a vintage folding film camera. It looked like something from the early 1900s. He would ask folks if he could take their portrait. Most people were happy to oblige.

I found myself drawn to reflections and the beauty of the streets. I tried to change my perspective both physically and mentally. I tried to see the art in the mundane. What I found was that the city of Detroit was more than happy to intrigue and captivate.

Eastern Market and the Dequindre Cut

Our walk took us over to Eastern Market. A few folks stopped for pizza at Supino Pizzeria. Brenda, Aaron, and a few others made our way to Eastern Market Brewing for a beer. Refueled, we headed down the Dequindre Cut. This is a fantastic mini-greenway created in what used to be the Grand Trunk Western Railroad. It was a serene walk down to Lafayette St.

With thoughts of food and maybe another beer calling, Brenda and I said goodbye to the group and made our way back to the car. We made a beeline to Batch Brewing in Corktown for dinner before heading home.

That’s A Wrap

This Negative Influence photowalk was outstanding. It allowed me to stretch myself as a photographer and try to see things differently. In the process, I met some fantastic people and extremely talented artists. The photowalk also highlighted once again the transformation of Detroit. The city is beautiful and welcoming. For those of us who remember the city’s dark times, walking downtown showed that the change is real and positive.

It was great to see Justin’s face when he saw all the people that his podcast had drawn together. He mentioned that he was blown away by the response. To me, it just made sense. Justin makes photography approachable to everyone through his humble demeanor and no-bullshit attitude. I know putting on an event like this is a lot of work, but I’m hopeful that Justin will continue to host these photowalks as they allow artists of all levels to gather in person and share our love of this medium.

Check This Out

Take a minute to check out some of the images from a few photographers who were part of the Negative Influence Detroit Photowalk. FYI – If you attended the walk and would like to be listed, shoot me an email.

• Justin – Negative Influence 
• Jason Kluttz 
• Maybe Gage 
• Antonio Donofrio 
• Detroit Imagery 
• Shot Girl Porsche 
• Crestwood Photography 

Don’t miss the excellent video shot by Akuro Productions with additional footage by Paul Raymond with Full Send Productions. (Cut by Justin.)

Photos

You can find more of our photos from the Negative Influence Detroit Photowalk in our gallery.

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