Anti-Graffiti Man

How do you pull off a portrait of someone who doesn't want his identity publicly known?

That was my recent challenge, when my editor assigned me to photograph a community crusader against graffiti. The anonymous activist hopscotches 'hoods throughout Newark, NJ., once or twice a week to paint over graffiti.

Making a portrait of someone who doesn't want their face shown can be difficult, especially if it's not a visual subject. But this guy was good: I knew I could have fun, graphically, if I persuaded him to show just parts of his face or his shadow.

So we went to his home turf. I photographed him less than a block from his house, using his favorite anti-graffiti weapon - a paint roller - to hide most of his face. For another shot, I used his shadow to make a portrait of him in one area that frequently has to paint over and over.