Photographer Travels Across America Capturing Portraits of Strangers on a 6×6 Rolleiflex

Matt Growcoot
Black and white photo split in two: Left shows two fashionable women, one in a hat, the other in leopard print. Right features a shirtless man holding a skateboard behind his neck. A vintage camera is centered in a red circle between the images.
Coast to coast, photographer Kenneth Wajda has been taking portraits of people with his Rolleiflex camera, pictured inset.

Is there any camera better equipped to ignite a conversation with a stranger than a Rolleiflex? The twin-lens classic screams old-world elegance and precision engineering.

Therefore, it’s an excellent choice of camera for a project capturing street portraits of strangers. Not that Kenneth Wajda, who has traveled across the United States with his Rolleiflex 3.5F, likes to call his subjects strangers.

“The camera is a talking point,” Wajda tells PetaPixel. “I approach people with a 4×6 card that has eight portraits on it in one hand and the Rolleiflex camera in the other. Being so distinctive, they notice the Rolleiflex as I tell them I make street portraits with it and would like to make theirs.”

Black and white photo of a person with curly hair standing outside wearing a wetsuit. They hold a surfboard vertically next to them, gazing directly at the camera. The background shows part of a building.

A shirtless man with tribal tattoos on his arms stands confidently on a sunny path. He is wearing a cap, and a jacket is tied around his waist. Trees and foliage are visible in the background. The photo is in black and white.

Two smiling boys stand close, one wearing a sports jersey with the number 2 and the other in a GAP USA hoodie. The boy in the jersey has braces, and they both have their arms around each other, conveying friendship. The image is in black and white.

A black and white photo shows a woman and a man embracing closely. The woman is sitting on the man's lap, both looking content. They are outdoors with a blurred background of grass and sand.

A black and white photo of two people sitting on a stone ledge, embracing closely and smiling. They are wearing plaid and casual attire. The street and a building with a sign are visible in the background.

Black and white photo of a person sitting on a curved metal bench. They're holding a phone, wearing a black long-sleeve top, light-colored overalls, and white sneakers. There's a window in the background with partial text visible.

Wajda’s Rolleiflex is a 6×6 meaning it makes 12 negative pictures on a 120 roll. The photographer operates it by looking down into the viewfinder which is at the top of the camera. The image appears reversed left-to-right and focusing is done manually.

“I didn’t want to take portraits of strangers so much as make portraits of the amazing people I encounter in the streets in various cities,” Wajda explains.

“Street portraiture is great because you can go out without a client and return with a dozen beautiful portraits, and the people I photograph walk away feeling special that they were chosen to have one made…Some people even ask for prints and I gift them to them framed at no cost — I want my work to live in home galleries around the world, and they do.”

Two women standing side by side in front of a shop window. One leans on the other's shoulder. Both are smiling and dressed in casual, bohemian-style clothing. The black and white photo gives a vintage feel.

Three boys stand closely together, smiling and looking at each other. One wears a white Under Armour shirt and cap, another has a cap and jacket, and the middle boy has a hand on each friend's shoulder. The background shows trees and a building.

Black and white photo of a person wearing sunglasses and a patterned shirt, standing outdoors with trees in the background. They have short, curly hair and a relaxed expression, with a patterned scarf draped over one shoulder.

Four people sitting closely on a bench, smiling. They're dressed in casual summer outfits, with two wearing white dresses and boots, and two in pants and casual tops. A decorative mural is visible in the background. The image is in black and white.

A woman wearing a wide-brimmed hat and sleeveless top sits at an outdoor table. She rests her chin on her hand, looking at the camera with a relaxed expression. Trees and outdoor structures are blurred in the background. Black and white image.

Black and white photo of a man wearing a bandana and a T-shirt with a logo, standing in front of a sticker-covered public phone booth. The background includes a brick wall. The film brand is marked on the side of the image.

Two young women pose back-to-back, smiling at the camera. One has long dark hair and the other has light hair. Both wear casual tank tops and jeans. The setting appears to be an outdoor urban area. Black and white photograph.

A person with an afro hairstyle and glasses is wearing a sleeveless knitted top. They are standing outdoors with tents and a building in the background. The image is in black and white.

Wajda took portraits in his home city of Boulder and other Coloradan cities. But he’s also traveled coast to coast: shooting in Brooklyn, Princeton, and Los Angeles.

“People light up and are very responsive,” Wajda says when asked what people’s reactions are like when he approaches them. “Very few say no, I’d say 5%.”

“I don’t ask people who look like they’re in a hurry, are eating, or otherwise appear to be unavailable for a portrait,” he continues. “I go to high-traffic areas and I dress stylishly so when I compliment their style, they appreciate the compliment and that shows in their portrait.”

Two women with long hair sit on a brick ledge, resting their chins on their hands and smiling. They wear casual clothes and the background shows a blurred urban setting with trees and buildings. The photo is in black and white.

A smiling older man with a mustache holds a cigar while sitting on a bench. He is wearing a plaid shirt with a pen and glasses in the pocket. The setting appears to be outdoors, with trees and buildings in the blurred background. Black and white photo.

A man with a white beard sits at a wooden table outdoors, resting an arm on the table beside several small, round objects. He wears a dark shirt and a watch, looking slightly upwards with a thoughtful expression. Trees are visible in the background.

A man with a beard and a hat is sitting on a bench, smoking. Smoke curls up in the air as he looks off into the distance. It's a black and white image, with trees and a blurred car in the background.

A person wearing round sunglasses, a patterned bandana, and a plaid jacket with a shearling collar stands in front of a building with arched windows. They have a backpack on and are captured in black and white.

A person with long hair stands outdoors, leaning on a suitcase. They wear a T-shirt, shorts, and platform boots. The background features a building with a canopy, tables, and umbrellas. The photo is in black and white.

Two women wearing patterned jackets and multiple caps stacked on their heads pose outdoors. They stand beside a pole, smiling slightly, with blurred buildings in the background. Image in black and white.

Black and white photo of a woman in a white dress with floral patterns. She stands on a path, smiling with arms crossed. Trees and a building are in the background. The scene conveys a serene, timeless atmosphere.

Man with glasses and a goatee smiles while leaning against a pole covered in stickers. He wears a white patterned shirt over a dark tank top. The background features blurred trees, creating an outdoor setting. Image in black and white.

A black and white photo of two people in a convertible car. They are smiling and looking back at the camera. The person on the left has short dreadlocks, and the person on the right has sunglasses on their head. Trees line the road in the background.

Wajda has taken over 500 portraits so far and that number continues to grow. His goal is always to fill each of the 12 available negatives on his film with an individual’s picture.

Once he’s shot the photos, Wajda returns to his studio and loads the film into a stainless steel developing tank in a Harrison changing tent, mixes up a fresh 16 ounce of Kodak HC-110 Dilution B developer, and develops the film for five minutes at 68 degrees Fahrenheit. After a 30-second stop bath with water, he uses a pre-mixed Ilford Rapid Fixer for five minutes.

“I wash the film for 10 minutes, soak it a minute in Kodak Photo-Flo, shake out the excess water, hang it on a clothesline and 45 minutes later it’s dry and ready to scan,” says Wajda.

A girl sits outdoors wrapped in a striped towel with only her face and knee exposed. She has a slight smile and is crouched on a pad. The background includes grassy and blurred natural scenery.

Two young people with medium-length hair sit closely on a stone ledge outdoors. They wear dark clothing and chain necklaces. One rests their chin on their hand. Trees and a building are in the background. The image is in black and white.

A young child wearing a jersey and sandals confidently walks in front of a fire truck. The child is focused and appears determined. The scene is in black and white.

Three teenagers pose together outside. One is on a bicycle, wearing a cap and gloves. Two are standing on either side, smiling. They all appear relaxed and cheerful. Trees and parked cars are in the background. The image is in black and white.

A man with short hair is floating on his back in a body of water, wearing dark swim trunks. The water is calm, and the image is black and white.

Black and white photo of a child walking down a street. The child wears a sleeveless shirt with "USA" printed on it, star-spangled shorts, and cowboy boots. Trees line the road, and a vehicle is visible in the background.

An elderly couple sits outside in lawn chairs, holding hands and smiling at each other. The woman wears a patterned dress, and the man wears a jacket and cap. They are in a grassy area with large tree trunks in the background.

Next up, the negatives are laid on a Kaiser light table and are photographed by a Nikon D600 DSLR camera. Wajda keeps the 120 film border in the frame.

The digital files are then imported into Lightroom, exported, and saved at full resolution. “Then I go to Photoshop, where I’ve built an action called ‘invert’ and do an Automate>Batch process which inverts all the images in it, de-saturates them, sets basic levels, and then saves and closes the files.”

This lightning quick turnaround — for film at least — means Wajda can send the pictures to the people the very same day. “I tell them there’s no cost and they can download it that evening…After I pose them and make the exposure, I turn the card over and there’s a QR Code that they go to which is to the project’s gallery page, which I tell them their portrait will be at the top of later that evening.”

Four children smile and pose together outdoors during a parade or celebration, wearing festive attire with stars and stripes, and holding small American flags. The background shows trees and part of a building.

A person with curly hair smiles with arms crossed, wearing a t-shirt with the letter "P" on it. They stand outdoors in front of trees. The image has a black-and-white film aesthetic.

Two young girls stand closely together on grass, surrounded by trees. They are dressed in light summer dresses and wearing shoes. One girl has her arm around the other's shoulder. The image is in black and white.

A shirtless man holding a skateboard behind his neck poses confidently outdoors. He stands in front of a palm tree, wearing dark pants with gloves, and sunglasses tucked into his waistband. Background features grass and a blurry sky.

Two women stand outdoors posing for a photo. One wears a wide-brimmed hat and a long-sleeve shirt with fleur-de-lis designs, holding a purse. The other wears a leopard print coat. They both smile and look at the camera. The setting appears urban.

For more about the project, head to Wajda’s 6×6 Portraits blog and Americanstreetportraits.com. More of his work can be found on his website and Facebook.

Image credits: Kenneth Wajda

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