"A vivid photographic record of a teen subculture living a perilous life on the tracks" -the
Guardian
At age 17, American photographer Mike Brodie hopped his first train close to home in Pensacola, Florida thinking he would visit a friend in Mobile, Alabama. Instead, the train went in the opposite direction to Jacksonville, Florida. Though he returned home a few days later, it sparked a desire to wander across the United States by any means that were free: walking, hitchhiking and train hopping. Despite having no formal training in photography, Brodie took a camera salvaged from behind a carseat and began to document his experiences on 35mm film. His portraits of fellow rail-riders have a soft, romantic warmth that belies Brodie's earnestness.
A Period of Juvenile Prosperity
, Brodie's first book, now in its fifth edition, was named one of the best photo books of 2013 by the
, the
New York Times
Telegraph
and
American Photo Magazine
.
Mike Brodie
(born 1985) began his photography career while hitchhiking across the United States. He is best known for his images of young rail-riders and nomads and became known as the "Polaroid Kidd" among this itinerant community. After publication of
Brodie took a hiatus from the art world, but not from photography. He has continued photographing for the past decade, and is currently editing a book of new work planned for release in 2024.