One Street City

One Street City started by accident. I woke up early one morning a couple of years ago and I was having a hard time getting back to sleep. So I decided to go for a walk, taking my camera with me.

Before long I found myself near a big street called Capital Boulevard. It was uncharacteristically quiet. Raleigh people know Capital as a busy street with lots of billboards, traffic, car lots, and chain restaurants. It’s not a place that’s known for its scenery. That morning though, it was peaceful. And with the sun coming up, it had a certain kind of beauty.

Seeing Capital Boulevard this way, it felt new. Like unexplored territory. For a photographer, this was fertile ground. Here was a complex landscape that changes by the minute and I was here to capture it. So I started One Street to share what I found.

My sincere hope is that my photos will inspire you to appreciate the mundane parts of life—The glow of a McDonald’s drive-thru at night, how a crack in a telephone pole can tell a story, the way six lanes of traffic can transform into a kaleidoscope of color, texture, and light. You only have to choose to see it that way.

Behind One Street City

The photographer behind One Street City is me, Ben Harris. I shoot both digital and film, and I enjoy experimenting with different cameras and lenses to add variation to my style, or to suit a certain mood. I process my own film because it makes me feel more involved in the process. There's something very special about going out, capturing some light and bringing it to life all by yourself.

When I'm not working on One Street City, I'm running a small full-service design shop in Raleigh called Tip Top Studio.

Want to say hi, or collaborate on a project? Send me an email. I love talking about this stuff and connecting with like-minded people.