www.howardwolffphotography.com
The Men of the Men’s Shed
This series of photographs was compiled from weekly visits (over a two-year period) to a warehouse on Pier 19 in Honolulu. There, a group of mostly older men regularly come together to share their knowledge and skills, working “shoulder to shoulder” in the company of others on projects of all types.
Founded in Australia, the not-for-profit Men’s Shed movement provides a chance for men to gather in a purposeful way and counteract the effects of loneliness, which is linked to early mortality (especially in men).
My goal was not only to capture what the men were working on but also to convey a sense of who they are. In some cases, I chose to create the images in black+white to have the viewer focus on the face and not on the color of a shirt or element in the background. The candid images I’ve chosen incorporate natural light in a style that pays homage to the masters of chiaroscuro — like Caravaggio, Rembrandt, and Vermeer — none of whom I had the pleasure of meeting.
My humble hope, in photographing the men of the Men’s Shed, is to document how these individuals, who have become my friends, are redefining masculinity and creating community.
