XST

This is a portrait of Shawn Theodore, a street photographer in Philadelphia.

Backstory:
Early last year I stumbled upon an Instagram account named XST. A collection of powerful, vibrant photos of Philadelphia's population sprinkled his account, immediately captivating me. As I quietly admired his work, the mystery of both the man posting them and his methods of creation toyed with my imagination. By late fall, my curiosity piqued, and so I stepped outside my comfort circle and reached out to him. I flew across the country and was received by one of the kindest, warmest humans I've ever met. Shawn Theodore, a creative director by day and moonlighting street photographer, showed me around the city and let me ride co-pilot as he went about his fantastic passion of photographing the wild colors and people of one of America's oldest working-class cities.

Shawn Theodore
instagram.com/_xst
shawntheodo.re

by Morgan Maassen
morganmaassen.com

music:
"Hovering" by Sawako
"Blastit" by Shabazz Palaces

Cast: Morgan Maassen

Tags: shawn theodore, morgan maassen, xst, street photography, philadelphia, colors, artist, profile, photographer, red dragon, sawako, shabazz palaces and culture