Have Instant Camera, Will Travel

By David Gonzalez
Published: April 1, 1995

Louis Mendes paced the decks of the Staten Island Ferry looking for women and children first. So what if the afternoon light was the only thing sinking?

He saves life's moments. ...

... "It's not a perfect world we live in," he said. "But I try to make a perfect picture."


Photo: Louis Mendes, portraitist and double-exposure proponent, displays his work in a movable gallery. Yesterday, he was at the Brooklyn Municipal Building with his 1940 Speed Graphic, looking for customers. (Angel Franco/The New York Times)

A version of this article appeared in print on April 1, 1995, on page 123 of the New York edition.