Bio: David Lykes Keenan

 “You know that I think you have a great eye and are a really fine street photographer. I especially like the ones that have humor — because you have a wonderful sense of humor and you’re able to express that in your photographs.” — Mary Ellen Mark, 2009.

“(You are) a terrific street photographer. I expect to see your book published in the near future.” — Harvey Stein, 2011.

“(Your work is) simply wonderful. You are a contemporary genius of street photography and I am continually amazed.” — Dan Mouer, 2011.

Wherever I am, much of my life is spent alone in coffee shops. My most trusted companion, a Leica M camera, shares the table with me. I only come fully alive while roaming the city with my companion, hunting.

My first love affair was with an old East German camera, my dates were exciting experiences in a darkroom which my father built in our basement, and my teenage experimentations were with black and white, and then with color film.

I attended Michigan State University and graduated as a computer engineer. My best friend of the time, a Nikomat camera, was all but forgotten while I prospered as a software developer. But now I have returned to photography and live through the lens again.

My relationships are still mostly with the random and anonymous people that I photograph, in black and white, using a small and unobtrusive camera. I love the people whom I reach out to in my photographs. They are my connection to humanity and my creative conundrum.

While living in Austin, Texas, I founded Austin Center for Photography and spent four years building and guiding it through a successful launch. When not photographing, I create photography books of both my own work and of the work of others. FAIR WITNESS is a monograph of my street photography, and IN THE GUTTER is a small look at the art of the book. Currently, I am finishing off LOOK AT ME, a highly personal exploration of desire and regret. Now, I can usually be found in a coffee shop or on the streets of Austin or New York City searching for my next photographic relationship.

Glimpses of my most recent work appears in the PAW 2013 gallery on my primary web site. By the way, PAW means “Picture A Week”. I’ve been posting a new picture in these PAW galleries regularly each week since January 2007. My photographs have appeared in numerous magazines, are in numerous collections, and been exhibited in various public spaces.

You can view much of my published work in this gallery. My complete CV may be viewed in PDF form by clicking here.