Keith Z releases photo book of Portland's homeless
The 53-year-old former addict started shooting at 49 and plans to hand out free copies to the subjects in his new collection.
By Andrew Bennett ·
Keith Zimmerman stands in the Alphabet District, sorting through boxes of his new photo book, Outside. The publication documents the people he has known for years while living on Portland’s streets. He plans to give copies to many of the individuals featured in the pages.
Zimmerman was 49 when he first held a professional camera. He had spent decades battling addiction and homelessness, with his journey including a suicide attempt at the St. Johns Bridge. He credits the 12-step program and a stay at a Native American rehab facility for his recovery. During the pandemic, he lived in transitional housing in Chinatown and trained as a social worker through Central City Concern.
His interest in photography grew after viewing a book by Jamel Shabazz, who documented Harlem in the 1970s and 1980s. Zimmerman sought guidance from Bobby Abrahamson, a photojournalist and co-founder of Franklin Foto, a nonprofit community darkroom in St. Johns. Abrahamson recalls meeting Zimmerman on Instagram and being surprised by his age. Franklin Foto provided Zimmerman with an old 35 mm SLR camera that had previously belonged to Ward Shortridge, a street portraitist who died in 2019.
The book features portraits of people Zimmerman calls unique individuals possessing style and pride. He often pays his subjects a few dollars for their time and image. One subject, Yvonne, whose face appears on the cover, stopped at a photo of her late friend Ruby. Yvonne noted that Ruby shared everything she had with others. Zimmerman described the moment he saw Yvonne’s portrait, saying he knew immediately that it was a Madonna.
Zimmerman has a complicated history with Hollywood director Derek Cianfrance, who wrote the film Brother Tied based loosely on Zimmerman’s life. Zimmerman played a version of himself in the movie but felt the film was sappy and relied on racial stereotyping. A disagreement in 2023 led Zimmerman to describe the relationship as burned, though he says he loves Cianfrance.
The book launch is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 7, at Franklin Foto, located at 8953 N Lombard St. The show will run through Nov. 30. Admission is free. Zimmerman is also preparing for exhibits at Blue Sky Gallery in December and a subsequent show in Phoenix.
