Phantasmic Philadelphia

Photos by Ian Darrenkamp

This book would not have happened without the support of...

Eric Darrenkamp Ryan Darrenkamp Dave Darrenkamp

Sharon Darrenkamp Joe Darrenkamp Karen Snow

Gwen Landis Harry Landis Gerald Darrenkamp Jane Darrenkamp Emily Georgio Gillian Graham

Brittany Tranbaugh Adolfo del Cueto Lindsay Garrett

Mary Constangy Maggie Brommer Dennis Caruana

Katey Wagner Danielle Alric Ashley Goss

Shirley Hess Yoni Debbie Klinger

John Klinger Katie Thomas Mike Thomas

Special thanks goes out to my parents, Dave and Sharon Darrenkamp, as well as my brothers Ryan and Eric Darrenkamp, grandparents Gerald and Jane Darrenkamp and Harry and Gwen Landis, as well as the rest of my family and friends. Your love and support means the world to me.

This book is dedicated to Gerald Darrenkamp. Yes, I have my camera on me, and I am still taking pictures. Always.

ver winter break during one of the many late nights I

spent sitting at the Starbucks in my local Barnes and Noble

reading/looking at photo books without ever purchasing

them (what a deal, right?), I came across an image that got

my heart racing. It was a photo by Alexey Titarenko from his

series “City of Shadows,” a book filled with images from

Russia in the early 90’s fresh after the collapse of the

Soviet Union. Upon reading into this project some more,

he describes one particular winter evening where he was

overwhelmed with sadness and looking around the empty

streets of the once vibrant St. Petersburg. The impact of his

emotional state compounded by the state of his once proud

home left such an impression on him that he NEEDED to

capture it somehow in photographic form.

Moreover, my mind immediately turned towards

Philadelphia and how I feel every single time I go outside of

my house. While Philadelphia isn’t reeling as the result of a

nation’s collapse, it is very much a city in a downward

spiral. It’s not quite to the levels of Detroit or Cleveland

per-se, but it’s still something awful. Whenever I walk down

a city street, I keep my head down and plow forward.

Homeless people line the streets and I don’t dare to make

eye contact for fear of denying them what they ask. I don’t

know what makes me feel worse: denying them or outright

ignoring them (or even lying to them).

And it’s not just the homeless. Every person I come

across is just as much of an illusion as the last one. Who are

these strange people that we are walking by? Who

OPreface

are we holding the door open for behind us? We are

supposedly the city of brotherly love, but it’s a city of

strangers. Strangers that sometimes decide to perform a

random act of kindness, although Philadelphia is known for

actions more notorious. Our world might as well look like

these images, as it would truly make no difference at all in

how we each go about our business. We would all just be

another shade among an ocean full of shadows.

Whether it’s on the subway, on the streets, in our

classrooms (I’m looking at you, lecture hall classes), at

parties, in bars, in restaurants, in stores, even in our own

homes, we all live in this life of disconnection. It seems like a

contradiction, as all of us are always carrying our cell phones

with our constant Facebook/Twitter feeds keeping us up to

date with all of our friends online happenings. Our online

connections are growing stronger and stronger. Our human

connections, however, are rapidly decaying. It’s appalling to

imagine, but how different would our life be without any sort

human interaction whatsoever? Would we notice?

So what’s a kid with a camera to do but try this out?

Armed with a Nikon f3 (many thanks to the Thomas family),

I went all across Philadelphia on my trusty bike shooting

with more film that I ever have in my life (thanks to everyone

who supported my fundraiser to make this possible). I shot in a

way I never did before: I actually got close to people (in terms

of physical distance between us, of course) and made some

bold moves that I may not have normally made, such as

taking a photo of the Gallery from outside while a security

guard told me I couldn’t do that (I was on a sidewalk, I could

do whatever I wanted, darn it!). But enough of this, as words

just get in the way. Here it is: Phantasmic Philadelphia.

- Ian J. Darrenkamp