Minnesotan To Meet: Humans Of Minneapolis' Stephanie Glaros

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Take a walk down any downtown street and you'll likely see someone snapping a photo along the way. That's how this week's Minnesotan to Meet got her start.

For years, Stephanie Glaros has been carrying her camera everywhere. At first the images were really just for fun. Then they morphed into a blog called Humans of Minneapolis. Now that blog has turned into a book.

Glaros developed her love for photography from her father while growing up in Arden Hills.

"I had a father who was a very serious hobbyist, so we had a dark room in the house," Glaros said.

The longtime Minneapolis resident started her career as a freelancer in graphic design. She teaches social media literacy classes and was previously a magazine art director, but she says this, by far, is her most fulfilling project.

"I started approaching people to take their photos because I used to work on 12th and Hennepin, and I would walk to and from work and I would bring my camera with me," Glaros said.

Her photo collage of Minneapolis pedestrians is now known as Humans of Minneapolis.

"I started noticing that I would see the same people every day and yet we wouldn't interact with each other, for some reason there was just a barrier," she said.

With her Canon 5D in hand, Glaros doesn't just take a snapshot, but since 2012 she's used the camera to start a conversation.

"The biggest change, I approach people with a blank slate, with an open mind and I think people are really able to reveal themselves to me," she said.

Those street side chats have been put to paper in her newly published book. Among the stories is that of Celanious, who is a recovering addict and can be found on page 63.

"He was talking about how important the library is to his recovery," Glaros said. "He goes and he'll just read at the library."

The library is one her favorite spots to photograph, First Avenue is another. Following the death of Prince it became an outlet not just for others, but also for Glaros.

"It was really interesting because it turned out to be therapeutic for me, helped me clarify my own feelings," Glaros said.

In the book she thanks the faces in the photos for being willing to talk to the "weird lady with the camera," as she put it.

"I just appreciate people's candor and willingness to participate in something like this. I think it's pretty brave," she said.

She admitted that it's sort of a spin-off of Humans of New York.

The new book is published by a local publisher Wise Ink.