Today we’d like to introduce you to Asher Shafer.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Hi there, my name is Asher Shafer and I am a photographer that brings public transit to life through vivid images that are powered by sunrises and sunsets. You’re probably wondering where this love for buses and trains came from, well to answer that; let’s hop on one of the bus routes from my childhood: The 4 Fessenden.
I grew up on the Northside of Portland, where I had a platter of bus routes to choose from for my commute to school, with the 4 Fessenden being one of them. This route definitely put some hair on my chest, as it was usually packed full of characters from all walks of life, with a good amount of them waiting to be cast a role on a tv show. There was never a dull moment on the 4, its passengers blessed you with the ability to become a legendary storyteller. You could say it was one of the more “dangerous” routes, but that term is tossed around more than an empty can left on the floor of the bus. You see things happened; but it was never directed at you, it was more like a show where you got the front seat to witness all of the gritty and the pretty moments that can happen in society. Long story short, the bus just gives you these quirky experiences that make your life feel rich, it’s the perfect remedy for those who struggle with captivating conversations. However, it’s not the wild side of transit that makes me love it so much, it’s actually the sense of peace and curiosity I get from riding it.
The bus has so much to teach us about our neighborhoods and communities, it even has a lot it can teach us about ourselves. You see; when people commute by driving, for example, they have to be focused on the road and put all of the energy into getting to the destination. When you ride transit, the bus has this ability to slow life down and reveal things about your neighborhood that might’ve been under your nose for years. You begin to notice stores and restaurants you might have overlooked in the past, from hole-in-the-wall eateries that serve food network cuisine to vintage clothing stores where you might find your next identity. The bus is really just your neighborhood on wheels and the people that ride it are just different parts of its personality all interacting and coexisting with each other.
As you’re taking in all of this new information during this ride, you start to think to yourself about life and this is where the bus takes on the role of being your favorite therapist.
You see there’s this unwritten rule where people don’t engage with each other on the bus for the most part. This leaves you with the ability to just be present with yourself and shut out the world while you ponder the issues that you face in life and how to overcome them, Bring your favorite playlist, choose a scenic route, and enjoy the ride as you gaze upon the beauty of the city that you live in, allowing it to give you the epiphany you’ve been praying for. You might experience this in your own thoughts, or you roll past a certain sign around town, or perhaps you hear a couple of strangers on the bus a few rows down discussing ways to overcome your issues without even being part of their conversation.
I have spent so much time exploring cities with public transit, I think it truly is the best way to see and interact with a city (depending on which city you visit). Public transit has given me more of an edge with photography. I started out shooting landscape photos and would use the transit system to discover these hidden parks that haven’t been milked to death by Instagram. The destination never ended up being the best part, in fact, it was the scenes that I would notice along the routes where nature met the city, that sparked my imagination. As I started feeling more comfortable as a photographer, I began to incorporate buses into my photos with hope that I could reveal the personalities that each route possesses. I still felt like there was a missing piece to the puzzle, until one day I was walking home from work on the Steel Bridge and I witnessed one of the most incredible sunsets I have ever seen. Except the star of the show wasn’t actually the sun going down, it was this massive cumulonimbus cloud that was hovering above the bridge. The cloud looked like a triple scoop of Baskin Robbins ice cream featuring the most vivid red, orange, and purple hues. I felt the bridge start to shake and noticed a MAX Red Line train approaching from the distance. I remember that I brought my camera with me to work that day thankfully so I was able to capture the majestic scene. Vibes were felt with every click as I found my new power source to help breathe life into my transit shots. I am forever thankful for that moment even though I wasn’t able to catch a 4 Fessenden or a 44 Mockscrest shot with the cloud.
God handed me the formula I needed to help spread my message. People generally don’t find interest in a bus as I would, so I knew a photo of just a bus wouldn’t do. There has to be a story in the photo that includes portions of the route that make it so unique, followed by using a sunset as the icing on the cake to provide the moods and vibes necessary to reveal the soul of the bus route. Every bus route has a soul and a personality, people just don’t see that yet.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have been a lot of challenges that I have faced along the way, and a lot of them I have always kept to myself. I grew up in a house where I generally had my material needs met, but there was a lot of emotional abuse in my household that was directed towards me. I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome in middle school plus I had self-esteem issues from all the verbal abuse I would receive in my house. I was really sensitive to loud noises so the screaming and yelling weren’t the best for me to be around. I would see the 40 Mockscrest cruise in front of our house every half hour and say “Hey man you need a ride? It sounds kind of crazy in there.” I would just leave and say that I’m going to go ride the bus, and I would just hop on different routes for hours traveling across the city. It was the perfect sanctuary for me because I was generally left alone to be with my thoughts, but I would also have an occasional rich interaction or encounter with another bus rider. The whole experience gave me value towards myself as I grew fascinated with how each bus route has its own personality and contains its own flavor of rich life experiences.
There is a correlation where a lot of people that like to ride the bus for fun are also on the Autism spectrum or have Aspergers. I can’t speak for everyone but I think that might be because we don’t have the pressure to interact with people but we’re able to see how people connect with each other in society. As I’ve grown older, I don’t really feel like I have Asperger’s anymore so I really want to encourage the ones that are struggling with it to keep working on yourselves, because you have the ability to overcome a label that has been given to you.
I also deal with a lot of physical issues, I have Multiple Hereditary Exostoses where I am basically a superhero that grows extra bones throughout my body and on my joints. Some of these bones have to be surgically removed due to the friction they can cause on my muscles, nerves, and organs. When I was 21, I lost my Mom due to suicide, which I think may have contributed to another condition I developed 6 months later called Neurofibromatosis. I can’t make this condition sound cool but I grow benign nerve tumors throughout my body, especially on my spine and feet. When I was 22 I was at a point where I lost a lot of my mobility and was on a lot of narcotics that only took away a fraction of the pain. I eventually had to have surgery on my lumbar spine where they removed a few of the tumors. The doctors couldn’t answer my question on if I would be able to walk again after the procedure. Thankfully it got rid of a large amount of the pain and I felt mostly like my old self. 8 years later the pain is starting to come back in places, so I am currently looking for alternative methods to treat myself.
None of this has ever stopped me from taking photos though. I would go out on crutches sometimes or I would carry around a cushion pad I could sit on. A few people have laughed at me on the bus for carrying it, but it really did help me feel more comfortable doing what I love. Photography and bus rides were the only thing that kept me sane during that time period as it was hard to maintain the energy to be social around my friends and family. You might say that I was never sane, to begin with.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a photographer that uses the power of sunsets and sunrises to bring buses and trains to life, where I also incorporate beloved landmarks from the cities and communities they serve.
I am more known for my work in the Seattle area with King County Metro, Pierce Transit, Sound Transit, and Community Transit, but I also try to get images of other agencies throughout the country as well.
There are other transit photographers like me, but my focus is dedicated to showing people the soul of the bus I am taking a picture of. It’s about showing people how heroic buses really are in our society and planet, bringing awareness to the fact that they are one of our most effective and under-utilized tools for fighting climate change.
My biggest achievement was last year when I collaborated with King County Metro on their: It’s A Great Day to Ride Metro campaign. This promotion featured my photos on billboards and on the sides of King County Metro buses throughout the city of Seattle. I also starred in a commercial that was centered on my transit photography as well to try and recover fallen ridership numbers from the pandemic.
My goal is to assist transit agencies around the world with changing any bad stereotypes that buses and trains possess from the public while highlighting the important role they play in our community. Transit is like people, it needs love and affection to thrive. Once transit improves, so does everything else around us,
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
-Take some time to get to know your transit system. -Don’t be afraid of talking to operators.
-Every shot you take with your camera is a step forward in fighting any anxiety or doubts that may be trapped in your mind. -Take photos that you would want to hang on your wall.
-You have the power to overcome any label that has been given to you.
-Living with Aspergers becomes easier every day.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.ashaferphoto.com
- Instagram: transit_scenes
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/Transitscenes
Image Credits
Asher Shafer
