“I’m a lifelong Youngstown resident that received my first film camera 52 years ago at 13. I was an art student at YSU from 1979-84. I’ve always gravitated toward architectural photography, with an emphasis on the structures rather than the people and cars, which I find distracting. My photography, especially the black and white images, can be described as generally bleak, minimalistic, and can often convey feelings of loneliness, sadness, and despair. I like to think I’m documenting structures and places that may not be around forever. I’ve always liked the larger-than-life inanimate subjects: trains, water towers, bridges and the ruins left behind from the steel-producing history of the valley. I’ve been photographing professionally as ‘Black Monday Photography’ since 2024.”
– Jeff Beede