On this episode of The PHYS Podcast, Tyson Martin sits down with Portland-based photographer Ryan Aanderud for a powerful conversation about photography, compassion, community, and the responsibility that comes with pointing a camera at another human being.

Some photographers use cameras to document the world around them.

Ryan uses photography to build relationships within it.

Tyson was first introduced to Ryan through friend and previous PHYS Podcast guest Ben Tobin, a photographer known for his commitment to community and connection in Spokane, Washington. As Tyson quickly discovered, Ryan shares many of those same values.

Photography may be the vehicle.

But people are always the destination.

Ryan has carried a camera for much of his life, but over time photography evolved into something much deeper than simply creating images. Today, his work exists at the intersection of street photography, portraiture, and community care.

When Ryan walks through Portland with his camera, he's carrying more than photography gear.

Alongside his Leica Q2 Monochrom, you'll often find food, clothing, first-aid supplies, Narcan, and stacks of printed photographs destined to be returned to the people who trusted him enough to stand in front of his lens.

For Ryan, photography is not a one-sided transaction.

It's a relationship.

A conversation.

An opportunity to show up for people in ways that extend beyond the frame.

Working exclusively with a 28mm lens, Ryan photographs from close range. There is no hiding behind long lenses or photographing from a distance.

His approach requires presence.

Trust.

Vulnerability.

The physical proximity created by a 28mm lens demands genuine connection, and that connection becomes visible in the photographs themselves.

His black-and-white portraits reveal something often missing from modern visual culture: dignity.

Rather than reducing people to subjects, Ryan's work invites viewers to see individuals as collaborators, each carrying their own story, humanity, and worth.

In this conversation, Tyson and Ryan discuss photography as a form of service, the ethics of street portraiture, and why trust matters far more than any image ever could.

In This Episode:

• Ryan Aanderud's journey into street photography and portraiture
• How photography became a tool for connection and community care
• Carrying food, clothing, Narcan, and medical supplies alongside camera gear
• Why returning photographs to subjects matters
• The ethics and responsibilities of photographing vulnerable communities
• Working exclusively with a 28mm lens and the Leica Q2 Monochrom
• Building trust before making photographs
• Why dignity and respect must come before the image
• The relationship between service and storytelling
• Photography as an act of empathy and human connection

Ryan's work reminds us that photography is not simply about what we take.

It's about what we give.

His photographs challenge us to think differently about street photography and portraiture, encouraging a deeper understanding of the people who stand in front of our cameras.

At a time when images are often created and consumed in seconds, Ryan's approach is rooted in something slower and more meaningful.

Showing up.

Listening.

Helping when possible.

And creating photographs built on trust rather than extraction.

This conversation is an inspiring exploration of street photography, community service, compassion, and the ways creativity can strengthen the human connections that bind us together.

Whether you're a photographer, artist, community advocate, social worker, or someone who believes creativity should serve something larger than itself, this episode offers valuable insight into what photography can become when empathy leads the way.

Because sometimes the most important thing a camera can do isn't document a moment.

It's create a bridge between people.

Follow Ryan Aanderud
Instagram: @portrait_project.17
Website: www.1studio7.com