Most weekends, Ismael Iribar stands near Midtown and waits for scooters.
He stands on the sidewalk, holding his Canon 70V and waits to take a picture.
The photography is for his Facebook page, Gainesville Scooters, where the 28-year-old uploads photographs of locals riding their scooters. Since its creation Sept. 9, Iribar has taken at least 800 pictures and uploaded about 150 of them.
Iribar said he started taking pictures of people on scooters because he thought it was an interesting setting in which to photograph people.
"People on the scooters are in their own bubble," he said. "They’re riding down the streets and forget they’re in a public space."
The UF alumnus, who graduated with a master’s degree in information systems and operations management in 2012, said he sees the scooter photography as a hobby alongside his job as an information technology consultant.
"I have to say my favorite picture is the only one that is in full color because this guy is decked out in head to toe in only orange and blue," Iribar said.
However, Iribar said he has yet to make a profit from the scooter photography. The camera cost him about $1,000, and the other equipment he uses cost about $500. But the self-taught photographer said he enjoys photographing the scooters in addition to Gainesville landscapes.
"I’ve noticed people get a kick out of seeing themselves in an unusual setting," he said. "You’d never get to see yourself riding through Midtown."
Preeti Kumari, a UF management and information systems master’s student said she wouldn’t have a problem if Iribar took a picture of her on her scooter.
"When I ride the scooter, I like the air on my face," the 26-year-old said. "When you ride in a car, you don’t get that feeling."
Chase Mallory, a UF health science sophomore, said he thought Iribar had taken a picture of him on his scooter once.
"I mean at first it’s a little freaky, but after you realize what he’s doing, it turns out to be cool," the 19-year-old said. "There is obviously a large and diverse population of both scooters and people, which makes the pictures interesting."
