Richard Hake's portrait from One Shot New York (Alexander Berg)

NEW YORK, NY February 20, 2006 —An old Times Square photo lab is hosting an art exhibit, where, if you visit, you can become part of it. Swedish born photographer, Alexander Berg, is inviting people right off the street into his studio for a free portrait. The photographs will be featured in a Whitney installation and in an upcoming book called, "One Shot: New York." He keeps the negative and you keep the print, but the catch is the camera takes only one shot.

WNYC’s Richard Hake visited the studio.

VOICE: Love your hair…

REPORTER: Alexander Berg’s photos from a previous show hang on the walls at an old one-hour Kodak photo store on West 44th Street. In the back, behind a makeshift door, he’s set up a professional studio…with lights, a backdrop and a stool.

BERG: There is more trust in here. There’s a closed door. I always close the space for everybody to have their intimacy and then I have a couple of questions that I always ask, where people were born, where they are at, where they are at in life, the chance to say something to readers for the book and I ask people to title their own picture.

REPORTER: As pedestrians walk past, they gaze through the freshly cleaned glass and are perplexed at the simple sign that says “One Shot” Free portraits.

BERG: When the whole space is completely empty people are very skeptical, but as a few people are here and there’s actually proof on the table that people are content with this experience than it suddenly fills up immediately like it did just now.

REPORTER: Jane Cooper’s in town from London. She’s visiting New York for a week and was just walking by.

COOPER: We just bought tickets for the theater down here, and we were walking past and we just saw free and uh just thought, it’s free.

REPORTER: Her husband, Dan Smith says their camera broke during the trip and this would be a great souvenir.

SMITH: This looks really spectacular so uhm. I’ve never had my photograph taken by a professional. I’m really looking forward to seeing what it will look like. I’m really not photogenic.

REPORTER: Berg sets up the shot meticulously, knowing he’s only going to take one photo. Hugo Redwood, the project’s art director, says this is unlike other photo shoots where rolls and rolls of film are used.

REDWOOD: It’s so spontaneous and it’s really about presence and about capturing that one minute. And that one minute might not be the most beautiful pose or look or moment or expression, but it’s real.

REPORTER: So after Dan Smith and Jane Cooper spent about ten minutes alone with the photographer in his studio, the photo is ripped open by Berg’s wife Erica.

COOPER AND SMITH: Ok…here we go. I’m going for it, right babe? RIP. Wow, oh my lord. I’m tall. You are aren’t you? And that’s really interesting. I love it. It is.

REPORTER: Some 500 portraits are expected to be taken in the month of February. Berg wants to get them all into the book. Christopher Fasulo, an aspiring opera singer stopped by for a head shot.

FASULO: I need a good artistic picture of myself because I don’t have one.

REPORTER: Fasulo takes a seat and Berg goes to work.

BERG: That’s great, great eyes… I’m so close that it’s enough that if you only laugh with your eyes.

REPORTER: For WNYC, I’m Richard Hake.

To get your portrait done visit Alexander Berg’s studio on West 44th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues.