Three years ago, Calvin Dziewulski moved from Greensburg to the South Side Slopes, a neighborhood in Pittsburgh notable for its distinct hills, which old homes rest precariously on.

Alongside Jake, Dziewulski’s 85-pound energetic hound dog, the pair started taking frequent walks through the winding city streets. Dziewulski said that’s when he started taking photos.

In the last year, he has amassed nearly 70k followers on Instagram, where he goes by the handle ‘Calvin 412.’ He also has published three books, the most recent being “My Neighborhood and Yours,” which is dedicated to his fiancé, Jessica.

Like most of the work featured on his Instagram, the photo book is packed full of yellow light ensconcing old and often dilapidated Pittsburgh homes and city sidewalks, a scene recognizable to most residents.

Dziewulski said that familiarity is what makes his photos special.

“There are so many people who take photos of the skyline, and that was never what Pittsburgh was to me,” Dziewulski said. “I like to take photos of scenes you can imagine yourself in. I wanted my photos to give you more of a feeling.”

Before he started capturing Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods, as a kid Dziewulski focused on photographing nature scenes, a hobby he said blossomed to manage his ADHD. Despite showing interest in the craft at a young age, he said he has no formal training besides one class in high school and never expected to become a professional photographer.

Dziewulski graduated from the University of Pittsburgh Greensburg with a bachelor’s degree in communications and, since moving to the city, began working and studying at Pitt. There, he is currently enrolled in the Urban Planning and Public Affairs graduate program.

“I started researching what used to be here in Pittsburgh and that’s really what made me fall in love with urban planning,” Dziewulski said. “It’s been really good to get involved with the community and tie my love of photography and the history of the city together.”

He said his interest in urban planning lends itself to his photography, which is obvious from a quick scroll through his page or flip through his books. He records present-day Pittsburgh, which is undeniably marked with its past. He embraces city steps and aluminum awnings: remnants of a history he urges no one to forget.

“I like to go to these communities that are underserved because I don’t feel they have been properly documented and seen,” Dziewulski said. “I think it makes people confront that reality, because it’s so easy to ignore it.”

Dziewulski said he constantly considers the ethics of his photography, which is part of why, unlike many other photographers, he does not feature people or stage scenes.

“I think that with my platform I have an ethical responsibility to show these places,” Dziewulski said.

Although he loves capturing the grungy residuum left on the city after the collapse of the steel industry, Dziewulski prioritizes the prosperity of his neighbors.

“I would rather see people happy and thriving in these communities than me be able to take a picture of some rundown garage,” Dziewulski said.

His involvement with the community may start with photography, but it doesn’t end there.

In addition to his studies, Dziewulski spends 25 hours-a-week interning in Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood neighborhood, where he works closely with low-income residents and advocates for affordable housing development.

Just like the connection between his master’s program studies, Dziewulski wants to draw community members into his photography work.

Once a month, he plans to take anyone willing to fill out the Google form on a photo walk throughout Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods.

“I would like to expose people to different parts of the city that they might not have been to and educate people on photography and get people into it,” Dziewulski said.

He encourages people of all skill levels to join him. He says that he understands photography is a traditionally expensive hobby but doesn’t expect anyone to have equipment other than a phone camera.

Most of the time, Dziewulski shoots with an Olympus OMD EM1 Mark III, a roughly $50 camera, and barely edits his photos.

He said he relies on the lighting in the scene to guide his lens.

“Photography means painting with light, so light is always something I’m looking for,” he said.

Dziewulski’s favorite light is the saturated yellow that pours from Pittsburgh’s outdated streetlights.

“Those lights are fantastic,” he said. “The sodium lights are really old; from the 60s and 70s.”

He said the city is slowly replacing the lights with an LED alternative, which he said the Kelvin rating is often misadjusted on, making them appear white or blue.

“It’s never going to be the same,” Dziewulski said.

He plans to continue his photography and urban planning work, inspiring young photographers and connecting with his neighbors along the way.

Dziewulski’s books are available for purchase on his website, and he said he is excited to announce some of his photographs will be displayed at the August Wilson Center in an upcoming exhibition.