Photo Essay - Evidence

My photo essay concept started with the statement "Left Behind" keeping in mind all the things that get left behind in the course of the day. The things we forget, the things we drop for something more important.

However, it slowly involved into a series of events followed by evidence the event occurred. It was much more fulfilling to document someone else's journey than to document my own. I wanted to start and end the set with the same place but with different light; one more forgiving than the other. The story just evolved with the pictures and I am proud that none of them were staged.

A young man of 23 years of age wake up every morning to the same reality. He rinses off the dirt in a scalding hot shower and makes himself food. He rarely does the dishes and by rarely I mean a month by month basis. The smell lingers and is a constant reminder of what is gone.

To distract himself from his lack of a solid reality, he has people visit and they all light up smoking marijuana and trying to escape from their lives. But soon, the pot is gone, and he is deserted. But she stays, and they do not clean up. The buzz wears off and he medicated himself again just to get through the night. Which he does, with her by his side. It doesn't matter who they are, they just are. They are stuck in this swiftly moving and standard reality. Nothing changes for them because they will not change it.

http://flickr.com/photos/26920055@N05/sets/72157605690816164/

Potrait - Unfamiliar half

So, in order to shoot someone that I didn't know in their environment, I made a list of places, etc.

I thought about the mall, but I felt like it's not someone's true environment. I wanted to go to a park, but the amount of awkwardness was pretty high. Basically, I was freaking out.

So I went to my friend Emily's graduation. And as I was taking pictures of her, I saw the photographer and went to town.

It was odd taking pictures of the person who usually does. I don't think these were the best shots in the world, but they are real. This is what we do, and I enjoyed capturing something that would usually be passed over.

http://flickr.com/photos/26920055@N05/sets/72157605573139622/

Potrait - Familiar half

There were two parts to this Portrait assignment. First I have to shoot someone I know, then someone I don't.

Without informing her, or the family, I shot my Aunt Laura at my cousin Dan's house at her 62nd birthday party. When asked why I was shooting, I told them it was for family photos, which I also shot and everyone was happy. I did inform her the next day when I gave her an album of all of my favorites, including these four.

My Aunt Laura is truly the matriarch of our family. Our grandmother moved away a long time ago, and does not keep contact. My Aunt Laura has been through so much in her life including the lives and deaths of two husbands and both of those relationships had high highs and very low lows. She is a rock of strength and wisdom but she absolutely hate having her picture taken.

I went into the night hoping I could shoot her, but also knowing I should not do anything to make her uncomfortable.

At first, I used my flash, but noticed that it caught Laura, and everyone else off guard. Therefore, I removed any flash, using the natural light (creating a more sepia toned photo) and this allowed me to captue the warmth and the naturalness of the environment as well as put everyone in a much more calm state.

After the first few shots, those featuring only my Aunt, I realized I needed to include more of her environment which in this case, is her family. Her two children, their spouses, their children, her sister and her sister's children (only my brother however, since I was behind the camera).

I'm extremely happy with my shots since my Aunt HATES having her picture taken and I feel like I found some emotion and unposed shots without the hassle of arguing over if I should take the pictures or not. After the first few, it was as if I was not there.

Also, I realized I don't always have to have the person in the center of the frame. Odd lesson, but happy I learned it.

http://flickr.com/photos/26920055@N05/sets/72157605534879331/

Document Proposal

So, I went into this document assignment trying to think really hard about doing something different, something out there and find a completely new angle. And while I was doing that, I went to the Monday night band practice that I always go to. I get shots of the guys playing to try and get them some shots for their website and I always wait for the playing to take place.

Well, I arrived Monday night, and the guys were goofing around. Without really thinking about it I took out my gear and got ready and ended up just taking shots there.

After I got some perspective and some random inspiration, I realized I didn't frame any of the shots, I didn't ask them to look at me or wait for the right parts of the song to shoot.

So, I documented a night of practice that wasn't really practice. It was more like organized fun, and I'm happy with the shots I got out of that night.

http://flickr.com/photos/26920055@N05/sets/72157605444953427/

Light

I never really had to think about it before, but when I'm shooting, what kind of light do I love? What do I always look for in my shots...

This may sound kind of backwards, but I love light when accompanied by shadows. Generally, I seek out twilight; not too bright, not too dark, and everything has a different life. The light is soft and dying, so the subject is usually just touched by the light, not drowning in it and not stuck in the dark either.

I did some different shots in different light, and I tried to branch out into something reflective as well as shadow, here's what I got:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26920055@N05/sets/72157605318195518/