The photos I have chosen to post are some that I took about a year ago. For the portrait section of my portfolio I decided to focus on someone I didn't know in their natural element. This brought me to the homeless of downtown SLC. I spent about a half hour talking to Craig before shooting. He was a very emotional and opinionated man, which I feel was captured in the photos.
I feel like all three of these photos capture Craig's for who he is, especially this last one. When I look into his eyes I can actually feel like I am sitting there with him again. Beneath his dry humor and calm personality there is hurt, stress, and exhaustion.
I chose black and white because I feel like it draws attention to the colder side of the photos. Without being distracted by color, it is possible to see directly to Craig and the realness of it all.
I tried to imitate the photo style of Leroy Skalstad, who is famous for not only depicting scenes from the street, but also attempting to capture the emotions and feelings of those being photographed. This is why I felt it necessary to gain a relationship with Craig before I started shooting. I wanted to know him and his personality, and try and let that bleed out of the photos.
Spending time with Craig and his friends was an experience I'll never forget, and with the help of these photos, I was able to capture the emotions we felt that day.
Lovely photos! I think the third one is definitely the strongest one. It has the same intense emotion, but the person behind the main figure give it more of an environment, makes it feel more personal. I love this man's face, it looks so weathered, like there's a lot of pain in this guy's past. The black and white looks clean and crisp and gives it a classy edge that color wouldn't do. It makes you focus more on the facial expression rather than the color of his shirt and whatnot. Nicely done :)
ReplyDeleteTaking the time to get to know the subject before you took photographs of him really helped. I notice in my own photos that if I know a bit about the subject, their background, what they've been through, the emotions they are facing in that moment, etc. I am able to capture their spirit in an image. I think it tells a lot about you, as an artist, that you take the time to care for the small details, which in the long run will make you a stronger artist.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great project. You are very talented.
ReplyDeleteIf you haven't seen this book already you should definitely check it out.
http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Grace-Face-Americas-Homeless/dp/1601091052
It has a very similar feel where the author interviews homeless and then shoots their portrait. Truly inspiring and very well put together.