FACE and Narrative
In February of 2019, I put a casting call on Craigslist NYC:
“Professional editorial photographer looking for interesting faces to photograph. If you are beautiful/interesting/handsome/striking/quirky/wild, send me a photo.”
My selection of subjects was entirely intuitive; I chose faces that struck a chord. I was challenging myself to make interesting photographs without having the framework — safety net even — of a specific story or client brief to illustrate. Everyone styled themselves; I wanted participants to present themselves in the studio as they felt most confident.
One year later, as I edit the images for each person, I realize that I am stringing together images like notes in a musical phrase. Some participants’ photographs form multiple phrases. This young woman is serious/hilarious, and then proud/flirtatious/seductive; that young man is cocky, then lost in thought; this model, a nihilist; that football fan, an introverted superhero.
When I am still, I hear the notes in my head. Is it my music, or theirs, that I sense?
The narrative, for each person, is mine and fictional; the series, as a whole, is narrative and autobiographical. This is me, photographer and composer, celebrating my subjects.
Note: Best seen on a desktop interface.