On Photography

At this point in our lives, we've been provided an anthology of images through photography that has helped shape, remember, and understand the world. I can now feel as though I have been to remote parts of the world or better understand a period of hardship in history through the experience of a photograph. But i am also a part of something greater. I have the ability to contribute to and help develop what we know as modern, so that through pieces of here and there, people of importance or not, can be captured in a way that I want them to be remembered...because it's how I see it.

We have a constant stream of images passing through our head due to the extreme number of photographs there are in the world. The development of the photography book has made photography, in a sense, physically immortal. Before, there was a greater risk of damaging, destroying or losing individual photos. Now there is a way to "guarantee longevity", but also improve the overall visual clarity and emotional response to a series of images. Instead of flipping through a box of old photographs which come and go at random, the book allows for the photographer to truly tell a story, whether by organizing them chronologically or through a recurring theme.

When it comes to photographs, the photographer holds all the power. We have documented everything at this point, but how many photos do you think have been taken, yet never shared? A photo only takes a moment, but if multiple images are captured in the same sitting, a choice is able to be made. What message is this photo depicting? Depending on exposure, angle, facility expression, etc., the photographer has the control over the standards of the subject.

Creating a photo collage also give the photographer all the power. I've captured 300+ photos of one place. I've chosen where they're placed, if they make the cut, and how I want to make the final image appear. It's the ultimate photo manipulation and as the photographer, it's up to me how I want you to see.