This one is a little out of chronological order, but it’s on my mind.
I’ve noticed some of the more inspiring photos of people and their stories are when they are most vulnerable, or most ignored, or most stripped of pretense.
My goal is to move forward in my photography where I show through my interactions that I can care for their moments and lives even if it means I miss the shot. My primary tool of restoration will never be my camera, it will be my genuine attention. This will force me to do what I have been really pleading that my surrounding Christian communities would do with each other: stop viewing people as a means of leverage. Those closest to us often want us to succeed, but they are not here for your success. If your life has a powerful enough centrical force that all events and people are to serve your goals and purpose, maybe we ought to pause and see what that says of how we value what is near us.
Once I sat, I was able to get in close with this performer in Santa Monica.
