For months, I've been trying to come up with the perfect idea for a photo essay. The basics were there, but I still hadn't found the perfect inspiration. I've gone through multiple iterations in my head, but nothing seemed to be the right fit for what I wanted to achieve. As I was driving home after working at the studio one day, I finally had my light bulb moment. It was my 30th birthday, and as most of us tend to do on those big decade-changing birthdays, I was reflecting on what I had accomplished, what I still want to achieve, and the experiences and people that had brought me to this point. And though it hasn't been a smooth journey, I've finally come to a point when I feel like I'm starting to understand and accept who I am.
And in that moment, I realized that that premise was exactly what I wanted my project to encompass.
"The Face of the Story" is a black and white photo essay that will focus on not only creating a compelling portrait of an individual but also telling their story.
Each portrait will be accompanied by a narrative written by that person that describes a life-changing, life-altering, or other impactful events in their life.
So many of us have stories to tell, but we tend to keep them to ourselves and hide in the shadows, convinced that no one wants to hear our stories. But as evidenced by the #metoo movement, there are often people that surround you who have experiences that have been untold.
This is where you come in. Rather than keep these experiences under wraps, I want to bring them to the light. I want to help open up discussions that need to be had. I want others to read these stories and realize that other people have the same struggles, the same challenges, the same profound experiences. But I also want to help others who haven't gone through these experiences to be able to gain a better understanding of others. We all have had moments where our preconceived notions have been challenged, those moments of understanding that shift our perspectives or challenge our way of thinking.
I want to help tell stories of overcoming adversity, stories of strength, hope, transformation, acceptance, joy, sorrow, and everything else that makes us as the human race absolutely incredible. No story is too small to be told.
If you have a story to tell, I want to photograph you.