Portraits, Observations, Advice

I wanted to share some photos that I took with Ashley Jensen, a local photographer. When I got them back, I realized how little I truly know about myself. I love taking other people's portraits and take them so intentionally that they tell a story. Ashley is a fantastic photographer and her captures without a doubt tell some kind of story-- mine just got lost on me. I'd be lying if I said I've been having a "great time." My life is falling apart in a way. But in an even bigger way, good things need to fall apart so better things can come together. I've been viewing myself through shattered glass so to see myself put together was like seeing a wide-eyed stranger. It got me thinking about who I am. What I'm about. And how I got here. It was (mostly) nice to meet me, make some candid observations, and share some advice.

Portraits, 001

"A portrait is not made in the camera but on either side of it.” - Edward Steichen

I really love photographing people. It's not that landscapes and other various inanimate objects aren't interesting to me, it's just that nothing pulls my heart strings quite like the sentiment of immortalizing a moment. As human beings, we are capable of such an astonishing range of emotions and once we're felt one, we can never feel exactly the same way ever again. A properly-executed portrait captures that fleeting moment and keeps it for eternity. Photographs reveal so much about the subject and the photographer. I've gotten to know my friends so much better through my 30mm lens.