Art of Words Project

For my photojournalism class, I am documenting the spoken word and open mic scene in the Atlanta area. This project started as an exploration of open mic nights at Java Monkey in Decatur, Ga. It has now evolved into focusing on three well known poets in the area and getting a glimpse into their life as a spoken word artist. The first poet on my journey was Darnell Fine. He has spoken a lot around the Atlanta area and is a member of a slam team. Initially I was taking photographs at these open mic events, but have decided to meet one on one with each individual to interview and photograph them along with any specific belongings they own. (i.e. a journal they write in, headphones, etc.) This is a glimpse into what I have been working on thus far.

Andrew Lichtenstein

After viewing Andrew Lichtenstein's MediaStorm documentary, "Never Coming Home," I was very moved by his work. The fact that he documented such a heavy and sad subject, shows a different side to his character as a person and photographer. Each persons story, that he interviews, has such strong emotion and allows the viewer to mourn with them and get a glimpse into their loss of a loved one. Whenever I hear about a child dying before their parent, I always think of the saying "a parent should never have to bury their child." I cannot even imagine a parent having to cope with this and bury their child, at such a young age.

http://www.mediastorm.com/publication/never-coming-home

His other work, "American History Project 2010," was also a very interesting and heavy subject. It deals with locations from monumental events, both horrible and memorable, that Americans have forgotten. When he talks about how adamant our society is on moving forward and building over the past, it makes me want to stop and remember American history along with my own. i do feel that Americans are so influenced to move onto the next best thing and acquire the newest technology, when in fact everyone should take a minute to be thankful and remember their own experiences that have made them who they are today. As I come to an end of one journey of my life, I have started to stop and recollect on monumental experiences and events that have molded me into the young woman I am starting to be. I think it's necessary for every human being to look back and be grateful for their friends, family, and people that have entered their life and made it that much more interesting. I strongly believe that this is a very important aspect that people need to begin to do in their lives.

http://facingchange.org/american-history-project/

People Without People

After looking at more of Todd Hido's work, I found the initial series that made me fall in love with this photographer. His landscapes embody what I try to capture in my most recent series. His compositions and use of natural lighting is what makes the photograph sing. His solitary light source allows the image to create this somber mood that draws the viewer into the composition. This is one aspect that I am focusing on with my series to add that sense of depth and bring just enough light to my images.

Todd Hido

After receiving feedback on my desolate darkness midterm, I have been getting inspiration from other photographers to help this project grow. I have been looking at Todd Hido's work a lot recently and I am in love with his homes at night series. Both series at people's homes and apartments struck me by their dreary color and eerie moods. He has captured what I am yearning to do but in color. Even though he is focusing more on structures and less on nature, I still find his photographs intriguing and interesting. When you think of homes at night, you expect them to be full of families enjoying their time together, but these images are the complete opposite and show that night fall brings solitude. There is also a sense of quietness to his images because of the simplicity and dynamic compositions. His work has inspired me to go out and focus on structures more and creating these simple images that lead the viewer into the frame.