For me, photography has become less about making a pretty photograph and more about a legacy, both in terms of my artistic footprint and the world that I will be leaving my children.
At its best, photography is one of the most effective storytelling tools we have. The still image, especially the portrait, captures a moment in time of a person's existence. Each individual in this great country of ours is a story in progress. We've become a society mired in statistics and demographics. It's difficult to think of people as individuals rather than a representative of their "type." There is more behind an individual than who they represent according to the latest poll.
American We is my attempt at capturing the fascinating people I meet, documenting their image, and attempting to show a glimmer of the person behind the statistic. I hope you enjoy the images and words. I hope that the next time you meet someone from a different demographic you will remember this project. Let's begin the process of looking deeper at each other, rather than attempting a superficial sorting of people into convenient stereotypes. Let's discover each other's normal.
Because of its longevity, honesty, and my love for the process, all of the images have been captured on film, large format preferably.
