October

My ability to make photos has come a long way in 15 months. It's stressful in a way. I made photography such a big part of my life and then when it started making sense I suddenly felt entitled to be at the place where seasoned shooters currently reside. Time means nothing so there can be no slowing down but there are moments where I should at least be respectful of the fact I didn't know what exposure meant last April. Still not making the images I crave but my ideas are building slowly, progress is fluid. I wonder what it would be like if I didn't get to work with the kind of people I do or receive guidance and advice from such a well-versed group of professionals in Austin. It's made everything so much more enjoyable. Last spring I was taking pictures of a coke bottle in Epoch and now I spend Saturdays in random houses in Bastrop watching as complete strangers take me in to tell me their stories. I suppose there are photographs I have taken in the past that I enjoy (Isaac, above, October 2010) but the majority is trash. But like I said, it helps that I work with people who push you to shoot better everyday. It helps that I drive home from days out in the field with friends and colleagues who share this passion. Photography connects us and in the end we are brought together by this common thread. Ideas of photo-collectives, large format, gas stations, sight, the consumption of space, internships, always learning, always shooting. The lives of others.

I work with geniuses and we share a common language.
The power of images.