Artist Statement
I am fascinated with people. It runs in my family. All of my grandparents love meeting and talking to new people. My mom’s parents and I live in the same city, and every time I’ve ever been out with them they’ve either seen multiple people they know or have made new friends. Because of this, I’ve developed a deep desire to know and understand people. I’ve realized over the years that I love portrait photography more than any other genre and I knew that I had to do portraits for my senior portfolio. I photographed friends and family members through my eyes. Each subject’s unique personality and raw emotions shine through. I asked myself how I could elevate a typical black and white portrait. Through this lens, I explored how hands and arms can make each portrait unique, even though I’m using the same lighting, backdrop, and camera angle for each one. The high contrast, black backdrop, and black and white filter aren’t just meant to showcase their personality, but also the physical imperfections that make them uniquely beautiful, such as freckles, pimples, and hairs.
For this project, I was inspired by fashion and portrait photographer Richard Avedon’s portraits of both celebrities and ordinary people. Even though the portraits seem light and simple, each one portrays the personality traits of its subject. I was also inspired by Jorden Keith’s high-contrast black and white portraits, which use hands and serious facial expressions to convey a dramatic and sensuous mood.