Posts made in September, 2010

Here are my feelings about the Children series. Since the birth of my three daughters, I have begun to question the idea of femininity. As I watched these three girls I began to discover that “femaleness” was not something that I was consciously teaching them. Each of my children, in their own way, has their own innate way of being. I am intrigued by the way each of my children physically, emotionally, and intellectually expresses themselves. I began to study and photograph their body language and facial expressions; while also, writing down conversations and questions that they were having with me. In this series, I am seeking to explore the vulnerability, femininity, and innocence of my daughters through “life lessons” passed from mother to daughter.

Cindy’s wedding is part of a 35-year sequence of un-posed situational portraits of people around me, mostly of my family. This project has driven almost all my photography ever since, and it remains a work in progress. Though I can’t say just how it began, I do know that an early exposure in my teens to Cartier-Bresson and Arbus was life-changing.
The three series are roughly chronological and are grouped by their media. Although I feel all the photographs emerge from the same point of view. Each series does have a somewhat different character. The earlier monochrome images, like this one, are generally more documentary in style; the later series tend to be more static and formal.

Eighty percent of the school’s population lives in Juarez, Mexico and crosses the border five days a week to go to school in El Paso. The pageant took place in Juarez, I was fortunate to photograph the event. I had been documenting the students at the school for about two years and tried to go to as many student events away from the school as I could. The pageant is more than a beauty contest; the lucky girl will hold the title of Miss Lydia Patterson Institute. The girls were so preoccupied with getting ready that I became invisible – which was my hope. It was an incredible opportunity to be able to photograph an event that was so innocuous and joyful in such a torn and dangerous place.

What I photograph the most are the mysterious spaces that lie off the beaten path. They hold a certain kind of magic for me…Whatever secrets they have, they keep. I photograph these places because it is the best way that I know to keep them close to me, to capture a little of that magic in my everyday life.

I wish I were alive in the early to mid 20th century where my favorite photographers and style of photography was being practiced. I believe in the artists hands involvement in the process of art rather than staring at a computer screen. Getting your hands dirty is key in the making of art.