DC Magazine, April 2008

I love shooting editorial work. It gives me the opportunity to meet interesting people and go to cool places, and I feel like there is more creative freedom with editorial work than in other commercial photography fields.

That said, I'm thrilled to be contributing to DC Magazine, a Modern Luxury publication.

Although there's still a week or two left to pick up this months issue of DC Magazine, you can also read the digital version here:

http://modernluxury.com/digital.php?e=WASH

Be sure to check out:




Tom Pipkin and Mark Gundersen, "DC Source", page 36



Marshall Thompson, "The District Line" page 40



Jason Wright, page 58

Best of all, I was thrilled to shoot the "Look Who's Talking" feature. This feature appears on the last page of every issue and is considered the magazines signature piece. This month showcased Chris Lukezic, a stylish soon-to-be Olympic runner. I'm thrilled with how it came out, it looks great in print!





Chris Lukezic, page 136

Baltimore Museum of Art

I'm very proud to announce that I have a piece included in the current feature exhibit at the Baltimore Museum of Art!!!

The exhibition is "Looking Through The Lens: Photography 1900-1960". It's a fantastic show, and if you haven't had the opportunity to check it out, I highly recommend it. As part of the show, a panel consisting of artist Peter Bruun, Urbanite creative director Alex Castro, and photographer/BMA Trustee Connie Imboden selected 19 photographers to respond to the show with their own work. As one of the 19 photographers selected, my work will be on display as part of the exhibit at the BMA until June 8th, 2008.

My piece and written response are featured on page 67 of this month's "Urbanite" magazine (a free monthly magazine here in Baltimore). The written response in the article had been reworked for space, so here it is in its entirety:
_____________

In my self portrait, I am responding to the unique perspective of Bill Brandt, the simplicity of Harry Callahan, the strange reality of Ralph Eugene Meatyard, and the sculptural forms of Edward Weston. Through photography and their unique vision, they were able to see things in such a way that transformed their subject matter into something new and unexpected.

Is this camera lying?

In an age of digital manipulation, it is easy to sometimes forget how strange our reality can be and take for granted the bizarre world around us.

My image is a photograph of a reflection in mylar, a thin plastic-like material with reflective qualities. Because of it’s flimsy nature, the mylar can be bent and/or rippled to distort its reflection. The effect is a common one, reminiscent of fun-house mirrors, plastic wrapping, or those birthday balloons they sell at checkout counters in grocery stores. But through the medium of photography, these reflections can create something far more peculiar. They can transcend their context and become something new, just as Meatyards images of children wearing masks become something more disturbing, more psychological.

The camera isn’t lying in this image. What is seen in the image is what the camera saw. There is no digital or darkroom manipulation, only the bizarre and distorted reflection in a cheap piece of plastic.