PHOTO ETHNOGRAPHIES

I call photo-ethnographies the pairing of portraits with testimonies that tell, in the voice of the person I photograph, a little bit of their story. Through my photo-ethnographies I attempt to give voice to people who, more often than not, are defined as other.  I invite viewers to be provoqued, curious and open to the possibility of  new understandings of those photographed perhaps bypassing the messages internalized about who they are and thus challenging the stories we have internalized about who we are.  Experiencing "others" through their facial expression and gaze often looking directly at the camara, bring these strangers up and close and we are confronted with the humanity of an "other."  In this encounter viewers reaffirm their own humanity or challenge the limiting stories and stereotypes, often unadvertedly and unintentionally learned and internalized to determine how we see or do not see others. These photo-ethnographies can be leased. To make a reservation please contact us

Artist Statement

Chance, opportunity, curiosity and a commitment to social justice led me to  begin working on photo-ethnographies and to fulfill an old dream of mine, that of combining photography and story-telling. My contribution is the photograph and the questions I ask. Participants in the photo-ethnography share of themselves in many more ways than I can thank. In allowing me to photograph them and in sharing their stories in their own voice; they give me permission to enter their lives, even for a little snip of time, and grant me permission to share their voices. 

Through photo-ethnographies I hope viewers transcend the limiting and unidimensional stories that distort the humanity of those who we oftentimes render as other, and to provoke authentic curiosity and understanding of how we are all connected as human being. Hopefully we will all take responsibility for the ways in which our culture encourages us to address these experiences as "issues" rather than to create the conditions for everyone to be free from the "issues" that have an impact on so many and rob us all of our common dignity and humanity.