Finding My Peace

My subjects and I spoke briefly before I snapped a photo of them. People from Massachusetts are all bright and cheery. I spoke shortly to them, before I snapped the photograph. Basically, I introduced myself, asked for their name, and said, "You have a beautiful face!” I shot my photos with a Nikon Photomic FTN with 1.5mm lens. This camera was perfect for my images because it was the only one I could afford.

My original intention was to do a small project that uses only three people. Over time, I realized that a broader spectrum, with different types of people, was what I wanted. Forty was the number I felt was perfect. Most of them were my friends and various people I met on the street. Only a select few people, whom I knew beforehand, were told about being featured in my art. After finishing the piece, I noticed that there were more women in my photographs than men. There could be a chance that more women live in Massachusetts--that is still to be determined.

Most photos, I was able to snap of people on the everyday street. I camped out in front of supermarkets, video stores, and even strip clubs! The streets are always packed in Massachusetts. I knew that I wanted to catch a person in front of a strip club because it would have been awkward and funny. I caught a man deliriously drunk and stumbling out one night. After I said, "You have a beautiful face!" he thanked me and gave me a hug. You can tell he is completely drunk in one of the photographs. That particular image will always stand out to me.

My car earned about thirty miles from traveling across the city. After working on the project for three consecutive months, I was fed up. What I enjoyed most, was meeting all the interesting people. If I could have continued the project for a year, I would have met everyone in the world. That would have been ideal for me, but my tired body was wearing me down. Variable Peace #34 will always be one of my fondest works.