Introspection

Today's post comes as a result of looking inward, as the title might suggest.

Through this, I tried asking myself some questions in hopes of coming up with a mission statement - something I've been lacking. Well, here it is...

"To visually share/document/explain the world as I see it. Through this, I aim to connect with my viewer and evoke some sort of emotional response."

Taking a good hard look at myself is something I've always thought of doing, but never really followed through with. I mean, sure, I think about myself, but I'm realizing it's only been in passing. Today might have been the first time I stopped everything I was doing and tried to look at who I was. And while I certainly consider it to be a work-in-progress, it was definitely an important thing for me to do, in terms of my photography. The question finally dawned on me -- how can I really expect to connect with the people I'm hoping to meet by doing this, without really knowing who I am? It's a give and take process, and a crucial step to earning the trust of the people I'm taking pictures of.

As a result, I've got a ton running through my head, but here's what I've managed to form into coherent sentences...

Why photography?
I consider myself to be a visual person. So, naturally, I found at home with having a camera in my hands. I also consider myself to be a shy person, so in one way, I think the camera has provided a sort of barrier between me and the subject. It's this barrier that I'm trying to overcome and push past to really get in close (both literally and figuratively) with my subjects.

Why photojournalism?
When I look at photographs, the ones that really grab me are the ones that have people in them and are loaded with a story -- either told through a single image or a series of images. To me, photojournalism is about taking a good photo -- technically or creatively -- and going one step further by giving it meaning and context.

-Daniel