Environmental portraits

 

ep_clem-02 (Subject previously known)

Wyatt Carstens, 23, sits on his mountain bike after an afternoon ride on the Blade Reversal trail in Bellingham, Washington, on April 19, 2016. Carstens said that he loves riding his bike because it clears his head after long days at school and work.

Wyatt Carstens: 425-248-9766

This shot is pretty good. It show’s Wyatt in one of his favorite environments doing his favorite activity. What’s funny about it is that he didn’t seem to be able to form a genuine smile even though he is a really laid back guy who doesn’t take things too serious. Something in him just wants to look very stoic when he’s photographed. I am pleased with the composition, but would crop the photo if I could to give a little more focus on the subject.

ep_clem01

ep_clem-01

Juan Perez, 50, takes a break from working at A Que Tacos on a spring evening in Bellingham, Washington, on April 19, 2016.

Juan Perez: 360-927-7029

This shot worked for me really well considering I have very limited abilities to speak Spanish and Juan has the same limitations with English. I thought I had both photos I needed done, but realized later in the day on Tuesday that one picture didn’t meet requirements. In a spur of the moment, I decided to ask Juan for his photo to the best of my abilities and he agreed. Language was a barrier, but I am pleased with the composition of the image and the expression captured by Juan’s face and body language.

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Madlyn Navlet, 26, sits with her seven-month-old son Rocco at the Madison Park Beach in Seattle, Washington, on Monday, April 18, 2016. This was the first time Navlet had fed her son solid food, and she was happy enough to take time away from caring for him to have a laugh shortly before he began to choke briefly.

This is probably the best photo that I took for this project, unfortunately I didn’t get to submit it since it didn’t meet the requirements of the assignment. That being said, I am happy I took it and am ordering a print to surprise Madlyn with. It’s really crazy for me to see people that am friends with starting to have kids and get married. Life moves fast.

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Wyatt Carstens, 23, enjoys a beer while resting on his truck before heading up a bike trail near Bellingham, Washington, on Tuesday, April 19, 2016.

I put this shot in because I feel it accurately portrays Wyatt’s personality. In the first photo, he is very stern, something that is not typical of him. While biking is one Wyatt’s favorite things to do in life, he doesn’t take it too seriously and enjoys a beer or two before riding just to take the edge off a long day on campus. I didn’t include this photo because it’s not as well composed as the first image.

Wyattbike

The main thing I learned from this assignment was the power of photography to capture a person’s personality while in their element. When in their zone, their turf, they are much more likely to come out of their shell than if you are placing them in a setting on your terms. This is especially true of Juan Perez, the pride he clearly holds as a person is very well displayed while sitting in front of his truck.

Icebreaker

I had a lot of fun doing this assignment, partly because it was kind of scary going up to people that I didn’t know and asking them a personal question and requesting a picture. These are my three favorite photos, probably because of the interactions I had with the subjects before and after the photo. I think that if you don’t know someone who you are photographing, you know them at least a little bit by the time the process is done. If you do your job well, and they let their guard down enough, you are in some respects capturing a piece of their personality and allowing to shine through, forever captured. In the first photo, I can see the joy that skiing and trekking brings to Jane Murray. In the second photo, the love between Richie and his son is captured by the defined smile lines on Richie’s face and the carefree smile of his young child. In the last photo, Mark Houston looks almost smug, but in a humble way. This captured the way I felt he interacted with me very well, and I’m happy about that.

Jane Murray stands in the parking lot of Mt. Baker Ski Area, Washington, after a day of backcountry skiing on April 10, 2016. "I think these mountains inspire me today," Murray said. "They're way bigger than us and they're way more powerful." (Photo by: Edward Clem)
Jane Murray stands in the parking lot of Mt. Baker Ski Area, Washington, after a day of backcountry skiing on April 10, 2016. “I think these mountains inspire me today,” Murray said. “They’re way bigger than us and they’re way more powerful.” (Photo by: Edward Clem)
Richie Esquibel, 43, stands with his son outside of La Fiamma Pizza in Bellingham, Washington on April 12, 2016. "We're getting ready to work in the garden right now," Esquibel said. "The garden is what inspires me." (Photo By: Edward Clem)
Richie Esquibel, 43, stands with his son outside of La Fiamma Pizza in Bellingham, Washington on April 12, 2016. “We’re getting ready to work in the garden right now,” Esquibel said. “The garden is what inspires me.” (Photo By: Edward Clem)
Mark Houston, 60, sits outside of The Woods Coffee in Bellingham, Washington, on April 12, 2016. Houston said he is inspired by Jesus. "Everything that's going on in the world is so bad, and he's so good," Houston said. (Photo By: Edward Clem)
Mark Houston, 60, sits outside of The Woods Coffee in Bellingham, Washington, on April 12, 2016. Houston said he is inspired by Jesus. “Everything that’s going on in the world is so bad, and he’s so good,” Houston said. (Photo By: Edward Clem)

The Power of Photographs.

‘A picture is worth a thousand words.’ This is the old cliché. The thing about clichés, however, is that they are often true. Photography is an extremely powerful medium for communication for so many reasons. It does not require language; any human from any culture with any level of education can absorb the emotion or beauty of ink on a page or pixels on screen. The gratification is instant; there is no need to read a story or listen to an interview. If you see a photograph of a soldier laying dead on the ground with his mother crying over his lifeless body, the impact is immediate and all encompassing. Photographs also have tremendous potential to influence public opinion and tell stories of entire eras, sometimes even serving as the record of generations.

There are so many examples of photographs changing the world or signifying hugely complicated situations and phenomenon. Several examples come to mind: the U.S. soldier kissing a woman in dramatic fashion after returning home from World War II, Malcolm X staring out of his window with rifle in hand, the image of Jeffry Miller laying dead after the protest gone wrong at Kent State. These are only a few examples, but these alone show the immense ability of photographs to serve as bookmarks for history.

On a personal level for me, photography is the medium that I choose to express myself and record my own memories. There are times when I am down or missing something or someone and decide to flip through my old photo albums or gaze longingly at prints of far away places with long lost companions. I feel as though if I take as many photos as possible through all my adventures, relationships and day to day routines that when I am older I will have the ability to relive my past experiences as well as show others the many amazing (to me) places and people that have made me who I am. In essence, a photograph is a memory, a way to escape and remember.

These are just a few of my favorite photos or photos that I consider to be extremely significant.

** FILE ** In this Oct. 16, 1968, file photo, United States athletes Tommie Smith, top center, and John Carlos, top right, extend their gloved fists skyward during the playing of the "Star-Spangled Banner" after Smith received the gold and Carlos the bronze for the 200-meter run at the Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City. Carlos and Smith raised their black-gloved fists on the medals stand as a symbol of protest 40 years ago at the Mexico City Olympics, creating an iconic image from the games. Australia's silver medalist Peter Norman is at left.  (AP Photo/file)
(AP Photo/file)
South Vietnamese forces follow after terrified children, including 9-year-old Kim Phuc, center, as they run down Route 1 near Trang Bang after an aerial napalm attack on suspected Viet Cong hiding places on June 8, 1972. A South Vietnamese plane accidentally dropped its flaming napalm on South Vietnamese troops and civilians. The terrified girl had ripped off her burning clothes while fleeing. The children from left to right are: Phan Thanh Tam, younger brother of Kim Phuc, who lost an eye, Phan Thanh Phouc, youngest brother of Kim Phuc, Kim Phuc, and Kim's cousins Ho Van Bon, and Ho Thi Ting. Behind them are soldiers of the Vietnam Army 25th Division. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)
 (AP Photo/Nick Ut)
The Hindenburg disaster at Lakehurst, New Jersey, which marked the end of the era of passenger-carrying airships.   (Photo by Sam Shere/Getty Images)
 (Photo by Sam Shere/Getty Images)