A pair of high-top sneakers placed side by side on a black background. The left sneaker is red with white laces, while the right sneaker is blue with white laces. Both shoes have a worn, vintage appearance with visible scuff marks on the toe caps and dirt on the rubber soles. The laces on both shoes are loosely tied, with the ends hanging down to the sides. The image has a striking contrast due to the dark background, making the colors of the sneakers stand out prominently

I’m Going Blind.

It’s still crazy to me to write that out. Please bear with me as I tell my story. I promise it gets better in the end.

But, I’m a photographer.

It was my senior year of high school when I fell in love with photography. My humanities teacher, Mr. Wright, did a block on the history of photography and introduced me to the work and philosophy of Henri Cartier-Bresson.

Not only was I enamored with the concept of the decisive moment – when everything falls into place and a photographer captures just the right moment – but I was also captivated by the leading lines and geometric forms Cartier-Bresson used in his work. You can see both at play in the image “Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare.”

This image is a black-and-white photograph depicting a man in mid-air, captured while leaping over a large puddle. His shadow and reflection are visible in the water below. In the background, there is a metal fence, and behind it, a building with posters on it. One of the posters reads “RAILOWSKY.” The scene has a somewhat industrial or urban feel, with construction materials like a wheelbarrow and piles of rubble scattered around. The photograph has a strong contrast between light and dark areas, creating a dramatic and striking visual effect.
Cartier Bresson, “Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare:, 1932

Mr. Wright gave us an opportunity to play with those ideas and let us roam the school grounds during class with a digital point-and-shoot camera. During that little photo journey, I photographed the symmetrical hallways, the leading lines in the parking lot, and created a frame within a frame in the stairwell. I discovered a creative part of myself I had never accessed before. I felt alive.

I had to do a lot of soul searching to find my path after I was done with high school. I took some classes at my local art school and fell in love with photography again. This was it. This was my path.

A young man with short, slightly tousled hair is standing indoors, holding a camera. He is wearing a maroon sweater and has a camera strap around his neck. The background is softly lit and slightly blurred, suggesting an indoor setting with some art pieces or decorations visible in the distance. The man has a slight smile on his face and is looking directly at the camera.
Let’s Not Talk About That Goatee

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