Drama In The Mundane
Someone once said of my photographic work that I appear to be looking for the drama in the mundane. I think it was meant as a compliment so I took it as such. Regardless, I think there is truth to that assessment. I spend a great deal of time, regardless if I am holding a camera in my hands or not, looking intently at the world and people around me. I am fascinated and genuinely interested in the smallest of expressions and gestures of the people I listen to. I suppose this is partly the reason why I have also been accused of listening too intensely to those whom I converse with. I am both cursed and blessed with the ability to remember most conversations I have ever had with anyone (often verbatim). I think it is because I am deeply interested in the lives of people and their stories. It is why I am a photographer. As I learn to frame the world around me at 1/60 of a second at a time, I am merely externally expressing my internal intense gazing.
People matter to me.
People’s stories matter to me.
Lastly, I think I have also been heavily influenced by the cinema. Films I think have taught me to see the world in a narrative form. An example would be this above picture I took on my walk last night. Because of the cinematic influences in my life, I saw the potential drama that the mundane parking lot lights could create through interesting shadows and colors.
I am hugely grateful to those of you who have allowed me to document small glimpses into your lives.
1 comment in “Drama In The Mundane”
October 14th, 2009 at 22:51
what you describe perfectly is the contemplative spirit, andrew: the desire and ability to look for a long time at something, to make it reveal itself, to truly pay attention.
thank you for expressing this through your photographs. it’s not all that common in our culture.
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