I am very interested in photographing people. In a traditional portrait, photographers try to capture not only their subject’s physical appearance, but also something on the inside of them as well. In my portraits I have taken the physical appearance of the subject out and concentrated on what is behind all that. These photographs show a portion of what makes my subject unique - their self-built environment.
The subjects are young adults who are stuck in that phase between childhood and adulthood. They mesh collections of stuffed animals and dolls with posters of pornography and political statements. These years are crucial in developing who they are and who they will become as adults.
I shot my subjects to have a “snapshot” quality. They look as if they were shot with a disposable camera. The harsh flash used helps to flatten them and confront the viewer with the subject. They are a reminder of high school emotions, mixed with a yearning for adult life.
All are 16x20 C-prints.