i'm battening the hatches

i'm pulling in the sails

i'm going home forever

now is where my heart prevails

Yashica A Model. 120 Kodak BW 400TMY. 6x6.

teresa

5 facts about teresa:

she is a sister of 9

her native tongue is arabic

she knows every word to every joni michele song there is

her hugs are like warm soup on a cold day

she is my mother

Polaroid Sx 70. 600 Film. Faces Series (#6).

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the faces project is going very well. i've been photographing at least 3 or 4 people a week...

in december i started this project after photographing everyone in my family. i was incredibly inspired by how different they seemed on the print as opposed to how i see them everyday. it got me thinking about how we carry preconceptions of people, especially those we already know, and how that affects the way we see them.

so it is my goal to to remove all the stigmas and back stories that affect the way we see one another, and to simply show people at face value. polaroid seems to be a perfect medium to this mission as it is an instant capture, without any of the smoke and mirrors of fancy editing, and simply more true to the moment.

also, as part of this project i am asking 5 random facts from each person. it could be anything that they want to share. the goal is to achieve something concrete about who they are according to them. some of the facts have surprised me, which only lead me to believe even further that our mental stereotypes are difficult guards to surrender.

i hope that you will enjoy the many faces to be posted in the future.

courtnie II

this is one of my favorite portraits so far. i used ATZ film which sort of makes everything very soft and creamy. also i have to say, i really love direct eye contact. a lot of the people i photograph feel uncomfortable and so i tell them to do whatever they want. almost every single time they end up looking away, as if they are pretending no one is taking their photo at all. only the rare few look right at me, challenging me to focus quicker, to wait for that special moment when they are no longer seeing the camera but instead confidently they are seeing themselves, and creating a truly electrifying kind of energy between us.

Polaroid Sx70. ATZ Film. Faces Series (#5).

heather

5 facts about heather:

she watches saturday morning cartoons

her middle toe is longer than her first toe

she is ready to have a baby

kindness is her greatest quality

she is my big sister

Polaroid Sx 70. 600 Film. ND Filter. Faces Series (#4).

courtnie

5 facts about courtnie:
she is 18 yrs old
her favorite animal is the penguin
her favorite band is blink 182
she can lick her elbow
she is my little sister

Polaroid Sx70. 600 Film. ND Filter. Faces Series (#3).