Double Take
ex·pres·sion (/ikˈspreSHən/)
noun
1. the process of making known one's thoughts or feelings.
2. a look on someone's face that conveys a particular emotion.
What started as test shots to make sure the lights were just right has turned into a project that has been a part of my life for almost 15 years.
During a photo session with a bunch of models-in-the-making, I started talking to one who was waiting for hair and makeup and started to photograph her while we chatted. At that point, I just started getting used to my new DSLR and transitioning out of analog since one professor continuously told me that if I ever wanted to make something out of this, I'd need to get into digital. Anyway, I digress. Those photos stayed on an external hard drive until one day, I decided to play with them. At first glance, they looked like your basic set of headshots, but then I started to notice the nuances in her face. How her laugh never appeared the same from one frame to the next or how one corner of her lip would curl one way in a shot and then do it another. Again, pretty basic. But I made a diptych of two of my favorites and put them away.
As the years went by, I started doing that with all the headshots I took -- with no actual purpose for them -- until I moved to England. Besides documenting my time in another country, I wanted to see if the new people I met would humor me and actually sit for photos. No one was a model, actor, dancer or ever needed a headshot; so the first couple of sessions were filled with awkward silences, stiff lips and tense necks that form double chins. So one sleepless night, I started writing random questions that I've always wanted to ask a person on index cards. That way, a subject would pick five and answer them while I shot.
There were three rules: 1) Answers need to be at least three words. 2) You can only skip one question. 3) Lying is perfectly acceptable. Word of my project soon started to take off, and I not only photographed my friends but a lot of people who have never had their photos taken. And by the time I was able to show them in a solo exhibit in 2016, I had 90+.
None of the interviews were recorded. Some were done in different languages with an interpreter present. And so many stories were shared that I probably would have never heard otherwise. While some of those tales are burned into my memory forever, more importantly, I was able to capture humanity and all its emotions. Yes, there were sessions that left the subject and me in tears.
I initially titled this "Express Yourself" partly because I needed a title for my show. But as time went on, I knew it needed a new title so I guess "Double Take" will do (for now). But sharing this again has revived my desire to continue this project. So if you're interested in partaking in this tiny experiment, feel free to reach out.
