I originally posted this as a comment on a recent post John M. Setzler, Jr.'s blog entitled The Next Step (Part 2).
What drove me to photography was my grandfather. When I was a child he would drive me up to the mountains to visit mountain people near a cabin he rented on Cat Tail Creek. I enjoyed sitting on the porch with them hearing their stories and learning about their simple ways of life. When I was in college I took a photography class and my first subject was my grandfather. He was an old farmer who stilled plowed the field with a horse and grew his own vegetables. I had him take me back to Cat Tail Creek but everything had disappeared. I found this to be a rude awakening. I went back to Boone and starting driving through the back roads looking for a way of life that was disappearing in front of my eyes. Eventually I did meet a lot of new friends and found what I was seeking. My grandfather passed away before I could take him with me to meet some of my new friends. What I was looking for evidence of own heritage. I wanted to hear tall tales and sit on front porches again. I wanted to look at their hands and faces and see the hard work and pride they had in their land.
To make a long story short. I graduated college and got a job as a photojournalist. After 6 years I would eventually get burned out and loose my passion. I have since college I revisited my friends once a year or so. A lot have passed away and some have held on. I always fear that I would one day knock on a door and find no one at home.
My goal had always been to share my friends with the world and let the public hear their stories. I have applied for shows since I was a student and always been turned down. A year or so ago I applied to several local galleries and never heard a response.
I am happy to say that I am finally having my first show in Taylorsville at The Spilled Bean early next year of my mountain friends.
In conclusion, I have been a photographer for over 10 years now and I still get that spark of excitement at times and still love everything about photography. The flame has died down a lot but I have never forgotten why I started in the first place.
2 comments:
I absolutely love these portraits. My grandfather is my heart and soul, so these photos really reflect a childhood that I really loved as well. I think a lot of people will have the same emotional attachment to a series like this. I am still blessed because he is still alive, so I would love to do the same with him and document his life. These photos are strong, really emotional, and timelessly classic. I love them!
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