Final: Laundromat Portraits

Though I cannot say these are my best images of the semester, I can say that this project pushed me much further than any of the prior assignments. Taking pictures of strangers in laundromats was very, very outside of my comfort zone, yet it was the only idea that really "stuck" with me to do for the final.

Laundromats are interesting places. In a way, it's a community melting pot where you'll find people from all walks of life. However, it being laundry day it's often difficult to distinguish "who" people really are from how their appearance is at the laundromat. I saw students immersed in their books, mothers teaching their children, old couples sitting silently, and so many other dynamics at the laundromats in Provo.

This project has made me more keen on watching and observing the people around me. Even more, it has opened my eyes to the real confidence and bravery a photographer must have to approach strangers for the task of taking a picture. This was very difficult for me and I am proud of these images simply because I found the courage to take them.

8. Habitat

For my "cause" assignment, I photographed a construction site of Habitat for Humanity. I remember being involved with this organization when I was in high school and even working on a build site once. Habitat for Humanity is one of the most recognized organizations for providing homes for families in need.

Their was a great feeling of camaraderie and fellowship among the men working on this build site in Lindon, Utah. I learned that there are companies in Utah who help to sponsor Habitat for Humanity and will allow their employees an absence from work to participate in a build. I photographed some of the men who were there from TD Ameritrade, the project they were working on and the tools they used.

* Field Trip

Here are a handful of favorites from our field trip day!


The same tree photographed about twenty minutes apart; before and after the snow.



Last bit of fall colors in the canyon.



Jane via 50 mm lens; Jane via 85 mm lens. F/2.8 aperture for both shots.



This is my favorite shot. Look at that snow in the canyon!



Little class, big mountain.



The master at work.

7. Typology of US Postcards

In 2006, I went on a road trip with my dad and younger sister across the country. My 14-year-old self set out to collect a postcard from every state we passed through - with a strict code of rules to follow. The postcard had to say the state name on the front. I had to choose the postcard whose image best represented what I saw and experienced in my time there. In 2009, I made another road trip out to school with my dad and continued to fill in the gaps of my postcard collection. Again in 2010, I made another cross-country road trip, this time with a roommate, and continued to collect.

Creating this typology was surprisingly personal, as it brought back many fond memories of driving with my dad. He has passed on to me a love of driving and of this beautiful country we live in. I hope that in the years to come, I can continue to fill in the gaps of my postcard typology.

A few favorites below.



On our way through South Dakota, we stopped at a pull-out area off the highway to take a break. My dad began a conversation with a woman there, who asked, "Are you heading to the Badlands?" We were not and did not even know what the Badlands were. "You have to see the Badlands" she said. She gave us directions and so we veered off our original course to see one of the most amazing, beautiful, alien-like landscapes in the United States. The Badlands left me awestruck - it is still one of the favorite places I have ever been today. My dad and I still have fond memories of the visit and gratitude for the random passerbyer who inspired the visit.



My family completed multiple drives up from Connecticut down to Florida for vacations to DisneyWorld. One of the "highlights" of the drive was always stopping at "South of the Border" between the borders of North and South Carolina. Billboards for the attraction plastered the highway for miles and miles to attract visitors. This postcard, no larger or sturdier than a 4X6 print from Walgreens is an amusingly accurate description of the cheap, run-down Little Mexico of South Carolina. You'll notice I had to write the title myself, too.



And this one just makes me smile. Those midwest states half-way through the cross-country drives could be a killer with their endless, flat fields and not much else.

* Ghosts

6. Marlow

My inspiration comes from Peter Marlow. He stood out among the Magnum photographers because he uses color film in a square crop. He photographs common scenes of life with few people and interesting, usually geometric compositions. I researched his intent as a photographer; what he said became the basis of my project.

"I'm fascinated by the idea of telling a story without much going on in the shot."

He has also described his photographs as "photographs [that] deal with a physical and personal landscape that is often over looked." He sees the "points of interest" around him that would usually go unnoticed. I applied this to my project by photographing eight simple scenes that don't seem to have any story going on, but actually they all do have a special story in common. As a nod to Marlow, I used a square crop and color format as well.