I Witness

Day 31 - Photo 31. It's been said "the eyes are the window to the soul." I suppose that means by looking at someone's eyes you can see into their soul. And if our eyes can look into other's souls, then our lenses, guided by our eyes, can look into souls.

What started out as an exercise for my brain became a journey for my soul. I know that I've shared some seemingly private and somewhat vulnerable moments. In one of the earlier posts I wrote that making an intimate photograph of people comes with a price. "Your subject often wants something in return. And you the photographer must give part of you, part of your soul, to tell a story. It's a trade. So, I ask myself , how much am I willing to give. What am I willing to give to tell someone else's story?" As the photographer we always put a little of ourselves into each photograph. We bring about our views, beliefs, fears and...the list could go on and on. But what really enables each of us to do this, is the connection we make with the people we photograph. It's not just about how we make a photo, but why we make a photo. At the very moment we press the shutter release...there was something...we could feel it from our subject...and we may never really know exactly what it is...but in the 1/60th of a second, another human being has revealed to the camera and we the photographer, the very essence of who they are. And that, is when we know, we've made the photo we were waiting for.

Thank you for following along, for your comments, your encouragement and holding the story. You've honored the private moments and the vulnerable moments. Yet more importantly, you've held them in trust.

Thank you.

So, tomorrow brings Day 32. And a new story to tell.