Early Photographic Explorations

Artistic Development Nights

In high school, I discovered my love of art and photography through my friends. On weekends, we would all get together and host what we called “Artistic Development Nights.” It would start with a trip to the thrift store, where we would salvage anything that could be used as a prop. Then, back at my friend’s house, we would try to put together a photo series using that prop, and whatever else we could find, all in one night. These experiences were incredibly formative for me for a number of reasons. Firstly, they cultivated my artistic interests, and provided an outlet to explore them. They provided a way of working collaboratively that has proven incredibly useful. On top of that, they encouraged the spirit of improvisational art, relying less on detailed plans and more on spontaneous creation. Finally, they provided me with the knowledge of art-making that I have carried with me ever since. If I could point to one thing that made me want to become an artist, it would be these nights.

The skills I learned through both analog and digital photography through these nights has carried into professional and personal work seen today. The thought processes that went into these photos cultivated my artistic explorations I continue to carry out. They are the foundation for everything. You can see some of the images above, or you can click the button below to view a Flickr album with almost all of them.