Story Telling: Desolation

March 30, 2020  •  2 Comments

I biked downtown on Sunday. It started off as a sunny morning (which I was originally hoping to capture). By the time I gathered my gear and arrived, thick clouds had blown in with an intense cold wind. I wanted to see for myself what the heart of Jackson looked like. Granted, on Sundays, downtown has traditionally been a ghost town. But now with the Corona Virus shelter-in-place restrictions, I felt compelled to investigate. 

There were still a few cars driving through. And a few people walking about. I didn't touch anything other than my bicycle and camera. I didn't get near anyone.

The wooden sign above Rustic Market, Co. creaked as it danced with the wind. Leaves swirled at the entrance door of the Blue Julep.

As I was photographing, it occurred to me that with the flip of a filter, I could make the images look desolate. When you remove any healthy and fashionable people and add in ominous clouds, you have the perfect recipe to create haunting images. This got me thinking... If you focus on any one thing- you're neglecting something else. Whether it be choosing one task over another, one career path over another, or one political view over another- once you choose the narrative, others go by the wayside.

So, here I present "A Depressed, Severely Impacted Downtown in Mid-America."

DSCN2096DSCN2096 DSCN2103DSCN2103 DSCN2105DSCN2105 DSCN2107DSCN2107 DSCN2110DSCN2110 DSCN2117DSCN2117 DSCN2124DSCN2124

This exercise has reminded me of my responsibility as a photographer, a storyteller. Here I've hi-lighted the "Impacted" concept by isolating scenes to portray a predetermined theme. There are always two sides to every story. The truth is typically somewhere in the middle. I'll go back on a sunny day and portrait downtown in a completely different way.


What do you think?


Comments

LAF Lines Photography
Thanks, Dalia! :)
Dalia Bilaisis(non-registered)
Love your storytelling and your images!
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