I don’t look as my photography as art. I never have and it takes effort to consider it as such.
I started off taking pictures of my skater friends during middle school. It was fun; I thought it was cool and my friends appreciated great shots of them skating. My interest in photography waned until my job sitting all day behind a desk forced me to look somewhere for a creative release. I signed up for an intro-to-photography class through UCLA extension and renewed my interest.
During and after the photography class I shot a lot of photos of stuff; mostly street photography, a lot of architecture and the great majority of it was shot at night. I didn’t consider it art – it was just for fun. In my need for further release from the chains of the investment bank I took a week long trip to Paris and came back with 26 rolls of film and a new passion for photography.
A few weeks ago a friend and model posted a request on facebook asking for help from a photographer for an art project. She is building a portfolio to apply to art school and needed help translating the idea in her head. Her idea was a series of shots of her walking into the ocean at sunrise. After a couple emails and phone calls about the project I figured I could help her while still bringing my own creativity and experience to the table. My own goal with the project was to come away with enough coverage and the right frames to be able to tell a story. The following series is my result. (Be sure to click on the image and view the larger version.)
To make the shots work meant meeting at the beach at 4:45AM. We met at a beach in Malibu and trekked down to the water using flashlights. It reads better in the large version but you can see the stars in the first shot. It was the first shot of the day and I took it at 5:05AM. We shot for about an hour until I was cold and she was freezing.
Is it art? I’m still not sure. I just like to make photos and tell stories with them.
©Chuck Espinoza 310-571-5094