The insides of people.
It’s not cotton fluff or packing peanuts;
We aren’t filled with air, and although water flows inside at 60%, that’s not what fills us up.
You may say, “organs and muscles and blood and fat and lots of little cells…”
And I think you would be right, scientifically speaking.

But when you look in someone’s face and see their eyes, and you really really look,
do you see just a beating heart and firing neurons?
What’s in there? What is it really?

Photos at the bottom, as always!

Most of you reading this post are probably familiar with the project I worked on last year to take 1,000 portraits of 1,000 different people in 6 months. Well, there is one very specific group of people I have not had the chance to thank yet; they are very deserving of thanks, so this post is dedicated to them.

Weather was not something I originally planned on being a major factor in my ability and motivation to complete my project, but it sure was. 99% of these portraits were taken while roaming the streets of Provo and Salt Lake City, Utah. During the summers, I did what any smart person would do; I shot for an hour or so in the mornings or evenings, when it was cooler. During the winter, however, there was not a time of day I could use to escape the cold. In the middle of December it really doesn’t matter which hour you go outside, you better have some really fantastic gloves if you want to walk around for an hour using a camera.

It was hard enough to drag myself out in the cold even with the motivation I had to reach my goal, but not very many other people have a reason to hang out in the cold. I found that I ran into far fewer people outside, meaning I had to search harder, longer or more creatively for people to photograph.

Now comes the part about my heroes. I could always count on finding at least one person being outside, no matter the weather. Dog owners: a special breed of human who will battle the elements to do a kind service to their furry friends, and an even kinder service to the random photographer that just needs SOMEONE to take a photo of so she can get out of the cold!

Shout out to all you dog walkers out there!! I love you!

I am so impressed with people who will walk their dog in the frigid snow or the blazing sunshine. I knew I could always count on them to have someone to photograph. You rock. Please know that your dogs are not the only ones who appreciate all your hard work.

I long to be free, to give up my inhibitions and escape from the prison of concerning myself so much with what others think of me.

Can you relate to this feeling? It is likely that if you can relate, you are much more likely considering what someone else is thinking about than you are thinking about this desire, until you observe one of those magical creatures who seem to be totally free of self-consciousness. I imagine that it is a common desire to shed our insecurities and self-inflicted constraints. We keep ourselves from so much happiness and progression because we are thinking so much about how our appearance or actions are being perceived by another mind.

I don’t necessarily have a solution, but I have some photos. The humans that I have found who most commonly seem to be “free” are children and the elderly; so enjoy some photographs of people that seem unencumbered by self-consciousness and be inspired to do what feels right and makes you happy, regardless of what others think.

Hey everyone! I had an interesting experience tonight I thought I would share.

It has been about a year since I began my 1,000 portraits project, and 6 months since I finished and last posted about it. Lately I have been wanting to share more, but I have put it off because I wanted to learn to be a better writer as well. So…. I have been sitting on a post for the last two weeks but just struggling with the writing process and, to be frank, with not blowing it off.

I sometimes work my way through the struggle by writing in stream-of-conscious style. Tonight’s turned out to be rather inspiring, and I thought I would share.

Photos at the end!

Why does writing have to be so freaking bleeping bloody difficult? Man…. Maybe I’m not so into this post I am considering. Maybe because I am realizing that what I wanted to write about isn’t as true as I was hoping it was. Maybe I haven’t quite totally followed my own advice. Maybe I feel guilty because I’m not doing more photo stuff. Maybe I feel confused and lost and deranged. Maybe I just want to find a way to use the word ubiquitous.

I would love the feeling of confidence to be a much more ubiquitous part of my life.

I would also like to learn more new words.

I would like to be out shooting more dagnabit.

That’s not a word.

I just need to write something, right?

Am I putting off what I should really be doing??

I’m feeling lost and confused.

Maybe it would help if I had more time.

But then I would have less money and I couldn’t buy a computer.

You need a new computer. And hard drives.

Ya….. that’s right….

You also do want to be better at writing so that you can share your ideas more.

True.

So it’s important, yes?

Yes….

It’s just not so obviously rewarding as photography!!

Well, that’s because it’s not your THING. Photography is your THING. But writing will be very helpful for you…

Really? In what ways?

What you say sometimes draws people to look at more.

Interesting…. Tell me more.

Well…. Just a photo can be beautiful, but if there is a caption or story that catches their eye, they are much more likely to look at that photo for longer.

Huh. Okay….

So….. ?

Well, so I guess that’s what I want when people look at my portraits. I don’t want them to just briefly glance at it for a second and move on to the next thought. I want them to gaze and stare and think and reflect about that person and the clues they see in the photo and just stare at their eyes and wonder about their life….

Why?

Why? …. Uhm…. Well, I mean that is how I respond to photos of people and I really find it fascinating and even fulfilling sometimes. Or… maybe not so much fulfilling as a desire to have more. It makes me more willing to accept more people and judge less quickly I think. Accept more people into the world of “who I would be okay associating with and considering them as human as I am.” And honestly I think we need more of that….

Right….

Ya, I mean…. People, especially people in my social universe (like, people that have similar backgrounds and lives) tend to stick to people like them. We are kind of shallow that way… I mean I think we have good intentions. Ya know, like I was taught to be safe. And how do you know who to be safe from? You judge them by their appearance and the context you see them in to know… And we have this culture of considering time really valuable, and so you have to make really quick judgements about whether someone is “worth” your time or not. Anyway, I think that plus probably some other stuff leads to us just not really seeing everyone as the beautiful and important souls they are…… and honestly I get that we don’t have time to sit down and talk to everyone, and especially as a woman I never judge another woman for not being friendly with all the random strangers she interacts with. Gotta be safe.

But?

But I think….. souls are beautiful! I mean…. I believe we are all really valuable and special. And even if we don’t take more of our time to get to know people, I think it’s important to SEE and THINK about people that way. I think it changes us. I think it makes us a little lighter and happier inside. Not to mention we will just treat people better in general I think! And….. honestly maybe see ourselves a little bit better too.

Wow.

Ya know… Honestly I’m starting to feel a little bit better right now, just kind of considering these delightful truths. Beautiful….

Ooh! Let’s find a better word.

Okay…. It’s emboldening! And something I find deep solace in.

Hello hello! Welcome. I am a photographer and a student, and I love photographing people. I am not a good writer, but I have something I wanted to share with the world, and this is the way I would like to do it.

6 months and 1 week into the year 2016 I was in need of a goal. The goal came out a severe need to not only practice photography while school was out, but also to overcome some major fears. All I wanted to do with my camera was put people in front of it, but there was a huge problem with this. I was totally terrified to do it! Sure, a close friend was no problem. But I always went out to roam the streets to photograph the really interesting people around me, and that’s when I would totally clam up; and by that I mean near anxiety attack thinking about approaching someone, not doing it, and running back to my car thinking about what a stupid, terrible person I was.

In order to overcome, I decided to set a goal to take 1,000 portraits of 1,000 different people in six months. I set a goal to hit the streets each day to take about 15-30 photos each time. I now have one week left of this challenge. I’m almost there guys, I’m so close.

I want everyone that reads this to know that if I can do something like this, you can do anything too. I never believed it when I heard people say, “you can do anything you want if you set your mind to it!” Now I know that you really can do anything. Set a goal that is truly for you and no one else. Set it when you are ready for it, even though it’s hard.

I can’t believe how much this experience has changed me, and I’m really excited to share what I’ve learned from it.

Today I thought I would share just a few of my favorite photos that I took of my family during the holidays, but get ready for the other 996 because they are coming your way with lessons I’ve learned about photography and life. I will introduce you to some amazing people I found in the simplest of places. You will love them, just like I have!