As a business owner, I've been occassionally challenged to articulate the 'why'. Why am I photographer?
Because I simply have to be. It is me.
I spent several years trying to figure out what to do with my life. After more school and more degrees than most people really need, I discovered that what I thought I wanted to do was not the right path. I wandered and waited patiently. I knew IT would arrive. I knew that when I found IT, I would recognize it and pour my whole self into making a career of it. A few years ago, photography came along and here we are.
Since at least junior high, if not before, I wanted to be an archaeologist. In college, I started taking archaeology and anthropology classes right away and never doubted my path. I was fortunate that I was able to place out of most of the general education requirements, so my schedule was almost completely free for me to take whatever I wanted and explore a variety of fields. It turns out that Art is where I went to play. I came out with an Honors BA in Anthropological Archaeology and a BA in Art.
Graduate school. I spent three years completing a Master's in Anthropological Archaeology and a certificate in Museum Studies. I finished grad school positively knowing a couple things:
1 - Although I LOVE archaeology, the baggage that comes with life in academia (i.e., the politics and publish or perish mentality) was just too much for me.
2 - Although I LOVE archaeology, it is detached from the world in a way because its existence is based on the past. There is no interaction with people. Yes, the fieldwork is fantastic and the theory and cultural perspective is awe-inspiring, but when you get back, you spend night and day alone in a lab. I started to think that cultural or applied anthropology would be a better fit because it would allow me to apply what I'd learned to present-day work and interact with people on a much deeper level.
3 - Although I LOVE archaeology, it's a luxury field (proven recently by The Powers That Be at FSU who are dismantling the department that I received my MA from) and doesn't benefit most people. I do think it is important and that there are situations when understanding the archaeological record is hugely beneficial for a small group, but for the majority of the popoulation, it's a 'hey, that's cool' moment and nothing more. I wanted to do something with my life that touched people. That gave them something. That was much more about connections between people.
When I finished my master's degree, I left the field. I spent a couple years teaching English in Czech Republic, I started a job here in Gainesville, Florida at a startup tech company, and just patiently waited for 'IT' to show itself.
And now here we are. I have found photography. It is an art. It is an opportunity to meet the people in my community, to tell stories, and document moments and rituals in people's lives. In this way it is anthropology. It gives people the opportunity to appreciate each other and simply enjoy being together, and it gives them a permanent reminder of the moments they share. It touches people and reminds them of the connections in life that matter.
These are the reasons that I don't shoot posed photographs, that I want to just come observe for the day, that I want to have a conversation (and I happen to have a camera), that I want to spend 12 hours photographing a wedding. I am seeking the natural interaction, the culture of people. THAT is what is interesting to me. It is so much more intriguing than a technically perfect photograph that tells you nothing about who the people in it are. I want my work to draw the viewer in so they say "Who is that? I want to know their story."
It is amazing that something like this even exists, something that allows me to combine these different parts of myself. So why am I doing this? Because I have to. It is me. I am an anthropological artist. I am a photographer.
Ethel Weaver. Taken in her home in early 2009. She was 96.