"Picture Perfect" Photograph

Artist Statement for this series: The idea for this project started out as a tiny idea that has sprouted into a story. When I started, I had recently heard for a type of lens for SLR cameras that can emulate cameras with tilt shift capabilities. I knew I wanted to use one of those lenses (called a Lensbaby). Thinking of ideas to use this Lensbaby, one image popped into my head: a friend smashing the wedding band of her ex with a hammer. It was such a strong image in my head that the rest of the idea grew around it. This project is a dramatization of my friend's life - a recreation of major events in her life leading up to present day. She's been through some terrible - and good - things and she handles them with such strength and poise that it amazes me, and I want to share her strength with the rest of the world. I approached her with the idea and a sketch of that first image. She was eager to help me. We sat together and made a timeline of the last five years of her life and she marked all the events she thought had the most impact on where she is in her life now. We started talking about how to portray each event in a single, fairly simple image that could be enhanced by the blur from the Lensbaby. We came up with several ideas and sketches to begin working with. She agreed to portray herself in the photographs. As the time since we started has passed, the project has evolved and changed a bit but is still holding true to the original idea. I hope that her strength in dealing with adversity and my strength in showing her story bring hope to all who have gone through or are going through a hard time.