Moments of reflection and personal space are captured to bring the viewer into a character’s mind.
There is something hauntingly beautiful about the appearance of reflection and pondering that Gold-winning Photographer Jake Curtis captures in his series entitled, Contemplation (ABOVE). With dim lighting and a lone character lost in her thoughts, the photo, at first glance, is decluttered and simplified. However, after scanning the girl’s face and focused stare into the corner, one is filled with the possibilities of her thoughts. What is she dreaming of? Can we surmise a guess based on the rest of the photo? Who is this thoughtful creature? Jake Curtis easily ignites a narrative and keeps the viewer engaged.
In Dekotora (ABOVE) a new entry by Todd Antony, a similar path is paved into the mind of the photo’s character. However, this time, the viewer has plenty of rich content to examine around the thinker’s physical body. He is deep in thought as he drives his van that comes from a specific tradition explained by the photographer himself: “This tradition of decorated trucks, or ‘Dekotora,’ originated from a 1970s Japanese movie series inspired by Smokey and the Bandit titled Torakku Yaro or ‘Truck Rascals.’ Drivers first began decorating their vehicles in the style of the comedy-action films in hopes of being cast in upcoming films. Eventually the extravagant trucks became a way of life for many workers, with decoration costs to produce such elaborate vehicles sometimes running over $100,000.”
Both photographs are the jumping off point to further examination and pondering. There may be a barrier between the subjects’ actual thoughts and our own, but these photographers bring us as close as possible to the inner-worlds of their subjects.
Submit to the Photography Annual 2019 competition by December 18, 2018. Winners will have the opportunity to see their work published on our website, blog, newsletter, and social media platforms!
