Find Your Voice – Brianna Edwards

Dawond Bey is a street photographer. He has tearing lost but makes up with that through his eyes. So, he “see more” for his voice in the world. And not just from a surface level. Through his camera he searches of deeper meaning. Especially, through people from the past. He has multiple of projects that’s worth talking. One of them is “History being Re-imagined.” It focusses on capturing secret roots of the underground railroad. He went to these places and sometimes present like, what it looks like today. These pictures were dark and put views of these piece in the slave’s prospective. One of the images that capture my eye is the first clear picture that was showed. When pausing and looking of a clearer picture, I too got some feeling from it. Just like most of his other shot, this are has a lot of both dark and light grays. The only part I see contrast is on the upper left part of the picture, which capture light score from the sky and the house in the distance. Without context, it can have a feeling of dread, like they’ve finally escaping and not knowing what lays ahead but knows what’s behind. With context, Dawond Bey said he took the pictures in Ohio, where there were safe houses for slave fugitives. With this information, I can look at this with a different angle, by imagining that the house can be a sign of hope with the light from behind is a new horizon, a new chapter.

Carrie Mae was living in a small town but that did not limit for world. She uses photography to find her voice by developing her own word in her kitchen. Mostly specifically, her kitchen table. I thought how can make a series of picture of the same setting each time. Well Carrie was able to accomplish this through a project called “The Kitchen Table Series.” A I mention earlier, the kitchen takes place in her kitchen with a wood table that’s facing it vertically from one end with one light hanging from the ceiling as a light score. These are the only elements that stay consistent. With each picture props and or more people are added to set a mood. This setting was the place that visited a lot especially by women. That go through lots of battles through life. The image I like was shown in the second image that was shown of her smoking a cigarette and a man reading a newspaper.  I really like the dark contrast from the black clothing they are wearing. Then there’s the mood, it feels calming yet tense. Carrie was siting put against the table. She doesn’t look lax compared to the man. Maybe she is using smoking to help calm herself down.

Dawand Bey and Carrie Mae approaches are similar by wants to capture moments from past that resonate or connect with people today. They both uses black and white for both projects. Its possible that they did this to strengthen immerge so audience can feel of the past. What is different between their approaches is the environment. Dawand Bey’s reimaging roots project doesn’t have a person there and uses different locations. Some of the area were untouched and full of nature. Carrie’s approach it by creating a setting and manipulating it to her will to convey dynamics. I think the power of photography is as Dawoud Bey said “to re-shape the world” is bring a new prospective that will make people think.