top of page
Writer's pictureJohn Shelton

The Inclusion of Souls



So much of my work to date has been focused primarily on inanimate subjects, landscapes, structures, void of people, a sort of solitary experience as I sort through my space, techniques and gathering confidence in the development of my work. The inclusion of other people, either with me on site, or actually in the frame itself, seemed to be a bit of an intrusion into my own reflections on my work. But eventually, it is clear that the inclusion of people would be a necessary evolution if my work is to capture greater scope, emotion and depth. Lately, I've been moving in and around several of the recent protest efforts to feel the presence of human energy within a photograph, and to sort of work in a "target rich" environment where I could move about freely and openly within a crowd. It's a different feeling from the solitary meditation -- more in the zone, fast and electric. Eventually my feeling of self-conscious intrusion fell away as I became absorbed in the task at hand. Recently, I have begun to go to such sites early to scope out the vantage points, light and access before the crowds arrive. While working the Greek Amphitheater in Denver's Civic Center Park one morning, I caught this shot of a homeless woman shortly before the event began. It all happened in an instant. Later, in developing the shot, I was struck by what I saw as a sad resignation in her expression, as well as a depth of possibility in my own work. The image stuck with me for days, and until recently I kept it private -- just a dance between her and me -- not wanting to share her yet with others. As I cross what I feel may be an important threshold artistically, I now would like to introduce her to you.

36 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All
bottom of page