My Documentary

It's Sunday night and I've been in CT since Friday night. I debated about leaving tonight or waiting till tomorrow, but since I actually started making progress on my scanning project starting last night, I decided to stay and try to get as much done as I can.



The "scanning project" is something I hoped to complete this summer and one of the reasons I wanted to spend time back in the US. I'm happy with the wedding and portrait part of my website, but I'd also like to have a part that shows my travel and documentary work. Looking back at all the images brings back so many memories and puts me back in touch with how I used to feel about photography. Photography used to be all about the personal documentation of my life and my way to show people the people, places, and things I experienced. It was always about telling my stories. Even when I started taking classes and doing documentary projects to try to tell other people's stories, I still look at those images and remember my experiences in taking those photos.



During many of my teenage years and at various points after, I suffered through depressed periods. Whenever I felt hopeless, I would reassure myself that life was like a movie and I needed to stick around and see what would happen next. I think I've lived my life that way, like I'm in a movie, and when I see all the images, it really seems that way. Today I've seen images of India, Thailand, Nepal, and countries in Africa. Mexican musicians at Coney Island, children in Mali dressed for Ramadan, the aftermath of September 11th, and male strippers at work and at home. Not to mention family over the years and my great friends who've been so supportive. And my men...



It's been a great life so far and as I start this final week here in the US before I head back south of the border, I can't wait to see what happens next.