magnum

Micha Bar Am was my inspiration for this shoot. He’s an awesome Israeli photographer who makes good use of repetition, contrast and a mix of similar and dissimilar elements to make mostly black and white photographs. Considering he worked with the New York Times for a while, has published several photography books and made the Magnum list, I think he's a decent person to look up to. 

I went to Lagoon over the weekend with my husband and family. Since I didn't have a lot of time, I figured I’d kill two birds with one stone - finish an assignment and make it through a day at the world’s worst amusement park. (I have a bad attitude, I know).

Now.

“He says that he has adopted Robert Capa's saying, "If your photographs aren't good enough, you weren't close enough," but has added a caveat: "If you're too close you lose perspective. It is not easy to be fair with the facts and keep your own convictions out of the picture. It is almost impossible to be both a participant in the events and their observer, witness, interpreter. The effort brings great frustration, and equally great reward."” (Wikipedia)

In all of these photos I tried to be close enough to isolate the scene, but not too close so that I was recording only a very specific object that I picked out. I tried to emulate Micha Bar Am's sense of light and dark, and looked for repetitions that I could photograph. Even though Bar Am is a documentary photographer specializing in historical and war photography, of which I don't have a particular interest, I like his style. He knows how to combine the human tendency towards order and repetition with impulse and emotion. I hope I can convey that in my own work!

how to make a paper airplane

the pelican point mystery

to read more: 

http://www.heraldextra.com/news/murder-at-the-lake-the-pelican-point-mystery/article_5576286e-8ecd-5ddf-b7c3-9d5e13a73b16.html

strangling bros

9/11

These are my grandparents, Larry and Diane Hartman. They have lived in Springville, Utah for many years. They were getting ready for the work day when they heard of the terrorist attacks. My grandma was in the bedroom when she felt like something was wrong and went into the living room, where my grandpa was watching the TV. Both of them clearly remember the shock that came after what had seemed to be an accidental plane crash happened again. They both found it hard to eat breakfast.

My grandma recalls that at work that day, everyone had a hard time working, including her. There was an elephant in the room. Everyone wanted to talk about it, but at the same time, no one did.

It's amazing that even after all these years, the little details are still so clear in their minds. 

sandy antique mall

This is the Sandy Antique Store in Sandy, Utah. It's still open for business, and has been for 22 years, since 1991. It's owned by Randy and Jane Tanski. Before that, it was a gas station with a house in the back where the owners stayed. 

There is a "ghost" in the basement. Tanski estimates that 20 or 30 people have approached her over the years and told her that they had seen or felt something in the basement.

While talking to the owner, she told me that the ghost is a woman, who is always described in the same way - around 30 to middle aged, with a long pioneer dress and very dark eyes. She sits in a chair and rocks, even though the chair is not a rocking chair. 

The owner, Jane, told me that someone had bought the chair and a pair of doors that were just adjacent to it. A week later, they returned saying that they needed to return everything because they had brought a "dark presence" into their house. 

The story, the owners say, is unknown, but they predict that the woman died in that basement when the store was a gas station. People who go down there mostly believe that the woman was killed by her husband, whom some people also see. He's described as wearing a top hat and a suit with glasses.

Who knows what really happened? The biggest question is: are the matching descriptions and eerie feelings just a coincidence?