Seniors

Seniors was started sometime back in 2006 while I was working as a public school art teacher for the NYC Department of Education- they were originally intended for the students to use as reference to draw grid portraits in the photorealistic style of Chuck Close. Shot with a point and shoot camera, one student holding a light with a metal reflector from the hardware store, and a projector lighting the brown paper we taped up for a backdrop. When the principal saw the portraits, she asked me to start photographing portraits for the hallway and yearbook. I often think of these portraits as the beginning of my journey back to photography. The kids and I had a blast despite our limited funds (zero) and “ghetto” lighting style. By the time the series ended, it was 2016- we had upgraded to a DSLR; however, the lighting remained the same.