The Photographic Journal

The Switch

Essay 158 • Jun 19th 2017

I never get tired of the switch—the one that people make when they become a photographer's subject. The switch is different every time: posture, expression, complete acceptance or rejection. The only guarantee is that something changes in the time between someone is off camera to when they’re the sole focus. Sometimes it feels contrived but other times it can be sacred. Although I don’t believe it’s possible to make a photograph that captures an individual in their entirety, I still like to see who they appear to be in those moments. Katie is a dear friend of mine and this is who she was. 


 

Parker Woods is an avid bad-movie-watcher with an eye for uniqueness in the mundane and a penchant for shooting with film. Parker aims to create an exceptional vision by combining the intimacy of diaristic images with the style of fashion editorial photography. He currently lives and works in Portland, OR, with ties to LA and Tokyo.